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Published: September 12th 2006
So here you will see the fabulous second hand Japanese I am renting from Sylvia for 500 B a month. It's quite humorous. I even get a little basket and a built in lock. The first one had a flat tire so this is the replacement.
The new roomate Jess finally came back today. It's like the two other girls said. Not too friendly. All she said was "hi" and proceeded about her business. No where are you from, etc. Oh well.
The clinic seems to be coming together. No matter how you cut it public health is office work... I inhabit the information office and will get to see nothing of the clinical stuff going on until I insist to shadow a medic. I am working with the MTC Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) group. Basically the Burmese Medical Association (BMA) based in Mae Sot sponsors a ARH consortium of 8 different groups, each tragetting different populations with MTC being one of the 8 groups. The money was given to BMA by a NY based NGO (alphabet soup). Mae Tao had about 10 trainers attend ARH training at BMA this past year and these trainers will train the rest
Hm... Need to get used to durian.
I did it....And my roomates thought it stank. The fruit is a custardy fleshy surprise. of Mae Tao Staff on ARH issues such as contraceptives, STI's/HIV. The first training, albeit in Burmese is at the end of this month which I will attend. BMA also has a gender training next week for its triners which I will also attend which apparently will be in English and translate as it is presented by an American. Mae Tao also has its own budget (or budjit as it is written everywhere) for ARH. Mae Tao will also be going into ten migrant schools in the time that I am here to teach about adolecsent reproductive health issues which should be amazing to experience. Wea re meeting with a teacher Saturday to discuss the curriculum, which schools, etc.
I am also working on infection control for the clinic something quite honestly I know very little about (I have had experience doing some ARH programming), however in the words of my intern mentor once you have the basic public health skills you can apply them to any project. Hoepfully that rings true. Dr. Cynthia gave me everything the clinic has on infection and disease control and I am working to create a monitoring checkilst and improve the training program
for the staff.
I have included pictures below of the clinic... nothing too graphic just the exterior. I don't feel it is my place at the moment to go inside each ward and take pictures of patients.. perhaps in time as I get to know people.
Bought binders to put all my papers in. The are weird 2 ring binders with two ring hole punchers... apparently the norm here.
Roomates went to a restauarant a little outside of town for dinner however I wanted to go for a run once I cam e back from the clinic do I didn't come along. Apparently no one has ever seen anyone running or joggine in Mae Sot... or maybe just a Westerner. My roomie Satmoi suggested that maybe they thought I was running from the Thai police. I want to get back into marathon training again as the Singapore marathon is in early December. This should be an interesting experiencee.. I got many many stares. I went to our little stall in the night market instead and had my 20 B pad thai spicy. Interesting that they charge you a markup of roughly 15 times in the US....
I ate the durian and have an inspiring look on my face as seen below. Apparently an animal has gotten into one of the ramatans.
Looking forward to traveling at some point. Mae Sot is getting a little stale after only 5 days. I am going to Chiang Mai next weekend to celebrate the high holidays about 6 hours away and then at some point I want to go to Sukkothai and Umphang.
Miss being able to read store shop signs and not have to awkwardly point when I want something. I'm contemplating starting a Thai class in October but the class was pretty expensive almost the same price as my rent so I am going to look around.
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Wayne
non-member comment
Hmm, you say you liked the durian?
You expression didn't look like you were savoring it! They are a unique taste, but not bad. The burps and feeling inside after you eat one are another thing... Miss you terribly, glad to see images of where you are and what you are doing. You should add some of your roomies! Chat soon...