43 is the new 1

Today it's been confirmed that Jose Ramos Horta has won the East Timor presidential elections with about 70% of the vote. It's not that surprising, although perhaps the fact that Dili is apparently fairly quiet is. Here's something unsurprising: following on from my ranting post about world news and the Australian media a week or so ago, I would like to inform you all that this news (which keep in mind is in "our" region, has involved "our" men, and thus is "relevant" to us as "Australians") made its grand entrance on page 43 of the Herald-Scum. Bless. No wonder there are so many people wandering around who don't know that Liberia is a country. Or is it Libya? Are they the same?

Anyway, here's a better quality article about the story.

I've spent most of today running around trying to get annoying errands finished, and I think I've mostly managed it - finished my immunisations, bought travel stuff (mosquito net, permethrin, antibiotics, blah blah blah), dropped the last of my pre-departure paperwork in, popped up to the hospital to talk to the powers that be about what jobs I should go for next year, had a bit of a chat to a few people. That sort of thing.

Now my main tasks are to try and consolidate all my stuff into boxes properly for storage over the next 8 months and also to tie up all the loose ends with my furniture tomorrow. And then I'll be just about set to close one chapter of my life, and move onto the next! All that will remain will be to pack, steel myself, go to the briefing, and leave. Simple, really (- right?).

I am now in possession of an enormous kit of medical supplies. 7 months of antimalarials, and similarly a whole heap of other drugs to counteract the side effects of those antimalarials. Sigh. I hate taking medications - not because I have any issue with taking stuff, but more because it involves remembering to do something regularly.

Doxy and DEET - my friends (or foes?) for the rest of 2007

It was weird popping in at work today, seeing all those familiar wards, corridors and faces. I feel a bit removed from it - which I suppose makes sense since it's been nearly 4 months since I last worked there. Talking to the boss lady about jobs and training options for next year, I was struck by how detached I felt from it - it just feels so far away, almost an impossibility. Do I want to do specialty jobs or gen paeds jobs? Do I want more stress or less responsibility? How many weeks of x, y or z have I done already? I kind of felt like I didn't really care, but I know that one day (not even that far away) I will, so I tried to listen carefully and ask lots of questions that I know I'll eventually want the answers to.

I just can't help feeling that there is a massive mountain to scale, and that all of that practical/training/future stuff is somehow in the valley on the other side, obscured from view by the mountain. All my curiosity, motivation and drive is focused there at the moment, but I suppose it is wise to put things in place so that when I come back, disoriented and jolted back into the old reality, it's all ready to roll so that I don't have to think about it.