Bienvenidos!
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Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket...
I blame ER. And Casualty, to some extent, but at least they try and be a bit more realistic with the beds, and everyone knows you can't take a medical drama seriously when they all talk like oo-arrgh the west cun'ree farmers. But I thought there'd be at least a mauling by a three-toed sloth, or someone being knocked out by a falling mango, but no. Seven babies with colds, and one with a stomach bug. All because the ER waiting time is an hour less than the GP's waiting time. Bah humbug!
I don't like the way the doctors interact with the patients here. In Liverpool we're always taught to examine on the mother's knee wherever possible as it keeps the kids calmer, but here they just plop them on the bed, lying down, distressed, and when the mothers pick them up and they calm down, they don't seem to put two and two together. And they don't talk to them. I know babies can't talk back but it still helps. And I think a lot of the examinations were pretty unneccessary. A good history would have told more. However, I was, and still am, impressed that most of the women here breastfeed. I think women in England are lazy, but it's a counter-productive laziness. They can't be bothered to learn how to breastfeed properly so instead they end up spending far too much money on formula, bottles, sterilising equipment, and too much time making up the feeds, and then the babies get obese and unhealthy, all because they didn't like the feeling of a baby on the breast. It's pathetic really.
I have a day off tomorrow as there will be no-one at the hospital to supervise. Not sure what we're going to do yet. So far we've been to a couple of malls (saw a lacoste store in one - blee!), the causeway, Old Panama and the Miraflores Locks at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. We went around the exhibit there as well, tis quite good. Apparently nearly 100 Millses worked on its construction, and about 19 Conways. Probably no relation, but it was more than the Mezquitas and Montenegros. At some point we're going to go see some beaches and the rainforest, but not yet. It's annoying that everything to do costs money, and I don't have enough of it. I've somehow managed to spend $120 so far, mostly on incidentals and food. I really didn't want to get through it so fast. When Mario gets his voucher for being a good HSBC customer the food expenditure should go down quite a lot. I wish there was a bit more to do in the evenings though. Anything we want to do relies on him having a car, or braving public transport, which I really don't want to do as the buses are crazy and the doctor managed to pick up fleas or something from his cab this morning. It can get a bit oppressive trapped inside the whole afternoon though.
It rained a lot this afternoon.
I keep meaning to tell Mum they have Cinnabon shops here, and Big Red chewing gum. A box of 'bons probably wouldn't last the 24hour journey I have on the way back though. Oh well. More for me!
6:06 p.m. - 2006-06-26
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