Monday the 17th of August and I am sitting the Indianapolis International Airport with my 'Indy Style' popcorn (cheddar AND caramel corn) and a diet coke pondering the meaning of names. You know what I mean - when parents name their kid something that means 'bitterness' and her life turns out to be a huge mess, or someone whose name means 'victory' and they seem to win at everything... I've known of this self fulfilling tendency, and yet I still named this blog Shani, which indicates adventures of the misadventure flavor. Should've known.
I successfully made it home from Tanzania, even after taking 4 weekend trips that involved catching planes, then the various flights to and from... If you total it up, I took 12 flights this summer, and even more than that if you count transfers. Finally, this morning I was dropped off at my home airport, a small place that was recently redone and perhaps made more efficient? No. I was late, but so were the other 10 people checking in with and even after me. I rushed to security, but not particularly stressed, asked one of the TSA ladies if I could go through more quickly since my plane was taking off in 15 minutes. Apparently I wasn't stressed enough, because she blew me off. I pulled my shoes and computer out of the x-ray and took off at as much of a sprint as I could at 7am with backpack and without breakfast. Too late. The guy at the ticket counter had actually hand delivered the claim ticket for my bag of souvenirs to the plane, thinking I was sitting in my seat. As he printed up a standby ticket, he commented on how calm I was... What's the point in freaking out?
However, 9 hours later, after watching flight 406 pull away without me because they had oversold and everyone showed up, I decided I might-could freak out. My cell phone battery has died, the charger is in my bag that successfully made it to Denver.....
On the other hand, I've now got a standby ticket for flight 667, I've got my computer and free Wi-fi, and I've been able to start a job search, email people, and talk to an 83 year old lady from Muncie. I guess if anything, I made someone else's day. I've also had a leisurely breakfast with good coffee, talked to a lady handing out free samples who told me about the smudges I'd managed to get on my face while standing at the top of the parking garage singing to the sky and myself... All in all, I suppose it could be worse.
(If I don't manage to get to Denver tonight though.... ask me later.)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Scattered Thoughts
Sorry for my incredible lack of writing this month -- and no, I haven't really been keeping a journal either, except for our work log, so I hope I can remember things as I get the time to write them down.
Just a few thoughts from recent work:
*This morning Merete and I spent nearly $100 USD on lights and replacement parts for fixtures in one of our hospitals from damage done by a power surge. This basically uses our parts budget and secondary project funds, which I can totally justify, saying that light is an integral part of medicine working effectively and things being done well. On the other hand, it's a classic case of treating the symptoms without addressing the disease. We fixed the parts and are putting in the new bulbs, but in the case of another power surge the hospital will once again be out of luck as things blow. As we were working, I got to talk with one of the technicians about the only real solution: a system-wide surge protector. This technology is available, and he even has the card for a guy in Nairobi who can do it. However, who's going to take the initiative to do it? My thoughts are perhaps this is something that a charitable organization could take up, or even the hospital itself! Inevitably, there are things that get replaced with budget money over the course of a year. It would take planning and probably some creative working, but it would save money in the long run if the actual root of the problem was treated! ...right now wishful thinking, but I'll keep musing on this one....
*As an engineer in the hospital, my life an exposures are relatively clean and tidy -- I see the patients that are mobile, talk to the doctors, and socialize with staff at tea and lunch breaks. Yet today, as we walked towards the large shipping container turned AIDS clinic, a hopeless weeping was very clear. The woman looked to be in her late thirties, and I can only speculate as to what might have been the problem, but it was a good reminder that life is not clean, neat, or easy and sometimes it is just downright miserable. I wish I could think on my feet and figure out some profound conclusions from this, but for now I'm just left with the picture. What will my response be?
*Lots of thoughts and struggles in what it means to be a white American here, and how people perceive us/me... I don't really have time to expand on this -- maybe later.
Just a few thoughts from recent work:
*This morning Merete and I spent nearly $100 USD on lights and replacement parts for fixtures in one of our hospitals from damage done by a power surge. This basically uses our parts budget and secondary project funds, which I can totally justify, saying that light is an integral part of medicine working effectively and things being done well. On the other hand, it's a classic case of treating the symptoms without addressing the disease. We fixed the parts and are putting in the new bulbs, but in the case of another power surge the hospital will once again be out of luck as things blow. As we were working, I got to talk with one of the technicians about the only real solution: a system-wide surge protector. This technology is available, and he even has the card for a guy in Nairobi who can do it. However, who's going to take the initiative to do it? My thoughts are perhaps this is something that a charitable organization could take up, or even the hospital itself! Inevitably, there are things that get replaced with budget money over the course of a year. It would take planning and probably some creative working, but it would save money in the long run if the actual root of the problem was treated! ...right now wishful thinking, but I'll keep musing on this one....
*As an engineer in the hospital, my life an exposures are relatively clean and tidy -- I see the patients that are mobile, talk to the doctors, and socialize with staff at tea and lunch breaks. Yet today, as we walked towards the large shipping container turned AIDS clinic, a hopeless weeping was very clear. The woman looked to be in her late thirties, and I can only speculate as to what might have been the problem, but it was a good reminder that life is not clean, neat, or easy and sometimes it is just downright miserable. I wish I could think on my feet and figure out some profound conclusions from this, but for now I'm just left with the picture. What will my response be?
*Lots of thoughts and struggles in what it means to be a white American here, and how people perceive us/me... I don't really have time to expand on this -- maybe later.
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