There will be blood

I had my first company medical on 15 January 1991. It was all done in something of a rush – I’d just that morning passed a client interview and as a result was set to go to Thailand as soon as they could get me there. Being nervous I naturally relieved myself beforehand.....

Somehow I got through the medical – except that I couldn’t provide a sample. They gave me about four injections anyway – tetanus, hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, polio (I think) and said come back and give one later. So I went out, had a Big Mac and large coke, and did my duty.

Unfortunately – probably due to the large coke – there was a trace of sugar in there. The nurse didn’t think it significant – so I went home and got a flight back to Milan (where I was working on assignment) next day.

Later that day some of my Italian colleagues came round in a bit of a panic – there was a telex (remember those?) from home office to call the nurse. It seems the doctor wanted a second sample.

This is where it all got difficult. I went to a clinic recommended by our Italian office – only to be informed they needed 24 hours worth of the stuff. This wasn’t practicable so I thought about a flight back for a weekend in the UK. This was ruled out when – thanks to something known as the Gulf War starting – the company banned air travel. I figured it would have to wait until de-mobilisation from Italy – until I was recommended a “British” clinic in Milan. I rang them – yes they could do the test – no they didn’t want 24 hours worth – but to be sure – let’s have some blood!


Blood! Like most blokes I’m a coward when it comes to people sticking needles in me and even more so when they use them to extract blood. I couldn’t even cut myself at school for the biology lesson on blood! So it was a case of get there early, lie down and get it over with.
Thankfully the blood was OK – common or garden O+ variety – and I didn’t have diabetes.

Since then I’ve had to undergo this ritual several times. In China we had to have a medical that comprised weight, height, chest x- ray and blood sample. After seeing them try both arms on the tough Aussie who went first I was thankful that the next bloke let me jump the queue so I could get it over with before I blacked out or the adrenalin kicked in and I ran off screaming.


My last medical was in 2005 in Thailand. I took care to sit down and keep looking leftwards as the nurse did something to my right arm. When she’d finished she tapped me to say something. I turned – and there – in front of my nose she was holding a vial of my blood. Argh! “Sorry mister “she says” “is this the right name?”

I climbed down from the ceiling and assured her it was correct. As the other assignee sat watching said “you didn’t want to see that, did you?”

I got notification this morning of the need to have a medical prior to going to India.

No doubt “there will be blood” as they say.

I am not a number

Thanks to our flex time system I was able to take today off - so instead of prising myself out of bed at 6.25 I didn’t have to get up until I woke up to a fine clear morning at 8.10.

As always on a day off there’s an urge to sort out all sorts of things that I never have time for during the week and can’t be bothered with on a weekend. As usual it began badly – for reasons best known to it the PC crashed - and so it takes an hour to check e-mail and get it working rather than ten minutes.

Ten o’clock and I’m on my way to the exhaust centre to see about the noise it seems to be making. I’ve forgotten the receipt from when they put it on – July last year – but as it turns out to be a loose flange they tighten it up for free and the day is looking a lot better. Take down the roof and cruise back home.

Out with the bicycle and off to town for organic wholemeal bread. I’m not someone who fetishes about organic stuff or is paranoid about GMs – but having discovered organic bread tastes so much better then it’s worth it. Looked at all the nice stuff in John Lewis – how good would my place look if I bought “one of those” – but then what’s the point as I going away?

Lunch is sausage, bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes. So I’m overweight and this isn’t healthy. But then I’m supposed to be going somewhere where vegetarianism is the norm – so best build up before I go.

After that it’s relax and finish a book of the writings on cricket of J F Kilburn of the Yorkshire Post. Makes you wonder what he’d have made of the business circus we have today.

So evening comes – there’s nothing good on TV – so it’s another episode from the DVD collection of “The Prisoner”.

I am not a number – I am a free man.

Maybe...................

Getting Ready

The main reason for setting up this blog is that my company wants me to go work in India - Chennai to be exact.

As I've worked in Thailand, Singapore, China and Malaysia I guess there's a logic in this somewhere - though I have to admit it's not a place I'd ever planned on going to. Having done my Tour of Duty in SE Asia I figured it was the UK for me.

The date set for the expedition is 1 June. Between now and then I have to get my visa, get my medical, and decide what to do with my car.

And maybe have a pre-assignment holiday!

Six Weeks in Beijing

After four months in Singapore in 2002 in April of that year I was sent to Beijing for six weeks.

Back then I wrote of my weekend activities:

 

Great Wall & Summer Palace

28 May 2002

Last couple of weekends have been very sunny and warm with what passes here for a clear blue sky. Two weeks ago at the weekend I went to the summer palace on Saturday. I got myself a guide for 150 Yuan – all you have to do is stand around at the entrance looking lost (not hard to do since generally I am) and an approach by some entrepreneur is virtually guaranteed. It’s a pretty big place and we did a virtual route march up to the temple on the top. It’s actually quite pleasant up there and one gets a good view of Beijing and the lake in front of the palace – back in the days of the emperors it was probably quite nice – now the skyline in the distance is not that great! The place had loads of tourists – though they thin out towards the top. The “long corridor” turns into a long walk made even more so by the inability of the locals to pick their feet up and walk properly – or in anything approaching a straight line. Saw such things as the Marble Boat and more concubine’s rooms and emperor’s bedrooms. Might be worth a re-visit to wander round at more leisurely pace.

Unfortunately I twisted my ankle on some of the steps at the top. It didn’t seem bad at the time – and got back to hotel, went for swim, and thought nothing of it. Went out to what they call “Bar Street” for a meal with a bloke from England – after sitting there about an hour got up (about 8’o clock by now) and could hardly walk! Anyway, after a night’s rest it was fairly OK next day.

Went to a German Brauhaus with a couple of Americans last week - they were having a May festival promotion. The food comprised sausages, mash, meat, sausages, meat and more sausages. To be honest not that brilliant but these blokes think it's great because taste and quantity wise it's about on par with US food. They also had some dancing girls from Munich in traditional Bavarian outfits. One of the Americans had been about five times to see this.


Last weekend went to Great wall at Bada Ling on Saturday then Ming Tombs. Quite exhausting climbing the wall - packed out with people as well. Rather amusing museum at base - pictures of 'the Prime Minister of' or "the president of" visiting at various dates - but no names on any of these people - other than Richard Nixon and Muhammad Ali. Interesting that the only non premier/president/king was "the leadership of the British Conservative Party" in 1975. Wonder if they visited the Summer Palace to learn about China's own "Dragon Lady" - the Empress Ci Ci - whilst they were at it.

The grounds and history of the Ming Tombs was interesting - but the tomb itself is about as interesting as a wine cellar 27 metres down without any wine in it. None of the coffins etc. down there are originals - about only thing of interest is a stone throne.

Observations of a Yorkshireman in Singapore

Having spent the end of 2001 working in Philadelphia I escaped to SE Asia and Singapore in January 2002. 

Here's what I wrote back then:

27 January 2002

 

Well, after three months in the USA and after two weeks here I can at last report that once again I have reached civilization.

It's a bit like the USA in that there are lots of tall buildings.

It's a bit like the USA in that there is an abundance of food. But there is more variety here. And lots of the food comes from all over the world - there is even Blue Stilton in the supermarket, or pickled onions. And supermarkets sell beer, wine etc - you don't have to go to the liquor store to get it.

This being Asia they know how to cook food. Ask for a fried egg - you get a fried egg rather than lots of questions about which way up it goes.

It's a bit like England in that shop assistants are refreshingly indifferent to whether you have a nice day or not!

 It's a bit like Italy in that fashion and cars are important to vast swathes of the populace. It's like the USA in that the road signs are in a sort of English - but like England they drive on the correct side of the road here.

 It's a bit like the USA in that they have shopping malls crowded with people. But here they are much smaller people.

 It's a bit like Thailand in that it's hot - probably hotter. But unlike Thailand you can drink the water and the traffic whilst chaotic generally stops at the lights.

 It's a bit like Malaysia in that you see women in Muslim outfits and scarves. But nowhere near as many of them. It's a bit like Hong Kong in terms of number of Chinese people

 It's a bit like everywhere these days - nothing worth watching on TV.

 It's a bit like Thailand in that the newspapers are international in content. It's a bit like Malaysia in that you only read what the government wants you to. It's a bit like the USA in that most of it's not worth reading anyway. It's a bit like everywhere but the USA in that The Economist magazine is widely available and a special expedition by train and on foot is not
needed to find somewhere that sells it.

 It's a bit like everywhere I have been but the USA in that people know that
 football is a game played by eleven men kicking a spherical ball – not some
 weird version of Rugby played by who knows how many in padded outfits and
 crash helmets throwing a ball.

 All in all it's not quite as laid back as Thailand and much more organised -
 so not quite as relaxing.