A Pal-umporium of Experiences!

So before we get into the ins and outs of placement in week 2, we have to describe the incredible first weekend we had in McLeod Ganj, home of none other than the Dalai Lama himself. While we were not able to visit him personally we got to see the temple and were both amazed and deeply moved by the enlightening Tibetan museum.

Our favourite meal was exquisite Mo Mos (like dumplings) at the Tibetan Kitchen. Matty wanted Ti-bet who could eat the most Mo Mos. Justin won that competition hands down, as he just ate Mo and Mo! We also got to do an overnight trek to Triund and the snowline in the Dhauladhar mountain ranges. The hiking was truly world class and the views were so expansive and clear that Jack wanted to Tri-and spot Palampur! Unfortunately it was a bit of a rainy day with an abundance of clouds and fog – nonetheless we train our best to push on through the ter-rain! After 20km of climbs and descents each day, we were quite tired by the end. Charlotte said she was so exhausted she sore stars. It was a truly hard work out for the collective squad-riceps.

This week, the physios have been split between 3 clinics. We are really starting to get really involved in patients’ treatments, and have been given freedom to assess, treat, develop treatment plans and prescribe exercises. The patients and staff have been incredibly friendly and open to us. We have enjoyed chai breaks, learning body parts and counting in Hindi. One patient was being a bit lazy so Cassie told him to chai harder. In all seriousness, we have really enjoyed being in a tea-m environment. Jen had a patient with a rare hip concern. The symptoms were exacerbated with the cold. Thus her primary hip-othesis was that the patient was suffering from brrrrrrrr-sitis. 

Sophie has been treating one lady with knee osteoarthritis. It was clear that the patient knee-ded to strengthen their thigh muscles. Eric has been at a clinic next to the police training centre. One patient had shoulder pain. Eric thought it was due to overuse of the rotator ‘cuff’s, and advised the patient to take ‘arrest’. The health sciences students have been shadowing a local GP, seeing lots of patients with kidney stones, gallstones and diabetes. Justin was so concerned when he saw a young child in pain, he said ‘this kid-ney’ds urgent treatment!’  

Eloise’s favourite part of this week has been the daal-ightful food back at the house. Alison has been at a school with younger children and enjoyed the triumphs and challenges that inevitably come with corralling younger humans. They’ve enjoyed counting to ten, although one or two have been a bit ten-tative. Although she’s always been ‘four’ their learning, once in a while the kids have been in a silly st-eight. We have all come to discover that Palampur really does have a ‘number’ of interesting areas with an a-pun-dance of invaluable experience to be gained.

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.

Day in the life of a teacher

7:30am
BRING BRRRIIIIIIIIININGGGGG BRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
The alarm staggers me awake so I groggily emerge out from under my 5-layer-alpaca-blanket cocoon. After dressing up with my eyes half closed, I run up the stairs to the usual Peruvian breakfast: bread with avocado and cheese, orange or papaya juice, quinoa porridge and of course, mate de coca.

My roommates and I meet up with the rest of our amigos to catch our Rapidos bus. After a therapeutic 20-minute bus ride, we snuggle into a dusty but cosy taxi, legally and logistically fitting 5 people in the boot, to drive up into the breathtaking mountainous terrain where our school is located.

10:00am HUMMM CLUCK HUMMM CLUCK
I simultaneously listen to the three alpacas mowing around outside whilst cutting up a fruit salad. They always reject our advances but we feel them warming to us day by day. After our culinary efforts, we get ready to teach our classes of either: English, sport or art- I am teaching sport with three of my amigos.

Kindergarten is the first class of the day.
“AMIGA! AMIGA!” As soon as I sit on the floor there are at least 10 kids trying to make a pyramid on top of me. If they aren’t teaming up to squash you, they want to be carried. Their dislike for the ground and strong will to fly is really very motivating. Their enthusiasm really lights up my day!
We warm them up with a game of the classic bullrush, then duck duck goose, then several rugby relays and drills. Following our class, we finish with our normal routine of high-5s, and “CIAO AMIGOS!” salutations. Our energising morning class is followed by recess, a year 2 class and then a year 4 class.

2:00pm We return home with massive smiles on our faces from the kids’ boundless energy.
A warm 2 course meal of sopa de pollo and carne con papa y verduras awaits us at home. That is, along with a hot shower and much needed time for casual banter.

4:00pm Time for Spanish class! Our teacher goes through various grammatical rules and verbs in an intimate three-person class, with the occasional chuckle of funny translations and mispronunciations. It’s amazing how fast your language skills progress through living in a Spanish speaking country.

6:00pm Our class is finished and we have the rest of the night to chill.

 Some of us head into the beautiful Cusco ciudad for some Chifa (Peruvian chinese cuisine), bagging a decent feed for just 12 soles (less than 5 Aussie dollars).

 Some of us head to the local music bar, Quilla, to drink and chill with some live music including both Spanish and English hits, some of us head to the local skate park to practice some tricks’n’flips and the rest of us head back home for an early night to rest up after a long day.
So… this is what happens when it’s not a "day in the life of a construction worker/ gardener/ greenhouse builder/cement carrier (yes, it's exactly what you think, we have many qualifications and job descriptions)."

 Interested in what the life of a construction worker is like? Well why not come to Peru to find out?!
There is never time to be bored in Cusco.