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JAYNE WITH A WHY |
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006'MY' VEGGIES & ASSORTED OTHER STUFF THAT SPRINGS TO MIND..........I thought it was about time I did a 'Veggie' update. I've been doing my volunteer stint at the Dumping Ground ......... ooops, I mean rehabilitation centre, for over a year now & despite a few wobbles along the way, still come away smiling every Monday morning. During Ramadan, patients are treated as per normal (like they'd know anything different?) but I must admit, the 'music therapy' that I & other volunteers perform, doesn't seem to go down too well during this Holy month, particularly by the oh-so-important-look-at-me Administration staff. Is it really such a sin for a man who cannot walk, talk or even see, to smile with obvious pleasure as soon as he recognises a familiar tune? I think not & it would be so nice if the 'superior' human beings - that strut their authority in the rehab centre - recognise just how bloody lucky they are. They have their sight, their hearing, their voices, their active brains & their functioning physicality. If they were to swap lives with some of their patients for just one day, maybe then they would see just how important an albeit weary collection of childlike songs could be. One day - perhaps when I leave either the Emirates or the rehab centre - I will speak up......spit my dummy with a passion even! I will tell a particular nurse that the next time he bangs a patients hand on the table, time & time again - with way too much force, that I will do the same to him to see how he likes it. I will tell another nurse, that compassion costs nothing in his chosen profession. He doesn't have to inflict force on a patient, when merely placing an ice-pack (to reduce fever) on the patients forehead. In this particular instance, Frodo was in obvious discomfort at being totally pinned down by a nurse holding the ice-pack against his forehead. As soon as the nurse let go & turned his back, I lifted the ice-pack briefly, then just stroked Frodo's face while the (replaced) ice-pack rested under its own weight. He settled immediately. No objections, no discomfort. I will tell yet another nurse, that when he can see that a 95% immobile patient is falling from his specialist chair, that tying the patients legs together with the end of his thobe, doesn't actually solve the problem. Neither does changing a pillow-case, when what was needed was simple repositioning of the pillow. I get mad. I get angry. I get so incredibly frustrated, when I see patients that are physically able to walk, but cannot, because they have been tied to a chair. These patients have personal 'minders', who do no more than fall asleep in the comfy sofas or armchairs, provided for the patients. I cannot say anything. Yet. One day I will. I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be escorted from the building when I finally say my piece. On a brighter note, for the past few weeks, my all time favourite patient Gummy Bear, has given me so much to smile about. As soon as I approach him now, he lifts his arms towards me & when I bend down, he pulls me close for a hug. It melts my heart! I get him to make eye contact with me & then keep repeating "Ouma, ouma" in the hope that he will say something. Can you imagine my delight when in all his gummy gloriness, he looks at me & says "Mum-ma, mum-ma". I feel so special! As soon as the music starts, Gummy waves his arms & spindly little legs, like some imaginary puppeteer is pulling his strings - such excitement! I can't wait for the cooler temperatures to arrive, as I think I'll volunteer another morning, just to take Gummy Bear (in his wheelchair) for a walk around the centre's garden. I'm sure he'll like it. ***oooOooo*** At 11 months of age, Chikkin is now fully mobile & the time appears to have come, where Spadge & Shanna need to have eyes in their arses! They recently moved into a 3-bedroomed house in a suburb of Dublin, which means there's a whole heap of space for Chikkin to explore & run around in. Spadge has had a crash course in DIY as he's had to install 'baby-proof' gates at the top & bottom of the staircase. A few days ago, Spadge told me that the bottom gate didn't get closed properly.............................oooops! Chikkin made her way up to the top of the stairs & seemed quite pleased with herself! Hubs & I are going to Cairo soon, but when we come back, the countdown to Crimble & the arrival of Chikkin (plus her parents, naturally) will begin in earnest. ***oooOooo*** Finally, a couple of disturbing things that have occured in Abu Dhabi during this past week. Firstly, a new expat has joined the company that Hubs works for. He & his wife - hereafter known as M&M - have been in Abu Dhabi less than a fortnight. In that time, transport & accommodation has been sorted & M&M are well happy. This is the first time they've worked outside of the UK, so naturally, everything is strange & somewhat exciting. I took Mrs M around town, showed her where to buy furniture etc & explained that catching a taxi here is not only easy (providing its not during the freak-out) but also safe. Two days ago, Mrs M caught a taxi from the hotel where they'd been staying, to the new apartment. The taxi driver it seems, thought she was either 'game' or alternately 'on the game'. He constantly tried to touch her & at one stage refused to let go of her hand. The poor woman was understandably scared & kept insisting he refrain from trying to touch her & also to stop & let her out. Thankfully her journey was only a few blocks & she managed to get out & away as soon as he brought the vehicle to a halt. Not a very nice welcome to Abu Dhabi hey? Do taxi drivers think that just because a female has long blonde hair, she's an easy target, or worse still, a prostitute? The other shitty thing I heard this week was also from a work associate of Hubs. Mr & Mrs R + the 2 Mini R's were given ONE WEEKS NOTICE to vacate their rented apartment. Mr R went to his landlord, with a cheque for the rent for the next 12mths. Sed landlord told him the lease was not going to be renewed & that he'd also increased the rent by more than 100% !! Go figure.......where the hell does the 'government imposed' 15% increase cap come in now??? Landlords are a law unto themselves, but one day, the property bubble is going to burst & these greedy bastards will be sitting with a shit-load of empty apartments. I'm a firm believer in the old adage of What Goes Around, Comes Around. I hope Mr R's landlord chokes on his kebab!  
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