Had to make a little visit to Chula Hospital in Bangkok. We were advised to 'get masked up', and so we did. Trouble was, I had the worst case of flu ever (which wasn't the reason for having to go to hospital). After having arrived back in Thailand from the UK, I have spent the next week with hardly any sleep cos of bad jet lag. After a few days (when I felt fine) I went swimming in a bit of a minging pool, and a bug pounced.
I must have looked pretty terrifying for anyone a bit jumpy about catching anything nasty. My eyes were bloodshot, I had a hacking cough and nose like Niagra falls. I really shouldn't have gone I know, but I had very little choice; I hoped my mask would keep most of my own nasties inside. I even took the stairs (nothing to do with the huge lift queues, honest). I was so ill by the time I got the sixth floor I was ready to check in.
(Just another weird Thai t-shirt) I reckon about 1/5 of people in Chula Hospital had masks on. I can't really see that making a big difference on infection rates, if swine flu is as virulent as the press would have us believe. The hospital staff impressed me though; as we sat in a large waiting room, nurses dished out antiseptic hand gel to everybody without exception. One of them even stood at the front and gave a demonstration on how to use it. All we strangers sat there, rubbing hands and fingers together in unison.
When we finally got in to see doctor (to see him about something completely unrelated to my flu), he took one look at me and surprised me when he asked in perfect English if I had a fever.
I said that I was a bit rough, yes.
He asked me if I had recently travelled.
Er, yes, I said, a few weeks ago (I'm not sure why I lied, but I felt pretty uncomfortable at this point).
He carried on taking a good hard look at me, and said 'If you have a fever, then I will need to make sure you go and get screened for H1N1 virus, swine flu'.
I told him that I appreciated what he was saying, but really, I was fine.....
He looked quite pissed off, and carried on with what he was doing.... making me feel worse for being there, as ill as I was...
I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little worried voice in my head at this point... Maybe I should get checked out? It's one of those occasions where you think, shit, maybe this is why there is all this press attention. Christ. Maybe I have got fecking swine flu.... !
We got finished up, and I legged it.
(Lovely view of a park from the Chula Hospital. Any Thai experts out there know what it's called?).
Anyway, a day later, tonnes of fresh orange juice, paracetamol, tomato soup and a full nights kip, and I'm fighting fit. I think I scared myself healthy.
Moral of the story. If you gotta go to the Thai hospital, get a mask on, especially if you've got swine flu.
It's bloody airplanes. Everyone gets bugs off them. All the germs recirculate, you get run down from the travel and -BOOM- travel flu.
Posted by: Wotchit | July 10, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Yeah probably... but I reckon it was the pool. Would have been fine if I'd managed to get some decent sleep tho. Bloody jet lag, never had it so bad.. I was just starting to think I was getting hardened to it.
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 10, 2009 at 12:44 PM
That park is of course Lumphini park. The tracks in front is the Skytrain, and at that small plastered place is a statue of King Rama VI - just outside of the photographed area.
Posted by: Andy | July 10, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Thanks Andy, feel like I should have known that! I asked a couple of Thais who didnt know! (or probably couldn't be arsed to think, or didn't understand my question) Many thanks for that. Ben
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 10, 2009 at 01:26 PM
You are the second one coming back from that part of the world with a flu/virus.
Being jetlagged is bad enough, so poor you for having to deal with a flu too!
I hope you were properly spoilt at home.
Seems no matter how old we get, having someone take special care of us when we are sick does make us feel better.
Posted by: Catherine | July 11, 2009 at 02:50 AM
Ben-you swine-looking for the sympathy vote-you have mine anyway.
Question-why do Asian folk have a habit of doing the V sign when photographed?
Glad you are back on side.
Posted by: Mike | July 11, 2009 at 03:43 AM
Thanks Cat, of course, I milked it for all it was worth. I also had to contend with a head covered in tiger balm for a few days - that stuff kills if it gets in the old eyeballs, tastes pretty gnarly as well. Clears the airways a treat tho. :)
Mike, I am a swine of the highest order. All sympathy welcome. The V sign - the Thais used to show the invading Burmese armies they still have their two fingers attached (the Burmese used to cut them off you know).
... maybe that was the Germans? Mai pen arai kub :)
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 11, 2009 at 04:59 AM
Dunno 'bout the thai's, but the english 'v'-sign goes back to the 100-years war. The French used to cut English longbowman fingers off, so they used to wave them at the French before battle. So literally 'these fingers are gonna kill YOU'.
Posted by: Wotchit | July 11, 2009 at 09:11 AM
God bless the French. The English would have killed their longbowman just to make sure ... Where's the sport in that eh? Vicious pig dogs we are ... ;)
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 11, 2009 at 09:17 AM
They weren't big on longbows, they were into the old aristo thing of wearing half a ton of sheet metal on top of a sodding great horse. So you can imagine, old Bertrand de Farqhar wasn't too happy about getting spiked by some peasant with a bow. Which is what we did. It was considered very underhand by the frenchies, dontcha'know.
Posted by: Wotchit | July 11, 2009 at 09:55 AM
...hence the finger cropping. Whys that girls t-shirt say that? What 'does he need' (ohh-err)?
Posted by: Wotchit | July 11, 2009 at 10:02 AM
I've seen so many strange Thai t-shirts. Everything from 'F*** Jesus' to funny childish patterns made of swasticas! The wearers don't look like anti-christians, or hard core nazi's by any stretch of the imagination....
So many questions, so few answers. The mind boggles. Amazing Thailand.
Posted by: Ben Shingleton | July 11, 2009 at 10:28 AM
'a head covered in tiger balm for a few days'
Ughh... that stuff is awful but I can't do without it.
The t-shirts worn in Thailand are hilarious - sweet little things sporting some of the most base cuss words around.
It'd be similar to me going to China and buying a t-shirt for a souvenir. I would have to go by size, colour and design. Not by what they said.
The English have a propensity for crude, but do the Chinese and other Asian nations?
Posted by: Catherine | July 12, 2009 at 02:35 AM
Cat - A little birdy tells me that Thai humour is just as crude and brash as English humour....!
Posted by: Ben Shingleton | July 12, 2009 at 06:07 AM
Ben, I believe your little birdy is correct.
I mean, have you ever run into the problem of giving fruit as a present?
No? Then I'll have to write a post on just that ;-)
Posted by: Catherine | July 13, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Nope not had that one yet, intrigued! please do..
I have asked for an omelette and completely screwed it up, but thats more to do with my dodgy Thai than crude humour. What I said is pretty damn rude tho haha....
Posted by: Ben Shingleton | July 13, 2009 at 12:12 PM
You must of scared the living crap out of a lot of people with your flu like symptoms. Reading your comments has explained the meaning of the two fingered Thai sign, that ends months of thinking by me. Cheers.
Posted by: Martyn | July 13, 2009 at 09:27 PM
Heh yes I think so Martyn, altho I made every effort to keep my germs contained... I had to go to the hospital it was unavoidable...
Don't believe everything you read! ;)
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 14, 2009 at 02:34 AM
In other words, he made up the thing about the Burmese and the fingers. Naughty Pirate.
Posted by: Wotchit | July 14, 2009 at 07:16 AM