Practikum/ presentation the american way.

For the last couple days I have been in a program with my school that lets me go to work for a business for two weeks. I can choose where I want to work, and normally students pick businesses they are intrested in going into some day. I went into the medical field, and I work for a clinic. The last couple of days have been really great. I was actually lucky to be able to work here because I dont think it is normal for a student to be allowed to work in a doctors office here. Luckley Rotary once again had a connection.... or actually I had the connection. My counselor for rotary is an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor and works in Rheinbach. When I asked him if i could do my Practikum at his business he was more than happy to have me there. The first thing I needed to do was buy white pants, and a white shirt. I leave all my white things at the doctors office so I dont get them dirty which was a great idea because than I dont have to spend money buying any more than just one pair. My first day all the nurses really made me feel helpful and that I was doing something. They let me watch all the tests they ran, and the first day I got to see someone getting there ear drum checked by electrical currents. It was actually rally cool to watch all those little electical wires popped on the patients face.... keep in mind that no one is hurt during this process :D. Than I got to see how they clean the ear... dont worry I never see the actual ear wax stuff I just see a long hose like instrument spray water into the persons ear. Than I also get to watch the machines that are used for hearing test.. I saw someone having there nose checked... not very exciting to watch for the average person but it is interesting to see how everything is done behind the curtain. Than I also get to see people get allergy shots, and tested for allergies... which is something I know a little about.. I pretty much get to see everything that goes on. The next day I spent the whole morning watching operations be done. I saw an Ear operation and to my amazment they actually dont cut the ear off... I also thought that that is how it was doen but actually it just involves a really well lit light, binoculars, and small medical instruments. Than I got to see a Nose operation where they cut the tissue back to clear out the airways. Than I go to see a Sinus operation... which was the fist time I have ever heard or seen someone break someones bone. The doctor told me to come over and look inside which is normal because I did the same thing to all the others and than he picks up a long instrument and I was thinking to myself there is no way thats going to fit up his nose without hitting his brain and all of a sudden usuing it as a crow bar he breaks the nose bone....if you have ever heard a knuckle being cracked or someones back think of that except with a distinct crakling noise.... ughhh. I was actually suprised because I thought throught the whole day that I was going to get sick or something because thats what normally happens when I get a shot but I actually didnt feel the least bit quesy and if after I saw all the shots, the blood, other nasty things, and bones being broke I still did not feel weak or sick to my stomache. It was actually a really great experience that not alot of people will have seen. I also got to see how the sleeping gas works, and all of the other things. Today I went once again but this time I was with my friend clint who is going scuba diving with margy today and he needed to get checked out to see if it was okay if he went. I was able to give him the hearing test, and he got to see a little bit of what I do during my mornings now. So tomorrow I dont know whats going to happen I hear there is another oporation, and the Dr. said that I will be in for something interesting tomorrow, so who knows maybe ill be the one breaking peoples noses....... although I hope not.


Presentating the american way.

Margy, Clint, and I all had to make a presentation for Rotary, unlike normally we had to make it all in German. After being in Mock Trail and Speech I dont mind making the presentations but I am not a fan of being infront of people. I played it cool though and acted like I wasnt scared to be infront of a bunch of rich, and known people but I really was. Margy decided she wanted to go first and clint plugged in her computer. Now think of this normally when germans think of americans they think of war wanting people.... well now they probably think that more. Margy, Clint, and I all like southpark.... but as we all know southpark can be a little grussem sometimes. Well when clint plugged in her computer sure enough what flases on the screen is a picture of Butters( one of the characters ) with a ninja throwing star in his eye. Me and Margy were laughing because the picture really didnt tell the story of this south park episode but we were in a room full of alot of elder and.... well it was just funny. So margy gave her speech she got some laughs, and than I went on and gave mine which was full of pictures because I didnt put any text on it and I was on and off before anyone knew it. Than the southpark photo popps up again and once again we are laughing. Finally clint takes margy's computer off and pluggs in his..... now if the first photo didnt leave the germans believing we love violence clints would. When his popped up on the screen the picture was... well I dont know what it was but on the bottom it said Destroy. I was laughing once again, and I dont think the germans were very happy about the photos.... but after being there for 2 hours or so, we were really tired and quite frankley didnt care to much what they thought. We all gave our presentations and even though they were not as long or funny as the germans presentations we did the best we could for what we knew. And all of us at least got some laughs so we must of done somehting right.

At the end my host mom comes up to me and Margy puts our arms around us and says that she thinks we did better than the german re-bounds, and did way better than last years exchange students. So even though we only put in a days work into those presentations... well Margy and I put in a days work.... it still gave us the satisfaction of not only doing good... but being better than last years.... You can take the americans out of america but no matter what we still love the feeling of being better :D. Oh and just so not everyone who reads this feels that we are not doing our job even though we did have some violence, we got alot of "good jobs" from the Rotary club, and they even invited us back to go to Rotary meetings once a month... im not sure if thats a reward but we'll take it... but until then Margy, Clint, and Me of course are just going to keep presenting the american way......( excluding the photos :D)