Gudbjorg offers his services to e-newsletter readers. If you are planning to visit Iceland, he can arrange a variety of trips. He is a trained tour guide, has transport and can find suitable accommodation in Iceland. He says: “be among the first to experience the West fjords in Iceland, where hardly any tourists ever visit. For more information, contact Gudbjorg Bragadottir on: guggabraga@visir.is
Tag Archives: October 2003
Being Careful: Trinidad and Tobago
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has just issued a travel warning about the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
There has been no recent history of terrorism in Trinidad and Tobago, although an Islamic group, the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, attempted to overthrow the government by force in 1990.
We believe Trinidad and Tobago to be one of a number of countries where there may be an increased terrorist threat. British nationals should exercise vigilance, particularly in public such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls.
People Happier in Latin America than Eastern Euope
A recent World Values Survey on the levels of happiness in more than 65 countries shows Nigeria has the highest percentage of happy people followed by Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador and Puerto Rico.
Russia, Armenia and Romania have the fewest. “New Zealand ranked 15 for overall satisfaction, the U.S. 16th, Australia 20th and Britain 24th — though Australia beats the other three for day-to-day happiness,” said New Scientist magazine, which published the results.
New Scientist says that factors that make people happy vary: personal success, self-expression, pride, and a high sense of self-esteem are important in the United States. In Japan, on the other hand, happiness comes from fulfilling the expectations of your family, meeting your social responsibilities, self-discipline, cooperation and friendliness.
Thin Girl with a Headscarf by Richard Mowell
Richard Mowll is a civil engineer from Croydon, who travelled to Western Uzbekistan in January 2002 with MSF to rehabilitate a 600 patient TB dispensary. He then went on to prepare a 100 bed facility for multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) patients, where he was Project Co-ordinator of the 16 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff programme.
“The dispensary building in Nukus was a mess – the result of the near collapse of the health service in this country over many years. Through my work there, one incident stands out. A minor incident but one which left a lasting impact…”
To know what new pipework to order, I inspected the
Dispensary room by room to measure sizes and to identify
the fittings. As I was in one open room with just a bath in
it, a thin girl with a headscarf walked slowly past me and
up to the bath. She held on to the side with both hands and
with apparently all the strength she had, she coughed.
Weak, pitiful, tiny coughs. She was clearly beyond just
‘ill’. A friend of hers came into the room and
stood beside her holding her shoulders from the side,
supporting her as she coughed.
What could I do? I’m an engineer who formerly specialised in road maintenance and concrete construction – she didn’t seem to need either of those specialities just then. I couldn’t do anything, but feel out of place. I left the room. This was a private moment for them, and I wasn’t helping by being there.
There were and continue to be so many like her – six hundred in the Dispensary itself (although in varying states of illness) and literally thousands of others throughout Uzbekistan. All of these TB patients were the victims of not only the infection, but also of the health system that was not just in a state of decline, but near total collapse, where doctors earn as little as ten pounds per month (how could that feed, clothe and warm a family of four?). How could a health system so under funded help the population overcome the spread of this disease?
What could I do for the girl? Nothing, by myself. But the medical staff and the MSF project that I was working on was trying to improve the system of healthcare for TB patients by using the World Health Organisation’s Directly Observed Treatment – Short-Course (DOTS) TB treatment methodology. This was where it struck me how MSF’s work was truly a team effort. I know nothing (or at least very, very little) about treating TB patients. The medical staff knew very little about rehabilitating a TB Dispensary building. But this rehabilitation was one link in the chain, which was improving conditions for the patients and helping lower the incidence of TB. The medical staff were more links in that chain.
I never saw the girl again – perhaps she got better and left, although I kind of doubt that that could happen. This incident made me realise two things. Firstly the total need for someone to help this girl and others like her – MSF are one of the few organisations doing anything here – and secondly the way that MSF missions are based so strongly on teamwork. I guess I also realised a third thing – that I was proud that I was working for an organisation that was trying to make a difference.
Today, Richard is back in Uzbekistan working with another organisation. The TB dispensary is part of a network of State TB facilities supported by MSF. It will be handed over to Uzbek Ministry of Health control by the end of 2003. The MDR-TB programme will start treating patients in the coming months.
If you would like to contact Médecins Sans Frontières, you can e-mail them on: office-ldn@london.msf.org or visit their website:
Post Script:
Kidnapped: our MSF colleague Arjan Erkel was abducted more than six months ago in Daghestan, Russian Federation. We still do not know what has happened to him. Please sign MSF’s petition to President Putin asking for urgent help to get Arjan released. Click here and pass it on to your friends:
BBC Appeal for Help
We are looking for help with a programme we’re making for BBC2 called 1001 Things to Improve Your Life. Would you be interested in being filmed? The show is about making the best of modern life, and we want to feature tips on how to improve things when you travel. We’re keen to get some really good insider information in this area. It may be that you know a fab way of keeping flies off in a hot climate, or the essential carry-on items for a long haul flight…or something more fun and original! We want to hear from really knowledgeable, enthusiastic, amateurs – quirky characters – to actually show us their tips which we will film. The tips should be unusual with perhaps a sense of magic, clever, or something most people will be delighted by. Please contact Sarah on 0207 684 1661 or e-mail: sarahb@ideallondon.com
Visit the Spratly Islands
Where? A small island group in the South China Sea claimed in their entirety by China and Vietnam and in part by Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia – because of potential oil and gas reserves.
Recent reports state that Vietnam is considering its first-ever tours to the disputed Spratly Islands. China and the Philippines said that they welcomed efforts to explore and develop the Spratlys jointly.
An official in Vietnam’s central Khanh Hoa province, which incorporates the Spratlys as one of its districts, said there had been no tours to the remote islands so far. The official did not anticipate a rush for tickets. “They are too far away, it takes two days to travel so nobody wants to travel there,” she said.
MEETING NEWS
Meeting news from our branches around the world.
Know Your Riyals from Your Kwatcha
Need to convert currency?
Take a look at The Globetrotters Currency Converter — get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet — create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.
Largest countries in the world
Rank Country Area (square kilometers)
- Russia (17,075,400)
- Canada (9,976,140)
- United States (9,629,091)
- China (9,596,960)
- Brazil (8,511,965)
- Australia (7,686,850)
- India (3,287,590)
- Argentina (2,776,890)
- Kazakhstan (2,717,306)
- Sudan (2,505,810)
Accomodation in Mysore, India
Anyone planning a few days stay there. Globetrotter Ashley recommends a newly built ‘penthouse’ above a village type shop 2km from centre in Mysore. There is a sitting room, dining room with breakfast bar tea coffee and toast making facilities, double bedroom with mosquito nets, hot water geezer and roof terrace. The charming family who own the shop will cook meals (full breakfast 30 rupees) Indian dinner 50 rupees. Cost for 2 people is 750 rupees per day. Tel Mysore(0821) 450483. I will be happy to e-mail more details and map of how to get – Ashley@indiarail.worldonline.co.uk