a pic a day, whilst away...: #40

apprendre

(to learn)

Learning french, learning to live alone, learning body language, learning about the irish adoption laws (Philomena), learning to cook, learning.....

Woke up, remembering I had to make it out of bed and get to the boulangerie early this morning.... chocolate croissant and a baguette, delicious. Hand over meeting, understood very little and then had some awkward time where no one took me under their wing.... chapter of harry potter.... managed to join the other ward round. So, so long - everyone proping themselves against the wall or finding any surface to sit on. The lady with dementia has aquired a side-kick, double-trouble today... the other patients were adorable, particularly a man in his nineties, who when told to eat a high calorie yoghurt, insisted on reaching for and getting the lid to read it himself to check just what it was, amazing. I also enjoyed the man licking out his food dish! I didn't understand alot of the ward round but I got a few smiles from people (nine women on the round today)... & I even made them all laugh, deliberately so. At the end of the round I managed a conversation with two of the more senior doctors, I understood them and spoke a bit in (albeit broken) French, but it felt amazing - like I'd acomplished alot. Had to remind myself halfway through to focus, my brain had started hip-hip-hooraying, "yes, I'm understanding, I get it..." and that was pretty distracting.... It was regarding what i'd like to do while here, I think I might be attatched to a medical student and also do some clinics, I mananged to say I can read French better than speak and they understood it was all difficult for me!

Lunchtime and some more French with my supervisor, he has a lovely voice to understand, maybe he just speaks slowly... Made sure I got some coffee today! Asked what was this afternoon, hoping to then ask if I could leave... but three new patients?! The interne was looking stressed so I read harry potter before being asked to proof read some English, super I thought, easy. It was actually more challenging, the paper was a formal english piece reviewing an article.... took me a while to engage my english brain, I haven't studied English for a long, long time. I know what Mum and Dad are thinking while reading this - oh that poor person, who's written that article, bet its ruined now. Had a brief conversation in Franglais, I'm getting somewhere.... maybe. Stumbled across an elderly lady with a zimmer - trying to move a heavy chair. Argh, I was going to have to help, tried speaking in english, that didn't really work. Followed her lead and carried this chair up the corridor - assuming she needed the high-backed chair in her room. Clearly she didn't know where her room was or what I was suggesting and possibly even less.... I found out the patient's name from the label on her glasses....(sherlock holmes here I come) & tried to ask the interne which room she was in and what I should do, she just told me she hadn't seen the patient... argh, well that wasn't quite the problem I had.... The patient was still at the end of the corridor, now trying to simultaneously move her zimmer and the chair, I returned it sheepishly to the original spot - and a few minutes later she was happily sat there. If carrying a chair for no reason up and down a corridor wasn't a sign to leave, I don't know what is..... On my way out I actually managed to understand and help another french elderly lady - parfait!

I spent my evening by the canal, in the sun, reading Philomena - very peaceful. On my way home decided I would make some pasta to go with the few pieces of green ravioli I had remaining from Saturday's market. If you've ever fancied making your own pasta, give it a go, you do not need a pasta machine and its quite therapeutic! I do recommend you buy the nicer '00' flour - I don't think the shop's 57 cent flour was maybe the best for pasta! Here's my easy guide:

1. One egg per 100g of flour. (or just keep adding flour to an egg until it becomes dough, as I did). One egg per person...

2. Knead for 5 mins - no right way to do it, just mix it up, it should become a bit more elastic and smooth.

3. Fridge for 30mins.

4. Cut a small amount off & roll! (wine bottle works fine...). Keep rolling as thin as you dare....

5. Cut up (leave in a damp tea towel while you prepare the rest). Don't forget you left them in the tea towel... and dry your hands on it... it can mis-shapen the pasta... oops!