A day to relax!

Sunday is usually a day to relax a little bit on the ship, so after we mustered at 7:30am we really had no other responsibilities in the pharmacy. We did have several meetings to attend with the Project HOPE crew though. We attended a brief on Cambodia, and then we were addressed by two important officers. First, the Commanding Officer of the hospital onboard Mercy spoke to us, then the Commodore of the Mercy itself. They just told us about their different roles on the ship and gave us an opportunity to ask questions. After these meetings, we went up to the flight deck to attend the frocking ceremony for the military personnel who have recently made rank. Three members of the pharmacy staff had were being promoted, and we wanted to be there to support them as well as see what a military ceremony was like. It was only about a half an hour long, and each person was honored and then pinned by one of their officers onboard. When the ceremony was over, we stayed on the flight deck and took some pictures with the whole pharmacy staff. It was such a nice day outside, so I stayed on the decks for a good bit of the afternoon just enjoying the sun and sea. We were watching flying fish that were jumping out of the water in front of the ship, and for at least a half an hour a group of about 30 dolphins followed alongside the Mercy. It was really nice to have a relaxing day after all of the work that we did in Vietnam. They had a picnic and an ice cream social in the mess decks which were also great times to socialize with our fellow Project HOPE volunteers and pharmacy staff. I also went to a zumba class which was really fun and a great workout! Overall today was a fun and relaxing day to get reenergized for the long days that we will have again in Cambodia. And tonight I am staying up late again to watch the World Cup game against Germany and Australia. Tomorrow morning we are presenting an informational lecture on Malaria along with the nursing students from California. They are concentrating on the causes, symptoms, and diagnosis. And Kris and I are presenting the prevention, prophylaxis, and treatment options. Our fellow Project HOPE volunteers and members of the pharmacy staff will be there, and hopefully some of the crew will come to learn more about the doxycycline prophylaxis that they will be taking for the next month and a half. Hopefully the presentation goes well! Wish us luck!