The Main Mall

Lisa and I went to the main mall, a 10-minute walk from the hospital during lunch hour because I had to change money and Lisa had to buy a cell phone. I ate from the ladies with food in pots on the sidewalk - it was really good food for only P12! It was similar to the stuff in the cafeteria, but even cheaper. The meat on the bone, which they barbecued on the spot, was really tough though. I think from now on I’ll just eat stewed meat, because otherwise it’s been too tough for me. There were also a lot of vendors selling really really cool touristy type stuff. I’ll probably buy some of it eventually. I think there may be a Chinese grocery store there too! Lisa got this phone that was really cute and the buttons looked way easier to use for the same price – it was a Nokia phone, whereas my phone is sorta just generic. Plus, her American electric plug for her American Nokia phone also works with this phone, so she could use it in the states too! I was a little jealous, but oh well, I’m only using this phone for 10 weeks or so. It’ll do.

So at work, I missed my first LP today – the patient was a super skinny guy and I went way too deep. The MO Maggie who was helping me took over, and she says she thought I’d had it at some point because she saw CSF in the needle, but I probably went past it. When she finally got the needle in, it wasn’t very deep at all! We also discharged a lot of patients just in time for a really difficult week. My team is on call Saturday (but I don’t have to go in), so I pick up a ton of patients on Monday. Then we’re also on call Wednesday and Friday.

Tonight I made fried rice and this really good cheese and onion-stuffed bread I bought for P6 (~$1) at the supermarket the night before. When Mike, Kristy and Kiona came back from call, they took the bread and some of the fried rice, so that was good. Lisa came over and we made plans to go to this relatively close by town that specializes in pottery. Or is it weaving, I can’t remember. I think we’re the only two going – everyone else is sick or busy. So for tomorrow, we’re going to have to take the combi to the train station, and then the bus over to this town… it’s going to be an adventure!