Monday Nov 28: Back to Work

 This morning I returned to the Dhulikhel Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics. 

I watched Dr. Anil work on a difficult case.

Without heat, the clinic is quite cold. I was wearing my light down jacket. Although the dentistry is similar to that in the US, there are some notable differences. Malpractice claims are very uncommon here. Interestingly, institutions do not retain any medical/dental records. Notes are made in patient's record booklets and then the patient takes that record home with them. Although they are admonished to bring the booklet with them for each visit, invariably, many are lost. This is an image of such a dental record.

At lunch, with the other faculty, I walked over to the "Canteen." I had rice and a yellow curry goulash. I thought the green oblong ingredients were green beans, but I was told they are Pointed Gourd (Google it). Regardless, it was tasty. That meal and tea cost me $0.85. Eating outside in the sunshine, I was actually hot -- a great contrast to the chilly clinic.

The cup in the upper right is actually a small bowl containing Dal or Dal Bhat. This is a lentil soup which is a Nepali staple. Rice is commonly incorporated into this soup. It was actually surprising mild in flavor and very satisfying.

This selfie includes Manisha and Anil.

Siras sat across the table from me. You can see the Womens' and Childrens' hospital in the background.

After lunch we watched these Nepali soldiers working on building a helipad. You can see the word ARMY on the backs of the sweatshirts on the right side.

From the Faculty office room, I watched this woman outside. She was using a big tweezer to pick leaves. I learned that she was picking Stinging Nettle (Google it). This is boiled and fried as a food. According to the internet, "Once cooked, nettles taste like a mix between spinach and cucumber; fresh and wholesome. They make a great addition to dishes, adding a zing of flavour and a splash of colour. Nettle is great in sauces, risottos and soups. The nettle plant is full of nutrients that are really good for your health."

In the afternoon I helped dental students prepare their first amalgam preparations in extracted teeth using a high-speed handpiece. I met a left-handed woman who had to re-learn to be right-handed to be able to work with the equipment of this clinic!

After work I took a stroll around the hospital campus. Chickens have been a common sight everywhere I have been in Nepal.

This is a "tractor." These are interesting and versatile machines. I have seen them on major roadways hauling heavy loads and road speeds. The front part can be detached and used to pull a plow in a field.

This sunset viewed from the balcony of a pediatric ward was the end to another fabulous day in Nepal. It looks like some fairy-tale / storybook image -- but it is real -- Nepal!