#45 The beginning of my work

Hi Everyone Today is Saturday and I think 5 days a week is enough for me. The work week here at the hospital is 6 days and my boss and Eileen said they will be there today if I want to stop by and say hi. I probably will but I don't want to get into that on a regular basis. Last night we had a potluck at my boss's new apartment. I mentioned that he only arrived here a month ago. It's a lovely apartment on the 11th floor of a building a rickshaw ride away from here. That's how he gets to and from work everyday. An auto rickshaw is a three wheeled vehicle with the equivalent of a motorcycle engine, a little compartment behind the driver that can fit up to 6 or 7 passengers when they want to crowd together. I definitely have to take a photo to show you what I am talking about. However, when I take one, or my boss takes it in the morning, you take it like a taxi with only your party or yourself. For the potluck I don't have cooking facilities so I depended on the others and they did a great job because they know where to go shopping. It's the first salad I have had since Spain that vegetables that are not cooked need to be soaked and washed in a disinfectant like Iodine or Chlorine. It was nice eating something that had to be well chewed, not cooked to death and turns into a slop of different colors, a green curry, or a brown curry or red. Also as I already mentioned, Cochin has money and the apartment was comparable to a Western apartment with a normal bath with a shower and toilet paper, a kitchen with double sink, stove, refrigerator, etc. Very nice. The only Indian addition that is a good thing is the sink in the dining room so you can wash your hands before and after eating. I carry around a hand sanitizer because when I go to eat I have to pay for it, and you don't want to touch your food after handling money without first washing your hands. The Hospital is very good with Filtered Drinking water fountains all over the place. I carry a bottle with me ALWAYS with this drinking water and I keep it filled. There is one on my floor at the guest house. There is also a water heater on my floor for bathing that I didn't find out about until over a week later. I just turn on the heater, wait a little and then go back with my bucket and fill it up with the hot water and take it to my room. I do not like cold baths and would go a day without a bath than take a cold one. Back to work, yesterday I created a GANTT chart for the job I am working on. Something I learned in Uni but I am not sure if I ever did one for Humana. The first Committee Meeting will be held next week and Dr Patel (he has now told me I can call him Arun) asked if I would make up a timeline of how we could meet the expectations of this project. Eight weeks we have to get it completed. I will be leaving before that but I can help virtually for the concluding report. I am pleased to hear that Arun wants me to accompany some of the interviewers questioning the seniors and other people we need to gather data from. Of course I won't understand what they are saying, but the interviewers will need to be able to interpret the answers to me and I can monitor that the questions and answers are being collected properly. Have I told you what this project is all about? Kerala is a big state and the hospital serves the whole state. Someone noticed older adults waiting to be seen at this department and that department. It was questioned why they are there? Why not have satellite centers in the state where they can check in on a regular basis instead of making the trip all the way to Cochin? So we are going to collect data if it is economically viable, and if it would work to make this available to keep the older adults healthy in their own home. I am smiling from ear to ear that I am in the right place at the right time. It also looks like a long term project so if it is determined to be so, we will look into a different visa for me when I return. I have to tell you I feel so blessed and know it is by the prayers and good wishes of all of you. Thank you. I'll keep in touch. Love Marie