Training day

ZEHRP has one day a month that it clears the client schedule and dedicates to training the staff. There always seems to be a back log of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to review and competencies to assess. We in the lab have at least half of the SOPs for the entire project, data, clinic, admin, and CVCT make up the remainder. It is something else to read and field questions on processes that you know little or nothing about. But, I think between Kahler and I we were able to put on a decent show. There was quite an issue with the exam or quiz that we were provided to check comprehension. We presented a PowerPoint that we have never seen before and then administered a quiz that either had the answers already written in or included detail not discussed in the PPT presentation. It certainly could have been better / will be better in the future but, it was not a total loss. It was a great chance to actually interact with the lab instead of just sitting behind a desk working on QCs and typing up validations.

I noticed yesterday sitting down in a little open air fried chicken place on Cairo Rd. (‘in town’ because there is a difference between in town and downtown?) with Kahler and Katy, on what turned out to be a not so great day, that I am getting fairly accustomed to everything being dirty. We sat down at a table that had all kinds of little crusties on it and the fella came over to wipe it down with a cloth designed not to clean but to even distribute the disease just as you would use an inoculation loop on an isolation plate. Despite that eerie and slightly terrifying analogy the uncleanness is no big deal any more. I mean I am not going to volunteer to lick the table or anything.

In the same vein, Katy was noticed, as we all sat at this same microbe nirvana, that she is beginning to thirst like a Zambian. That means you can drink a cup of water once in the morning and once and the evening and be good to go. I used to drink Dr. Pepper and Cream Soda at a record setting rate and now, I dare say that I am able to make it through meals now on twelve ounces. I am adapting in a way that I thought I never would/could.

 There is a train that comes by around 9:00 every evening that reminds me of that sweet College Station horn that you could hear from anywhere on campus. Though this horn sounds a bit more sickly, to say the least. I don’t know that I actually noticed the train until I was talk to my brother and he asked what that noise in the background was. I guess I do not notice because I am so used to it from home.

I just got home from the Management Meeting, which, needless to say, goes much smoother now. Save that one of my eyeballs nearly popped out when I tried to keep from laughing while Dr Kilembe (site director) was talking about some medical/data issues). Kahler and I are good for about an hour of solid attention and then if nothing interesting happens we make our own fun. It is like the time that we spent in the GCLP conference passing notes trying to muffle our laughter by clinching our teeth or putting our head down. I know this might be construed as juvenile but it is what separates me from the robots. That being said, ill-timed chuckles can land you in some hairy situations.

I am finding that being the boss just means that you occupy nearly 90% of your time putting out the fires and slaying the dragons that are protocol from this organization or the other. Turns out that if you manage to slay the dragon or at least scare it away there is just a ‘way to do your job’, no damsel. All those fairy tales are so misleading!

Victory: survived not one but, two mini-bus rides this past Monday! The one into town was not so bad but on the way back I am quite certain that there is no way that they could jam even one more body in the stink box. I mean there is a sense of accomplishment in that; well I can check that off the list. They are very cheap and do save a good bit of time despite my previous justification that walking on foot is more timely.

I have forgotten to put my address up despite several requests so I am going to stick it up now for all to see. The designations are a little strange. Oh and I just want to say that sending the package express has not proven to get the parcel here any quicker. Just send anything the cheapest way possible and at most it will take only few days extra.

Jake Pry
112 Vubu Road ZEHRP
P/Bag 891 Postnet 412
Lusaka, Zambia

If you want to send it to Dr. Pry I am sure it will make it to me also, haha… actually, it might not.

I hope that you all are enjoying a beautiful hump day afternoon!

All is very well!

Oh ya, and I am working on two abstracts, one for the AIDS Vaccine conference in Thailand next October and an HIV evolution abstract for a symposium (Whistler, British Columbia) in March. There are a few others that I would like to develop something for but, I don't know that I will have the time. I am hopeful, we will see :)