fill in the blanks

sorry about the sketchiness of the last post but the past few days have been a blur and the internet is a bit spotty. I spent last night in the hospital attending a brand new 'finger' that 17 hours before had been the 2nd toe of a kid with his 4 long fingers squished off by a big metal box years ago. The surgery ran from 9am to about 1 am and by the end of it both the US and Vietnamese teams were sitting on the OR floor giggling with exhaustion against a backdrop of anesthesia equipment blips and 80's love songs from an old boom box. The finger looks good but the outcome is still up in the air so, who knows.

many stories of oddities and niceties and some good food. the parents (and grandparents and great grandparents....) and patients are so so touching here. They sleep in the hospital on beds or bamboo mats next to the child's bed. Hospital care here is literally home care but with physician oversight. The families and staff are so attentive to their children and so appreciative to have help that it's incredibly refreshing to be here and the hospital doesn't really feel like a 'foreign' place.

I have several hundred pictures on the way and am writing down my days so I promise to get the stories from here to there but it will have to wait until I can relate them face to face as this typing is tiring and insufficient anyway. I miss many people right now, but not many things at this point. Still excited to be here.
more pics soon.

g

Bia Ha Noi

Things Eaten so far:

snails
big SNAILs
kidney
liver
pig's feet (pictured)
intestine
squid jerkey
charcoal grilled clams
mussels
quail eggs (some feathers)
tiny fried river crabs
octopus

things witnessed:

1 traffic accident
1 toe to hand transfer microsurgery
1 total ear reconstruction
10,000,000,000 motor bikes

Compadres:
2 nurses
1 resident
2 young folks
1 Colonel
1 madman
1 first US Hand transplant surgeon
Khan Vy etc.

my surroundings

just an update on how the world is in my vicinity. nothing too new happening school wise. Still words/numbers in words/numbers out. The vietnam trip is on the horizon and with it the end of my second of three terms of my first year of medicine school. Still have to face the Great Regurgitation of final exams in a few weeks. Extracurricular (actually supracurricular) activities have improved. Back to baking and soon to interview for fellowship that will pay me to bake and teach for the local food bank. My room smells like a brewery with 5 gallons of red ale bubbling away by my portable heater. My cooking intensity has picked up a bit. Last night I alchemied up a chipotle infused apricot chutney sweetened with vermont maple syrup, which partied surprisingly well with a smoke italian sausage and lentil stew. The photo is a roast turkey sandwich on fresh ciabatta with caramelized onions, goat cheese, spinach, and dill mustard.

here are some photos of my room for those who haven't had to navigate it in person. Cozily cluttered i think.

Etc.

I've been informed that I have a birthday approaching so I made a book list with a few ideas. It's on Amazon, but I'd prefer the used editions that are probably cheaper through Bookfinder4U.com



Other than that, just hacking away at school again.

bear tracks

saw them in the snow by my car a couple of days ago.


v. busy right now...

Here is a link to the Vietnam program:

http://engineering.dartmouth.edu/rice/

Other news:
Just submitted a proposal to bake 500 loaves of bread this year for the local food bank.

2000 nine.

might just be great. Just got wind that I will be in Hanoi, Vietnam in March for a medical conference of some sort. That's about all I know. Promise. promise I will update this slab sometimes this year.

Live from the Ice World

It is beautiful here; everything is covered in crystal bits and wears frozen droplet beards I haven't written on this or called anyone, or emailed much lately because I've been either running around or sleeping. I finished exams for the first trimester before thanksgiving and have one set of tests on Dec. 19th before flying home to Nashville. Doing pretty well, just not feeling conversant. Time is still passing too quickly. I have some pictures of a pizza making party at my house to post but the site isn't cooperating. o well