Visitor MS0604 
| Visitor |
| Sex? |
male |
| Profession/occupation? |
Medical Student |
| Home country? |
Switzerland |
| What made you want to go to
Solomon Islands? |
Talking to Dr Oberli |
| Did you go alone or in company? |
alone |
| Arriving in Solomon
Islands |
| When did you arrive in Solomon
Islands? |
September 2006 |
| Did you encounter any
bureaucratic difficulties? |
yes, visa was only issued for one instead of three
months |
| What was your first impression
after arrival? |
It was hot, humid, there was no one to pick me up, the
sign saying: Beware of SARS |
| Living in Solomon
Islands |
| What did positively surprise
you? |
People in general. The lovely smiles on the streets. |
| What did negatively surprise
you? |
The behaviour of the locals when drinking. |
| What took longest to get used
to? |
The heat |
| What did you miss most in
Solomon Islands? |
A magazine or a real newspaper |
| What should you have brought
along? |
Spices for the Kiwi-House kitchen |
| What did you do to prevent
malaria? |
Lariam once a week |
| Place and province where you
spent most of your time? |
Honiara, Honiara-City |
| Other places/provinces where
you stayed? |
Gizo, Western Province |
| Where did you stay? |
Kiwi-House / Phoebe's Resthouse |
| How long did you stay at each
location? |
10 weeks Kiwi-House / 3 weeks Phoebe's |
| How much did you pay for
each? |
SBD 150 per month in Kiwi-House / SBD 65 for Phoebe's per
night |
| Where did you usually eat? |
Cooked ourselves. Chinese in town. Yacht Club. La Masa in
Gizo |
| What did you typically pay for
a normal meal? |
Depends due to wide range. Everything from SBD 6 for a
roti to SBD 30 at the PCYC [Yacht Club]. |
| What local food/beverage did
you like most? |
Fern Salad |
| What local food/beverage did
you like least? |
nothing |
| Mobile
phone services |
| If you brought along a mobile
phone, which services did you successfully use? |
voice |
| Comments? |
SIM card from Solomon Telekom: SBD 18 / minute for
overseas calls. No charge for receiving calls. |
| Money
matters |
Used American Express
Travelers Cheques in US$ to get cash.
Used Maestro debit card to get cash at ATMs.
Used MasterCard credit card to get cash at ATMs and pay for
goods/services. |
| Comments? |
- |
| Working in Solomon
Islands |
| How did you usually go to
work? |
walk |
| Where did you work? |
NRH, General Surgery |
| What was your occupation? |
Being part of the team. Helping to get things done. |
| What were your working days and
hours? |
Monday - Friday / Saturday : 7.45am to anything between 2
and 5pm |
| What was particularly difficult
in regard to your work? |
Understanding Pijin |
| Did you feel accepted by the
locals? |
yes |
| What did you usually do in your
spare time after work? |
Read, go to the pool, cook, go out... |
| Questions
for medical trainees of all levels (students to
registrars) |
| How was the supervision? |
adequate |
| Comments |
- |
| How was the teaching? |
adequate |
| Comments |
Very variable. Stick to the consultants! |
| Leaving Solomon Islands and
looking back |
| When did you leave Solomon
Islands? |
January 2007 |
| How long was your stay? |
3 months |
| How do you judge the length of
your stay? |
just about right |
| What did you learn from the
locals? |
How to cook local food and to keep up that smile :-) |
| Your advice to prospective
visitors? |
Learn Pijin even if your mother tongue is English! |
| What did you miss most when
back at home again? |
The warmth of land and people |
| What did you enjoy most when
back at home again? |
Cleanliness / TV |
| Would you go back for another
stay? |
Anytime! |
| Estimated total cost of your
stay (including travel costs)? |
CHF 7,000 |
| Additional comments? |
Make sure you stay at one of the hospitals for a longer
time! You will have a wonderful experience if you are not
just one of the "visiting students" who leave shortly after
they have arrived! You'll be amazed at what you are able to
do after a certain amount of time! Try it :-) |
