It has begun...

2 days ago, I finally started my job. Well, I haven't exactly started
as much as I have had 2 days of orientation. Monday will be my first
real day. I am looking forward to using everything that I learned in
university - which isn't too much. Ok. Maybe I learned a lot more, but
it has been 2 years since I had classes in the Swang Building and so
recalling it is more of an issue.

Anyway, orientation was just 2 days of going of procedures and safety
precautions and such. I learned how to fill out a time sheet. I
learned what all the codes mean. Of course, I was at an advantage when
it came to hospital lingo. Thank you, Dr. House. Actually, I was the
only foreigner taking part in this orientation. The other 5 were
Chinese. An interesting thing to remember is that the main language
for all hospital operations is English. I kind of felt guilty because
I could understand everything the instructor was saying. I wonder if
my peers could. I am sure they understood a lot. My instructor kept
asking me if it was ok for her to use Chinese. I am totally ok with
that but she was uber-sensitive to my needs. Yeah for hospitality. I
just felt bad about that. In fact, I would rather her review
everything in Chinese.

One of the things that really stuck with me from the orientation was
the electrical safety guide. Don't get too excited. This is just me
being nerdy. You know some electric cords have 3 prongs? Well, I had
no idea what its purpose was until yesterday. It is a ground wire. If
the appliance malfunctions, any electricity that some how makes it to
the casing of the appliance is rerouted to this 3rd prongs and
grounded. I had no idea. We just cut them off when I was younger so
that they would fit in the 2 prong holes. I never got shocked because
of a malfunction. It was always because I was plugging things into the
socket in the dark and I was using my fingers as a guide by laying
them on the metal prong and feeling for the hole. I'll say it isn't a
terrible feeling but if the shock was larger I may have met my doom.

My office is about 10 mins away from the hospital by walk and on the
opposite side of my apartment. Did I mention my apartment was in
between the hospital and my office and one of the other sides of my
block holds the largest and best mall in the area? It could only be
more convenient if the subway stop was a half a kilometer closer.
Anyway, I sit at a cubicle. I am thinking about changing my blog name
to "Life from the Cube".

Well, off to learn some Chinese and find out what else is around here.