A Lesson in Partying

Last night I was having some stomach distress, so I decided to go to the hospital and make sure everything was O.K.  (Luckily, it was.)

People were pretty wonderful at the hospital.  Everyone spoke English.  They also seemed to care about my symptoms and not the identity of my insurance carrier.  The visit fee was $40 and the fee for my test was $10.  (Yes, this was an emergency room visit at an accredited university hospital.)

In addition to the low cost, I noticed a couple of things that differed from my experiences with American hospitals.  Most striking, the doctor had a consult in the hall with Bill about my situation before talking with me about it.  Hello HIPA?  Second, I was put in a double room with a male patient.  Yes, there was a curtain divider between us, but I still felt uncomfortable.  Ultimately though, I am glad to have shared a room with the male patient because he taught me a lesson I greatly needed.

I first noticed a lot of moaning coming from my new roommate.  Then I noticed men in formal attire going in and out of his room and a beautiful twenty something wearing a tiara and a formal gown standing on his side of the curtain.  The twenty something came over and explained that my roommate was her fiancee, they had been at a wedding, and he sustained some injury to his side--her English was a little lacking.  A short time later, my roommate was feeling better.  He explained that he has kidney stones and had to come in for an injection.  He added that now that he was back on his feet, they were going back to the wedding. 

Lesson:  A person should not let a little traveler's sickness (O.K., a LOT of traveler's sickness) ruin her trip.  Instead, she should take advantage of the healthy times and enjoy the party!

Beirut--Day Five

Sorry for the delay in posting.  Between the jet lag and the travel sickness, I have been in bad shape.  But, I think I am over the hump now.

In case you were wondering about what you should pack if you go on a ten-month expedition to the other side of the world, here is the list (minus a few things that were thrown in at the last minute) of what I brought:

Inventory

Blue Suitcase

Family Fun in Lebanon

Making Your Case The Art of Persuading Judges

Lonely Planet Italy

Legal Language

Bel Canto

The Namesake

2 Toy Story Kleenex packs (travel guide said some places are B.Y.O.T.P.)

Halls

Zicam

Tweezers

Deodorant

Colgate Total

Mucinex Maximum Strength 

Ibuprofen

4 Pairs Nylon Knee Highs

3 Pairs Nylons

6 Pairs Socks

Vicks VapoInhaler

White Tank Top*

Pajama Bottoms

Grey Sweater

Long Sleeve T: Blue, Grey, Black, Black, Oatmeal

Purple Shirt

Purple Shell

Black Shoes

Grey Thermal

Scarf

Winter Jacket

Notecards

Probe (this is a vintage word game, not something freaky!)

Big Black Purse

Black Pants

Blank CD’s

Jeans

Amy Butler Sew It Kit

Acid Free Tape

Green Shirt

T-shirts: Orange and Magenta

Dark Purple Suitcase

Globetrotter Lebanon

Brown Shoes

Black Shoes

Sharpening Your Trial Skills

Globetrotter Jordan

Lonely Planet Greece

My Grammar and I . . . Or Should That Be Me?

The Poisonwood Bible

The Inheritance of Loss

2 Toy Story Kleenex packs (Can you tell yet that these were on sale at Meijer?)

Vitamins

Floss

Antibiotic Ointment

Suntan Lotion

Mango Body Wash

Deodorant

Colgate Total

Foot Butter

Hand Sanitizer

Aveeno Moisturizer

Foundation

Powder

Hair Pins

4 Pairs Nylon Knee Highs

2 Pairs Nylons

6 Pairs Socks

3 Pairs Underwear

Red Sweater

2 Pairs Brown Pants

Red/Blue Dress

Brown Jacket

Black Tanktop

T-Shirts: Dark Blue, Navy Blue

Blue and White Shirt

Red Thermal

Long Sleeve T: Yellow, Red,

Skip Bo

Black Purse

Black Jacket

Black Purse

Lighter Purple Suitcase

Lonely Planet Syria & Lebanon

Make-Up

Magician’s Assistant

Free Food for Millionaires

McElhaney’s Trial Notebook

Lonely Planet Turkey

Understanding Arabs

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

Water for Elephants

The Lawyer’s Guide to Finding Success in Any Job Market (keep your fingers crossed!)

2 Toy Story Kleenex packs

Vitamins

Floss

Deodorant

Colgate Total

Mucinex Maximum Strength

Band Aids

Nail File

Razors

4 Pairs Nylon Knee Highs

3 Pairs Nylons

Brown Tank Top

Slip

Bathing Suit

Swim Cover Up

7 Pairs Socks

Black Sweater

Black/White Dress

Grey Suit

Black Short Sleeve

Black Long Sleeve

T-Shirts: Lilac, Magenta, Black

Black and White Shirt

Purple Thermal

Long Sleeve T: light purple, dark purple

Blue Carry-On

3 Workbooks

Notebook

Important Documents

Read and Speak Arabic for Beginners

Arabic Phrasebook and CD

Mockingjay (for friend’s niece)

Family Photos

DVDs: Harry Potters, Drop Dead Diva, Legally Blonde

Laptop

Purse Carry-On

Voltage Converter

The Complete Persepolis (for on-plane reading and friend’s niece)

Martha Stewart Living (October)

Cash

Peanut M&Ms; Almond Snickers (these wound up saving my life!)

Camera

Camera Battery Charger

2 Colgate Wisps

Pens/Highlighters/Markers

3 Toy Story Kleenex packs

Book light

i-Touch

Playing Cards

Journal

My Life in France

Your First 100 Words in Arabic

Passport/Passport Wallet

*Please note that I do not believe that ANYONE should ever wear just a tank top.  Any tank top packed for this trip is packed solely for the purpose of wearing under another shirt.

**Undergarment count was deleted because they are called “unmentionables” for a reason.