Today we again spent time at Fishtail Hospital. I shadowed a couple of consultants as they conducted outpatient clinics. Unfortunately the Neuropsychiatrist was not consulting this morning, but I had a great chat with one of the obs/gynae consultants. She had seen a patient who, after having two daughters, was desperate to have a son. We talked of the differences in culture and how in Nepal it is still seen as vital having a son as your daughters will marry and look after their husband’s family in their old age and not their parents. She said she tells her patients that she was educated in Nepal, studied Medicine in Nepal and went on to become a consultant in Nepal, married a Nepalese man and still believes she will help look after her parents when they age. Nepal is a rather patriarchal society so it was great to be able to talk to her about some of the differences with Australia. Some people still want children of specific genders, however it is usually not because of perceived gender roles in the family.

I have no photos today- I am conscious not to take any in the hospital as it is not something I would do on placement in Australia. The hospital was quieter than usual today as it was a public holiday as the President of India was visiting. Nepal has a lot of public holidays, however I do not believe workers get paid extra for working on them so a lot of places remain open.

I went for a long walk this afternoon and was able to watch some Nepalese children playing in the street. Since I have been here I have only seen one child watching their mother’s mobile phone whilst she worked- usually the children are gathered out the front of shops playing or talking or singing or encouraging you to enter. Whilst we find the food here relatively inexpensive, for Nepalese people eating out must be a real luxury. A nurse at Fishtail Hospital earns the equivalent of around A$200 per month. On the other hand, over 80 per cent of Nepalese people own their own home. It puts into perspective some of the spending I make at home. The other interesting thing in Nepalese restaurants is that they don’t have children’s menus. Children eat the adults food. We have visited the hospital canteen and always see children there eating Momo. Momos are a dumpling filled with chicken or vegetables usually and most often steamed, although some restaurants will fry them. We were told that for most children a plate of Momo is a real treat.

We are eating a lot of vegetables here. There is usually a plate of beans and carrots for breakfast available to us and the Nepalese diet is full of legumes with a little meat sometimes. On the other hand we have not had a lot of fruit and have to be careful because of the sanitation here. As travellers it is hard to peel apples to eat them and it is easier to skip fruit altogether.

Tomorrow we are off to the Children’s Home which should be a great experience. I have promised MIML™* that I will not bring home an orphan!

*MIML™ is the Man In My Life!