#45- Knuckling down to business

#45  - The knuckle down

So comes a time when you transition from baby-sitter to parent.  For the last two placements I have been acutely aware that my time on those islands was only a temporary experience.  An understanding that the clinic was looked after by a team of health workers and a nurse with some degree of permanency, and so, the role I played was one of assistant.  I didn’t get involved in the politics or the ordering of stock, or the chronic diseases programs, I was a transient assistant to the team who coordinated that stuff.

Well that changed today.  With the pending adoption of an island , the realization hit me today that I will be a key figure, responsible for the primary health of a whole community in a few short weeks.  Today, was a day of learning a new set of ropes.  I placed my first pharmacy order, I hosted the Chronic Diseases nurse here to complete care plans on the community, the Dietitian and Diabetes Clinical Nurse Consultant came to meet with the island diabetic patients, I arranged treatment plans for venous disease ulcers, and liaised with the Rheumatic Fever nurse in TI to seek a strategic plan for managing the non compliance with penicillin.  Today was full of all that stuff that I have not really had to worry about to date.  It was a great opportunity for me to hone skills that will be needed when Jo and I take a longer term placement on Darnley Island in August.

I also sat down with the health workers over lunch and learned some language, and some of the complex names that Islanders use for their relatives.  A grand mother is called Aka, but the grandmothers sister (what I would call a Great Aunt) is also referred to as Aka.

Grandfathers and great Uncles are not differentiated either, and called “Athe” (prounounced “ah-tay”).  My father’s oldest brother would be called “Big Daddy” the oldest sister would be called “Big Mumma”  All other brothers and sisters are called Uncles and Aunties respectively.

All my cousins and their children would be called cousin brothers’s or cousin sisters.

The authority to parent may fall on any Uncle or Aunty, and if you were to be growled at by any relative on your mother’s side, you would wear it without argument or back chat.

It is such an intricate system, and I have really enjoyed learning more about it.   Some of the language changes, the closer to PNG you get in the Torres.  On the top Western Islands, where PNG culture is often intermingled with southern Torres Strait culture, some of the words have a PNG influence.  An example of this was this lad that called me Namu yesterday (Big Brother), and Thawii is the word used to refer to an Inlaw, such as a Father inlaw.  My wife would call my sister “Kossir”, and a grandchild is referred to as my “Napa”.

Well that was Central Islands culture lesson one.  The crew here are so happy to teach me, and speak straight creole to me now,  which is great, because it is a really quick way to learn.  A couple of the boys have offered to take me crayfish diving on the weekend, and on Friday night I have been asked to attend a Men’s Group with a feast and fund raising watching Broncos on the big screen.  Whilst footy is not really my thing, a night out immersed in the village life, is just what I need, so I am really looking forward to it.

  There is not much else to report for today, so I will sign off for another day.  Tomorrow, TGIF.  Yawo