S3A and my favourite day

Monday May 13th marked my first day in a new ward, South wing 3rd floor, respiratory medicine. Life on the S3A, or, life on the S3....eh! Note the mandatory Canadian stereotype. So essential.

So far, this ward has been brilliant. The patients are so nice! They love it when I speak even the slightest Japanese and enjoy using the English that they know all the while laughing and saying that I'm cute (nothing wrong with that!). They're so full of surprises. Today, THE cutest woman who is around 4 feet tall and enjoys slow walks around the ward (or was it on the beach?), said in a clear, loud and with excellent English pronunciation "Sorry!" when we were moving into the elevator and she was in the way. When I came back I enjoyed a lovely conversation with her about her son, his wife, their son and her trip to Canada (she loved it there). And to think that all of yesterday she watched me "speak" Japanese to her! What a woman.

The staff are excellent as well! I've already been asked to do some baking with one of the nurses at her place (can't wait!). I'm getting along well with the nursing students as well. Today, when talking about how hungry we were (is it obvious that I like to talk about food?) one of the nursing students said his stomach was like from the movie "Alien", so hungry it's poking right out of his body. Like this http://blogs.abc.net.au/.a/6a00e0097e4e6888330133f5f5fa2b970b-350wi. He said that pronouncing "alien" is difficult for Japanese speakers. So I walked him through it. e-ri-en. He nailed it on the first try and then we gave each other the loudest high five before serving lunch trays.

I've also shared excellent conversation with the nurse aid that I've been working with. Turns out she's quite fond of David Boreanaz (YES!), Brad Pitt (particularly the younger version in the movie Se7en) and Prison Break's Wentworth Miller. We we meant to work together! Also, quite interestingly, her daughters name is Kaede, which translates to Maple in English. So Canadian!! Going on my list of baby names for sure!

But I think the thing that put the cherry on my already amazing day was my short meeting in the hallway with Tanaka incho, the president of the hospital. It went something like this:

*Tanaka incho walks past the hallway*

*Olivia waves [probably too] enthusiastically*

Tanaka: "Hello, how are you?"

Olivia: "I'm EXCELLENT! How are you?"

Tanaka: "Oh..I'm SO excellent!"

*double high five*

Olivia: "Sugoi!"

Tanaka: "Sugoi...hahahaha"

Today I double high-fived the president of the ASO Iizuka Hospital. Not like that's a big deal or anything.

On the food side of things (we can't be forgetting that now can we?!) my friend Heather, who is volunteering in Ashikaga, taught me her technique for cooking delicious ramen via a skype instructional video. I am now hooked! And it's super cheap! Each bowl costs roughly 100 yen and only about 10 minutes to make. So ideal. This one has ramen noodles, spinach, tofu, mushrooms, bean sprouts and a curry cube for taste. UNREAL.

And finally, this just in for Japanese lessons with Olivia: new favourite word.
wasurerunai; (wah-soo-ray-ru-nigh) - which means "do not forget". Who could forget that?! Holy tongue twister batman.

Just when I was about to think nothing could go wrong, all of the happiness in my life was ever so thoughtfully balanced out by an immensely saddening (*cough* pathetic *cough*) loss of the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Boston Bruins in game 7, in over-time, before previously leading 4-1. Seriously guys, do you want to give a girl a heart attack?! Oh well..here's to next year?

Now I'm off to watch Scrubs, my new found obsession. I would just go to sleep, but I can't resist the hilarity of an aggravated Dr. Cox ramble.

Mata ne!