Book Review: The House of the Mosque

Please Note: Everything here is just my personal opinion!

Title: The House of the Mosque

Author: Kader Abdolah

Overall I was not tremendously impressed with this highly acclaimed "International Bestseller". The book was purchased in a rush and I did not realise it would be focusing exclusively on Shias - my bad - the book is set in Iran after all (really don't know what I was thinking!).

The story revolves around the lives of the family in-charge of the Mosque beginning pre-revolution and ends post-revolution. I found the pre-revolution part sickening coz it was filled with vivid descriptions of Muta (Temporary Marriage) which was portrayed as something permissible in Islam. [Really, every time I read about this 'temporary form of marriage that is acceptable in Islam', I wanted to shout out "It's only allowed in Shi'ism, Umar (R.A) said it's Prostitution!] Anyway I just shudder to think what non-muslim readers made of this. Besides this, I came across many other practices/beliefs depicted as 'Islamic' without specifying it's exclusive to Shi'ism, as well as some incorrect Islamic History. Don't get me wrong it's not that a book I read has to be Islamically correct or something, it's just it irks me when things are portrayed as Islam, and are in fact not!

Okay, enough ranting! The latter part of the book went at a rapid pace, avidly describing the Iranian Revolution and it's effects on ordinary individuals and their families. It's cruel and heart-wrenching at times and really shows the lowest levels man can stoop down to. 

Overall Rating: 7/10

"On Call"

So what does it mean to be "on call"? Basically it means you are covering the night at hospital, in whichever department you are working. The person on call starts the day as everybody else at 7:30/8:00. Then from 16:00 till the next morning, the person on call works in casualty/OPD or the wards - depending where the person is allocated. If you lucky (usually not!) and it's quiet you can get some sleep. The next morning the on-call person does normal duties until 12. After 12 you can leave and it's now your post-call day :)

I don't know how the timetable was planned coz I didn't have any calls the past 2 weeks and now I'm on call Tuesday, Friday and Sunday!

The call rooms here are not that grand (and there's been a rumour of a rat in the surgery intern call room!) so I just use a couch in the doctor's lounge. For me, the worst part about a call is having to use the bathroom! I can never ever use a public toilet so using the doctors's toilets at the hospital is just pure torture:( It's such a procedure for me - I have to using seat covers and wipes - ag I just hate it:(

Anyway enough complaining - think of me tomorrow!

Just about my day

Had to attend a tutorial today on Paediatric Resus. Yep on a Saturday:( Anyway glad I attended - it's pretty important stuff!  I was so annoyed though, coz it was scheduled to start at 8am but from the 30 interns who were supposed to attend, there were only 12 and so they waited until 8:40 just in case the others were late!

We got to practice inserting an intra-osseous line on a chicken drumstick - real cool :)

Paeds Pics

 Told you the ward's dreary:(

Paeds Week 2

2nd week in Paeds and going well so far Alhamdulillah. Well actually I'm in a 'step-down/chronic' kind-of-ward so I guess it's not that hectic, plus I haven't had a call yet (1st call on 17th).

The language barrier is quite a problem for me and it's really difficult to explain something or to console a kid. I really wish my Zulu wasn't so limited! At least in Pretoria I could get away with Afrikaans.

Many of the kids in the ward have defaulted their TB treatment and are now on the re-treatment regime so they have to stay in hospital for 56days to receive IM injections. The very little one's don't understand why they have to stay in hospital because they feel fine and so everyday it's like "Dr, funa discharg-ga"

The ward looks a bit dreary but overall the kids I'm responsible for are really cute. But why are kids so touchy??   It's really something I'll have to TRY and get used to. Don't think I ever will. It's not that I'm a cold person, it's just that I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive about cleanliness and uhm don't really appreciate a hug from a child with a porridge-smeared face, snotty nose and some unidentifiable wetness on his sleeves!! Seriously people I've witnessed it - these kids put there hands everywhere! It's really gross!!

Well enough about the gross stuff - I cant believe the 2nd week is almost over. Next week's gna be real hectic with 3 calls....

Doctor's Lounge Chat 1 ;)

Topic: The strike last year

Doctor1: "The military had to come in to assist at the hospital I was working at last year. I must say the military nursing staff were quite good but some of the military doctors seemed a bit dodgey!"

Doctor2: "Well I guess that's because they only know how to manage gun-shot wounds!"

Doctor3: "Gun-shot wounds? I don't think so. They probably specialists in treating STI's (Sexually Transmitted Infections)!"

Paeds

So today was my 2nd day in Paediatrics and it's not going too badly! I'm finding it nice working with kids (except when I need to draw blood or put up an IV line!) but it is also quite depressing. 7 of the 9 children I'm responsible for, have HIV and TB and almost everything else that goes with being immune-compromised:( It just seems so unfair that these little one's have to suffer because of their parents.

It's also frightening for me because it's really easy to get a needle stick or splash injury. May Allah protect me and every other doctor.