My Container Living Unit

Best wishes to Valorie and Dave

Best wishes to my cousin Valorie and her husband Dave on their wedding today! Congratulations!

It's Hot Here!

General Ward addresses Troops

Checking out the Animals

Our French Dinner Group at Ethiopian Restaurant

Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite)

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.  In September of 2008 Efren Ramirez visited with wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During the visit, he walked from room to room shaking hands with service members, listening to their stories, signing autographs and expressing his heartfelt thanks for their service.
“Visiting with patients at Walter Reed really inspired me to do this USO tour,” says Ramirez. “I just knew that I had to get out and let our troops know how much I appreciate their sacrifices.”
Ramirez, best known for his portrayal of ‘Pedro’ in the independent comedic film “Napoleon Dynamite,” has spawned a pop-culture fan base around the world. He can also be seen in the adrenaline pumping action thrillers “Crank” and its sequel “Crank High Voltage” with Jason Statham. Coming up he can be seen in “The Pool Boys” due in theaters later this year.

Julia Ling (Chuck)

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.  Born and raised in Southern California, Julia Ling’s first television role was on the 2003 season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” She has also appeared in popular network series such as Fox’s “House M.D.,” NBC’s “E.R.” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” Ling can currently be seen on the hit NBC series “Chuck” and will be featured in the upcoming comedy film “High School.”

Imports push up prices for Djibouti's poor - 26 Jul 09

African Crafts

Market

This morning I rode the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Bus to the Les Caisses, east of Place Rimbaud on the edge of the African Quarter, named after the ramshackle and numerous crates that make up the market. Many stalls sell almost identical products, but prices and quality vary greatly. Bargaining is very much the order of the day. The market is open 8am to noon and 4 to 8 pm every day except Friday.

This is Mahmad, a 12 year Djiboutian boy, whose mother made and sold baskets at the basket market. When it became obvious that I wasn't interested in buying any baskets, Mahmad took upon himself to be my "security". He kept the other Djiboutians trying to haggle their goods from bothering me as I took photos of the market. He would yell at them in Afar, then turn and grin at me and tell me that he was my "security". What surprised me with Mahmad, was that he spoke remarkable English for a local Djiboutian. He said he spoke English, French, and Afar. He said he didn't have school on Saturday, but classes resumed on Sunday. He said he took 6 classes.

Like the country's political system, the educational one is largely French-inspired. Primary schools accept children from the age of six. From the age of 11 pupils join a secondary school, where at the age of 15 they choose in theory between a vocational education and an academic one. A few students in the latter category can sit for the university entrance exam. Djibouti has no university, so students much apply for places abroad, most often in France. Technical training is also basic, leaving the workforce with a serious shortage of skills.

Education is free in Djibouti, but is not compulsory. the small percentage of children going to school (just 39% attend primary school and 14% attend secondary school) live in the towns. In the country, children continue to tend the herds of their nomadic families. Djibouti's statistics for education are far below the African average. Roughly 66% of the working population can read, but a tiny 4.5% can read and write. Mahmad appeared proud of his education, but unfortunately his opportunities appear limited.

Djibouti Market Place

Dinner with French Medical

Last night, we went to a nice French Restaraunt with the Deputy Commander of Bouffard French Military Hospital to welcome his new Surgeon. We were joined by his Anesthesiologists. Others at the table include two of our Operating Room Nurses and our Surgeon and Anesthesiologist - who happens to speak rather good French.

New Home

I moved into my permanent Container Living Unit (CLU) where I'll stay until I depart Djibouti. It's twice as big as my temporary CLU and has it's own private bath and shower.

Djibouti nomads seek greener pastures - 25 Jul 09

Bob Hope Galley Snapshot

The is the fruit bar in our Galley at Camp Lemonier. They serve fresh fruit like this every day.

Farewell EMF 14

It was time to say farewell to the folks of Expeditionary Medical Facility 14. After 9 months in Africa, it was time for them to return to their families in the United States - and in doing so, they passed the torch to us. We'll miss them as we formed friendships over the past couple of weeks. We wish them well and thank them for a job well done.

EMF Pool Party at U.S. Embassy

Peltier Hospital

I made my first visit to Peltier Hospital, the Djiboutian Hospital in Djibouti, to meet with the Cardiac Surgeon. He is the only Cardiac Surgeon in Djibouti. The first thing you notice when you step out of your vehicle at Peltier is the smell of raw sewage. You have to be careful to watch your step as you enter the hospital. It's not uncommon to see cats walking around the complex, finding a cool place to lay. There are multiple buildings on the hospital complex and there are signs that the facilities are improving with new construction and help from foreign countries.

Djiboutian Hospital