A day in the life of..............

Thought it might be interesting to give you a run-down of my day!!

6.30am (yes - 6.30!): alarm goes off and i realise that i forgot to turn the hot water on! so a luke-warm shower has to suffice!
7.30am : little man from downstairs phones to tell me - 'doctora fee' whatever that means - but it is my cue that my ride has arrived!
7.35: hold you nose and gulp down some sort of 'tea' that old man mohammed kindly makes every morning! don't think it is tea. or coffee. there are suspicious things floating in it!!!!
7.40: get into 'taxi'. now - it was a taxi the first day. but it hasn't been a taxi since. i think that someone decided their mate could do with a few bob and decided to be my driver! the journey always consists of much prayer. every time we hit a bump i think my wheel is going to fall off. the car was probably condemed in a civilised country in 1982, but they are still getting their money's worth here in sa'ana.
8.00: arrive at the TB centre. am presented with an egg sandwich. the first few days i managed to get it down, now i am sneaking it into the bin!! o - and don't forget the mango juice. it is in fact quite good!!
8.25: 3 minute window between the cleaners finishing and the public getting in for going to the toilet. if you don't make the window, you regret it the rest of the day and cross your legs!!!
8.30: patients start a coming. and cough and splutter and spit right in your face!! it is gross, but the amount of poverty and sickness is quite sobering and overwhelming actually. more prayer - protection from TB please!
12.30-13.30: depending on the patient load that day, the working day is over!! what a hard job!! haha! my 'taxi' takes me home and officially i amnot supposed to leave the house the rest of the day!
13.30: quick bite to eat (i have now politely decline old man mohammed cooking my lunch after some gut rot from his last attempt) and out to explore! now please don't worry! i don't go off the beaten track, i cover up, i stick to main raods and places where women are. its ladies day in the park on monday and tuesday were you can take your veil off and hoik your black dress up! i've found a nice ice-cream place, a good coffee shop, a reasonable supermarket, this internet cafe, and when it all gets too much KFC!!! its wierd what can make a good find in this city!!!
i have also met some lovely folk on my travels and they have been great at inviting me round for dinner. i'm even going to do some washing tomorrow praise the lord!!!!
18.15: quick, before the evening call to prayer i have to be back home and lock the door till the next morning!!
18.20: evening entertainment involves handwashing clothes (takes up alot more time than you would expect), cooking dinner (not so easy with one pot and a dodgy large saucepan!), typing up some research stuff, watching DVDs and reading. o - and i have watched more trashy american TV on 'dubai one' than i have watched all year!! you have got to love doctor phil - we need to petition to get him on UK TV!!!!
21.00ish: bed time!! yes i know - that will shock and surprise most of you, but quite frankly with the 6.30am start and the lack of any company but my own it is the best plan!!!!

and it all starts over again - 6 days a week!!!

so i have settled into a rountine. life is much slower than normal - but i think it is good for me to slow it down and learn to spend time by myself. i'm gradually meeting more people and getting out and about a bit more and life is interesting!!!

will very much look forward to my wee break in marakech though..........2 weeks to go............!!!!!