August 5 - The magic must be on sebatical

OK... G & T-Boy are still at the Hospital so we're going to have a day without them at the park. I'd already prepaid(you get a discount) the buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Chef Mickey, so I take the other 3 kids and they're thrilled to have *waffles*. Extra bonus: They're shaped like Mickey Mouse heads :o)

I'm thinking that G's absence from the park experience is a good thing. G and theme parks don't go together very well. Once we get to the park I realize that I am SOOOOOO glad that G's not with us. I'm not sure if you've all heard, but in preparation for the 2008 Olympics in China they're practicing -standing in lines- on designated queuing days. Apparently pushing, shoving and line jumping is commonplace. Well... today was NOT a practice day at Disneyland. It didn't take too long to realize that I ought to just "let it go"... but not TOTALLY. I had the benefit of a double stroller (good for the diagonal positioning block) and a 6 year old who had NO issue with shoving back at whoever was pushing up on her. Just like any other Disney resort they're quick with the stickers when kids cry and of course there's not too much crying because... they're in Disneyland!


We head back to the hotel to take a break and meet up with G and T-boy. After a buffet dinner at Chef Mickey in the hotel (where I chowed on sashimi BIG TIME) we head back over to the park to ride a couple rides and see the fireworks. T-Boy is MUCH better now. But my poor husband G, he's another story.
As far as Disney parks go... this one was cheaper on the ticket prices but the park is smaller. It was a good fit for us and our 4 small kids. With 2 days we still couldn't finish the park. But if you have the option of choosing ANY international Disney experience I would NOT choose Hong Kong... just because of the line issue alone. You've REALLY got to show up with your own magic to deal with all the shoving.

August 4 - Maybe not so magical of a day

Today's plans for an uneventful day sure ended with a bang, or a wheeze.

Today we just go out to eat for lunch and catch our reserved van to get from Kowloon to Lantau Island where we'll spend 2 nights at Disney's Hollywood Hotel and do 2 days in the park. (They were having a stay 2 nights get a 2nd day in the park for free promotion)

I'd made the reservation on the phone a few weeks ago after several failed online attempts. Well... it turns out that the "park view" rooms I reserved and requested as "connecting" can't be HAD as "connecting" because NONE OF THEM ARE CONNECTED. A SMALL detail that would've been helpful during the reservation process. Oh! and of course, there are no connecting rooms available. So blah, blah, blah.... we'll just cope. We're glad to be in a room where the kids can veg in front of more innocent cartoons in the English language(so that they'll actually stay parked in front of the TV long enough for me & G to take a break/nap).

Now here we go...

T-boy is having a bronchiospasm episode that's not responding to his inhaler. We all go downstairs to try and eat but T-boy's just getting worse. Geoff goes to the front desk to see if there's a doctor. The front desk manager calls him a taxi to go to the Adventist Hospital. I'm at the cafe with 2 trays of food and drink and 3 kids... we need to go to the room. I can't keep them corralled. Wonderfully there's a "cast member" who sees me trying to manipulate 2 trays of food and drink and 3 kids and helps us up to our room. In the elevator I vent some of my stress about Turner... He responds "Oh, you're in room -insert our room # here-." He was one of the staff members helping G get the hospital trip together.

Once I get the kids fed and settled I get a call... I'm hoping its' G but it's the front desk manager. She tells me that if there's anything they can do to help to let her know. She's also asking me if I have any new news. I suppose that when you've got a Disney resort management position you need to know if there's a case of bird-flu at your hotel.

I finally hear from G. They're spending the night and T-boy will have IV medication. I respond, "Wha!? What about a nebulizer?" We're in Hong Kong(China)... they don't do nebulizers because of SARS. G and T-boy have also gotten the quarantine treatment once the staff discovered we'd come from Thailand... bird-flu-fear.

Well... at the least the other kids got to watch the fireworks from the hotel room. The TV read them a few bedtime stories... and we all eventually went to sleep.

... Here's where I wish we could ALL breathe a sigh of relief.

Geoff says to go ahead to the park with the other kids tomorrow. I feel off about it... but it makes sense... certainly no sense in staying cooped up in a hotel room with 3 kids.

Tonight, the luggage gets a treat... its own hotel room with a view of the park.

June 18 - Thainakarin Hospital

So we wake up and realize we have no phone or DSL. I walk over to the Villa Arcadia office to try and communicate our loss of communications. I think I did it. A little later in the morning a grumpy, crusty, ole telco guy and a lovely, helpful woman arrive to check out our phone/DSL issues. Turns out that water leaks into the wall and we need to get a new assembly to where the phone and router plug in upstairs. Crusty guy says we should go ahead and get two. A job for Thai-speaking-Geoff. Add that to the to-do list for the day.

People-wise... Cam's fungal rash doesn't seem to be getting better. So, instead of taking him to the same hospital, G takes Cam to Thainakarin (recommended by the lovely, helpful woman). OK... it's a staph bacterial infection, impetigo. This time Geoff leaves with a small bottle of Betadine, more topical antibacterial, anti-itch syrup, and Cloxacillin. All (except the anti-itch) to be applied or taken FOUR TIMES A DAY! The Cloxacillin does NOT taste or smell good.

oh boy... it's going to be a fun 60 ml... 5 ml at at time.

OK... Read at your own risk.

Earlier this month both Geoff and I suffered from travellers toilet issues. Luckily, Geoff didn't need the Zithromax like I did but it did leave him with other issues. Issues that required the marvels of modern technology and medical intervention.

So, I take a digital picture of Geoff from a most undignified angle and we email the photo to Geoff's doctor in Baltimore. Next morning, Geoff gets to experience the joys of going to 3 different pharmacies to find the Thai equivalent of Anusol-HC. To top it off, the driver needs to go in with him to all 3 pharmacies to help translate. Yeah, real low key. I'll leave that photo out of the blog.

But man! you got to love the miracle of the Internet and digital cameras.

Hmmm... after the Cam-hospital experience, maybe a hospital experience would've been the better way to go.

Anyhoo... we're getting on a plane tomorrow(where Geoff's recovered rear will get to sit for 2.5 hours) to spend the weekend in Singapore.

Until we return...

June 12 - The Sikarin Hotel/Hospital

Cam's managed to pick up a rash on his scalp. By the looks of it... it's spreading like some sort of fungal problem. So, after letting it go for too long we get him checked out by a doctor.

I'm not sure about this, but people here don't typically have a "primary care physician"; they just go to the hospital. So, Geoff took Cam to the hosital.

GOOD GOLLY!

When he came back only 1.5 hours later all he kept saying was, "It was like being at a hotel!". When the driver pulled up, hospital staff were there to open the door and carry the diaper bag for him. Geoff didn't even carry the diaper bag! So, in the 1.5 hours: Transit to hospital, check-in/ID card registration, visit with doctor, get prescriptions for fungal skin issue, transit back home. All of this for less than USD $20! In the states, MY COPAY FOR THE DOCTOR VISIT *ALONE* IS $25!

Geoff kept comparing the hospital trip with his previous stays at the Novotel Hotel in Thailand. Geoff's friend Jack says that this isn't even one of the "better" hospitals.

I'm reminded of story of Geoff's friend's visit to Thailand. After a food poisoning issue Geoff's friend needed to go to the hospital to get a shot in the rear. ...after they stuck him, they rubbed/massaged the sore spot. Full service.

Two words everyone... medical tourism.