They Know

The other night I transported a patient to the hospital, as I've done a few times through the months here. Each trip is a test of my language skills as I try to talk with our patients, the doctors and nurses, all in Bisaya. And thankfully this trip wasn't an emergency and the hospital staff were kind.
But no matter how many trips I take; to admit patients, or visit ones already there, I will never become immune to the shock of the place. Can you imagine an overfull, understaffed hospital, with paint peeling and floors crumbling. With cats and roaches running through, with blood on the floor. With a sign in the Pedia ward that says "Dengue Express Lane". With patients sharing beds, sharing diseases. This place is beyond imagination. But its all that is here, the only public hospital. It's what the people have.
So we arrived at the ER and then went on to the front desk, and back, and to the ward, and back, and to wait in the hall, and back. After an hour and half, the patients husband had bought all the necessary medicines and supplies at an outside pharmacy. And they were finally ready to be admitted. Time for me to go.
So I headed outside, and crossed the street to wait for a taxi to take me back to the clinic. The street was dark, but certainly not quiet, and I thought how strange it seemed to be there on that corner, across from that place, alone and at night. I wasn't worried, I never am, I don't feel in danger here. I don't think there's a time with less than a half dozen people watching me, and across form the hospital there was likely two or three times that!
As I'm waiting there is a constant flow of jeepneys passing by, urging me to board, and there's a lot of foot traffic even though it's late. As one man passes me he turns and tells me the name of my street. My address! And as I stare at him incredulously, he grins, says "I know", and walks on. There I am, a good 10-15 min drive from my place, and someone, some stranger knows where I live?? I expect than everyone in my neighbourhood knows where I live, as far as I know, I'm the only white person around. But standing on a street corner in the middle of the night, people know where I live! There are several million people in this city!
What I've decided is that he was probably a taxi driver I've had in the past. And harmless to boot, he certainly didn't do anything threatening. But what a strange feeling, I guess it's like Cheers, but instead of just a bar, its a whole city where "everybody knows my name".

Critter Control

I thought I should let you know that the dreadful spider did not go away as I had hoped, (and chosen to believe). The other day as I stepped out to start a shift next door, there it was on the outside wall, all huge and leggy and terrifyingly horrible!! I cried. And then worked up the courage to walk down the stairs and out the gate. And now I have no idea where it is. Every entry and exit is a gigantic leap of bravery as I search for it (do I want to see it or not?) and then quickly hit the stairs.
In another critter news, last night the guard-on-duty decided to do away with a bat that's been eating off our little half-tree. So he clipped it, David and Goliath style (though he is much bigger than the bat). I left work this morning to be shown the nasty carcass of the poor thing, what a great start to the day!
Killing bats, cutting down trees with kitchen knives, all in a days work for the guards at Glory Reborn!

The Week

I've had a good, busy week so far:
- one of my patients named her baby after me!
- finished a good 24hr hour shift this morning.
- visited a patient in the local public hospital, and she's doing much better!
- tomorrow I get to enjoy a free massage with some of my coworkers!
- and Friday we are celebrating the 4 year anniversary of the Clinic!

And today is officially 3 months till I hop on that very, very long flight home! Time flies!

Baby Party - July's Babes

Well, it's already time for another Baby Party here at the clinic! So bring on the blue tint and lots more babies!

As we start the party, each of July's moms stood to introduce herself and babe, and Thank God for their safe delivery!

To prove that it's rainy season here, no one arrived without an umbrella!

Just as we do at every prenatal day, we also take time to worship God with our moms, in both Cebuano and English, each week we pray with any of our moms who want prayer.

Well, no baby is always happy!

It's easy to forget that the little ones delivered here at Glory Reborn grow up, become little people, and one day adults! This little beauty was born at the clinic over 2 years ago, and is enjoying some cake with her mom and baby brother (the screaming babe above).

A testament to breastfeeding, look at this gloriously chubby babe!

The angel in construction orange is baby Kim, baby "first name" Kim "last name", I don't remember the rest, but her middle name is mine!

"You really think I can wear this colour??"

6 Months in the Phils

I'm sitting here, munching on dried mangos, and wondering if any of you really know the wonder of the Filipino Dried Mango?? They're a sweet and sour, chewy goodness that is best done by the 7D company. I'm going to miss the Phils.
Of course I'm not going anywhere! Just this week I past the 6 month mark, I almost can't believe it, I've been in this country for so long. I've passed halfway, there's only some 4.5 months left! And as I passed 6mths, I also ran out of visa. Whoops, so I spent 2 days in hiding, as an illegal alien. Ok, so maybe I didn't really hide, but yesterday I did send one of our clinic security gaurds down to renew it for me.
We have 4 gaurds at our clinic and they rotate throughout the day. These men are so sweet, opening my apartment door for me, carrying the drinking water jugs, getting us new gasul, and even going to immigration to renew my visa. It's been a bit of culture shock to relinquish some of these duties I would consider as markers of independence. But in keeping with my goal of learning and living within the culture, I am allowing a man to carry the heavy drinking water instead of doing it myself. I'm learning.
On top of these and the quinessential duty of "guarding", our guards also help out during our prenatal days; they gather charts, and take BPs and pulses and weigh our moms. They're great! A typical security job in the Phils includes wearing a stiff uniform, standing at a door, holding a gun. I'm glad our guards do so much else (and don't carry guns), they're part of the clinic family.