Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh

I am the only Westerner at the hospital right now, so frequently when I am at the hospital or visiting the nearby town of Singkawang to shop, I hear a lot of comments about how different I look. There are definitely days I wished I could be invisible but there are also days when I just have to laugh about the comments and questions I get asked. It usually starts with...

Orang barat - literally person western
Orang putih - literally person white

Bulai - can technically be translated albino but tends to have a bit more negative connotation than orang barat or putih. 

Then come the comments about the things that fascinate them about me - my size and my nose. It is not unusual for them to ask  how many kilograms I weigh or some of the old grandmas to try and pinch a bit of arm. My favorite comments though have to be the ones about my nose! My nose is a different shape than their noses - quite large and straight while the typical Indonesian nose is small and squashed looking. They love my nose! When I am in the OB ward It is completely normal for people to ask me to give my nose to their babies. Elsewhere they frequently wonder or ask how I got it so straight. Frequently these comments are made in Indonesian assuming that I can't understand them, so it is always quite a shock to them when I respond to them. 

And then there are the ads that show up on my Facebook or other web pages. Here is a picture of a recent one advertising a tool that will make your nose longer if you wear it regularly.

All in all I have learned that it is best to laugh if possible, instead of be irritated, although I will admit there are days that is harder than others. 

A Container Full of Good Things

In Serukam, West Kalimantan, Indonesia in four rooms filled with boxes like this...

I finally found 3 action packer crates packed in March of 2013 in Hood River, Oregon... 

Inside them were treasures from home - my dishes, family pictures, kitchen utensils, etc... 

 

It is so good to have a some little pieces of home packed with love so many miles (and months!) ago arrive without any damage to help me create my home here in the jungle. 

The ventilators, vital sign monitors, ultrasound machine, and anesthesia machines etc located in all those others boxes, will also be very helpful at the hospital :)