Back in the sweatiness of the tropics I'm able now to reflect on my unexpected trip home & what was expected, what surprised me and what was one big shock.
Butt's has specifically requested a blog mention - so it was truly lovely to see all my family and a handful of friends (not enough time to catch up with all & not really the purpose of the trip) and to tick off (nearly) all of the 'missing you already' wish list. As I sit and write I am listening to the newly pilfered music from my sister's CD collection and trying to remember how cold I felt for that walk in Cirencester park or sated after lunch at the Bell in Sapperton.
Of course there were some reverse culture shocks - everything costing 10 times the price of what it does here in Cambodia, the overwhelming rudeness and unfriendliness of the Brits (in stark comparison to my host country), the obscene and full on capitalism and consumerism. I am left with an inexplicable desire for an iPad despite lacking any funds for said item - however when I voiced this today to a room of Cambodians expressing the same desire for the same Apple product, Ry quite rightly told me that I earned lots of money in the UK in the past and would again so I could buy them all one if I wanted to - I forgot voicing my financial worries is a pursuit for a developed country only!
Perhaps the thing I missed the most about Cambodia (after the obvious people & heat) was the absence of something. In fact I think I failed to fully appreciate this whist I was in the UK and only finally realized when I was woken on my first morning back to a wall of sound at 6 am. SILENCE - jeez it really is golden! As I roused to the sound of the Wat chanting, the extended Chinese New year drums (it was 6 days ago guys!), the chorus of howling dogs, the roosters crowing, the birdsong so loud it sounded as if they were in my room (they were as it turned out, having built a nest in my absence) - I groaned and recalled the absence of this assault on my ears which I enjoyed but failed to fully appreciate every single morning of my stay in the U of K.
I knew I was back in Asia when on the plane the packets of snack peanuts had little dried up whole fish in them as well.
Jet lag is wrecking my body & soul - I never recall skipping time zones being this tough previously, perhaps it is my advancing age. However today I was given a big shock whose subsequent adrenaline rush kept me awake for the rest of my first day back at work.
There is a long story about ALS (advanced life support) preceding this but luckily for you I am lacking the attention or will to recount it now. Suffice to say I found myself in ICU medicine today with their newly donated Defibrillator machine and an over enthusiastic Cambodian 'Cardiologist' - in conclusion I'm lucky to be here typing this now.
As we walked over to see the fabled machine I was proudly told how he had showed all the staff how to operate it but they were still "scared" to use it. The 'Cardiologist' then proceeded to switch on the defibrillator machine, charge the paddles to 200 volts, take them out of their cradles and wave the charged paddles in my face (whilst I cringed away in terror) shouting at me "don't be scared - its perfectly safe!"
I found myself slipping into ALS instructor mode - coldly and calmly ordering him to put the paddles back in their cradles and step away from the defib machine. He then got a 10 minute lecture about there only being two places for paddles - in the machine or on the chest of a patient (preferably arrested or peri-arrest) AND it was most definitely not safe to wave fully charged paddles in mine or anyone elses face (no matter how much they were annoying you) and the reason I was scared is from where I had been standing it looked as if he was trying to kill me.
Then the realization struck that this was the 'safe defibrillator practice' he had taught all the doctors and nurses in ICU. With more than 1 mg of Adrenaline coursing through my system and improving my cerebral blood flow I attempted to balance the dread with a hope (for once!) that the staff would not do anything & were still too scared to use the machine. Then as my heart rate hit 150 beats per minute it hit me with perfect clarity - all the hospital staff totally disregard any advice, training or information I offer, mainly I suspect based on my lack of a penis and a Y-chromosome.
We are all doomed to an epidemic of iatrogenic electrocutions - patients, relatives and staff alike.
That's reverse culture shock for you I suppose......
Butt's has specifically requested a blog mention - so it was truly lovely to see all my family and a handful of friends (not enough time to catch up with all & not really the purpose of the trip) and to tick off (nearly) all of the 'missing you already' wish list. As I sit and write I am listening to the newly pilfered music from my sister's CD collection and trying to remember how cold I felt for that walk in Cirencester park or sated after lunch at the Bell in Sapperton.
Of course there were some reverse culture shocks - everything costing 10 times the price of what it does here in Cambodia, the overwhelming rudeness and unfriendliness of the Brits (in stark comparison to my host country), the obscene and full on capitalism and consumerism. I am left with an inexplicable desire for an iPad despite lacking any funds for said item - however when I voiced this today to a room of Cambodians expressing the same desire for the same Apple product, Ry quite rightly told me that I earned lots of money in the UK in the past and would again so I could buy them all one if I wanted to - I forgot voicing my financial worries is a pursuit for a developed country only!
Perhaps the thing I missed the most about Cambodia (after the obvious people & heat) was the absence of something. In fact I think I failed to fully appreciate this whist I was in the UK and only finally realized when I was woken on my first morning back to a wall of sound at 6 am. SILENCE - jeez it really is golden! As I roused to the sound of the Wat chanting, the extended Chinese New year drums (it was 6 days ago guys!), the chorus of howling dogs, the roosters crowing, the birdsong so loud it sounded as if they were in my room (they were as it turned out, having built a nest in my absence) - I groaned and recalled the absence of this assault on my ears which I enjoyed but failed to fully appreciate every single morning of my stay in the U of K.
I knew I was back in Asia when on the plane the packets of snack peanuts had little dried up whole fish in them as well.
Jet lag is wrecking my body & soul - I never recall skipping time zones being this tough previously, perhaps it is my advancing age. However today I was given a big shock whose subsequent adrenaline rush kept me awake for the rest of my first day back at work.
There is a long story about ALS (advanced life support) preceding this but luckily for you I am lacking the attention or will to recount it now. Suffice to say I found myself in ICU medicine today with their newly donated Defibrillator machine and an over enthusiastic Cambodian 'Cardiologist' - in conclusion I'm lucky to be here typing this now.
As we walked over to see the fabled machine I was proudly told how he had showed all the staff how to operate it but they were still "scared" to use it. The 'Cardiologist' then proceeded to switch on the defibrillator machine, charge the paddles to 200 volts, take them out of their cradles and wave the charged paddles in my face (whilst I cringed away in terror) shouting at me "don't be scared - its perfectly safe!"
I found myself slipping into ALS instructor mode - coldly and calmly ordering him to put the paddles back in their cradles and step away from the defib machine. He then got a 10 minute lecture about there only being two places for paddles - in the machine or on the chest of a patient (preferably arrested or peri-arrest) AND it was most definitely not safe to wave fully charged paddles in mine or anyone elses face (no matter how much they were annoying you) and the reason I was scared is from where I had been standing it looked as if he was trying to kill me.
Then the realization struck that this was the 'safe defibrillator practice' he had taught all the doctors and nurses in ICU. With more than 1 mg of Adrenaline coursing through my system and improving my cerebral blood flow I attempted to balance the dread with a hope (for once!) that the staff would not do anything & were still too scared to use the machine. Then as my heart rate hit 150 beats per minute it hit me with perfect clarity - all the hospital staff totally disregard any advice, training or information I offer, mainly I suspect based on my lack of a penis and a Y-chromosome.
We are all doomed to an epidemic of iatrogenic electrocutions - patients, relatives and staff alike.
That's reverse culture shock for you I suppose......
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