the gift of tongues...

today i began my first day at fieldwork #2. it turned out to be a pretty good. i was definitely quite exhausted as i had just traveled across coasts from canada the day prior. i need to get back on a good sleeping routine. i was VERRRRRY nervous to begin today. i woke up quite petrified. i really enjoyed placement #1 and my worries about this placement being MORE work and more fast paced and intense might actually hold true (but, nonetheless, a great experience- if i can hack... haha!).

well good points:

• my supervisor is fabulous. she is so nice and friendly and everyone has been telling me i am lucky to have her, and i can already know why. i am thrilled.
• the bike ride is a third as far as my last placement. phew!
• SCRUBS!!! hello? talk about comfort all day long!
• it really seems to be a great hospital and everyone is very very nice.
• i am on a medically complex floor so i will be learning a lot.

not-so-good-but-manageable points:

• no more lunch vouchers- i'm bringing lunch-making-skills back!
• no more fridays off (well i guess since it is no longer beach weather, i can deal with this one).
• A LOT OF WORK!!! which i can totally handle, but might be challenging at first. the evaluations, treatment plans, interventions, and discharge summaries we completed at my previous placement was very very efficient and easy peasy... this could be exhausting.

ok so that is the jyst of the placement so far. it has only been ONE day. it is bound to become only better with time.

sooo now for my story about my gift of tongues. we had a thai speaking patient today and we were unable to secure a translator. after the lecture on cultural competency i had in last nights class i found the need to share some of my thai words with my OT supervisor to aid in our interactions with the patient. i was very impressed with all the thai words that came to me. it was 4 years ago that i was in thailand and learned thai, but i remember a lot. amazing. for example:

• hello: sawadee ka?
• how are you: sabadee mai?
  
• counting 1-10:

1- nung, 2 - song, 3 - sam, 4 - sii/see, 5 - haa, 6 - hoe, 7 - jet, 8 - bad, 9 - gao, 10 - sip. OR

• do you understand: cowjai mai?
• are you tired: neeeyiii mai?
• nice to meet you: yindee tee diroootcha
• good(very): dee(mak)
• i speak a little bit of thai: chan put thai dai nit noi
• left: sai
• right: kwaa
  

anyhow... those were the ones we used today. maybe i can use more tomorrow. but it was definitely a cool experience.