I couldn’t believe it has been 3 months since my last weblog. My last picture shows people planting rice. In the last 2 weeks the rice has been harvested! Time flies!

The last few months have been busy. It has been difficult to combining my work as a surgeon with also being the medical director of the hospital. Managing has not always been easy for me. But I do see that I am able to manage both of my functions better and I understand more how the hospital works.

In April I spent 2 weeks in Greece to keep my surgery skills up to date. I learned a lot. 30 Surgeons from other developing countries were also present. We enjoyed exchanging ideas. Immediately following this I spent a week in Crete. My mother and sister came to meet me here. The oranges in Crete were ripe which helped us drink as much fresh orange juice as possible!

Here are a few pictures from my balcony. This is the road to the city of Parbatipur. This was the first time I saw a threshing machine.

This morning these men were cutting the grain. Within 2 hours 3 fields were harvested. The sheaves remain in the field until they are carried away.

A saying that has recently spoken to my heart is ‘ami kormo kore khai’ . This means 'I eat due to the fact that I have worked'. It is a way to say that you are a laborer. Many of my patients say this when they are telling you it is difficult for them to pay their hospital costs or to go elsewhere for further treatment. Fortunately the hospital has a “poor fund” which helps people pay when they qualify. There is a committee that determines how much aid a patient receives after determining just how poor he is. The purpose here is to give poor people the help they need. Others pay what they can afford.

The next 2 pictures show people looking for left over grain. The fields were harvested and they are looking for anything left over. This is a lot of work and reminds me of the story of Ruth in the Bible.

For the last week the lychees are ripe! This tree is in front of our house. Fresh lychees are so much more delicious that lychess from a can that you can get in The Netherlands. This is a reward for surviving the warmer weather :-)