OK, so I'm over the initial shock. Much more settled now.
The med students here are so intense, but with just cause - their workload is huge and this is their last week on the rotation, so their exams are coming up. I think they have so much more pressure on them than we do back in Aus. They have to compete for a residency program when they finish school whereas I just have to put in preferences for which hospital I want and I am given a place. But I guess this competitiveness is just delayed by a few years at home, cause I will have to apply for a program eventually, just not straight out of school.
Enough about that. Before I finish talking about the hospital, I will just say that I have seen many more births, (almost had one on my own yesterday but the resident came in at the last minute with me holding the babies head in whilst trying to put my other glove on - was sooo cool!), many more caesarian sections, and gushed over lots of gorgeous bubs. The emotion never leaves me. Each birth I get close to tears, even if it's totally uncomplicated and even if I have no connection with the mum. The worst was yesterday when a baby became floppy. I was beside the mum with the resident, and the nurse yells up the corridor to get paeds cause we had a floppy baby. I rushed over and helped her stimulate the bub who began to come around, before paeds came in and took over. The poor mum was so upset, and I really had to bite my tongue not to cry. Such an intense situation!
As with Ob/Gyn rotation at home, I am again realising that I enjoy working with the babies much more than with the mums. After each birth I know my role with Ob/Gyn is with the mum, but all I want to do is help out with the newborn. I have had residents raise their voice at me cause I've been preoccupied watching what's going on with the baby and not hearing that they need me to pass them the stitches or something. Whoops! :o)
So I did end up taking the afternoon off the other day and wandered downtown. I love how walkable this city is, that is, if it's not too cold. It was a gorgeous afternoon, the sun was out, and I made it all the way to the end of Manhattan to Battery Park without even thinking about hopping on the subway. I stopped on the way in Chinatown, at a cute restaurant that I'd been to before. I think back then it was called New Green Bo, now it's called Nice Green Bo, but the food is the same - fresh, hot and comforting! I had pork buns... mmmmm! 
Mott St, Chinatown
Sat at a large 'singles' table, and an older man struck up conversation. He asked if any of us were at jury duty and the girl next to me was, turns out they were in the same room, and after 2 days hadn't heard anything about whether or not they were going to be chosen. Then asked me what brings me downtown. I explained, and of course, everyone had some connection to Australia. So funny. The girl next to me was a management consultant who had lived and worked in Sydney for 6 months, and the older man's son had attended Macquarie University for a couple of semesters.
Battery Park was freezing with the breeze flying in off the water, but the view was relaxing. I watched the Staten Island Ferry leave the dock and looked out over to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty only a small stalk in the distance. Squirrels scurried around in the park around me with tourists happily feeding and snapping photos of them.
I ducked into Starbucks (yes, there really is one on every corner!) for a much needed warming cup of coffee, and slowly wandered back north, via the Wall St and Ground Zero areas. Popped into Century 21 (huge discount store) and found luck with a pair of ankle boots at 50% off. Called into Trinity Episcopal Church for some more solace, and then jumped on the subway back uptown.
Looking forward to the upcoming weekend. Don't really have any plans as yet, apart from Mexican in the meatpacking tonight with some uni friends from Sydney. But the options are truely endless in this city... it's unreal.
Staten Island Ferry
View to the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park
Ground Zero - building in progress
Battery Park 'gardens' - not much lives in this temperature!
