3 weeks later

Had a check up at the hospital today. This one also cost only 30kc and included x-rays and a new knee brace. That was the good news.

There is no further update on my knee - I've got to go back in 3 weeks to check-in, a week later I have my MRI and 2 weeks later I'll review my results with the orthopedist.  That is the neutral news.

The frustrating bit - I'm still on crutches and I will be for a while longer.

Whatever. It's temporary. Frustrating cause it's incredibly inconvenient and my arms and hands hurt, but it's temporary. Hopefully this will all be resolved before graduation.

Oh clumsy knee, I mean clumsy me - another hospital excursion

We went to Budapest for Easter with friends (more on that in a later post) and had a great time. Friday through Monday was the plan, and the plan worked. However late Sunday night, while standing in line at this awesome taqueria, I experienced this incredibly intense, just overwhelming pain in my knee. Tried to brush it off. I hadn't been moving so I didn't move wrong, just thought maybe it was a spasm or something after having spent the evenings in the baths. I was wrong.

Took the train home in the morning, said goodbye to my friends and went to  a meeting on Tuesday and after that went straight to the hospital as my doctor was on vacation.  

Hospital narrative - took a taxi there which cost about $12. Checked in for the urgent care doc, less than $2. Took the elevator down one floor and walked up to the receptionist, sat for less than 3 minutes then was called in to the doctor who examined, wrapped, splinted and crutched me (no additional cost for the equipment) and gave me a prescription and advice in less than 30 minutes and I was done. Took a taxi home as walking was still not really an option. Picked up the Rx in the pharmacy beneath my flat - it was also less than $2.

The problem? Somehow I broke the meniscus.  I had thought that they tore but he said broke so broke it is. It looks like my kneecap slid sideways and then rotated. It feels like that too. 

Had two classes last week and two meetings afterwards, made them all and have been at home resting other than that. I was told to give it a few days for the swelling to go down and the pain to start to go away, and if that doesn't happen then in 2 weeks to get evaluated for surgery.  I am counting on not needing surgery but I'm still swollen and still in pain so I'm going to consider his "few days" meaning more like a week, few in a very loose sense. I'm seriously bummed about this. I hadn't written about it yet but I'd just found a gym I really like, but it's a circuit gym and I can't do the circuit right now, and I'd gotten back in to playing badminton regularly. I was trying to create a new habit and those efforts have been seriously disrupted. I'm also supposed to take a short trip with friends next weekend and that may not be happening as I'll still be in a stupid leg brace and on crutches.

all this cream will kill me

The cooking lessons have been completed. Skills and knowledge elevated as I'd hoped. The one drawback... cream and pasta have become a base for almost every meal. I am going to die. A long and slow but tasty death.

you've made it this far...

Recently I reached out to a new transplant who had posted a search for new friends - he's a new expat and relocated here with his wife, a Czech woman, who has since reconnected with her old friends and left him to fend for himself. I've met quite a few people who have gone through that situation and it's been rough on all of them. I wrote and told him about some open events - mixers, parties, etc, that he might want to check out; opportunities to connect with new people and maybe check out a new place or two.  I wasn't actually going to be at the next few, but they're open and meant specifically for people in his situation - strangers looking to form ties in their new community.

The response I received, in summary, was that he'd heard of these social groups before but really couldn't be bothered as he hadn't seen anything that appealed to him just yet or fit in his price range. That, in my opinion, was unfortunate. I'd referred him to at least one local group that held regular mixers all over the city on a regular basis. Rarely is the location the appeal; it's the opportunity to meet new people. Never is there a cover charge or any other required cost.  Maybe he didn't want to go to a restaurant/bar/club/jazz club/hike/walk/bike/play volleyball/badminton/football/take a day trip/tour a castle/visit a winery/etc. Maybe he didn't want to pay for a beer/water/wine/soda/food/other optional purchase while he was out... Maybe. But asking for info about a social gathering and then shutting down an invitation to a social gathering, when you don't have contacts or connections is, in my opinion, ridiculous and self-defeating

Here's my tip for potential expats - you can't shut out options. Not as an expat. Not if you want to survive. You will do things you don't find immediately attractive. You will meet people you don't mesh with on a higher level. You will sit through gatherings for a few minutes wondering what you're doing. You will do these things and more. Why? Because somewhere, at sometime, you will meet people who share interests with you, who you do connect with, who you want to be around and laugh with and who you truly enjoy. But until you step out and engage in what is offered to the group you won't be able to connect with the right individuals. I wish it were otherwise at times. I really do. I wish that events and such were tailor-made but they're not. And until you join and get involved and create your own events that are likely to attract similarly minded people you'll be stuck at home wishing you knew someone you could connect with.

I'm not trying to be harsh or overly critical.  i want this guy to succeed here. Just as I want any other person to. I've gone through the loneliness and it's miserable. But you've got to be willing to participate. If you've moved around the world don't hesitate when it comes to stepping out the door.

poor little journalist in training

Earlier this week I heard a gripe. It went something like this, "Ugh! Class is cancelled this week. I have to go to the film festival instead." (That would be Jeden Svet - One World. It is an international documentary film festival and well worth the trip, even if you don't have a teacher making you go.)

My response was a little cheerier than appreciated in the moment. It was something like, oh that's nice, are you going as a class or on your own, have to write a paper on it?... along those lines. And was met with another exasperated response. "We each have to go on our own. I have to pick which film to see and then interview the director about it. UGH!"

Isn't that sort of ideal when you're a journalism major? Here, student - pick one of these fascinating topics, don't go to school, go watch a movie and then interview the key participants?

Is my concept wrong?

kitchen wishin'

My daughter has expressed a desire for an apple corer. And better pots, pans and knives. And better lighting in the kitchen.

I'm so proud of her.

The kid is cooking

She finally got started on her Christmas present - private cooking lessons. Her reaction was excellent! She mentioned the trepidation she had while making the meal - mixed green salad with a vinaigrette, mushroom risotto and a creme caramel - as the vinaigrette had a lot of mustard, which she doesn't like, and the mushroom risotto had, well, mushrooms - another food she doesn't really care for.

When I asked her about it this evening her face lit up with sheer amazement - she gushed... it was so good. She loved it, all of it, even the stuff she doesn't like was just incredible. And it was better than "restaurant food".

And - it was easy. Really easy. She couldn't believe how easy.  Minimal ingredients, minimal prep time. And cheap.  The first step of the lesson was shopping together for the ingredients. They spent 200ck in total and she said the used less than half.

I'm really grateful she enjoyed it. One on one time with a stranger can be hard, especially when it's a teaching environment.  Fortunately she had a good time and learned something and seems quite amenable to completing the sessions... which is a really good thing as this was just the first - she's got 11 more lessons to go, 3 times a week for a month.

I'm looking forward to when she cooks dinner next.