miscellaneous-sonstiges: April 2010

Hospital -3- next morning

6 am

I walked to the window and saw a slim moon sickle in the east before sunrise.
The city's shiny cold skyscrapers to the west, temples to greed and corruption. If they were for human's benefits they'd look warmer, more humane, right?
The man in the bed next to the window was staring at the moon, too. Korean nurse Michael is tending to patients.
Another day, another opportunity for the New Zealand public health system to make do.
I imagine that the untold millions "earned" in commerce are not taxed enough. I remember doctor Lawrence telling me that we have only two ct-scanners for the whole hospital, not "like canada where they have one on every floor".

Stumble It!

Hospital -2- move to urology

9:30 pm

heavy snoring in the old lady's bed - or one over, i can't see. The dinner was cold, but nice. Although i hate pumkin, i must admit that it was the nicest thing on the plate. The mashed potato was like dry cement, tasted like cardboard. The peas were also void of taste, maybe a hint grass, the roast beef was good, two thin slices in a undefinable white sauce that covered half of the plate like a glaze

10 pm

i just got a call from my girlfriend, yry!

To cheer me up she told me about a great animation film "the amazing mr fox". Then she prophesised: "you will laugh about this". The story is that her mother knows "sister leola" and they arramged what had worked for their dad: "you now have a whole onvent praying for you" I laughed. Thank you, thamk you!
She also told me that the cancer society is magnificent 0800 800426.
I told her that i had found another number for health information, (0800 611116 staffed by nurses ) by phoning the ministry of health in wellington. http://www.moh.govt.nz

1 am

Margaret wakes me up for pulse, temperature and bloodpressure. Back to sleep with the help of a physics lecture mp3 on my mobile phone.

2 am

Margaret wakes me up: "we have a bed for you on the urology ward". A friendly Thomas, borm in Alexandria, Egypt, raised in Greece wants to push me and my bed to ward 73. I tell him i want to walk, but he is horrified, relents to a wheelchair. On the way i remark on the "empty corridors" and he says: "everybody says that". Promptly i receive a free lecture in architectural fire-safety design and some complaints about inept logistics. Arrive in room 5. "Yassu, god bless you"

2:30 a.m.

A young Korean doctor peaks through the curtain: "hi. Will see you", and he walks away.
Back 10 minutes later Michael exercises the bloodpressure, pulse temperature fetish.
He doesn't know whether i am even booked for the ct-scan, he syas they will see me in the morning and do it then. I ask him if they can't book me now. He says that they might have done it already, and that nurses aren't allowed to do ut. "Oh, you are a nurse?". Duh,
A happy snorer is in the room. Lets get some sleep.
Before Thomas transferred me, i had my trousers, shoes and shirt put into a PATIENT PROPERTY brown paper bag. The bag makes so much noise, it must have woken everyone up downstairs in ward 33 and now here while getting my earplugs back out. But snorer soon resumes. I put on another physics lecture and maybe we will start a snoring duett.

Stumble It!

Hospital -1- triage 12april 2010

Triage: I am in emergency, "admission and planning unit", since 3 hours. A grumpy nurse took blood unceremoniously. She threw the various syringes and needles on the side table, asked for urine.
At the 7pm change of nurses, Margaret ordered me into a gown.
About 5 patients in the room, separated by curtains, a cacophony of ringtones and groans in surround sound.
Right now a guy is being told that his cancer had invaded his bones. I saw him being hardly able to walk.
A young doctor saw me and answered my questions effortlessly. He explained that in order to get a CTscan in a day or two, I have to stay the night, I can't just go home and be phoned, no. Sounds inefficient, but "you are in the system then". Suffering for the system? The lovely doctor lawrence tells me that there are benign kidney tumors, but that the ct-scan can not tell the difference. He says that radiation can cause tumors, but I am not quick off the mark and forget to ask him exactly what damage a ct-scan that radiates like 500 chest x-rays can cause.
Anyway, we agreed that radiation was the least of my worries.

So now i am in a bed next to an old lady that was brought in by ambulance who "feels funny" and is very week. Someone is snoring, i am glad to remember that i brought earplugs for the night.

So i am trying to pass time and occupy myself.

My wirelesss network sniffer "barbelo" tells me they have a hidden wlan with wep, i dare not ask for internet access. The nurses seem to ruled by a strict regime. Taking my temperature, pulse and bloodpressure every two hours. I am sure there is a resentment.. But suddenly the strong english-accented Margaret was warm and friendky, she asked what i do. We will share the night together in ward 33.

Stumble It!

New Zealand ex-Banker Premier Minister speaks

US politics is tactile ... that's an understatement... it is lethal!

Key.s vomit-inducing Herald interview

Written By: Michael Foxglove - Date published: 9:56 am, April 17th, 2010 - 15 comments
Categories: Media, Minister for Overseas Holidays - Tags: audrey young, john key

If you want to read something vomit-inducing this morning, there.s no need to go any further than Audrey Young.s interview with Key about his overseas trip. Key talks about touching Barack Obama, sharing secrets with Stephen Harper, discussing Berlusconi.s boat, and how Angela Merkel knew Helen Clark quite well. Surely Audrey Young is taking the piss?

Have a read of the interview in its full vomit-inducing glory:

.-

The Prime Minister has just finished a hard week, including Obama.s nuclear summit and a trip to Canada. Political editor Audrey Young gets him to reflect on the personal moments.

How did you feel about being caught up in the middle of an incredible scandal in Canada?

Well, given that it dominated all the questions on the Canadian side [of the press conference], it shows that universally sex sells. I don.t even claim to understand it nor could I even understand the question, given that it was in French. But it sounds interesting.

Perhaps Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked for your advice because you sacked a minister, Richard Worth, last year and didn.t tell the media why?

It wasn.t lost on me that there were similarities.

Did you pass that on to Mr Harper?

I did actually.

Why do you get on so well with Mr Harper?

I think he is a really warm and engaging guy. I know the media give him a hard time for not being but in my experience with him he has been.

He.s centre right for start-off and probably his natural instincts would be more right than centre.

Whenever I have gone to any international functions we have struck up a personal relationship. We are quite like-minded in a lot of things.

There.s a really warm relationship between New Zealand and Canada.

Could you recap some of the more personal moments at the summit?

I had a really good conversation with [Italian Prime Minister Silvio] Berlusconi. It was the first time I.d met him . He was very animated, as those European leaders are.

He told me he parks his boat in New Zealand so that was quite interesting, and I invited him down. And I actually think there.s chance he might come. He said he wants to come, he.s heard great things about it, he.s very keen on sailing so who knows?

And why would you invite him?

Well, because it would be great. If his boat [will] be there, why wouldn.t he come? He.s got a place to stay.

What about others?

The King of Jordan came over and saw me. He has absolutely perfect English. Obviously educated in England, in one of those public schools I.d say.

A very English accent. He said to me he.s keen to come to New Zealand. He wants to bring his motorbike and drive down the South Island. He.s apparently famous for it. He apparently drives his protection people absolutely crazy.

Did you speak to Good luck Jonathan?

The Acting President of Nigeria . no. But I spoke to [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel. She invited me to Germany actually. She said she knew Helen Clark well, that she had a good relationship with her and thought it would be good for me to come.

So when these leaders dish out invitations do they really mean it?

She absolutely did mean it. Put it this way, when it has happened to me it is definitely genuine. With [India's Prime Minister Manmohan] Singh when we saw him at Chogm [Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago] he was quite persistent.

He mentioned it about three times. When I saw Lee [South Korean President Lee Myung Bak], I had a great chat. He.s a great guy. What I find is when you have had a bilateral, when you have had a visit or they have come to your country, the relationship is always at a different level.

It is always much more warm and friendly so I think it is really worth investing some time. Obviously you.ve got to balance that against your domestic schedule.

President Obama gave Lee a big hug. Is he that sort of guy?

He put his arm on me too. All those US Presidents are tactile. Bush was like that too.

That.s all about showing who.s boss, isn.t it?

No I don.t think so. I think it.s actually the nature of US politics.

What makes a good bilateral?

In the case of the US, having one. Being there! That.s honest isn.t it? [laughing]. Generally, good chemistry and hopefully some deliverables and a sense of expanding the opportunities for the two countries.

What did you call President Obama and what did he call you?

He always calls me John and he has told me to call him Barack. But I always call him President, Mr President. I think I would [call him Barack] if I was in private with him in a bilateral.

What is your next big overseas mission?

Gallipoli. So in fact April in terms of overseas travel is an extremely busy month for me . it will be the busiest month we have in 2010.

How do you cope with the time difference?

Generally okay but if there is a substantial time difference I will take something to make myself sleep in the first day or two. Yesterday I didn.t. I thought I had got acclimatised and was feeling in great shape. But I went to bed at midnight and woke up at 2 and that was it.

So I actually felt a bit jaded yesterday. I can survive on about five hours sleep reasonably comfortably. If I get four . it.s not a major stress but if you.re getting two, you feel it.

Do you really like North America?

I do . partly because I.m extremely familiar here. I spent an awful lot of time when I was in Merrill Lynch in the States. Secondly, it a really vibrant place isn.t it?

There.s always exciting, different things going on here. Part of the reason we bought the house in Maui [Hawaii] is because we like this part of the world.

Do you have a favourite city in America?

I think probably on balance still New York because of the buzz and vitality. It wouldn.t be my favourite place to live but it is probably my favourite place to visit.

Funnily enough I hadn.t been to Washington a hell of a lot. I didn.t go there very much when I was at Merrill. I went to all the other centres, you know, from Atlanta to New York, a lot to LA and San Fran. But it.s just the energy in New York.

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In auckland today

Nice summer weather, almost hot. Feels like 23 degrees in the shade... T-shirt time. Apropos tshirt... Saw this young man on the wharf in devonport.. Dad's looks, mum's brains.. Is this a joke? On who?

Stumble It!

Boat trip with dolphins

And we saw an awesome flying fish. A blue-white little rocket that sailed motionless for "the better part of 50 yards" .. As my fellow passenger -who alerted me to it in a jiffy - described it.
The dolphins were "common dolfins", and at least a dozen swam with the ferry boat "island navigator", riding the bow wave, for at Least 10 minutes.
I saw a penguin, too, and whales were blowing in the distance. This was a four out of four... What else can one see on a four and a half hour ferry ride?
Sea lions? Seals? Orcas? Sun halos? Rainbows? Superstars? Daylight asteroid earth grazers? atmospheric phenomena like dry thunder, spontaneous lightning, sunbows, contrails chemtrails, cropcircles? Ufo sightings? Warbirds or exmerimental anti-gravity flying disks? Flugscheiben? antonovs? Zeppelins?
Never mind... Enjoy your hair ;-)

Stumble It!