Well, I am not really certain how they classify it actually though it is a medical delivery system. I went to Alexandrovca to visit a friend who has helped out at this institution. They are in the process of developing a delivery clinic. Brings to focus the importance of equipment maintenance and the immense opportunity to invest here. Lots to say but nothing to write online anyways.

this was shot October 29, 2009

Today I went to the office later than normal, Tyer had said that we could not meet for Russian, because he was working on his younger brothers wedding. I went after lunch then on the way home went by the Dollar store(2.5 dollars usually). I never had realized how close the Mega Comfort Bazar was to the Dollar store. There was a electric Trolley bus that went right by it so that was very convenient.

I had frequently ridden by what I thought was a small bazar and wanted to see what it was, I had not been able to go by until today and stopped and saw it. It was a great small bazar with many small stalls, a small meat, fruit and vegetable and dried fruit and nut section. It was very nice I thought and would not mind if sometime we lived near it, though Vanessa said she has been by there once and the prices seemed more than our own, though it was nicer as it was covered and enclosed better. Ours might have a bit more choices though, kind of hard to know.

Well at the front there was a small stall selling “Donuts” They appeared by the picture to resemble donuts. I will have to find them when they have some, they also sold Crepes or Blini. It all looked very nice would go very well with nice Cup of Coffee. Unexpectedly I ended up stopping by the only Starbucks I know of in Bishkek. its not really Starbucks,of course, but its the closest thing. The quality of the coffee was about the same maybe a little lower. Not the greatest in the world, but one doesn’t complain on subject in my opinion. It was a whole lot cheaper than the real deal in Moscow, from what I have hear. I was walking from the bazar when I noticed that it was just down from the Mega Comfort Bazar so I went in there to look for some corner molding for one of the walls. There is textured wall paper on some of the walls, its nice not what you might think, but the join is at a corner that is probably the worst spot, so parts are coming loose. I had suggested some molding, which the land lord has agreed, but I still have not come across the right kind, I bought some, that was folded flat and tried to bend it where there was a crease but it would not stay on.

So I gave up and looked for pre-molded, well there is some, I just have not gotten any yet. So I was walking through the mega comfort and realized that what I needed most was was not the molding. What I need was a plumbing fixture. The Sink that I bought to fix my problem a while ago doesn’t stay in place. It rotates around, I a bit worried that all the flexing will weaken the hoses and break, that would be bad. The problem is I don’t really work in plumbing household or commercial, This might very well be standard design but I don’t think so. Its got a central point in which both waters mix and a nut to tighten around a central shaft. Well, on the one I bought before It just won’t tighten tight enough. I think some of it’s because the part on top just flexes to much. I was looking for a second nut to tighten from the top, but the stall holder in the bazar just laughed at me.(You have to go to every stall and ask around). When I was looking and trying to ask I I saw a different faucet though and liked it, it appears to have higher build quality to it and so I thought it gave me the spare parts as well. And should give a bit more clearance above the sink for pots as well, so the saga continues. I got the new one home and it was definitely a bit nicer, though the same price as the first one. 300 som or about 6 dollars. I am sure I will have more to write about putting the new one in but we shall see.

Back to the coffee. I was walking home and it started to poor with Rain while I was in the regular Comfort Bazar and so I was looking for shortcut to the bus stop and walked through the “plaza” shopping center. In the back or the entrance from the car park there is a coffee stand. It was cold and wet and rainy and I thought I need to patranize this stand 1 I want it to succeed 2. maybe it will keep me warm 3 I need to try it out. It was good

Life on the Mashrtuka continues.

  

Now when It comes to technology purchases I believe that separate units are generally better than integrated devices. I know that slowly that evolves to mean different things, but in general I don’t like having the latest do everything device because I think that usually it comes with tradoffs. generally life span of the device, and battery life, even or especially the IPhone. Though I like the Iphone, for me its to much cash for to little gain for a short lifespan. Though I understand why people like them, a plane phone is just as good, if not better. Now in America I looked all over for a candy bar, form factor, phone that was simple. I could not find them, it just did not exist as what I want. In asia they are everywhere, not just that they have a long battery life, With only a black and white screen it has a long standby time and is cheap, the cheapest phone I have ever bought. Its great and would highly recomend to any one just to wait and buy one here, though it seems a lot of people like buying them from ebay, it seems to me more trouble and stress than what its worth, unless your buying a high end multifunction(see above).

The question is why are these phones not available in the west? Oh, there unlocked so if anyone wants one from Europe I will send them for you, my guess is that they are just dual band GSM and won’t work in North America.

I had these hooks at my last hospital. The best hospital in …. well anywhere. They did not do everything, no one does, but what they did do they do well, thats take care of patience and their families. I am sure that I am biased, we all are. But NIH is awesome in there care of people. You get the time there that you don’t get in big institutions. As the biggest quantifiable indicator of patient outcome is (I think I read this some where and it makes sense to me) nurse to patient ratio NIH is great, and the setting in the Owens Valley can not be beat.

back to the hooks, they had these acrylic hooks that had a double sided tape that was more gelatinous. It held on anything and wouldn’t let go, but when you prized it off, you could then role the gel up and it wouldn’t ever leave a mark.

I looked all over for this. I think somehow I figured out it was from 3m, but could not find it. The manufacturer sold off the line and they switched to velcro, it was not nearly as strong. Well I cam here looking for tape that I could use for lables and bought this but after using it I figures it was double sided. Not only is it double sided its gelatinous, its very good, not as good as the other stuff but I got a role of this. I just hope I can continue to buy it. I am tempted to buy a few extra roles. Shopping here is like a Big Lots or jumble sale, if you see something you like you better buy it, because it won’t be here tomorrow.

Well I believe it or not, well I guess most people would believe it, but I have had plenty of offers to fix things. The only problem is that I am working on the model to put most of my effort into language study. If I learn to communicate well now I will be able have a lot more functional use of my time in the future. So I can’t commit to much, the problem as I see it isn’t that though. The problem is that I can’t turn anything down. I have to communicate someway that at the moment I need to focus on language while they have real issues. I am certain that there is more than 20x enough work to occupy all my time. That is the model that has always happened in the past. people would come and fix what they could when they were around. thats not my goal, my goal is to help the system develop a program, of some sort that will be sustainable and is culturally relevant. I have some opportunity to look at some remote clinics and hospitals and maybe fix a few things though I will have to figure out what the situation is if I find something I can fix in relationship to the ministry of health. I don’t want to jeopardize any future work. Well, nothing comes easy, especially in Central Asia.

So I had wondered how long it would be until someone asked me for some medical tech support. Well 3 weeks give or take a bit. Last tuesday someone called and said, “so how well have you settled in?”

“How would you like to help me with an Ultrasound……..” Ultrasound works one of the general heads doesn’t. Trouble interpreting the operators manual. How much do I do, if I get to involved will it detract from my language study. Ultimately I must!!! have language skills down.

It will prove to be an interesting conundrum for the next year. The blessing is I don’t have much equipment or space to work on anything, thus reducing my ability to work, reducing the questions. Everyone seems to have this overriding issue that there are significant issues. But I have not yet even been in a hospital, though I hope to rectify this issue sometime soon. Ultimately I need to maintain a positive attitude about everything and there are great signs.

Coming from an environment where there is a specialized tool for every endeavor, after getting over the surprise of seeing this work its a bit refreshing seeing the creativity. A asphalt saw is quite a pricy item to purchase, I assume the same holds true here. So to see a sill saw being sed to cut the road was quite something. I think the second man is poring water on the blade, as I am certain that it can’t cope with that amount of heat, though maybe they have better blades or something. Its just how things get done. Use what you have to get the job done.

I decided to revert my technology. I had started to use, most the time, a fountain pen or cartridge pen a long time ago. But while starting to study Russian I realized that I was making too many mistakes, so I found that I am going back to a pencil, not even an automatic pencil but wooden one that has to be sharpened. I am enjoying it mostly. Its not as dark or contrasting against the paper as I would prefer, but ultimately the standard pencil is the best choice. Its one that the Soviet Union Thought was the best for their space program, maybe its a Central Asian thing. I don’t really think I had used a standard pencil in the last 15 years but really since in Junior School.

I have had some discussion already and people asking me information on medical equipment. I have had some ask if there would be enough to do, my guess is that there will be more than enough of that, But I really think that I would suggest other things than that I just work on Fixing equipment. There will be plenty of that I am certain, but I think that the first thing I would like to work on might be a Central Asian Clinical Engineering Society. I think that this can then work on a Publication of some sort. I think that this might have the biggest impact out of that might also grow a trainging or mentoring program. It will truly be interesting to see what happens.

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