Thoughts from a Friday fog

Hahahaha...yup, I am going to have to fill out the NI application form for the third time in a row now. Apparently they've taken a hard line because I said I was here for four months back in 2004, but had no visa to show for it. And apparently it was unacceptable for the HR guy to tell them over the phone that that's because I was a STUDENT who was not working and therefore did not need a visa or work permit. So now I have to fill it all out again, and write a cover letter saying that exact thing (student=no visa), which I have a feeling they may very well reject again. This has got to be some kind of record for NI applications.

So, let's see, random stuff for this morning. Kristy, thanks for saying hi on my blog, everyone just emails me these days with whatever comments they have. Hope you got my recent emails, we need to have a marathon phone call real soon! I've already done the phone call to the daughter of patient I took for a home visit yesterday. I expected to hear the quiet, cold British anger and tenacity down the line, but instead she actually respected my professional opinion and assessment, and basically said thank you very much, I'm fine with my mother going home on Monday. Phew! Especially since the social worker and head nurse had passed their bad news to me to deliver to the daughter. I have a ticket to the Cat Empire tonight, a Cuban-influenced band, sold out-- but the Australian OT that I work with on the acute wards offered me a ticket yesterday because someone's sick. Can't wait!!

And the whole left or right debate...everyone drives on the left here, of course, and if you're on an escalator or people-mover (moving walkway), you're supposed to stand to the right and pass on the left. But if you're just walking along the street or sidewalk or whatever, everyone tends to stay to their right. Huh?! Makes it very confusing for us foreigners. I can't tell you how many sidewalk dances I've had with total strangers when we're heading straight at each other. I go to my left, thinking that's how it must be here, but they go to their right, so we're still on a collision course. However, when you've had a couple of drinks, as I discovered last night, you're quite happy to stick to your own path and let everyone else get out of your way, since you're too giddy to be bothered ;) But this would appear to prove it's a natural tendency to stay to the right...people drive on the left because that's the law, but leave them to their own devices walking in the street and they stay to the right! So driving on the right side of the road is the right, natural thing, right?

Oh, and I've seen an interesting documentary over here recently, entitled something like "Me and My Penis" done by a guy with self-esteem issues due to his small size. I'd love to comment on it, as I do think it's something that men think everyone else is worried about (ie women), but as discussed in that film, it's really the man and his own self-esteem, because if they're happy, we're happy. However, given my audience here, that's all I'm going to say, I'll save the rest of my thoughts for conversations with people.