Hospital Room, Philippines

The plane landed at 4am and I was thankful that I had already visited the Philippines a few months ago when Elysia had work to do here.  Immigration wanted to know if I was here for the poker tournament.  I just headed to the private cabs and went directly to Perpetual Succour Hospital and found my little brother, his mom — the younger sister I never had — and two family friends sleeping in a small private room.

Cebu City is known as a peaceful, clean city in the Philippines.  At least compared to Manila.  Still, it looks like a city under construction or maybe a city crumbling apart.  A handful of gleaming buildings and gas stations and everything else looks like an industrial zone.  The small road to the hospital was dusty and packed end to end with small shanty businesses selling re-bottled water, snacks and odds and ends.

I did not know what to expect of the hospital and was happy to find it clean and secure.  Not an expat hospital.  Few frills but there is a color tv.  And a private room. The nurses here all wear the little white hats, carefully folded and pinned into shape.  I think I am in the 1940s.

My brother’s wounds from the dog mauling were surprisingly minor.  At least compared to what could have been.  He is lucky to be alive and mainly intact.

His upper lip was torn apart.  He has dog scratches on his face, arms and back.  He does not want to be in the hospital.

I brought him a surprisingly complicated Transformer set and the Babar collection, which I unwrapped.  Does anyone remember that the opening pages of Babar show his mother being shot by a hunter?  Oops.

We all slept most of the morning.  The doctor came and gave an update.  Antibiotics and rabies shots for a several weeks.  We did not discuss payment.

Hospitals here want cash up front.  The professional services from the doctor, plastic surgeon and anesthesiologist are billed separately and you can negotiate the amount.  Except probably in our case as we have several marks against us.  I am white, live in wealthy Singapore, and obviously had the means to fly here ($200 RT!).  Still, a pittance compared to what care would cost elsewhere.

I am now at Ayala mall, a very upscale and expensive oasis in Cebu.  They blast the Black-Eyed Peas everywhere, probably a national pride since the lead, Will.i.am is from here.  If Citrus were here right now she would yell “This is my very favorite song!”  Boom boom pow.

Here for three more days.  It has been a long time since I have traveled alone and it might be only the second time that I have been away from my four year old daughter for more than a day.