For
the nth time; I examined the tip of my index finger. It has been deformed by
the pen grip following years of yea; writing prescriptions. MDs write as much,
no I think much more than clerical employees of any office on the planet.
Technology in fact has made lives of secretaries and other clerical workers
simpler while MDs are forever condemned to the basics of writing on a piece of
paper not to mention record books, reports and insurance papers to fill up.
Yesterday,
I saw more than 30 patients. It is the first time in as many years since I
returned to Saudi Arabia that I saw that much patient in a single day, a
throwback reminder of my days at the town’s general hospital where I used to
see an average of 50 patients a day. The biggest number I saw in a day was –
280 patients. You’ve got to be a super-dokki but then maybe I was in the days I
was young. With nostalgic fondness – I can recall those days when so many
patients would swarm over me some pulling at my sleeves while others were pulling
at my hair; “doctor, ana aw’wal” (I am the first).
Whenever
my colleagues (in the private clinic where I am now) quarrel with our
manager/owner; I end up seeing more patients and with the paediatrician having
to go on an unscheduled leave – 30 patients will be the right order of the day
in the days to come. In this town; people call me the “Emir of doctors” and for
some – they call me “al Barraka” or “the miracle worker.” Very flattering
indeed...!
“Nish
won the gold again,” my wife’s txt reads.
I
was for some moment unable to absorb what it meant. I was so busy; it took
another hour before I could steal some precious moment to read the rest of the
messages. Nishreen would inform me days before she enters any competition for
obvious reason – there is always some amount to pay. The following few texts
however made it clear that they were at that very moment in a gym in Pasay City
where Nishreen won the gold – again.
As
a parent; there is no moment sweeter than news of your child or children
triumph in their chosen field whatever that field of battle might be. We have
called Nishreen a lot of lovely names from a “miracle baby” coming at a time
when her mom and I were past our prime to “angel of joy” to “Kikay” as she starts
to interact with her surroundings in a way that is blissfully happy. The age
difference between her and her next sibling is 16 years meaning her 3 sisters
and only brother are all grown-ups; they treated her like a precious gem. It’s
no surprise therefore that she keeps her siblings always alert on their heels
attending to her every whim.
Her
mom, her siblings and I didn’t demand from her to excel in her academe but she
seems to be born with a natural talent that is obviously not your average kind.
While still in the process of learning to talk, we demanded from her to speak
in English just for the heck but amazingly - she adopted like it is the most
natural thing in the world. Her kindergarten
teachers shied away from her talkativeness because they cannot catch up with
her English – LOL!
Kids
with access to the latest communication gadgets are exposed to accelerated
learning. Like Nishreen; they tend to be fast readers when singing on a
minus-one-sing-along or when they sing along on a YouTube video with lyrics. When they tinker with their myriad of gadgets and play video
games; they read and follow instruction that further boosts their mental growths.
Although
her first bundle of medals came at the end of her kindergarten where she
delivered the valedictory address aged 5; she got few more after that when she
moved to RG Montessori as an outstanding pupil. Her actual chase for more
medals really took a new turn when she joined a karate club where she receives
lessons 1-2x/week. Barely six weeks into her lessons, she won her first gold
medal followed by a silver four weeks later. Before the end of 2013; she won
one more gold medal. Yesterday’s gold is her 4th in less than a year
that began last summer. She is so good in what she does (without really
trying); her club promoted her to skip one belt to a higher level. “Karate” was
only meant to keep her away from spending too much time with her bundle of electronic
gadgets that includes an iPad, a PSP, Samsung Tablet and a Samsung Galaxy mini
not to mention laptops around the house.
I
hope though that with her interest in the sport; her academic standing will not
suffer much.
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