Yesterday I was busy since right after I woke up, hubby urged me to eat as we were going to visit my father-in-law in the health centre. He's OK. It's just that my mother-in-law needed enough sleep so that she could heal her ankle well, but when he was home, he walked around the house during the night, so she couldn't sleep well. My mother-in-law spent some nights in her elder sister's house so that she wouldn't be alone in hers. She asked us to bring my father-in-law's mobile phone to the hospital so that they could contact each other.
It was the first time to go to that section in the health centre. Visitors are allowed to come starting from 1 pm to 7 pm. The place didn't smell like medicine like the most hospitals in Indonesia. I can't really describe the smell of the hospitals in Indo, but they have this distinct smell he he he he...Anyway, after asking where our father-in-law was to one of the nurses, we found him.
He was sitting in the common room, watching TV with the other patients. They were mostly elderly. His eyes lit up in recognition when he saw us he he he he...then we went to his room to talk as there were not enough seats for us in the common room. After all, it was a small health centre, not a full-fledged hospital. Even so, the place is so clean and everything looks new (unlike some hospitals in Indo where everything looks old).
We talked for a while...or should I say, Arttu talked to his Dad as I was trying to practice my listening skill HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...After about half an hour, we said goodbye to him and while walking out of his room, I was SO happy to see my mother-in-law coming towards us with her elder sister and husband. Thank GOODNESS her elder sister's husband is healthy and he can drive her around! ;-D My mother-in-law walked using one walking stick and then she and her elder sister hugged me.
I think my father-in-law's coming home either today or tomorrow. He said it was boring in the hospital and the food was lousy. Porridge, porridge, and porridge. I can imagine how bad it was. After all, at home he always enjoys his wife's delicious food he he he he...
Then as usual, my bladder was full, so I went to the toilet first as we were going to the supermarket afterwards. I was trying to find the light switch inside the HUGE toilet, but then it turned out the light was on automatically when I stepped into the room. COOL!!!! I've never seen that before he he he he...
Then before going to the supermarket (we were running out of milk), I asked Arttu to escort me to an ATM. Believe it or not, I've NEVER used an ATM before in this country. After all, I can almost always pay everything with my debit card (I have no credit card here as I have no income), except when I go to the flea markets or open markets. Funny thing is that the post office's card reader wouldn't read my card, so that was why I needed to get some cash. I'm going to send a package to my friend in Germany as she's coming to Indonesia in March. The package is for my family he he he he he...
Well, you know what? Turned out that when I inserted my debit card, the instruction came out in ENGLISH!!!! HURRAHHHHHH!!! I was SO HAPPY hi hi hi hi hi hi...I think when I first opened my account in the bank, I was grouped as an "international customer". VERY VERY COOL!!! Now if I ever need cash, I wouldn't feel afraid going to an ATM alone HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...
Anyway, on Saturday I also had a short conversation with my mother-in-law as Arttu was shovelling snow out in the yard. First of all she asked me if my brother had sent his wedding pics, and I said not yet. It was hard for me to explain to her that my brother used a professional photographer service, so the CD wasn't done yet. So I didn't even try to explain since I didn't know how to do it. Then I told her that he had sent me the honeymoon pics he he he he he...
Then she asked me if I had to go back to Indonesia. I misunderstood her at first. There is this one word in Finnish that can either mean "like" or "have to" and I thought she asked me if I would like to go back to Indonesia. So I replied that I would love to, but it would be expensive. Then she tried asking me the question again using a different word, and right then it dawned on me completely what she wanted to know HA HA HA HA HA HA...
Ahem...so I told her that I'd soon have to go to the police station to renew my residence permit (well, actually I said visa, but that didn't matter as she understood it). I guess she was worried that I would have to go back to Indonesia to do my paperwork he he he he...I could tell that she was glad that I could do it here in Sodankylä.
Oh yeah, almost forgot...after buying milk at the supermarket yesterday, Arttu said that he was craving for kebab...so we went to a nearby kebab resto to buy some. I was craving for pizza instead, so I ordered one. YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!! My pizza had kebab meat, pineapple, cheese, and reindeer toppings. Plus I added jalapeno chili at home. VERY VERY delicious HE HE HE HE HE HE...
Okie dokie, now I'm going to eat my pizza first before blog-hopping he he he...I'm STARVING after exercising he he he he...
Showing posts with label Health Centre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Centre. Show all posts
Monday, January 14, 2008
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Proud of My Brother
Update on my rashes: Earlier Arttu called the health center, but then it was already full, so the nurse told him that if I could wait till tomorrow, then I should go there tomorrow. She also asked if I had taken any antihistamine or not. I didn't know that we could buy antihistamine without prescription in the pharmacy. I don't really know how the system works here, but since it was still 5.30 pm, we managed to go to the pharmacy (it closes at 6 pm on weekdays) and the pharmacist wanted to see my rashes and she suggested some antihistamine tablets for us. There were so many different kinds, including Zyrtec that Trinity told me about. THANKS for telling me about that, Trinity! Zyrtec cost thrice this type of table that we bought. I sure do hope that this tablet works for me. If the condition doesn't get any better tomorrow, I'll DEFINITELY go to the doctor he he he...
Anyway, this morning I called my parents again since it was my Dad's birthday. I just said happy birthday to him and wished him good health. We didn't talk long, but I talked for a LONG time with my Mom he he he he he...It's always SO MUCH FUN talking to my Mom!
I told her that the other day in the sauna, I asked hubby, "Would it be too fast if we try having a baby at the end of next year?" and he said no.
I want to make sure we're both ready, 'coz I'm FAR away from my own Mom and even though my in-laws are GREAT and KIND people, they also live 25 min. away from us and my father-in-law's got Alzheimer, so I don't wanna burden them. That means that hubby and I have to be totally ready to help each other when the baby comes he he he...
Upon hearing that, my Mom said, "It's fine with me. Just do what you think is right." YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!! BRAVO for my Mom he he he he...I just feel GLAD that she's ALWAYS so supportive!!! ;-D Even when Arttu still hadn't got a permanent job yet, she still encouraged me to marry him as long as I knew he'd make me happy. I only wish I could be a great Mom like her when the time comes. ;-D
Anyway, I'm also PROUD of my brother. He's started paying for the electric and phone and water bills ever since my Dad stopped working. Then now he's started giving Mom some food money monthly. What makes me proud of him was the fact that he said this to Mom when he started giving her food money, "Mom, I'm going to start giving you food money every month, but PLEASE don't get it wrong. I'm not asking you to cook for us or anything. I just want to give you some food money every month."
The fact that he took into account my mother's feelings about getting that money was what made me feel SO proud of him. ;-D He knows that the business situation in Indonesia has been pretty bad and that my Mom can barely save any money from selling food in the traditional market, though she still has enough to buy food for everybody, but still he wants to make sure that my Mom doesn't need to worry about money.
Mom told me that she'd save the money if she didn't need to use it and that she would still be cooking for the four of them, but she wouldn't be angry if they (my brother and wife) chose not to eat what she cooked and instead ordered food from a resto. Bravo for Mom, as well!!! ;-D
It seems to me that my brother and wife have brought sunshine to my mother's life, as well. Things haven't been really well with my Dad lately. He starts getting angry again if Mom reminds him to eat or to take his medication. Sometimes even when Mom says something INNOCENT, he'd get upset and snap, "You don't appreciate me anymore since I no longer work, but I am STILL the head of the family." Oh dear...how can you tell a man that it's his broken ego that's the problem, not what other people say about him?
Prayers for my Dad, please. I hope God will heal his mental wounds so that he would stop thinking that whatever other people say is meant to hurt him and his pride. He's attached his self-value in his work so much so that now that he's retired, it's getting tough for him to accept the situation, even though he told me that he was okay with it already.
I also wrote him an email for my brother to print-out for my Dad...hoping that it could nudge him into the realization that the problem is inside his own head, not what my Mom says or does.
Oh well...it's long enough, I guess. I'll write about the Second Part of the Christmas party soon then he he he he...I still feel some itch here and there, but not as strongly as Christmas Eve.
Take care, everybody, and hopefully you'll all stay well!!!!
Anyway, this morning I called my parents again since it was my Dad's birthday. I just said happy birthday to him and wished him good health. We didn't talk long, but I talked for a LONG time with my Mom he he he he he...It's always SO MUCH FUN talking to my Mom!
I told her that the other day in the sauna, I asked hubby, "Would it be too fast if we try having a baby at the end of next year?" and he said no.
I want to make sure we're both ready, 'coz I'm FAR away from my own Mom and even though my in-laws are GREAT and KIND people, they also live 25 min. away from us and my father-in-law's got Alzheimer, so I don't wanna burden them. That means that hubby and I have to be totally ready to help each other when the baby comes he he he...
Upon hearing that, my Mom said, "It's fine with me. Just do what you think is right." YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!! BRAVO for my Mom he he he he...I just feel GLAD that she's ALWAYS so supportive!!! ;-D Even when Arttu still hadn't got a permanent job yet, she still encouraged me to marry him as long as I knew he'd make me happy. I only wish I could be a great Mom like her when the time comes. ;-D
Anyway, I'm also PROUD of my brother. He's started paying for the electric and phone and water bills ever since my Dad stopped working. Then now he's started giving Mom some food money monthly. What makes me proud of him was the fact that he said this to Mom when he started giving her food money, "Mom, I'm going to start giving you food money every month, but PLEASE don't get it wrong. I'm not asking you to cook for us or anything. I just want to give you some food money every month."
The fact that he took into account my mother's feelings about getting that money was what made me feel SO proud of him. ;-D He knows that the business situation in Indonesia has been pretty bad and that my Mom can barely save any money from selling food in the traditional market, though she still has enough to buy food for everybody, but still he wants to make sure that my Mom doesn't need to worry about money.
Mom told me that she'd save the money if she didn't need to use it and that she would still be cooking for the four of them, but she wouldn't be angry if they (my brother and wife) chose not to eat what she cooked and instead ordered food from a resto. Bravo for Mom, as well!!! ;-D
It seems to me that my brother and wife have brought sunshine to my mother's life, as well. Things haven't been really well with my Dad lately. He starts getting angry again if Mom reminds him to eat or to take his medication. Sometimes even when Mom says something INNOCENT, he'd get upset and snap, "You don't appreciate me anymore since I no longer work, but I am STILL the head of the family." Oh dear...how can you tell a man that it's his broken ego that's the problem, not what other people say about him?
Prayers for my Dad, please. I hope God will heal his mental wounds so that he would stop thinking that whatever other people say is meant to hurt him and his pride. He's attached his self-value in his work so much so that now that he's retired, it's getting tough for him to accept the situation, even though he told me that he was okay with it already.
I also wrote him an email for my brother to print-out for my Dad...hoping that it could nudge him into the realization that the problem is inside his own head, not what my Mom says or does.
Oh well...it's long enough, I guess. I'll write about the Second Part of the Christmas party soon then he he he he...I still feel some itch here and there, but not as strongly as Christmas Eve.
Take care, everybody, and hopefully you'll all stay well!!!!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Ouch, It's Slippery!
Went to my in-laws as usual this morning. Mother-in-law left right after lunch since she had a birthday party to attend. Before going there, she took out some lights and asked Arttu to string them around the trees near their house. I saw another MAGNIFICENT sunrise again at around 11 am this morning (yes, the sun rises at around 11 am during winter). The sky changes so quickly here in Lapland, especially in winter as it gets dark already at around 3 pm.
Right after we came back to the house from sauna (remember that their sauna is about 15 metres away from their house), I saw my mother-in-law sitting down and wincing, still dressed nicely. Then she said something about her left ankle. I didn't get the details in Finnish, but I could guess what happened. She fell down and sprained her left ankle. Ouch!!!
I confirmed the story to hubby and he said that his Mom went to the birthday party on a kicksled. Then as she was walking up the stairs to the host's house, she fell down since the steps were slippery. Oh dear...I couldn't imagine her having to go back home on a kicksled with a SPRAINED ankle!!!!!!! I began to think that she was a super woman like my Mom. If I had been in her place, I would have called my husband to pick me up!!!
Do you know how to use a kicksled? Like this:
So now can you imagine how she did it? And I don't even know how far it was from the host's house to their house. Uuuuggghhhhh...good thing is that she had an ice-pack ready (cold already) and some elastic bandage. Hubby helped bandaging her ankle. She said that if it got worse, she'd go to the doctor on Monday.
Why not go to the doctor right then and there? Well, that was what I was wondering, as well, but hubby said that there would be no doctors available today. After all, in this little village there's no hospital. There's only a health centre. Then I asked what happened to women in labour. He said that the ambulance would take them to Rovaniemi hospital. *GASP* It's located 1.5 hours away from here!!! I made a mental note to ask my fellow students (Finnish class students) on Monday about this. I still can't believe that a pregnant woman can't give birth in the health centre, even though my Brit friend had said that the health centre here couldn't do anything much for more serious cases or injuries and they would refer you to Rovaniemi hospital. Gee...I'm still speechless!!!
Anyway, back to my mother-in-law. I felt worried seeing her limping in pain, even though she still managed to smile and laugh and even played cards with us!!! For some reason the scene reminds me of my Mom when she had problems with her knees. Being a super woman, she will NEVER wince unless the pain is unbearable already and it makes me wonder if my mother-in-law is the same type of woman. Anyway, but then I remembered that they had hubby's grandpa's cane somewhere in the house, so I told hubby to tell her about it. I figured that the cane would at least help her out to walk around the parts of the house where she couldn't reach any nearby object for balance.
I sure do hope she's going to be fine soon. After all, Christmas is coming soon and I know she's the type of woman who wants to cook so much food for her family on Christmas Eve.
Anyway...on a lighter note, here are some pics I took today.
The below pic is unsatisfactory to me 'coz of the electric lines there he he he...but it was tough to take a wide angle if I moved further. Well, at least the crescent is shown clearly, right? HE HE HE HE HE...
Remember my plumper snowman? Well, today it's been like this. The temperature had risen up again the last few days so the snowman had melted a bit. Mother-in-law said that her sister and husband came over and her sister's hubby said that they should turn it into a snow-woman by adding chest and they even added some arms he he he he...
I LOVE this lantern!!! I've seen many like this hanging near the porch of houses here...GORGEOUS!!! ;-D
Okie dokie, it's getting late, so I'll just go to sleep soon, I guess he he he...
Right after we came back to the house from sauna (remember that their sauna is about 15 metres away from their house), I saw my mother-in-law sitting down and wincing, still dressed nicely. Then she said something about her left ankle. I didn't get the details in Finnish, but I could guess what happened. She fell down and sprained her left ankle. Ouch!!!
I confirmed the story to hubby and he said that his Mom went to the birthday party on a kicksled. Then as she was walking up the stairs to the host's house, she fell down since the steps were slippery. Oh dear...I couldn't imagine her having to go back home on a kicksled with a SPRAINED ankle!!!!!!! I began to think that she was a super woman like my Mom. If I had been in her place, I would have called my husband to pick me up!!!
Do you know how to use a kicksled? Like this:
So now can you imagine how she did it? And I don't even know how far it was from the host's house to their house. Uuuuggghhhhh...good thing is that she had an ice-pack ready (cold already) and some elastic bandage. Hubby helped bandaging her ankle. She said that if it got worse, she'd go to the doctor on Monday.
Why not go to the doctor right then and there? Well, that was what I was wondering, as well, but hubby said that there would be no doctors available today. After all, in this little village there's no hospital. There's only a health centre. Then I asked what happened to women in labour. He said that the ambulance would take them to Rovaniemi hospital. *GASP* It's located 1.5 hours away from here!!! I made a mental note to ask my fellow students (Finnish class students) on Monday about this. I still can't believe that a pregnant woman can't give birth in the health centre, even though my Brit friend had said that the health centre here couldn't do anything much for more serious cases or injuries and they would refer you to Rovaniemi hospital. Gee...I'm still speechless!!!
Anyway, back to my mother-in-law. I felt worried seeing her limping in pain, even though she still managed to smile and laugh and even played cards with us!!! For some reason the scene reminds me of my Mom when she had problems with her knees. Being a super woman, she will NEVER wince unless the pain is unbearable already and it makes me wonder if my mother-in-law is the same type of woman. Anyway, but then I remembered that they had hubby's grandpa's cane somewhere in the house, so I told hubby to tell her about it. I figured that the cane would at least help her out to walk around the parts of the house where she couldn't reach any nearby object for balance.
I sure do hope she's going to be fine soon. After all, Christmas is coming soon and I know she's the type of woman who wants to cook so much food for her family on Christmas Eve.
Anyway...on a lighter note, here are some pics I took today.
The below pic is unsatisfactory to me 'coz of the electric lines there he he he...but it was tough to take a wide angle if I moved further. Well, at least the crescent is shown clearly, right? HE HE HE HE HE...
Remember my plumper snowman? Well, today it's been like this. The temperature had risen up again the last few days so the snowman had melted a bit. Mother-in-law said that her sister and husband came over and her sister's hubby said that they should turn it into a snow-woman by adding chest and they even added some arms he he he he...
I LOVE this lantern!!! I've seen many like this hanging near the porch of houses here...GORGEOUS!!! ;-D
Okie dokie, it's getting late, so I'll just go to sleep soon, I guess he he he...
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