I feel CRAP! Despite two very early nights, healthy supper at 6pm then straight to bed with a movie then sleep, I am utterly drained. I am day dreaming of Boreland, lying on the sofa eating a bacon sandwich, drinking tea, while Kitty sits on my lap as I watch american idol and bitch with gwen about how Kara DioGuardi pronounces "artistry" (she says "ortistry", trust me its funny).
Then letting Gwen convince me to watch Miami Ink as the main guy is quite hot, even though the tattoos are usually gross, and then we might realise that we have a true blood episode recorded on sky plus, and watch that and talk about how its the best show ever.
Then following my mama around the house telling her about all the things I think and feel and dreamed and saw and wondered and wanted and needed and got annoyed by and wished and hoped and liked and didnt like, then we would cook chinese food to perfection and take turns to swig from the sherry bottle in homage to Keith Floyd (god rest him) who wrote a very inspiring book about oriental cuisine.
Sigh........................................................................................................
Wednesday 26 May 2010
Tuesday 25 May 2010
Now I know how Britney and the rest of them feel. Sigh.
OK, so before I left the UK, I was interviewed by the Nursing Standard magazine as part of a drive to raise awareness of VSO, as there are not enough nurses applying for posts with VSO.
I was so excited to be featured in the article, and spent a lot of time emailing and talking to both the VSO communications officer, and the nurse correspondent for the magazine. I felt I made a good impression of how I had been feeling the need for a new challenge, and had done my Philosophy Degree to try and move into medical ethics, but that the recession had made it difficult to get a job, so I realised that now would be a perfect time to undertake a placement working in development.
SO, imagine my humiliaton and disappointment when I eventually was emailed a copy of the article.
62 may 12 :: vol 24 no 36 :: 2010 NURSING STANDARD
The charity VSO is looking for nurse volunteers to undertake a Skills for working in development (SKWID) course that has been accredited by the RCN. Nurses who volunteer with VSO – which strives to fight poverty in developing countries – can count the course towards their post-registration education and practice requirements, and clock up 24 hours of accredited learning activity.
Among those who have taken the course is nurse Catherine Dupre, who is training hospital nurses in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Half of the country’s three million population live in the capital, and about 30 per cent is nomadic, although that is changing. Mongolia’s 8,000 nurses are registered, but training is not standardised. Nurses tend to suffer from a lack of public and professional respect.
Ms Dupre’s background is in trauma, public health and community nursing. She has been qualified for five years but remains on pay band 5. After several failed job searches, she decided VSO was an attractive option ‘because it gets things organised’.
She attended SKWID in January. She says: ‘The course was intensive, but there was asupportive and co-operative group dynamic that made it enjoyable.
‘In one activity, we were volunteers coming to build a bridge for a village. We had ten minutes to plan the bridge and another ten minutes to build a scale model using a children’s construction kit. ‘The construction was fine, but when we asked a “villager” what was needed from the bridge, she was more interested in our families and personal lives. In different cultures, being task-orientated is not always appropriate. ‘I now have a stronger awareness of the different priorities of people from other cultures, of negotiation techniques and how they can be applied effectively.’
It is the bit in purple that I object to so strongly, first of all, it is completely unecessary to say I have "been qualified 5 years but remains on pay band 5" like I am incapable of progressing past this, why not just say, Ms Dupre is a Band 5 with some years experience.
Also, saying I thought VSO was an attractive option after several failed job searches, is untrue, unkind, and makes VSO look like a cop out. I did NOT have several failed job searches, what is a "failed job search" anyway? I had two interviews and though I was not successful in either, I was told I was the 2nd choice for one of them, and that the panel was split in the other. There were quite simply, NO jobs going in the NHS because it is such a stupid mess at the moment.
Also, I actually did have a job aswell, as a H1N1 public health nurse before I went away. So there Nursig Standard.
I am so upset, as I was so excited and chuffed that I was to be featured in the magazine, and now I just feel humiliated and frustrated that I am misrepresented in a magazine. I feel like Lyndsay Lohan.
ANYWAY - who cares, I am a million miles away, and I sent an upset email to the magazine, in which I said pretty much exactly what I have said here. So, we will see what comes of that. Perhaps they will do a four page spread, exonerating me........ha ha. Maybe I feel worse because my working life has been - er - akin to a patchwork quilt, but I didnt want my failure to get to band 6 to be portrayed as something negative, I would run away from a 6 faster than a speeding bullet.
I am at work, psyching myself up for my lecture, I'm determined there will be no more 'miss nice girl', I am going to have to be firm and forthright with my new class. Dont answer your mobile in my lesson! If you want to go to sleep, go home! If I ask a question of you, I expect an answer!
I feel so tired today though, despite an early night, I slept so deeply and couldnt wake up this morning. I even dreamed that I was sleeping, and that a camel came and nuzzled its head into me, very sweetly, so I was cuddled up to the camels soft furry face, and having a lovely sleep within a sleep, when my alarm went off. Rats.
I have re-arranged my squat, I mean, flat. I am a lot happier with it now I have made the decision to ignore one whole room. Coping strategies, innit.
Someone send me some golden virginia tobacco and some more coffee. For the love of all thats good, I need COFFEEEEEEEEEE aaaaaaaaaaarrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Final word, my surname is not Dupre, it has an accent on the e, which is not hard to do. OK so I cant work out how to do it on this blog (RACISTS!) but the magazine could have done it. grumblegrumble.
I was so excited to be featured in the article, and spent a lot of time emailing and talking to both the VSO communications officer, and the nurse correspondent for the magazine. I felt I made a good impression of how I had been feeling the need for a new challenge, and had done my Philosophy Degree to try and move into medical ethics, but that the recession had made it difficult to get a job, so I realised that now would be a perfect time to undertake a placement working in development.
SO, imagine my humiliaton and disappointment when I eventually was emailed a copy of the article.
62 may 12 :: vol 24 no 36 :: 2010 NURSING STANDARD
The charity VSO is looking for nurse volunteers to undertake a Skills for working in development (SKWID) course that has been accredited by the RCN. Nurses who volunteer with VSO – which strives to fight poverty in developing countries – can count the course towards their post-registration education and practice requirements, and clock up 24 hours of accredited learning activity.
Among those who have taken the course is nurse Catherine Dupre, who is training hospital nurses in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Half of the country’s three million population live in the capital, and about 30 per cent is nomadic, although that is changing. Mongolia’s 8,000 nurses are registered, but training is not standardised. Nurses tend to suffer from a lack of public and professional respect.
Ms Dupre’s background is in trauma, public health and community nursing. She has been qualified for five years but remains on pay band 5. After several failed job searches, she decided VSO was an attractive option ‘because it gets things organised’.
She attended SKWID in January. She says: ‘The course was intensive, but there was asupportive and co-operative group dynamic that made it enjoyable.
‘In one activity, we were volunteers coming to build a bridge for a village. We had ten minutes to plan the bridge and another ten minutes to build a scale model using a children’s construction kit. ‘The construction was fine, but when we asked a “villager” what was needed from the bridge, she was more interested in our families and personal lives. In different cultures, being task-orientated is not always appropriate. ‘I now have a stronger awareness of the different priorities of people from other cultures, of negotiation techniques and how they can be applied effectively.’
It is the bit in purple that I object to so strongly, first of all, it is completely unecessary to say I have "been qualified 5 years but remains on pay band 5" like I am incapable of progressing past this, why not just say, Ms Dupre is a Band 5 with some years experience.
Also, saying I thought VSO was an attractive option after several failed job searches, is untrue, unkind, and makes VSO look like a cop out. I did NOT have several failed job searches, what is a "failed job search" anyway? I had two interviews and though I was not successful in either, I was told I was the 2nd choice for one of them, and that the panel was split in the other. There were quite simply, NO jobs going in the NHS because it is such a stupid mess at the moment.
Also, I actually did have a job aswell, as a H1N1 public health nurse before I went away. So there Nursig Standard.
I am so upset, as I was so excited and chuffed that I was to be featured in the magazine, and now I just feel humiliated and frustrated that I am misrepresented in a magazine. I feel like Lyndsay Lohan.
ANYWAY - who cares, I am a million miles away, and I sent an upset email to the magazine, in which I said pretty much exactly what I have said here. So, we will see what comes of that. Perhaps they will do a four page spread, exonerating me........ha ha. Maybe I feel worse because my working life has been - er - akin to a patchwork quilt, but I didnt want my failure to get to band 6 to be portrayed as something negative, I would run away from a 6 faster than a speeding bullet.
I am at work, psyching myself up for my lecture, I'm determined there will be no more 'miss nice girl', I am going to have to be firm and forthright with my new class. Dont answer your mobile in my lesson! If you want to go to sleep, go home! If I ask a question of you, I expect an answer!
I feel so tired today though, despite an early night, I slept so deeply and couldnt wake up this morning. I even dreamed that I was sleeping, and that a camel came and nuzzled its head into me, very sweetly, so I was cuddled up to the camels soft furry face, and having a lovely sleep within a sleep, when my alarm went off. Rats.
I have re-arranged my squat, I mean, flat. I am a lot happier with it now I have made the decision to ignore one whole room. Coping strategies, innit.
Someone send me some golden virginia tobacco and some more coffee. For the love of all thats good, I need COFFEEEEEEEEEE aaaaaaaaaaarrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Final word, my surname is not Dupre, it has an accent on the e, which is not hard to do. OK so I cant work out how to do it on this blog (RACISTS!) but the magazine could have done it. grumblegrumble.
Sunday 23 May 2010
Things that go bump in the night
So, this week has ticked along alright, only had one lecture this week, and have been having my work review, and have designed a whole new teaching agenda for myself - created a proposal, with rationale, which was very well recieved by my colleagues, and the new regime starts next week.
At the end of the meeting, which was attended by my VSO programme manager, talk turned to how I was getting on at work. My colleagues were very happy with me, they said, it seemed that this was more because I am beautiful (their words!) and eat everything that they give me, than that my work was good, but they said I worked very hard, and was always punctual, which was nice to hear, especially since that very morning I had been half an hour late.........
They said that they would "mongolise" me, which to be honest, I think is happening already quite naturally.
On Monday, for lunch at work we had this AMAZING mongolian dish. It is big chunks of meat, on the bone, ribs and the like, cooked in a tightly sealed iron pot, with stones, and potatoes, and some water. The meat becomes incredibly tasty and tender, and the potatoes are lovely, perfectly cooked, melt in the mouth and infused with yummy stock flavour, soooooooooooo gooooooooood.
Before we ate, the stones were removed, and my colleagues picked up a stone each, still very hot, and flipped it from hand to hand for a while before putting it down and pressing their hot (and now greasy) hands agaist their heads, necks and foreheads. The hot stones, they explained, had healing powers, the heat balanced their Qi. So I did it too, and Khulan, who had cystitis, wrapped one of the stones in a piece of cloth and put it down her trousers.
The meal was so lush, the meat was tastier than I have ever tasted, I cant express enough how super wicked and awesome it was. We also had a bottle of wine with it, I love lunch at the office!
I have had a quiet week really, the pub quiz on thursday as usual, which we didnt win, but the quiz master is now enamoured of me, and followed me around after the quiz, until I had to just go home to escape his drunken attention.
Friday I was being filmed for an english language TV show, that is broadcast on the Mongolian National Channel. I was talking about health issues, and the life style choices that young people can make to avoid long term health issues. I am terrible when I have a camera pointed at me, and also had my colleagues sitting watching, and also, the guys who were filming are my mates, who I have a laugh with, so I was just in fits of giggles throughout. We eventually got a good interview, but I will be cringing fit to bust when I see the programme, me, facing camera, earnestly extolling the virtues of eating healthily, staying active, abstaining form smoking and drinking alcohol responsibly. I hate my face and voice on film, and seeing it will probably make me spontaneously combust from sheer horror at what I really look and sound like, eeeuurgh!
That evening I had a chinese dinner with Kate, and a couple of drinks on a veranda bar, quiet early night. Last night we played Monopoly at Dave's (the english pub) which was ace, apart rom the fact that I am such a ethereal hippie I am no good at making money so was out early on, and was just having a little dance for myself while the others wheeled and dealed. We were playing with Tugrugs, to make it "more interesting" so I lost 5,000T, which is what I usually lose at poker, so I wasnt that fussed.
At the end of the meeting, which was attended by my VSO programme manager, talk turned to how I was getting on at work. My colleagues were very happy with me, they said, it seemed that this was more because I am beautiful (their words!) and eat everything that they give me, than that my work was good, but they said I worked very hard, and was always punctual, which was nice to hear, especially since that very morning I had been half an hour late.........
They said that they would "mongolise" me, which to be honest, I think is happening already quite naturally.
On Monday, for lunch at work we had this AMAZING mongolian dish. It is big chunks of meat, on the bone, ribs and the like, cooked in a tightly sealed iron pot, with stones, and potatoes, and some water. The meat becomes incredibly tasty and tender, and the potatoes are lovely, perfectly cooked, melt in the mouth and infused with yummy stock flavour, soooooooooooo gooooooooood.
Before we ate, the stones were removed, and my colleagues picked up a stone each, still very hot, and flipped it from hand to hand for a while before putting it down and pressing their hot (and now greasy) hands agaist their heads, necks and foreheads. The hot stones, they explained, had healing powers, the heat balanced their Qi. So I did it too, and Khulan, who had cystitis, wrapped one of the stones in a piece of cloth and put it down her trousers.
The meal was so lush, the meat was tastier than I have ever tasted, I cant express enough how super wicked and awesome it was. We also had a bottle of wine with it, I love lunch at the office!
I have had a quiet week really, the pub quiz on thursday as usual, which we didnt win, but the quiz master is now enamoured of me, and followed me around after the quiz, until I had to just go home to escape his drunken attention.
Friday I was being filmed for an english language TV show, that is broadcast on the Mongolian National Channel. I was talking about health issues, and the life style choices that young people can make to avoid long term health issues. I am terrible when I have a camera pointed at me, and also had my colleagues sitting watching, and also, the guys who were filming are my mates, who I have a laugh with, so I was just in fits of giggles throughout. We eventually got a good interview, but I will be cringing fit to bust when I see the programme, me, facing camera, earnestly extolling the virtues of eating healthily, staying active, abstaining form smoking and drinking alcohol responsibly. I hate my face and voice on film, and seeing it will probably make me spontaneously combust from sheer horror at what I really look and sound like, eeeuurgh!
That evening I had a chinese dinner with Kate, and a couple of drinks on a veranda bar, quiet early night. Last night we played Monopoly at Dave's (the english pub) which was ace, apart rom the fact that I am such a ethereal hippie I am no good at making money so was out early on, and was just having a little dance for myself while the others wheeled and dealed. We were playing with Tugrugs, to make it "more interesting" so I lost 5,000T, which is what I usually lose at poker, so I wasnt that fussed.
I dont know if I have said before, that there are no coins in Mongolia, only notes, so "small change" is actually a wad worthy of a street drug dealer, this is me with about a tenner in english money.
What went bump in the night, was ME when my bed collapsed underneath me. It was quite a shock let me tell you. The next thing to go bump, the following night, was my downstairs neighbour, banging on my door at 1am because water was coming through her ceiling. Now, for once, it was NOT because I had been retarded whilst doing laundry, it is because there is a leak in the pipes, so I have been trying unsucessfully to get hold of my landlord ever since, and in the mean time have turned off my water. Ho hum.
I am now off to go and get a burger for lunch with Kate, she was partying last night, I was home and in bed soon after midnight. This afternoon I am going to play scrabble with some other VSO's.
Could it really be that I am becoming sensible???
Don't count on it.
Wednesday 19 May 2010
Sewer watch
Little Sewer Man (LSM) was sunbathing this morning! Talking to himself and throwing stones at passing cars. It was the first time I saw the whole of him, usually he is just poking out of the manhole. (I didnt take this photo, and he is not a kid, but you get the general gist).
I think LSM is the single most fascinating human being I have ever met (except I havent really met him.....just gawped at him - today I got closer to him than I have been before, thought he might throw a stone at me, but he just ignored me)
I got in a right state yesterday, when it comes to working, I am a doer, not a report writer, and being asked to write performance reports makes me go a bit mental, I get angry and frustrated because I cant understand the jargon, and when I try and read the guidelines I forget how to read and start freaking out.
BREEEEEATHE..............today I am writing my reflections on practice and plans for change and a proposal for my boss to be discussed at a meeting tomorrow, I will just have to try not to chuck a hissy fit........
Monday 17 May 2010
my little sewer man
So, two posts in two days! This is because my computer has decided to work normally again (touch wood) and because i have some more to say. I never really understood blogging before, but now I find it quite therapeutic. Although I also get anxious about making it good. I have too much neurosis for my own good.
Anyway, what I wanted to say is, ITS RAINING!!! I havent seen rain for three months, had a load of snow, had a load of sunshine, had more show, then dust storms, and more sunshine, but yesterday afternoon it POURED down.
I had stayed in saturday night (dont all fall of your chairs at once) and gone out on sunday morning into the 23 degree sunshine, wearing flip flops and a summer dress. Walking to town was like being at the beach, cos of all the sand, but only with a big busy road instead of the sea. sat in the cafe for a couple of hours drinking orange juice and eating Snert (soup, not that great) and when I came out it was tipping it down. So I hoofed it over to Kate's place where she made me a wicked stir fry (I am so lucky, this girl loves to feed me! Her gaff is my sanctuary - for she has a sofa, and even found me soya milk to put in my tea so I would feel better the other day, what a star eh!?).
Poker was off, then on, then it was off again, so I trundled home again later on. To have the WORST nights sleep since I got here. I said before I have been thinking of lots of things, my brain is like some kind of David Lynch film only more surreal and with fewer logical connections. I think I have a slight personality disorder sometimes. Anyway, I dreamed lots of dreams, including one where I was an american middle class parent to two children, we were on a sitcom, and my ten year old son had stolen money to buy designer shoes that were very badly made. I was upset with him less for stealing, than for wearing these shoes that would ruin his feet. I was aghast, and kept feeling the flimsy soles of them shaking my head while he whined that he was sorry, and he needed designer brands so that he could be cool. I was silent, in my dream mind I was wondering how a son of mine could be this kind of person. then some very weird stuff was happening that I cant remember. my daughter in the dream was Karen off of "outnumbered" she was cool. At least I had one cool kid.....
I also dreamed I was stuck in a room with a load of baddies that wanted to shoot me, and that was horrible, woke up sweating and freaked out. My dreams are nuts, they are like virtual reality. Sometimes I cant even tell the difference between them and reality, I have some that leave me emotionally drained, some that leave me elated, some that leave me convinced that reality is a relative term and that I do actually go somewhere else in my sleep.....hmmmm.
Well, anyway, what I wanted to blog about was actually my little sewer man. In Mongolia, there is a great range of wealth, people very rich, to people that are so poor they are hardly people. That is not an exaggeration. Homeless people here live underground in the winter, for the city is heated by national power stations (heating in all buildings is controlled by the state!) and the hot pipes run under the city streets. So most of the manholes are coverless, which makes a walk home in the dark a thrillingly exciting adventure (for thrillingly exciting, read, potentially fatal).
Now the weather is warmer, they are emerging, and there is one guy in particular that I have seen a few times now, he pops up in the mornings, I see him on my way to work sometimes. He looks like a little troll. I am fascinated by him. He is tiny, and has a very strange face, and tiny tiny hands. His gait is peculiar - probably the result of life long malnutrition and stooping in the cramped sewers. He makes my heart flutter as I feel for him and all of them, but he seems quite calm, I looked at him and he just picked up some soil and put it in his mouth. I nodded a gentle greeting, and walked on.
He occupies my thoughts a lot, as I try to evisage what his life has been like, how old he is (he looks about 70, but is probably more like 17).
I met a street kid the other day, who was the sweetest one I have come across, they are generally - and this will sound horrible - repellant little creatures. They are aggressive and persistent, tugging at you calling moneymonymoneymoneymoneymoneyyesyesyesyesyesmoneymoneymoneymoney. But this guy I met the other day just wanted to walk with me and chat, I gathered all the mongolian I could muster, which turned out to be as much as the english that he knew, so we managed to have a suprisingly coherent conversation. We told eachother our names and ages, and talked about music. He could beatbox, and liked to make music on a computer. He was 14 and had no mother or father. I wanted to give him a big hug and take care of him forever, but instead I gave him a "cool" handshake and told him to look after himself.
Today Zolo has abandoned me, the office is very quiet, and I am actually getitng on very nicely with my Infection control booklet. I am hungry though, so off to the wee shop for some fortification.
oh and one more thing I have to say is that the drivers here are actually f**king stupid, the other day I was stuck on the bus for ages, becuase they cant do waiting turns at an intersection, they all drive in at once, and then inch forward, despite the fact that no one can go anywhere, we had been in standstill traffic gridlock for almost ten minutes, when the guy next to us crashed into the bus. What the hell? How dumb do you have to be to be sitting behind a motionless bus for ten minutes then drive into it? Hmm??
Drivers here will also steer towards you and speed up when you are crossing the road, beeping their horns, despite the fact that there are two other lanes for them, and that they were pretty far away when you started crossing, but since they put their foot down and headed straight for you they have to beep to tell you to get the hell out of the way! I have taken to crossing the road with a reckless abandon, if there are no rules, then I will make my own, and my rules are that I cross the road when I want to and you cant run me over because then there will be a traffic jam and everyone will get well pissed off with you and that would be really embarrassing. So there.
Anyway, what I wanted to say is, ITS RAINING!!! I havent seen rain for three months, had a load of snow, had a load of sunshine, had more show, then dust storms, and more sunshine, but yesterday afternoon it POURED down.
I had stayed in saturday night (dont all fall of your chairs at once) and gone out on sunday morning into the 23 degree sunshine, wearing flip flops and a summer dress. Walking to town was like being at the beach, cos of all the sand, but only with a big busy road instead of the sea. sat in the cafe for a couple of hours drinking orange juice and eating Snert (soup, not that great) and when I came out it was tipping it down. So I hoofed it over to Kate's place where she made me a wicked stir fry (I am so lucky, this girl loves to feed me! Her gaff is my sanctuary - for she has a sofa, and even found me soya milk to put in my tea so I would feel better the other day, what a star eh!?).
Poker was off, then on, then it was off again, so I trundled home again later on. To have the WORST nights sleep since I got here. I said before I have been thinking of lots of things, my brain is like some kind of David Lynch film only more surreal and with fewer logical connections. I think I have a slight personality disorder sometimes. Anyway, I dreamed lots of dreams, including one where I was an american middle class parent to two children, we were on a sitcom, and my ten year old son had stolen money to buy designer shoes that were very badly made. I was upset with him less for stealing, than for wearing these shoes that would ruin his feet. I was aghast, and kept feeling the flimsy soles of them shaking my head while he whined that he was sorry, and he needed designer brands so that he could be cool. I was silent, in my dream mind I was wondering how a son of mine could be this kind of person. then some very weird stuff was happening that I cant remember. my daughter in the dream was Karen off of "outnumbered" she was cool. At least I had one cool kid.....
I also dreamed I was stuck in a room with a load of baddies that wanted to shoot me, and that was horrible, woke up sweating and freaked out. My dreams are nuts, they are like virtual reality. Sometimes I cant even tell the difference between them and reality, I have some that leave me emotionally drained, some that leave me elated, some that leave me convinced that reality is a relative term and that I do actually go somewhere else in my sleep.....hmmmm.
Well, anyway, what I wanted to blog about was actually my little sewer man. In Mongolia, there is a great range of wealth, people very rich, to people that are so poor they are hardly people. That is not an exaggeration. Homeless people here live underground in the winter, for the city is heated by national power stations (heating in all buildings is controlled by the state!) and the hot pipes run under the city streets. So most of the manholes are coverless, which makes a walk home in the dark a thrillingly exciting adventure (for thrillingly exciting, read, potentially fatal).
Now the weather is warmer, they are emerging, and there is one guy in particular that I have seen a few times now, he pops up in the mornings, I see him on my way to work sometimes. He looks like a little troll. I am fascinated by him. He is tiny, and has a very strange face, and tiny tiny hands. His gait is peculiar - probably the result of life long malnutrition and stooping in the cramped sewers. He makes my heart flutter as I feel for him and all of them, but he seems quite calm, I looked at him and he just picked up some soil and put it in his mouth. I nodded a gentle greeting, and walked on.
He occupies my thoughts a lot, as I try to evisage what his life has been like, how old he is (he looks about 70, but is probably more like 17).
I met a street kid the other day, who was the sweetest one I have come across, they are generally - and this will sound horrible - repellant little creatures. They are aggressive and persistent, tugging at you calling moneymonymoneymoneymoneymoneyyesyesyesyesyesmoneymoneymoneymoney. But this guy I met the other day just wanted to walk with me and chat, I gathered all the mongolian I could muster, which turned out to be as much as the english that he knew, so we managed to have a suprisingly coherent conversation. We told eachother our names and ages, and talked about music. He could beatbox, and liked to make music on a computer. He was 14 and had no mother or father. I wanted to give him a big hug and take care of him forever, but instead I gave him a "cool" handshake and told him to look after himself.
Today Zolo has abandoned me, the office is very quiet, and I am actually getitng on very nicely with my Infection control booklet. I am hungry though, so off to the wee shop for some fortification.
oh and one more thing I have to say is that the drivers here are actually f**king stupid, the other day I was stuck on the bus for ages, becuase they cant do waiting turns at an intersection, they all drive in at once, and then inch forward, despite the fact that no one can go anywhere, we had been in standstill traffic gridlock for almost ten minutes, when the guy next to us crashed into the bus. What the hell? How dumb do you have to be to be sitting behind a motionless bus for ten minutes then drive into it? Hmm??
Drivers here will also steer towards you and speed up when you are crossing the road, beeping their horns, despite the fact that there are two other lanes for them, and that they were pretty far away when you started crossing, but since they put their foot down and headed straight for you they have to beep to tell you to get the hell out of the way! I have taken to crossing the road with a reckless abandon, if there are no rules, then I will make my own, and my rules are that I cross the road when I want to and you cant run me over because then there will be a traffic jam and everyone will get well pissed off with you and that would be really embarrassing. So there.
Sunday 16 May 2010
sunshine and dust storms and snow (in the same afternoon)
Hi - its been ages, I know - my computer was broken, all kinds of things were happening, no time, no attention span, etc etc.
So, after my bout of poisoning, I was wary of eating anything that didnt come out of a packet, was soaked in dettol, and had been boiled for at least three days. But after a few days of nibbling buscuits and feeling miserable, I realised that - oh my gosh - I actually felt hungry. Which was good, as Cos and Theo were leaving (boo hoo) and I was going for a meal with them. I had steak and rosemary potatoes, it was goooood.
The rest of the week was quiet, just working, teaching, and doing laundry, as well as nearly flooding the place AGAIN. Yeah, so my computer died on the monday, from a virus, so I was a bit bereft, there is no computer at work, so I was working from VSO which was nice, as it meant I could hang out with some other VSO's.
Thursday was the pub quiz (we came third, poor show!) and the arrival of the "out of towners" for a big VSO meeting.
I didnt attend the meeting as I was at a very lavish ceremony at the hospital, to celebrate the 10 year aniversary of the Nursing Department.
There were many speeches, many many awards given out, and oh, you know when I said about that "photo shoot" where I looked really grumpy, well it turns out it wasnt a photoshoot, it was FILMED and included in a short documentary about the hospital, and there I am , with a face like thunder, oh, and there I am again, at a teaching session, expressing myself with my hands as usual, but the clip that they have it looks as if I am making the "boobs" sign with my hands. Zolo and I were laughing - I couldnt have looked more ridiculous if I tried, luckily I am in it for just those two 1.5 second shots.
I was also interviewed for mongolian national radio, and got very flustered with the interviewer, at one point I think I actually said, "I dont bloody well know!" or words to that effect. I also said that we didnt do anyhting for nurses day in britain, but looking on the NUrsing Times website, I have just seen loads of stuff for nurses day in Britain....oops. Spreading false information to the furthest reaches of the world, thats me.
After the ceremony, in which there was a dance performance aswell, (it was like strictly come dancing, only on some weird kind of acid. Eight couples doing a cool dance to a medley of different styles of music. They were pretty good, but didnt have enough space, so kept standing on eachother, and sometimes the dance called for them to fling out an arm, which nearly always caught someone else in the face - but like true professionals they just carried on regardless).
I went to meet VSO's for a meal, and then dancing. Found a cool club with foreign DJ's so music was pretty good. Kate and I made every guy in there dance with us, even a very taciturn, 6foot7 german guy, who said he wouldnt dance as he didnt like the music, so we asked him what he would dance to, and then went to the DJ to request it, "we have a well boring german dude over there that wont dance" we said, "oh really" said the DJ "I am also german". oopsie. But we got Jeorg dancing in the end.
The police were trying to raid the place at one pont, so they had to turn off the music for a while, but soon the police were bribed to go away and the party resumed.
The rest of the weekend was cool, and life just kind of ticked along, went to a cute little park, but it was snowing, so we went to a cute little cafe instead.
Wednesday the 12th May is International Nurses Day ( I am afraid I had never ever clicked this, bad nurse) as it is the aniversary of Florence Nightingales birth. They go in for it in a big way here, and were planning a big party, so the week at work was kind of a write off, all my lessons were cancelled at the hospital, so me and Zolo were just kind of bumming around, she read the paper and told me what my horoscope said, and we discussed various racist myths the mongolians believe and propagate about the chinese (apparently they eat babies). She also got me up to speed on the crazy love life and vodka fuelled antics of her friends. I swear, I have no need for soap operas or celebrity gossip magazines, Zolo's social life is my gossip manna.
(pssst, I totally didnt mean that about the gossip mags, if anyone wants to send me a copy of the national enquirer I will be well happy - aparently Anjelina Jolie is pregnant again! And apparently Jennifer aniston is going to have a baby with Gerard Butler! And OMG have you seen Heidi Montag lately!!!???)
Anyway, I did mnage to do a lecture on vital signs at Chingeltei, which was really good, and we got a free lunch too, bonus.
That evening was the posh do for nurses day, it was at a hotel, and was one of the fanciest things i have ever been to. My pictures didnt really capture it clearly, but you get the idea...
There were dancers, singers (a woman who had been a big pop star in the 60s and 70s, kind of like a mongolian Lulu, sang) a comedian (I think he was, people kept laughing, I was completely confused), a competition, which was quite alarming for me, not understanding the mongoian preamble. There were some lucky tickets hidden under some of the chairs, this was explained in mongolian, so the first I knew of it was when everyone jumped up at once and tipped their chairs upside down, which, when you are not expecting it, is quite a fright!
There were big bottles of vodka on each table, and we al had a glass of vodka (OMG, when i arived i thought it was water and took a big sip! Oh how they laughed) which we had to toast with - like - every four minutes, stand up chink glasses with everyone at the table and knock it back. Now, I was - for once in my life - very sensible, and every time there was a toast, I merely touched the vodka to my lips. But my colleagues were chucking it down their throats, and soon almost everyone in the room was pretty drunk. this was quite funny.
Also, there was almost no men, so all the nurses were dancing with eachother, and it was a very curious and charming visual to see all these fancy dressed mongolian women walzing with eachother, as an old lady in a full length silver coat belted out asian pop ballads among them on the dance floor........
Then there was a display by two contortionists, as we ate our 3rd course of a 4 course meal, and yet more vodka was imbibed. At about 9pm I tried to leave, but my boss was having none of it, and dragged me onto the dance floor, so I danced for ages, being pulled this way and that by curious drunk mongolians, before I eventually managed to get away, after being kissed and hugged repeatedly by my workmates.
The next day was so funny as they were all very hungover, Khulan couldn't remember much of the evening, and had lost her earrings and necklace. Work was very quiet, and everyone left early. I went to the pub quiz, and WE WON! Our prize was, as well as the money in the pot, 2 pitchers of beer, so we invited some kiwi's at the next table to join us.
Friday I went with Kate and the Sarahs out for fancy cocktails, we got all dressed up, it was really fun, but I wasnt so happy the next day when I could barely move. But the bar we went to was v posh and had great views of the square:
Last night I stayed in and watched this very sedate irish film called "Once" which made me really sad for some reason.
Today I am sittingin the cafe again, my usual sunday haunt, having trundled into town through the sunshine and dust, past the ripped up road, in my flip flops, that the mongolians think are the weirdest thing ever, and my floaty summer dress.
No one seems to be around for socialising, so I am all by myself, which always starts to spin me out after a while. I have been reading this surreal book, and thinking lots of different thoughts.
I love mongolia, but the next place I live has to be realy greeeeeeeen, I miss grass and trees and flowers. I bought myself a couple of plants, and am dallying in sprouting seedlings, but what I really yearn for is Regents park, in the sunshine, on a blanket, with snacks and a couple of bottles of cold cold beer, and some friends, and maybe a frisbee.........Dream on Caffers.
So, after my bout of poisoning, I was wary of eating anything that didnt come out of a packet, was soaked in dettol, and had been boiled for at least three days. But after a few days of nibbling buscuits and feeling miserable, I realised that - oh my gosh - I actually felt hungry. Which was good, as Cos and Theo were leaving (boo hoo) and I was going for a meal with them. I had steak and rosemary potatoes, it was goooood.
The rest of the week was quiet, just working, teaching, and doing laundry, as well as nearly flooding the place AGAIN. Yeah, so my computer died on the monday, from a virus, so I was a bit bereft, there is no computer at work, so I was working from VSO which was nice, as it meant I could hang out with some other VSO's.
Thursday was the pub quiz (we came third, poor show!) and the arrival of the "out of towners" for a big VSO meeting.
I didnt attend the meeting as I was at a very lavish ceremony at the hospital, to celebrate the 10 year aniversary of the Nursing Department.
I was also interviewed for mongolian national radio, and got very flustered with the interviewer, at one point I think I actually said, "I dont bloody well know!" or words to that effect. I also said that we didnt do anyhting for nurses day in britain, but looking on the NUrsing Times website, I have just seen loads of stuff for nurses day in Britain....oops. Spreading false information to the furthest reaches of the world, thats me.
After the ceremony, in which there was a dance performance aswell, (it was like strictly come dancing, only on some weird kind of acid. Eight couples doing a cool dance to a medley of different styles of music. They were pretty good, but didnt have enough space, so kept standing on eachother, and sometimes the dance called for them to fling out an arm, which nearly always caught someone else in the face - but like true professionals they just carried on regardless).
I went to meet VSO's for a meal, and then dancing. Found a cool club with foreign DJ's so music was pretty good. Kate and I made every guy in there dance with us, even a very taciturn, 6foot7 german guy, who said he wouldnt dance as he didnt like the music, so we asked him what he would dance to, and then went to the DJ to request it, "we have a well boring german dude over there that wont dance" we said, "oh really" said the DJ "I am also german". oopsie. But we got Jeorg dancing in the end.
The police were trying to raid the place at one pont, so they had to turn off the music for a while, but soon the police were bribed to go away and the party resumed.
The rest of the weekend was cool, and life just kind of ticked along, went to a cute little park, but it was snowing, so we went to a cute little cafe instead.
Wednesday the 12th May is International Nurses Day ( I am afraid I had never ever clicked this, bad nurse) as it is the aniversary of Florence Nightingales birth. They go in for it in a big way here, and were planning a big party, so the week at work was kind of a write off, all my lessons were cancelled at the hospital, so me and Zolo were just kind of bumming around, she read the paper and told me what my horoscope said, and we discussed various racist myths the mongolians believe and propagate about the chinese (apparently they eat babies). She also got me up to speed on the crazy love life and vodka fuelled antics of her friends. I swear, I have no need for soap operas or celebrity gossip magazines, Zolo's social life is my gossip manna.
(pssst, I totally didnt mean that about the gossip mags, if anyone wants to send me a copy of the national enquirer I will be well happy - aparently Anjelina Jolie is pregnant again! And apparently Jennifer aniston is going to have a baby with Gerard Butler! And OMG have you seen Heidi Montag lately!!!???)
Anyway, I did mnage to do a lecture on vital signs at Chingeltei, which was really good, and we got a free lunch too, bonus.
That evening was the posh do for nurses day, it was at a hotel, and was one of the fanciest things i have ever been to. My pictures didnt really capture it clearly, but you get the idea...
There were dancers, singers (a woman who had been a big pop star in the 60s and 70s, kind of like a mongolian Lulu, sang) a comedian (I think he was, people kept laughing, I was completely confused), a competition, which was quite alarming for me, not understanding the mongoian preamble. There were some lucky tickets hidden under some of the chairs, this was explained in mongolian, so the first I knew of it was when everyone jumped up at once and tipped their chairs upside down, which, when you are not expecting it, is quite a fright!
There were big bottles of vodka on each table, and we al had a glass of vodka (OMG, when i arived i thought it was water and took a big sip! Oh how they laughed) which we had to toast with - like - every four minutes, stand up chink glasses with everyone at the table and knock it back. Now, I was - for once in my life - very sensible, and every time there was a toast, I merely touched the vodka to my lips. But my colleagues were chucking it down their throats, and soon almost everyone in the room was pretty drunk. this was quite funny.
Also, there was almost no men, so all the nurses were dancing with eachother, and it was a very curious and charming visual to see all these fancy dressed mongolian women walzing with eachother, as an old lady in a full length silver coat belted out asian pop ballads among them on the dance floor........
Then there was a display by two contortionists, as we ate our 3rd course of a 4 course meal, and yet more vodka was imbibed. At about 9pm I tried to leave, but my boss was having none of it, and dragged me onto the dance floor, so I danced for ages, being pulled this way and that by curious drunk mongolians, before I eventually managed to get away, after being kissed and hugged repeatedly by my workmates.
The next day was so funny as they were all very hungover, Khulan couldn't remember much of the evening, and had lost her earrings and necklace. Work was very quiet, and everyone left early. I went to the pub quiz, and WE WON! Our prize was, as well as the money in the pot, 2 pitchers of beer, so we invited some kiwi's at the next table to join us.
Friday I went with Kate and the Sarahs out for fancy cocktails, we got all dressed up, it was really fun, but I wasnt so happy the next day when I could barely move. But the bar we went to was v posh and had great views of the square:
Last night I stayed in and watched this very sedate irish film called "Once" which made me really sad for some reason.
Today I am sittingin the cafe again, my usual sunday haunt, having trundled into town through the sunshine and dust, past the ripped up road, in my flip flops, that the mongolians think are the weirdest thing ever, and my floaty summer dress.
No one seems to be around for socialising, so I am all by myself, which always starts to spin me out after a while. I have been reading this surreal book, and thinking lots of different thoughts.
I love mongolia, but the next place I live has to be realy greeeeeeeen, I miss grass and trees and flowers. I bought myself a couple of plants, and am dallying in sprouting seedlings, but what I really yearn for is Regents park, in the sunshine, on a blanket, with snacks and a couple of bottles of cold cold beer, and some friends, and maybe a frisbee.........Dream on Caffers.
Sunday 2 May 2010
What just happened?
Well, what a rollercoaster week - I dont even know where to start - ok, so monday was um, i cant remember now, but tuesday I did two talks on woundcare that went really well, I used the same lecture, changed slightly, as I gave in Chingeltei, and included pictures not only of ulcers at various stages of reconstruction or deterioration, but also of all the dressings and equiptment that I would use to dress these wounds, and I went through step by step how I would go about dressing the wound.
I think this was the key to convincing them that I do actually know what I am talking about, and I am coming from a more sophisticated professional background than they realised. So that was good. I finished my teahcing at 2pm, and left work then, as I was having some guests for dinner and had to go shopping. My little dinner party was lovely, a couple of friends came, and I made a chilli con carne, this is the one photo of the evening, and it does look a little like something out of 'withnail and I' or 'The Young Ones', but it was actually really nice, and we laughed through our random and pastic surroundings,
Wednesday I had a lazy morning at work, I was ahead of schedule with my teaching sessions (for once!) and all I had to do was pose for some more ridiculous photos, propaganda! So soviet. I had to pose with a load of nurses who were NOT my students, pretending to be teaching them using a dummy, of a child. It was so farcical, as the photographer barked orders, making us move places around the table like the mad hatters mad mongolian tea party with mad mongolians and me.
I threw myself into the task of play acting, and was making elaborate gestures towards the slightly freaky dummy, saying, in the tone of a lecture, "well, I am not a paediatric nurse, and I dont know what this photo is for, but oh well, look there are his feet, there are his hands, and someone has thoughtfully put him in some rather fetching Y-fronts to preserve his plastic dignity" etc etc, I am afraid I was rather irreverrant....
Then I escaped and went to Chingeltei, to give a lecture on the Clinical and Holistic Management of Acute and Chronic Wounds (wow, get me, I am like, totally a teacher) and it was great, they love me there, what a great audience, I wish that was my full time job. The nurses at the hospital dont know they're born, the community nurses have it so much harder, and they are so much more keen to learn.
Anyway, it was fab, and I have basically been given the gig (one lecture every 2 weeks) for as long as I want it. I have also started talking to this guy about being an enabler, in the summer, for therapeutic riding. He has some horses, whch he has trained and tamed using natural native american horsemanship methods, and in the summer he runs days where people with disabilities come and ride the horses, and I am going to help out! How wicked is that!
SO - having a great week, wednesday I went for dinner with Kate, felt like I hadnt seen her in ages, and we had some great chats, home by 10pm, and thursday working at VSO offices, all fine, all good, got my infection control seminar all finished, but towards the end of the day started feeling abit weird.........
And weirder and weirder, and then was STRUCK DOWN! IN the prime of life, by my first real bout of food poisoning, and it was, I think, the foulest thing that has ever happened to me, only one thing I can think of was fouler, and it is a closey run thing. Oh my lord, I cannot remember a night spent in more complete desolation.
Anyway, due to being bed bound and delerious, I missed the pub quiz, I missed my seminar, I missed the night out to Amrita, the club where there are acrobats and contortionists, I missed the picnic by the river on saturday, I was so miserable.
But then on saturday I felt - enough is enough, I may have blurry eyesight, I may feel faint when I stand up (well, couldnt even get all the way upright ayway), I may be too weak to pull my boots on, but it is sunny outside, and I am lonely, and I am going out. So I tottered into town, and spent a nice, if slightly lightheaded, couple of hours in the cool cafe, and was met by C & T who persuaded me to come with them for a drive.
So I went, figuring that sitting in a car for a couple of hours would be fine, at least I had company. And it was really nice. I even drove the jeep for a bit! Which was so cool, although at first I think I alarmed them by saying - why dont I feel straight on the road, whats wrong - its all wrong - before I realised that I was sitting in the wrong side of the car, and driving on the wrong side of the road (for me) and it was an automatic - which is SO WEIRD to drive, but after a few mins I totally had the hang of it, and even overtook a lorry - wooo hoo.
It was so freeing to be driving along the open road, with the specials booming out of the stereo, passing horses drinking from sun dappled pools, and goats and goat babies all scraggy and cute, and miles of nothingness.........
we stopped to stretch our legs
And then again later to get a cup of tea in the "secret history mongolia camp" cafe. Where we threw ankle bones to divine our fortunes, we each threw three times. Mine came up 1, fortune is on your side 2, dreams will come true 3, the best luck is with you. So I was quite happy with that.
Then we drove back, and the guys nipped into my flat for a quick cup of green tea with crushed cranberry leaves, out of a glass, and then they left, and I crashed out.
This morning I got up bright and early, made a coffee in my new caffetiere (woo hoo!) that made me feel a bit ill, as I have not eaten anyhting more than four biscuits, a handful of peanuts and half a danish pastry since thursday, and toddled down to the cafe. Where I now sit. Oh and the other thing I did - and I blame it on starvation delirium, is give myself a rather drastic hair cut............I reckon I can totally pull it off though, if I just act like I meant to make myself look like a 12th century monk.........
I think this was the key to convincing them that I do actually know what I am talking about, and I am coming from a more sophisticated professional background than they realised. So that was good. I finished my teahcing at 2pm, and left work then, as I was having some guests for dinner and had to go shopping. My little dinner party was lovely, a couple of friends came, and I made a chilli con carne, this is the one photo of the evening, and it does look a little like something out of 'withnail and I' or 'The Young Ones', but it was actually really nice, and we laughed through our random and pastic surroundings,
Wednesday I had a lazy morning at work, I was ahead of schedule with my teaching sessions (for once!) and all I had to do was pose for some more ridiculous photos, propaganda! So soviet. I had to pose with a load of nurses who were NOT my students, pretending to be teaching them using a dummy, of a child. It was so farcical, as the photographer barked orders, making us move places around the table like the mad hatters mad mongolian tea party with mad mongolians and me.
I threw myself into the task of play acting, and was making elaborate gestures towards the slightly freaky dummy, saying, in the tone of a lecture, "well, I am not a paediatric nurse, and I dont know what this photo is for, but oh well, look there are his feet, there are his hands, and someone has thoughtfully put him in some rather fetching Y-fronts to preserve his plastic dignity" etc etc, I am afraid I was rather irreverrant....
Then I escaped and went to Chingeltei, to give a lecture on the Clinical and Holistic Management of Acute and Chronic Wounds (wow, get me, I am like, totally a teacher) and it was great, they love me there, what a great audience, I wish that was my full time job. The nurses at the hospital dont know they're born, the community nurses have it so much harder, and they are so much more keen to learn.
Anyway, it was fab, and I have basically been given the gig (one lecture every 2 weeks) for as long as I want it. I have also started talking to this guy about being an enabler, in the summer, for therapeutic riding. He has some horses, whch he has trained and tamed using natural native american horsemanship methods, and in the summer he runs days where people with disabilities come and ride the horses, and I am going to help out! How wicked is that!
SO - having a great week, wednesday I went for dinner with Kate, felt like I hadnt seen her in ages, and we had some great chats, home by 10pm, and thursday working at VSO offices, all fine, all good, got my infection control seminar all finished, but towards the end of the day started feeling abit weird.........
And weirder and weirder, and then was STRUCK DOWN! IN the prime of life, by my first real bout of food poisoning, and it was, I think, the foulest thing that has ever happened to me, only one thing I can think of was fouler, and it is a closey run thing. Oh my lord, I cannot remember a night spent in more complete desolation.
Anyway, due to being bed bound and delerious, I missed the pub quiz, I missed my seminar, I missed the night out to Amrita, the club where there are acrobats and contortionists, I missed the picnic by the river on saturday, I was so miserable.
But then on saturday I felt - enough is enough, I may have blurry eyesight, I may feel faint when I stand up (well, couldnt even get all the way upright ayway), I may be too weak to pull my boots on, but it is sunny outside, and I am lonely, and I am going out. So I tottered into town, and spent a nice, if slightly lightheaded, couple of hours in the cool cafe, and was met by C & T who persuaded me to come with them for a drive.
So I went, figuring that sitting in a car for a couple of hours would be fine, at least I had company. And it was really nice. I even drove the jeep for a bit! Which was so cool, although at first I think I alarmed them by saying - why dont I feel straight on the road, whats wrong - its all wrong - before I realised that I was sitting in the wrong side of the car, and driving on the wrong side of the road (for me) and it was an automatic - which is SO WEIRD to drive, but after a few mins I totally had the hang of it, and even overtook a lorry - wooo hoo.
we stopped to stretch our legs
Then we drove back, and the guys nipped into my flat for a quick cup of green tea with crushed cranberry leaves, out of a glass, and then they left, and I crashed out.
This morning I got up bright and early, made a coffee in my new caffetiere (woo hoo!) that made me feel a bit ill, as I have not eaten anyhting more than four biscuits, a handful of peanuts and half a danish pastry since thursday, and toddled down to the cafe. Where I now sit. Oh and the other thing I did - and I blame it on starvation delirium, is give myself a rather drastic hair cut............I reckon I can totally pull it off though, if I just act like I meant to make myself look like a 12th century monk.........
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