A blog for the Raymond

Dear Raymond,
It has come to my attention that you are not going to stop bugging me for a new blog. Although I really do think that you should find something better to do with your day off than reading my blog....I feel inclined to oblige you with some funny stories from work....but only because you are my bestest good friend.

I am currently working in a bilingual environment - and this has presented some unique problems. Although I took french all through highschool, I really haven't had any opportunity to use it in the last 7 years. And even if I had, there are some subtleties to french that you just can't learn in a class. For example - if I were numbering floors of a building I would probably go from 1 to 6, and maybe a basement or parking level below that just to be fancy. It has come to my attention that in a french building there is '*1' which is the main floor, and '-1' which is the basement. Of course I didn't realize that until after some very confused time spent in the elevator.

Then of course there is the issue of medical language in french. I just flat out have never learned this...so I really have no idea how to take a history in french. I was listening to my attending one day and she asked someone - "Est ce que vous avez mal au coeur". My poor little english brain translates this to - does your heart hurt. Now, there is a possibility that french patients are infinitely smarter than english patients and can distinguish exactly between the pain produced by different organs in their body.....but I'm going to have to assume this really means 'do you have chest pain'.

And then there are the little nuances of every new hospital that you have to learn. Like how the stairwells have these secret buttons, that are up at the top of the door, in order to unlock them. This would seem simple enough, but for a vertically challenged woman like myself I really don't notice them up there...and then I look like that Far Side "School for the Gifted" kid trying to get out the door.

Once I finally make it through the day, I get to play 'Dude where's my car' in the parking lot. You see, they have a very small lot. And so they pack everyone in and you leave your keys. I think they spend the whole day shuffling things as people leave in order to try to spread them out as fast as possible so they don't need the car jockeys anymore. But then at the end of the day you have literally no idea where you might find your vehicle. It is a parking lot of lost souls wandering around pushing their lock/unlock button repeatedly, desperately searching for the blinking lights of their vehicle.

But in the end, it all just makes me laugh. I never stop loving the hospital, and the incredibly sweet patients, and the wonderful volunteers who bring us tea and cookies on thursday afternoons. It's a good life - even if it makes me a stressed out ball of bitterness sometimes :)

Lots of love
Pamela

Currently reading: Confessions of an ugly stepsister
Currently listening to: well...I will be listening to the sweet sweet sound of my free ipod once I figure out how to use it
Countdown to graduation: 124 terrifying days

p.s. I got invited to interview at all 6 schools where I applied for residency! YAY!