Happy Anniversary!

It’s hard for me to believe that a year has gone by. But 12 months ago today I started working at Ruanui Health Centre. January 16, 2006, a day I remember vividly, having brought a home baked cake for a soon to become close friend’s birthday. (Something I later learned opposed kiwi tradition.) A day when the kaumatua, or elders, guided me into the health centre as per Maori tradition, it marked the beginning of a year long journey of growth. So much has happened over the last year that I couldn’t even begin to summarize. Those who have followed along with my blog will know the extent of those happenings.

To mark the event, the nurses decided to take me out to lunch; a plan that was foiled when I quickly paid for my own café meal before they arrived at the counter. Yet, their surprises were not yet done. When I arrived back from lunch (having stayed in town to run a few errands), I was greeted by a lovely sign on my door. Full of items found in the office it had a very distinct theme, including such things as gloves, condoms, the morning after pill, a pregnancy test, and a lovely pamphlet on bladder infections, all displayed around the words “be safe in the next 6 months”. Granted, this is from the same group of people who gave me a box of condoms and a packet of panadol for my birthday. I’m not exactly sure what kind of growth they’re expecting me to have in my remaining time here, but I appreciate the gesture nonetheless.