Why So Close-Minded? Part One: Sneakers

After a couple months here, I realized I'm better off keeping my mouth shut around here.

When I toured and candy-striped in hospitals in the US, I never put much attention towards the footwear everyone who worked there wore. So when it came time to take classes at the local hospital, I threw my handy-dandy Converse on; I illustrate:

But black and white. I LOVE these shoes, because they're super comfy. And I think super comfy is necessary when you're slaving away from 7AM-1PM, you know, in my humble American opinion.

As soon as my teacher sees them, she literally SCREAMS at me, and asks me what kind of disrespect I'm trying to show her by wearing sneakers to her class?! Umm. None?

Apparently, I'm supposed to wear black shoes to the hospital, and by shoes I mean ballet flats or ugly-ass loafer shoes. I'm thinking this is pretty ridiculous, considering the amount of time we spend walking and standing. You never get to sit around these teachers, who, for the most part, spend the entire morning sitting on their fat asses and stuffing their fat faces.

So the next day, I wear a pair of AE black flats with my mandatory socks, SOCKS, FREAKING SOCKS!!! and let me tell you, I practically got shin splints from those things. No Bueno.

That afternoon, I went to the Nursing Director, and informed her of the ridiculousness of this rule, and even though she agreed with me, she told me there was nothing she could do, which I found absurd.

But why?! I don't freaking understand why we, as students, must wear; and I list

-A sleeved shirt

-Long pants

-Black shoes with socks

-A Lab coat

Among the endless rules about no nail polish, no jewelry, hair up, no bangs, limited make-up, and having to lug around all of your damn medical equipment and all the random crap your teacher feels like you have to have.

Obviously being strict with rules is getting much accomplished in this country, considering every hospital I've been to looks like a combination of a loony bin, a whore-house, and a rooster fight.

I'm just sayin', going a little lax on all the rules wouldn't hurt, you know?

Next up: Part Deux: OMG SEX!?

Dominican Philosophy of the Day

If the news says sunshine all day, and you decide to do laundry and hang it off your balcony, it WILL start pouring as soon as you get it all on the line.

Dominican Vocabulary of the Day

Jondear: verb- To throw one's self onto or down something. Made even funnier if the person in question is fat.

Working on it.

So I'm figuring out that my stay here in this HOT country is turning a lot to be like bipolar disorder. Good day, Bad day.

Thankfully, things are starting to turn around, and there are a lot less bad days than good...which hopefully will stay that way!

My Spanish still sucks, I still get sad when I see really poor kids, and I still get pissed out when random disgusting men cat-call me. But you know what? I'm stuck here, whether I like it or not, so I might as well get used to it, and take advantage of the things I can do here that I couldn't do back home (I'm still trying to figure that out).

I've yet to go to the beach here, I'm embarrassed to admit, and I REALLY want to go. Again, I'm working on it :)

PS: I managed to land back in the ER; dehydrated, what else? I'm trying really hard not to die here, you know, but the heat makes it impossible! And the fact that there's no Trader Joe's!