Work day #2

I did my first LP (lumbar puncture) today, and also did a therapeutic paracentesis, both supervised by Dr. Gluckman, and both successful on the first try!! I was pretty proud. But it was a pretty busy day – we were running around taking care of all the admissions from the day before. Phil and Lisa managed to get to the main mall in the afternoon, which is close to the hospital, and Phil bought a phone back for me – it was P300, which is like $50.

I could actually have gotten out at 5pm, but waited for others to get out (Kiona and Kristy) so that we could walk together. Apparently when it gets dark, it’s not the wisest thing to walk alone on this little path that we use. That night, Kristy, Dr. Gluckman, Dr. Barry Nanders? and I went to an alternative movie – Aguirre, The Wrath of God, directed by Herzog in 1972. It was interesting but was a little out there. It reminded me a little bit of the style of Apocalypse Now, which is a little strong for me. I guess this Herzog guy, who is from Germany, is supposed to be pretty famous.

When I got back, Kavita and Josh, my roommates, were there with Molly, a Stanford anthropology student who has been crashing at our flat a couple of nights a week. She was here last summer as well, and has been here a couple of months this summer, so she really knows her way around. I'm not sure why she stays with us though - she's pretty good friends with Kavita, and I don't know if she has another more permanent place to stay. I know Gill (pronounced "Jill" - she's the administrator of our program) isn't too happy about the situation, and neither are a few other people. Anyways, that night I went a little crazy and made a whole meal of beef short ribs, rice, and sautéed spinach and onions. To be honest, it wasn’t very good – the beef was super tough. I guess that’s what I get for buying the cheapest meat. Next time I’ll make it into a stew or something.