The end of an amazing experience...

Following an exciting and interesting first week at the hospital, the group looked forward to a weekend of leisure in Vinh Long. The Saturday saw the group take a tour along the Mekong Delta to the floating markets. We stopped at several sites to see the local people making traditional rice paper, snake wine and performed theatrical Vietnamese songs. The group disembarked onto smaller wooden row boats with a single woman paddling standing up. We sat in groups of four and travelled seamlessly through smaller channels. We saw beautiful greenery and witnessed local Mekong Delta residents going about their usual day. The Sunday was a time of relaxation and immersion into the local Vinh Long atmosphere.

Our final week at the hospital went past quickly. Our Vietnamese language skills had developed and basic communication with the local women and families was possible; even if they did find our pronunciation hilarious. The professional relationships between the staff and students further grew. This allowed for open transfer of practices, culture and knowledge. We gained valuable insight into the Vietnamese way, particularly their great family involvement from pregnancy to the postnatal period. We provided information on Australian obstetric practices which that staff found very interesting.

As the week neared the end, our group was humbled to be invited to share meals with the local staff. A generous invitation for a few of us to attend an Anniversary of Death at a doctor’s home was humbling and beyond expected. On attendance a lush spread of local food was presented before us. This had obviously taken several days to prepare and tasted divine. Another generous invitation to attend a local restaurant for pancakes arrived from another doctor. On our final day at the hospital, we dined together with several doctors and midwives and enjoyed the Vietnamese pancakes. We returned to the hospital and said our goodbyes. It was a bittersweet moment to part with the wonderful staff and families as we began our trip home to our own families. 

We travelled back to Ho Chi Minh City on the final Friday, ready to depart for Adelaide on the Saturday evening. We were fortunate enough to have some more leisure time. On the Friday evening we enjoyed a delicious farewell dinner and saw the views from the highest building in Ho Chi Minh City on the 52 nd floor. On Saturday morning most of the group went to the Cu Chi tunnels to learn of the Vietnamese War and its impact. Finally, we scattered to quickly buy gifts and bargains from the local markets before departure. 

Now back in Australia to our creature comforts, I reflect on the most amazing experience I have had as a student midwife. Words cannot describe these experiences well enough, especially those shared with the women, families, local practitioners and as a group. We thank Antipodeans for arranging this placement and extend a special thank you to Michelle, Chi and Tam.

An Incredible Indian Adventure!

India – a place that so far seems totally manic. In the two weeks leading up to our placement a few of us were lucky enough to explore the northern half of the country. A week into the trip we all had mixed feelings, one of a vibrant and bustling culture and the other of a chaos but colour. The physical experience was taxing, personified by the omnipresent sweaty stench of faeces as dogs, cows, goats and people urinate and defecate in public space (reconsider?). After a long week of scorching heat, constant symphony of traffic horns and being stared at, it was time to escape the hustle of the city.

Manali became our home for the second week, a backpackers paradise with an abundance of adventure activities, cheap restaurants and bars, friendly locals going about their daily business all nestled on a tiny road engulfed by majestic mountains. It was a treat to sit at a street side café drinking chai tea as the local Nepalese women carried hay baskets up hill for their cattle, and the men herding Yaks back down towards the aqua stream below. After the two roller coaster weeks we were Palampur bound!

We arrived late afternoon after a scenic drive through the North Indian mountains, a scene like out of Jurassic park as gigantic mountains towered either side, waterfalls speckled throughout. The drive lived up to the world famous hype, it was nothing short of spectacular. Having nestled into our accommodation and meeting our in country partners and the other students we were feeling reassured and excited to begin the first day of the next 4 weeks.

At first, it was a bit daunting to discover that each and every meal at the house would be Indian vegetarian. But we soon found out, every meal was made fresh, full of flavour and accompanied by home grown organic vegetables. Almost one week in and each meal continues to satisfy both the stomach and the soul. We are completely hooked on foods like dahl, chapati and paneer (look it up). We are embarrassed that we once enjoyed a sausage roll or meat pie from the servo.

Making our way to placement each day is an adventure. We catch the local bus and get off at the local market which is just beginning to show signs of the hustle and bustle that will inevitably characterise the streets during the day. Catching a second bus, we wind our way towards placement. The manic driver takes violent turns at lightning pace, it's important to hold on tight!

The placement so far has been an eye opener, there are so many differences in physiotherapy between Australia and India it's overwhelming. At this stage we are just observing and although we see things that we consider to be different, we are learning the role of cultural and social influence on treatment in order to achieve greater patient outcomes.

The stroll back through the market at the end of the day is highly anticipated. A plethora of amazing fresh sweet and savoury delights, hot steamed momo’s, cool butterscotch ice cream and a big grocery bag full of afternoon snacks for a mere $2AUD. We are currently planning our weekend which will consist of exploring Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, with hiking and culinary experiences high on the to do list.

Our Exciting First Week of midwifery in Vietnam!

After check in and a team photo we were finally boarding. The long, overnight haul had finally begun after weeks of planning, preparation and excitement. Two stopovers and rough nights' ‘sleep’ saw us to Ho Chi Minh City where we had the afternoon to settle in, a welcome dinner of local cuisine, and an early night. Monday morning was here, time to pack up, board the bus and move onto Vinh Long. 

We dumped our bags at the hotel, were fed an enormous lunch that could quite easily have fed us for days and made our way to the hospital for a tour. Waiting at the steps of hospital were the beaming smiles of staff and translators. As we made our way through the corridors, locals stared, waved, giggled and followed us. It was clear we were going to be welcomed, it was also clear this was not a place that foreigners frequented.

The staff proudly walked us through their hospital and sat us down in the meeting room for an official welcoming. If you’re a health professional student you know this kind of welcoming doesn’t happen at home (well it certainly doesn’t in Australia). We felt like royalty and were all thrilled to finally be here.

We later left the hospital and made our way through the local supermarket collecting some basic supplies. Once again the locals looked on intrigued that white Aussies were wandering through their supermarket. Tuesday was here, day 1 of placement! It was very different to home, there was no patient hand over, we had no idea of the daily routine and yet we all drifted off into our own areas and began to immerse ourselves in the women, babies and families. It was difficult, we looked at babies, smiled and felt unsure exactly where to begin. This didn’t last long... as we were collected and off on ward rounds, showering babies, hands deeps in welcoming new arrivals or practicing our ultrasound skills. 

Ward rounds were not like home, for one patient’s don’t get privacy like we are used to. Woman sharing birth rooms, or being examined surrounded by others was something we were just not used to but here in Vietnam it was completely the norm, they know no other way, and it was time we got used to it. The other thing we had to get used to was working through interpreters or communicating without one if they were busy in other room. I think we all left our first day feeling relieved, exhausted and excited for day 2 of placement. As the week went on we moved throughout the various areas of the maternity/obstetrics unit. We all faced different challenges and were given new opportunities that we know we wouldn’t get at home. 

 We had all collected donations of new and pre loved baby goodies to which we made into packs for the women. Their faces were often blank when we handed these out. In shock that they were given something and unsure of exactly what was inside. If you walked back to the room a half an hour later the baby was often dressed in your clothes and snuggly wrapped in the blanket you had gifted. A warm smile was exchanged and it was clear they were appreciative. After all these women were not used to receiving things from the hospital in fact it’s quite the opposite. The women themselves provide everything they need to birth at the hospital from disposable mess mats to food, so they hardly expect to be handed a collection of brightly coloured baby goods. 

As the week draws to a close I think we can all proudly say we all survived week one! Mainly because we all came with no expectations, embraced opportunities and, importantly, supported each other through challenges big and small, personal and professional. I feel like next week with be filled with new challenges as some have been overcome and new ones arise. We are all craving a home cooked meal (or at the very least vegemite on toast) and missing loved ones (both two and four legged)!

A Day in The Life of a Law Student in Cambodia

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: Faculty Placement
PROJECT: Law
WRITTEN BY: Lauren Cutuli

A typical working day starts around 7am with breakfast at your hotel, followed by the bus, which takes students to their designated legal NGO for the day. We would usually spend the morning in court, either the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the Trial Court or the Appeals Court. At the ECCC the court provides headphones that translate Khmer to English, however in the Trials, Supreme and Appeals Court you will need a translator who is usually the staff member with the best English. 

Lunch breaks are quite long in Cambodia, around 2-3 hours! During this time some staff members will have a siesta in the office, but we would use this time to have a walk around the streets and explore. We are provided with a packed lunch but can opt to eat out which we did do several days. 

After lunch we would either have a briefing about the court and justice system in Cambodia or attend a meeting with a prosecutor, NGO or community group that provides support to clients. We were very lucky that these meetings were arranged for us to be able to ask questions and we were surprised with the honesty of their answers. Many lawyers and professionals are interested in the Australian legal system so we would also share the differences between our systems and even voice our concerns for the Cambodian legal industry.

A days work will finish somewhere between 4pm and 5:30pm, at which time our driver returns us to our hotel where we would meet with the other students on our trip to discuss our days and our plans for the evening. Depending on how early we have to be awake the next day we will all have a drink at the rooftop bar at our hotel and head out to dinner. Dinner is usually a traditional rice, noodle, soup or curry dish and, if we can fit it in, deep-fried ice cream or Nutella crepes! 

Weekends are ours to plan as we please, but we will usually always fit in a trip to one of the local markets, a tourist attraction and a big night out!

What you should know before your Antips trip!

Expect to be challenged 
For many who have never been to Southeast Asia, this trip was an eye-opener. So expect a bustling, busy city with many things to do and see, but also poverty. This may be confronting for some, but use it as a reflection to realise how lucky we are in Australia. Despite the conditions here, the locals are very friendly and happy and if you wave and smile, they will return the gesture with the biggest smile you have ever seen- especially the children.

Expect to get sick 
I am not saying it is inevitable, but expect to. That way there is no disappointment when you are and you have come prepared. Pack paracetamol, stomach flu medications, any vitamins to keep you going (I brought zinc!) and if you need to, any antihistamines or cold and flu medication you usually reach for. Within the first 4 days here in Phnom Penh, 9 out of 11 of us fell ill with stomach bugs. For those affected it was not ideal so definitely be aware of this when eating out and drinking. In saying that, the food is amazing and there are plenty of restaurants to eat at so don’t hold back. Just be careful to only drink bottled water and plenty of it!

Expect to make friends 
I was so preoccupied with the trip and working abroad that I forgot I was going to be experiencing this with a group of likeminded students. The friends I have made have definitely been one of my favourite parts of this experience so far. Remember, you are not alone and if you are feeling homesick, uneasy, or anxious it is likely that so are some of your fellow travellers so support each other. If you don’t know anyone going on your trip, don’t worry. I only knew of one other person before going and by the second day I had private jokes with everyone! You are in a group of likeminded, adventurous people so making friends is easy and will make your experience even better.

Top tips: 

• The environment here is very different to Australia so make sure you pack accordingly. Dress conservatively but also bring some casual clothes to wear on weekends away or out to dinner with the group. One of the things I regret most was packing too conservatively and being very hot. While it is recommended to respect the culture and wear clothes that sit below the knee and cover the shoulders, it is fine to wear shorts or skirts that are at the knee or just above.
• Bring USD. There is no need to bring Cambodia Riel as Cambodians prefer USD. I would recommend bringing several hundred USD and then taking more out at an ATM if needed. You will most likely have a safe box in your hotel room to store your cash but check beforehand.
   
• Bring a small bag that is secure. Be aware that pickpocketing is rife here in Cambodia so keep your belongings secure when walking the streets and do not bring your passport or large amounts of cash with you unless it is required.

Adeus Dili, Hello Australia!

As we sit in Darwin airport, we finally have the time to reflect on the past 4 weeks of non-stop therapy and activities. After a fast-paced last week, it is hard to believe this placement and inter-cultural experience has come to an end. All teams were up late into most nights creating resources and presentations in Tetun – it was a long process to brainstorm, gather materials, construct, type in English, and translate. We then had many laughs with the CNR staff while they generously helped us check our Tetun translations!

This was also a nostalgic week, as we knew that each day would be our final time in the Speech room, the Physio room, the OT room, and with the Community Based Rehab team. Each session reflected the culmination of all our experiences, combining our inter-professional ways of thinking with the CNR staff to deliver therapy together. Throughout this placement, the process of sharing our health and cultural perspectives has provided everyone, both students and staff, with more ideas to expand our practices. In Australia, we will always remember how our friends at CNR are able to deliver effective therapy with limited resources and we hope that the resources and ideas that we have shared stay with the CNR staff.

One such occasion was when we travelled just outside Dili to Hera on Wednesday morning. There, our whole team joined in the weekly gathering of people of all ages and abilities to participate in group therapy and to promote inclusive communities. This was the fourth week UQ students had been involved in running activities. A highlight was seeing the local volunteering university students continue similar activities after we had finished our program.

It was hard to believe Thursday afternoon was all of our teams’ final therapy session and we were reluctant to leave. However, we were excited to attend the Australian Ambassador’s reception, representing UQ as invited guests. This was a great chance celebrate the New Colombo Plan, to meet other professionals working in Health in Timor-Leste, and enjoy many delicious canapés. We put work out of our minds for the night but this was short-lived as we needed finalise our presentations when we arrived home. All the effort was worth it on Friday when each group presented their topic to the CNR staff and the whole room was full of lively discussion. One of the staff members thanked our IP team for ‘a great presentation’ in the morning tea afterwards.

Our final night was celebrated by Paulo and his family inviting us to dinner in a beautiful beach-front restaurant. In this good company, with many memories and experiences to take home, we watched the sun set on our time in Timor-Leste.

Namaste in India, thanks

No one can believe the trip is over already. We've had the most amazing experience - from meeting new people at the different placement sites to teaching others and learning so much ourselves and weekend getaways that don't always go to plan. All the things we've learnt along the way will undoubtedly help us in our future physio careers and in our lives. So I thought I'd finish off this blog by telling you some Do's and Don'ts we've learnt in India

Don't say yes to being in a photo with one Indian. This one Indian will soon become 100 Indians and instead of the Taj Mahal being the attraction, it will be you. We're still not quite sure what they do with all the photos of us but everyone seems to need one with the tallest whitest, blondest haired people in the group - special thanks to Swedish Giants Jack and Elise for taking the bullet most times on this front.

Don't get Om tattooed on your foot. The foot is a negative place and you'll end up offending your yoga teacher and have to be pulled aside from the class to have a "talking to." This chat will also cause you to be late to the only meat meal of the week.

Don't always believe your trekking tour guide's weather forecast. Although they dress and act like they're "one with the earth" and have done this hike over 1000 times, even if they say it won't rain, it might definitely rain... And hail... And be windy as anything. Your tent might collapse and they might not get out of their cosy tent to help you fix it or cook you a warm dinner. You might have to wait out a 7-hour storm while propping up your tent with your head. So yeah, just trust me, don't always trust them!

Don't try to understand the Indian head nod. It might mean yes, it might mean no, it might mean that they have no idea of what you've just said and it's the Indian equivalent of smiling politely because that usually suffices as an appropriate response to any question. Either way we never could quite work it out and generally assumed it was whichever response we wanted it to be!



Now on the flip side

Do take up the offer to visit a 150 year old tea plantation. We were lucky enough that our host dad's family owned a 100-hectare tea plantation just a 15-minute walk from our house. His father, the most passionate tea maker I've ever met, showed us around the expansive property full of bright green tea hedges while explaining the difference between the techniques of preparing green and black tea. We learnt about the sorting, packaging and exporting of this tea to many countries around the world. It was such a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

Do try extreme sports. The views while paragliding were incredible and we can now all say we've paraglided in the same spot the world championships were held. We also tried our hand at white water rafting, arguably the best activity we did on the weekends. We set off from Manali in two rubber rafts and followed each other down the Rapids. Our guides were excellent and ensured our safety while sending us straight for waves ensuring we were soaked with the biggest smiles on our faces by the end of the 14km trip. All for only $12!

Do try paneer. And any other meal you're served for that matter. We ate predominantly vegetarian the whole trip with the exception of chicken on a couple of meals we ate out and chicken or lamb once a week at the house. Our wonderful chef never disappointed, to the point some of us (previously "carnivores") weren't even craving meat.. For the first week anyway! Paneer is the most delicious cottage cheese often in a tomatoey sauce with peas or spinach sauce. We also had a mixture of Dahl, chickpeas in curry and beans in curry accompanied by a variety of breads; chapati, kulcha and naan.

Finally,
Do take up the opportunity to visit India! Whether it be for study, work or a holiday, it's a beautiful place to visit and the people aim to look after you, on the most part, and show you all that India has to offer. We've seen and learnt so much of the culture, their physiotherapy treatments and the attractions to see and unless someone is keeping really quiet about it, none of us regret coming here for our advanced physiotherapy practice placement. We're so thankful for the experience and now it's onto further travels around the world or home to rest, relax and enjoy our mid-year holiday!!

Dust, hail and sweat with some physiotherapy in between

We carried on this week at our respective placement sites in the morning and completing tutorials and case studies with our teacher, Julie, in the afternoons. One of Heidi's patients, a paraplegic post-surgery complication, is becoming more independent and we've ordered her a wheelchair that will fit her so she is able to get around more easily. One of Ryan's patients has progressed from not being able to sit for 10 minutes to now sitting for more than 6 hours with ease, which enables them to make the necessary travel requirements to see their family and friends.

Luci enabled one of her patients to get out of bed independently using a rope attached to his bed so his wife now won't have to drag him out of bed using her strength. Alexa, Alice and Elise continue to improve the motor skills of the children at the Rotary school so they are able to socialise with other children in the playground. The other students at the private practices continue to minimise the negative impact of the various injuries they've been presented with.

Dust and sweat 
Two weekends ago we travelled as a group to Amritsar, in the nearby state of Punjab. As the hours crept up on the bus ride so did the Celsius outside. 6 hours later we arrived at our hotel in 44-degree heat. It was a struggle to leave the comfort of our big fluffy beds and aircon to head out and drive to the India/Pakistan border. Our driver got us as close as he could then we were on our own. Outside and covered head to toe for cultural purposes, we squished in between the crowds of thousands who lined up to get through the first gate towards the border. Two gates further on, lots of sweat, plenty of selfies and we were sat down in the special "foreigners" section awaiting the spectacle. It was an hour wait in the sun once we had our seats but, definitely worth the wait!

Each country had an MC whose job was to hype up the crowd and dance along to the loud music blaring from the speakers. Then the guards from each side appeared and essentially had a dance off! Swinging guns around, jumping up and down and carrying out high kicks better than a cheerleading competition. The ceremony lasted for about 45 minutes with a confusing combination of the guards shaking hands to show friendship and threatening each other to show who's boss.

We followed the swarms out of the ceremony to meet our driver to head back to Amritsar and visit the beautiful golden temple. This Temple is open 24/7 and serves food for free but don't forget to walk through the water on your way in or you'll be smacked by the security guards with a stick, Alice learnt the hard way!

Hailstorms for hours
I'll start by saying we're all safe and alive! Just last weekend we set out for a blissful hike up the beautiful Himalayas to a well-known camping spot called Triund. We were prepared for spectacular views during the day and cool weather at night but that's not exactly what we got. The hike up was magnificent, with the view getting better and better at every turn. We shared the hiking path with donkeys and were greeted by thousands of cows and goats when we reached the campsite after the 9km trek.

We found our tents and the storm set in. Strong winds, hail and thunder had one tent collapsed within minutes and 12 of us bunking into 3 tents suitable for 7. We had a few laughs and made the most of the situation until even stronger winds, more hail and a broken zipper meant the second tent collapsed and 12 of us squished into 2 tents for the remaining few hours of the storm (7 in a 4-man tent and 5 in a 2-man tent). We held up the remaining 2 tents until the first storm passed. We ran to the closest market for snacks and drinks and feared worst. The second storm hit and we were bunked down in our overpacked tents once again!

We missed dinner and packed like sardines to attempt sleep and waited out the storm which ended up lasting from 3pm to 10pm. Wet and cold we exited the tents at 5am for sunrise and trekked back down the 9km path. A quick look at the markets, some lunch and a visit to the Dalai Llamas monastery and we were on the bus for the drive back home. It's safe to say we all enjoyed warm showers and sleeping in beds with fans more than ever before!

Almost time to say Adeus

COUNTRY: Timor Leste
PROGRAM: Faculty Placement
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Nicola Brickness, Maathangi Karunaharan & Maddie Pan

Bondia!

So here we are at the end of our third week living in Dili, and we can’t believe how fast our time has gone! The CNR staff greet us everyday like old friends, and our relationships with our clients are growing. It’s sad knowing that we are going into our last week and will have to say goodbye soon.

Its been a busy week as each inter-professional team has been working hard on projects ranging from modified utensils to wheelchair arm supports. Additionally, we are each presenting educational workshops on our last day at CNR to handover valuable experience and information to all staff. A lot of preparation has been going into developing these workshops and creating resources that can be used by all departments within the centre. This also includes designing culturally appropriate handouts and posters that can be distributed to the rural communities and centres that the Community Based Rehabilitation team visits weekly. These resources can be used well into the future, even after our time here has finished!

It’s been an eye-opening experience getting the opportunity to work with an array of clients who present with such varying conditions. Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder and post-stroke patients are just a few of the common presentations we have been seeing. Having exposure to such a wide range of clinical and cultural experiences has definitely seen us develop both professionally and personally. We know we still have so much to learn as we come into our final week at CNR.

To finish the week, we visited a community medical clinic in Hera. It was here that we met the practicing doctor and traditional midwife who work to provide health promotion and community livelihood projects to the local people. We were so fortunate to have a tour of the centre and have our many questions answered. We learnt so much about how health care is provided and the cultural values that underpin these services.

As it was our final weekend in Timor-Leste, we made our way over to Atauro Island! We had a relaxing weekend of snorkeling on the coral reef, sleeping under the stars and swimming at sunrise. To top it off, the food was amazing! At 5:30pm, 3 giant Trevally’s were caught and by 7pm, were on our dinner plates, YUM! The group also travelled on tuk tuk’s to Hospideria Faca where we got to see the most amazing handiwork in the process of being sewn, stitched and woven by the local women’s cooperative. It’s safe to say that many bags and trinkets were purchased! While we fit a lot into our short time on Atauro Island, we left feeling refreshed and ready to head into our final week in Timor-Leste.

Adeus!

Helping Hands

COUNTRY: India
PROGRAM: Faculty Placement
PROJECT: Physiotherapy
WRITTEN BY: Ali Thomas

Karan hospital
Amanda and Ryan have been completing placement at Karan hospital physiotherapy clinic. In the morning, they look forward to a refreshing fruit box on arrival and greeting their Indian physiotherapy educator who is "Indian Fonz" says Ryan. There is no strict appointment schedule like we're used to in Australia and gradually, the waiting rooms fill up with patients. "Indian Fonz" does the translating and asks the patients what their main problems are (ranging from lower back pain to old fractures, paraplegia and tennis elbow) then Amanda and Ryan are able to practice manual techniques they've learnt at home to treat pain, stiffness or weakness. The techniques we use at home are quite different to India where they tend to use a lot of electro therapies. Amanda and Ryan have found it interesting to teach the Indian physiotherapist a few of the manual techniques we use in Australia and educate him about the evidence of their effect.

Goenka private physiotherapy clinic Heidi and Jack have been at Goenka physiotherapy clinic from the start of the placement and Kath and I have joined for the last 2 weeks. It has been an interesting experience with only a handful of the patients speaking English and no Indian physiotherapists around all the time to translate. One Indian physiotherapist wanders between the rooms to check in on patients and treatment techniques. The experience here is quite similar to the other private practice with the Indian physiotherapy course focusing on electro therapies and minimal manual techniques. Each patient receives their electrical modality from the Indian physiotherapists and then they are seen by the students from UniSA for manual therapies. At this private practice, there isn't an appointment schedule either and we filter through the patients throughout the morning. At both private practices, the students are able to practice their clinical reasoning for different patient presentations and practice a variety of manual techniques.

Rotary children's school Kath, Luci, Jacquie and I attended the Rotary school for the first half of placement and now Alice, Elise and Alexa are attending the school for the second half. The school has 20 boarding students and 20 who arrive by bus each morning. All the students are mentally and/or physically disabled, with the most common presentations being cerebral palsy and Down's syndrome. The morning is spent with select students who need a physiotherapy focus to improve their ball skills, fine motor skills and general function of everyday activities so they can interact more easily with other children. The children have already made so much progress in the first half and we all can't wait to see their overall progress at the end of placement. The last half an hour is spent dancing with all 40 of the students to traditional music. The children are so sweet and the pure joy on their faces while they jump around together is one of the most rewarding images. A photo of the girls with some of their students they've been working with can be seen above. 
Home visits Elise, Alice and Alexa attended the home visits for the first half of placement and now Jacquie and Luci are carrying on with the same patients for the second half. They attend three homes of patients who would find it too difficult to leave and make their way to a physiotherapy clinic. This placement site takes on a rehabilitation focus for patients who have had strokes, leg fractures and other long term physical issues. The families are all so lovely and welcome the girls into their homes with traditional tea, juice and snacks throughout each of the treatment sessions. The patients in these sessions have already made such great progress as well with one in particular being able to get down stairs for first time in 3 months and almost ready to return to work. A photo of the girls with some of their clients and families on home visits can be seen below.

All the sites have shown a completely different side of physiotherapy to each of the students and seeing something so varied to the hospitals and sites in Australia has been an experience we've all learnt so much from.

Working Life in Timor-Leste

COUNTRY: Timor Leste
PROGRAM: Faculty Placement
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Conor Rock, Rebecca Parker and Jantje Lezius

Botardi! (Good Day!)

This week, UQ students further connected with CNR staff which resulted in joint plans for a weekend outing with one of our favourite staff members, Physiotherapist Tomas. We are also embracing the inter-professional nature of our teams, thus optimising client outcomes. Whilst still a challenge, the language barrier is slowly disintegrating with the help and support of CNR staff, as well as exploring creative ways to communicate, such as using Tetun songs and music to engage and motivate our clients. We spend one day a week in each department, Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, and use our teamwork to holistically treat children and adults with a variety of conditions.

Every day, one team gets the opportunity to be a part of the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) team within CNR. Each team of students from Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy travel to a client’s home with an educator and members of the CBR team. There is no greater insight into a patient’s life than sitting in their home or on their front porch. Although sometimes the situation was somewhat confronting, our hearts were warmed by the friendliness, humility and grace shown by the clients and their families for our help, as simple as it sometimes seemed to us. It’s very rewarding to be able to try and improve the lives of those who may not be able to get to the CNR clinic.

We started the long weekend on Independence Day Friday by visiting the Santa Cruz cemetery which was made infamous by the massacre in 1991. After lunch, we sampled the local gelato and some of the group headed to the Taise Markets on the way home where we bought lots of bags and other items that featured traditional Timorese weaving and craftsmanship.

In the afternoon, we went to visit the sacred place where Timor-Leste’s independence was declared at a midnight mass on the 20 May 2002. Pope John Paul II congratulated Timor-Leste on joining the list of “the free nations of the earth” and urged the nation’s people to use their new freedom to build a just and peaceful society. As a result, a statue was constructed on top of a nearby mountain in order to pay respect to the Pope, which we climbed that afternoon and enjoyed scenic views over Dili.

On Saturday, our friendly CNR host for the day kindly took us to our first stop Liquica, a tourist beach. We enjoyed the day playing beach sports and swimming, which was complimented by a hearty picnic lunch of fish and local veggie sandwiches. In the afternoon, we went to Maubara, a local beach where we quickly made new friends: local children, who joined us in our beachside play. We showed them some English songs (e.g.,Hokey Pokey as well as Heads, shoulders, knees and toes) in exchange for some new Tetum songs which we all performed together. Children and students enjoyed playing grip ball, marbles, clapping and ball games as the afternoon seemed to fly by. We left them with gifts so the fun would not stop when we left. We had made our own community for the afternoon, then and there on the beach in Maubara.

It’s hard to believe that we are half way through our trip, but it is safe to say that we are continuously learning more about ourselves and Timor-Leste.

Namaste India

COUNTRY: India
PROGRAM: Faculty Placement
PROJECT: Physiotherapy
WRITTEN BY: Ali Thomas

Taj Mahal

Before the hard work began, there was some sightseeing to be done! After a day of flights on Monday and a nights sleep in 30 degree heat, our group of 11 and our teacher followed a guide to the Taj Mahal. We were told the history, the do's and don'ts and most importantly, the best angles for photos! No one was underwhelmed by this wonder of the world and our love for India’s beauty, architecture and amazing people had begun. The day was hot as we wandered around being amazed by the symmetry and beauty from every angle. 1 of the 100 group photos taken in front of the incredible Taj Mahal can be seen above.

Trip to Palampur

We had a day to visit Delhi. We caught underground trains to the Red Fort and a few different markets before finding some souvenirs and heading back home for dinner before the trip to Palampur. The overnight bus was an experience for all! Once we had escaped the mosquitoes and found a comfy position, a few of us were able to get some sleep on the bus before arriving at our new home in Palampur. Our little house was nestled in a valley, with beautiful views of the snow-capped Himalayas in the background. A photo of us walking down to our new home for the first time can be seen below. After settling in, we visited our placement sites on Friday for orientation and to get an idea of what the next week and a half had to offer.

Paragliding

Before we knew it, it was the weekend and time for activities. Saturday was the day to experience the local bus ride to visit the traditional Palampur market, a strip of shops catering for all things local; fruit, street food, clothing and toys. We now visit the markets every few afternoons to walk around and usually buy snacks, mainly Nutella! Sunday was a time to conquer fears and get the best view of our surroundings: paragliding over the Himalayas! The drive up to our take off spot was possibly more scary than the paragliding down. A thin road shared by too many cars on the cliff edge left most of us with jelly legs before we even saw where we'd be jumping off! The safety briefing was just that; brief! Before we knew it, we were strapped in with our pilot and running down a hill before the parachute took us up off the ground and we enjoyed 15 minutes of spins and floats down to the town. A photo of the amazing view from the top can be seen below.

Let the Physiotherapy Begin

After a few tourist activities and plenty of sight seeing, it was time to become immersed in the culture by attending our placement sites to see how physiotherapists worked in India. During week 1, 4 of us went to private practices, 4 of us attended the Rotary school for children with special needs and 3 of us carried out home visits to those who had difficulty leaving their house for physiotherapy treatment. During the middle of the second week, a few of us will swap over to experience a different side of physiotherapy in India at a difference site.

The first week and a half has been an amazing whirlwind of activities, new experiences, sight seeing and getting to know each other better. Next week will give you an insight into our day to day experiences at each of the different placement sites.

All the photos in this blog have been taken by myself, other students or our teacher. Thanks to everyone who let me borrow them!

Bondia Timor Leste

COUNTRY: Timor Leste
PROGRAM: Faculty Placement
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: UQ Health Science Team

Bondia!

As we all gathered in the airport, the feeling within the team was filled to the brim with excitement and anticipation of what was to come in Timor-Leste. Our first glimpse from the plane was of the mountainous landscape and beautiful coral sea. As we stepped onto the tarmac we were hit by the wave of heat and humidity. We were greeted by Paulo and were quickly guided to the local form of public transport – a mikrolet.

Our first few days were spent exploring the local Dili sights and learning about the country’s rich history. A highlight included hiking up to Cristo Rei, where we were rewarded with a 360 degree view of Dili. Our hike was followed by a nice swim at a nearby beach, a chance to interact with the local people and practice our Tetun. The Resistance Museum provided us with a chance to learn about and understand the country’s past challenges and gave us an insight into how they overcame adversity.

The team was warmly welcomed by the Centre of National Rehabilitation (CNR) staff whom we would be working alongside for the next 4 weeks. We were impressed by their facilities and resources and the staff’s eagerness to learn more from us as well as us learning from them. Our first day of placement took us out of the busy streets of Dili and into the countryside where we met children and their families at the local rehabilitation centre. Our language learning was fast tracked by being thrown into the deep end as we needed to communicate and connect with both the CNR staff and our clients. This was challenging but we always had a good laugh together over our language mistakes. Throughout the week, we had a chance to work with CNR staff from each of the professions in our interprofessional teams and it has been a great learning experience so far. The week flew by and we had our first weekend exploring Timor’s natural beauty.

This took us to Mt Ramelau, the highest point in Timor. We woke up at 2am to make it to the top by sunrise and it was an experience we will never forget. We are excited to see what the next 3 weeks holds for the team both at CNR and on the weekends.

Until next time, adeus! 

Notre Dame University students spend weekend in Phnom Penh

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Exercise Physiology
WRITTEN BY: Brent Luckman, Notre Dame University

The start of our third week in Cambodia saw us making the most of our weekends off with the decision made to go to the capital, Phnom Penh for 2 nights (except Matthias, he stayed in Siem Reap for a “French club” gathering).

Phnom Penh is a completely different city to Siem Reap. It is a massive city with high-rise buildings and apartment blocks stretching in every direction. It is also the site of the most well known “Killing Fields” and S21 prison in Cambodia. We spent Saturday morning visiting both of these sites and I know I can speak for everyone in the group when I say both of these places really opened our eyes. We might have thought we knew a bit about Cambodia’s recent history with the Khmer Rouge but none of us were prepared for what we were exposed to at the Killing Fields and S21. It’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t been there, but it’s definitely a place that people should put on their bucket list, because it was like nothing I've ever done.

On the bus ride back home every person was silent after what we had just experienced. We eventually perked back up, and went to have sunset drinks on a rooftop bar overlooking the Tonle Sap River, before heading out to a couple of Phnom Penh’s nightclubs. The bus ride back the next day was a nightmare. Hangovers, gravel roads, traffic jams and 7 hours trapped on a bus is not a fun mix, especially when the guy next to you (Jacob) drools on you every time he falls asleep.

The start of the working week was no different to the others, as we continued at our second placement in the rotation. On Wednesday we returned to the school to exercise the morning group of students. While the kids might have been different from the week before, the result was the same. Absolute mayhem, but fun from the first minute until the last. The highlight was probably the accidental formation of 2 soccer gangs that was produced from the kids being split into either team Moi (1) or Be (2), and the continuous chanting that followed.

Friday turned out to be a public holiday in Cambodia, so we made the most of a rare opportunity to sleep in, before once again hitting up Pub Street at night.

Another week has flown by in our trip, with our departure next Friday after our final week of work. Its hard to believe that we have been here for 3 weeks already!

Final update from University of Sydney students in the Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: University of Sydney, Education students, Corinne Wilson

"What sets the world in motion is the interplay of differences and their attractions."

As it comes to the end of our last week here in beautiful Hithadhoo, it is fair to say that these last few days were a roller coaster of emotions and memorable experiences.

For those teaching at Sharaffudin School, the last the afternoon swimming coaching session was a sad but joyous event, with many children beaming with happiness as their teachers handed them gifts of goggles and swimming caps. Many parents shared stories of how their children were so eager to get down to the beach for swimming lessons every afternoon.

For us at Hithadhoo School, coaching netball was an extremely rewarding experience. Seeing the exponential improvement in the skills and fitness of our girls during training reminded us why we chose this profession. It was a bitter sweet last ten minutes in our final training session as we played our usual teachers verse students round of End Zone.

A special highlight for Emily and Christian was delivering donations of pencil cases and stationary to an underprivileged preschool.

For myself, this week involved amazing opportunities to share my own strengths and passions with both students and teachers. Hithadhoo School invited me to present a range of seminars and workshops including a leadership seminar for the student leaders. It was stressful lead-up to my 2 hour workshop (laptop died night before) on same afternoon. This involved presenting management strategies for the students in business studies. Terrence, Susanna and myself are also lucky to be a part of our school's Professional Development Day tomorrow where we will share our knowledge on behaviour management and student engagement.

Today was definitely a highlight of our trip. Being the last day of school with the students, saying goodbye to them was very hard.

Along with the beautiful farewell, we had an unbelievable day of experiencing Maahifun, which is a special feast that is celebrated before Ramazaan every year. We were able to experience the amazing tradition of cleaning the school and feasting on yummy traditional foods.

To top it all off, surprising Terrence for his 21st birthday tonight with a room full of balloons and cheers was followed by sharing our last family dinner in the guesthouse. This couldn't have made our final few memories here on the island any more magical.

Reflecting back on today at school, I came to the realisation that any barriers that may have been present between our two cultures had vanished and we have fully embraced each other's differences. I had the feeling of complete comfort and a sense of belonging sitting there sharing food, laughter and gratitude.

I am beyond overwhelmed by the love and care I have developed for my students and teachers here at Hithadhoo school. I know that all of us will greatly miss these friendships and beautiful faces.

Griffith Business School prepare for Laos community development placement

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing
WRITTEN BY: Aisling Brennan, Griffith University Business Faculty

The Griffith Business School Leader team’s Laos Community Development adventure is right around the corner. Some of us have packed, some of us haven’t (mainly just me) and we couldn’t be more excited. Or nervous. Or hopeful. Or most likely all of the above!

This past semester has been a pretty big one for most of us so our feelings are kind of all over the place. One thing is for certain though, we can’t wait to arrive in Luang Prabang and see where this adventure will take us.

As a team, we’ve been working hard to get organised for our trip to Laos. We’ve been fundraising by supplying most of the student and staff population of Griffith University with chocolate, baking, and sausages, dancing to the early hours of the morning at a cocktail fundraising event, and even one of our fabulous team members, Bec Piper ran a half marathon! Along with getting all the necessary jabs, finding the perfect suit case and collecting a lot of physical donations like children’s books and clothes, we’ve had a busy lead up to our trip to Laos. And I think we’re ready.

While we are in the country we will be conducting a community needs assessment on how tourism can help alleviate poverty in the Seuang River Valley, in the Pak Xeng District Authority. The majority of the population do not have access to adequate health care, housing and sanitation. As a team, we will be conducting meetings with relevant community leaders, district officials, education and health professionals to discuss future development possibilities for local communities. As well as documenting these meetings, we will be working on the renovation of Pak Xeng High School. We will be renovating two classrooms.

There’s a lot to do and a lot to achieve while we are in country and once we return. So let the adventure begin!

University of Sydney Education students reflect on first week in the Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Susanna Tieu, Christian Ibrahim, Emily Phillips

Susanna Tieu

After a hectic week preparing, planning and delivering lessons for the holiday camp at Sharafuddin School, we were all looking forward to the weekend. As you would have predicted, we all shared 8 hours of beautiful sleep together. The plan for Friday was to spend a day washing our clothes, catching up on work and going to a sunset barbecue organized by Misbah and Suna overlooking the breathtaking blue water that surrounds this beautiful place. Since our lunch and dinners are not included in the weekend, for lunch on Friday, most of us cycled to Royal Pins and shared a feast with each other. Not long after, a truck arrived on our doorstep ready to take us to a private beach location to have a barbecue dinner.

Once we arrived, we took many photos of the sunset, the water and of ourselves.
As we stared into the distance, we realized that our days here only seem to go by faster. Personally, I cannot believe I am here in the Maldives with such a diverse, passionate and inspirational bunch of people doing what I love best.

For dinner, we had baked potato, scrumptious special salad, and 3 different types of fish: Wahoo, Barracuda and Tuna as well as chicken skewers and a chef’s special sauce. This was by far the best dinner we have had so far on the trip. Our very own Aly and Christian caught the Barracuda which we then had for dinner, great catch guys!

For Saturday (the last day of our weekend), on our agenda today we travelledto an uninhabited island 22 minutes away by boat from where we currently are staying and spent the day swimming, snorkeling and really taking in all of our surroundings. It was great to just have a day just relaxing, taking 1000 photos and playing Frisbee in the turquoise clear water. It was paradise. We ended the day sharing a family dinner at the guesthouse, which included a mix of veggies, chicken and wild rice! It was scrumptious!

Christian Ibrahim

The Maldives has proven to be more of a paradise than I had imagined, albeit a HOT one. To live here under Maldivian skies is like being in a postcard - and to be clear we are living here, not just staying; I refer to our guest house as 'home'!

This week has seen us get underway in our teaching, an experience that has been both very challenging and extremely rewarding. The students of the Maldives are similar in many ways to Australian students, but also a world apart; they are extremely softly spoken and reserved when interacting with teachers, mostly due to the difference in teaching style. I have quickly learned that to get the most out of a class I need to go in with extreme enthusiasm and maintain that energy in order to run a lesson in which the students not only learn something, but also have a lot of fun doing it! To look at my own experience this was most evident in teaching primary drama. Seeing that I am a Human Movement student, the content was immediately out of my comfort zone. However, being paired with Aly (who is a fantastic primary teacher), we soon saw timid students transform into energetic 'Wild Things' (we were teaching from the picture book 'Where the Wild Things Are').

Our days have been long and taxing for many of us, however we remember where we are and take on a new enthusiasm in the afternoons. Much of this enthusiasm is used to plan lessons and structure for the following day, but getting out and having fun is always on the cards. After school on Tuesday we piled on the back of a pickup truck (the preferred mode of transport for large groups) and headed to the Hankede Bridge for a swim in yet another postcard scene. While it was amazing to swim in turquoise water, watch the sun set over the palm trees and see the moon rise over the ocean, the highlight for me was seeing Suzanna push way out of her comfort zone and doing the bridge jump. It was an exhilarating bit of fun for most in the group but a personal conquest for Suzy!

I am finding this experience so much more rewarding than travelling as a tourist. Our humble group has been integrated into the community and we are experiencing the culture on a much more intimate level than if we were staying at a resort. I will sign off with a phrase from Molly, "YOMO" (You only Maldives once) - However I do believe I will be back!

Emily Phillips

It's week two of our Maldivian adventure and this week we embarked upon our first week of teaching prac. Nervously, we made our way into Sharafuddin and Hithadoo school, and met our Maldivian and Indian teachers. We need not have been afraid! The staff and students welcomed us into their school with smiles and many handshakes, and we felt like celebrities for the day, signing our autographs for the students, and hearing our names whispered and called out wherever we went. This week has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, with many of us facing what might be some of the biggest challenges of our teaching careers so far, however there are so many rewarding moments when we see all of our hard work pay off in the faces of the children that we teach. We are taking each day as it comes, and are learning that we are capable of more than we ever thought possible. At the end of the school day, afternoons are spent teaching swimming to grade four and five students over at our local swimming spot. We are a curious sight for the locals, riding our bikes through the street with kick boards and floaties attached to every spare inch of ourselves and our vehicles that we can find.

This weekend we will be heading over to spend the day at a resort on the island, to relax and refresh, ready to tackle all of the challenges that next week will present us with. We will also be spending our fundraising money on new library books and sports equipment for the local schools