Post 16 - Yumi tok ya- lost in translation.

#16... Yumi tok ya- lost in translation.

Have you ever been somewhere an felt like the only one that understands what you are talking about? Well that has been an experience that I am living with on Saibai. For the islanders here, An old language or local ya (words) Is a language called Kawaw Kalaw Ya (KKY). It is predominately spoken by the older folks with a common replacement being a broken  English or creole being preferred by the younger Saibai islanders.

That said, the language for day to communication, in my job here is English, however with such a strong accent, complex medical and medication instructions is difficult.  The kids here all speak a version of KKY , creole and English, and often the communication with people employs all three languages all in the same sentence. Challenging is  an understatement.
I love to speak to the health workers and give them the info, then sit back and listen to them weave my monolog into something meaningful to my patient. You can't help but wonder how much is lost in translation.  It is kind of like Chinese whispers you played as a kid.  The dynamic changes when PNG patients arrive - it's another language again.  Then something strange starts taking place.  You start to understand the lingo, then suddenly you find yourself speaking it.  Not intentionally, but automatically.  It's s bizarre thing. 

Now I can say phrases in many languages, but to switch a language on and off, without even having to think about represents somewhat a triumph. The weird thing is I can't do it when thinking about it, and a person has to start talking to me in creole first, then I just get it. 

Today, our receptionist was not well, so I spent the best part of the day filing and sorting out follow up appointments and pathology testing.  Tomorrow I'll head out to the village, armed with an esky full of gear and seek those patients that need medications, and blood tests.  This us one of the big differences here in the islands. Health care comes to them.  I have an amazing photo of me sitting on the sea wall ( I'll discuss that one in a moment) with a PNG patient giving an Intravenous Antibiotic. The backdrop of the Western point of Saibai and the Arafura Sea in behind us.  This community outreach is one of the things I love about this work. I'm not confined to a clinic or an emergency room, I get out and about.  The smiles on the faces of those I pass makes it feel that I'm doing a good job. 

Now the sea wall. The island is at best only 1 metre above sealevel. In windy days, or king tides the ocean encroaches onto the island and floods it. Some years ago the local council decided to build a sea wall that sits 2-3 feet higher than the island, and serves as a sam of sorts to stop inundation. The wall is in a state of disrepair and subsequently, water often homes in leading up to the full moon.  This leaves a huge low lying hollow in the centre to become a swamp. Like the hole in a donut, this hollow is a fantastic breeding ground for anopheles Mosquitos which carry malaria. Two weeks before I arrived there was an outbreak of malaria among villagers and the whole swamp was fogged twice to kill mozzies. The net result is that there have been none while I've been on Saibai. 

Well that is about it for this post.  Light on detail I know, but  it is not every day that the exciting stuff happens... Tomorrow is exciting the SeaSwift barge arrives. It will have supplies for the shop here, the school here, the clinic here, and most importantly the pub; which ran out of beer 3 days ago... Cliche I know, and I'm aware that the late Slim Dusty even sang about the Pub with no beer, but this is really happening... And it has been a tragedy of injustice!!!
All the town will be applauding the arrival of the SeaSwift, and I'll be waving the flags along side them! Bye fir now. Mipala tok yu later!