As my time in Cambodia rapidly approaches its end, it seems like every day & hour is now observed by me more acutely than before. So things I previously learnt & have grown accustomed to are suddenly more remarkable.
For example today I was sat with my assistant in the NGO office when one of the staff members - D - asked my assistant in khmer how 'nursing process' was translated in to khmer. I intervened to suggest she ask a nurse I work with as he is a nursing process trainer where as my assistant & I aren't really involved in this. The Bong of the office - H - over heard this conversation & went over to a near by book shelf to take a folder of 'Nursing protocols' to give it to D.
But that's not the Nursing process book - I told D & him - The nursing protocols are in that folder which included how to take a blood pressure or giving an IV etc., but the nursing process is a different from this & has its own book.
D flat ignored me then went back to her office with the folder.
I turned to my assistant & wordlessly implored my common refrain - why won't anyone listen to me?
After nearly 3 years here she obviously thinks I shouldn't need to ask this question anymore.
H is the Bong - she explained later - you are lower status than him, D can't listen to you when you are correcting or contradicting H. This is Cambodia.
Simple as that. Sometimes I am so stupid. Sometimes this place is so annoying.
I went to D's office with the nursing process book later to show her the correct translation of 'Nursing process'. She seemed grateful. Working within a hierarchy & saving face culture as well as navigating the translation errors can make writing even a simple invitation letter for nursing process training much harder than it ever really needs to be.
For example today I was sat with my assistant in the NGO office when one of the staff members - D - asked my assistant in khmer how 'nursing process' was translated in to khmer. I intervened to suggest she ask a nurse I work with as he is a nursing process trainer where as my assistant & I aren't really involved in this. The Bong of the office - H - over heard this conversation & went over to a near by book shelf to take a folder of 'Nursing protocols' to give it to D.
But that's not the Nursing process book - I told D & him - The nursing protocols are in that folder which included how to take a blood pressure or giving an IV etc., but the nursing process is a different from this & has its own book.
D flat ignored me then went back to her office with the folder.
I turned to my assistant & wordlessly implored my common refrain - why won't anyone listen to me?
After nearly 3 years here she obviously thinks I shouldn't need to ask this question anymore.
H is the Bong - she explained later - you are lower status than him, D can't listen to you when you are correcting or contradicting H. This is Cambodia.
Simple as that. Sometimes I am so stupid. Sometimes this place is so annoying.
I went to D's office with the nursing process book later to show her the correct translation of 'Nursing process'. She seemed grateful. Working within a hierarchy & saving face culture as well as navigating the translation errors can make writing even a simple invitation letter for nursing process training much harder than it ever really needs to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment