Best Day Ever!!!!

So. Today I was supposed to commute back to Spokane to work at the main clinic.  That's my normal Tuesday schedule.  On my way there, however, my boss called to ask if I'd go back to Cheney and work becuase the gal who ususally is here Tuesday needed to stay home with her sick kid. I was all for it.  Cheney is a longer shift which is more money, and it's quieter and I don't have to drive so far. 

The day went pretty normal, maybe a little busier than I'm used to, but I like it that way. I sit down for lunch, (they brought us southern bbq today)   and within a minute a nurse comes to say I have an x-ray, but that it's not urgent and I can finish eating.  Fine by me.  Not 2 minutes pass and a receptionist comes back to the lunchroom wondering what to do because there's a couple checking in who don't speak English and their interpreter hasn't shown up.  (We're supposed to schedule and provide interpreters whenever needed prior to appointments, so the interpreting office dropped the ball there) The receptionist was so frazzled, so on a whim I said "what do they speak?"  She looked at me and in a huge sigh said "CHINESE!!"  So I said...."I can speak Chinese." She looked at me like I was crazy and said "Don't bull-s*** me"   HAHA.. So I said I was serious and she hauled me back to the front. 

Longest walk of my life.  My Chinese is terrible, where would I even begin?  It was an older couple with their 20 something son.  None of them spoke English, and actually the older mother was the one who understood me best!  She thought I was the coolest thing since sliced bread and kept saying how good my Chinese was.  Yeah right.  The receptionists and nurses all just stared at me as I spoke to them an explained to them that an interpreter (with better Chinese than me) was on his way in just a few minutes.  They were so grateful and happy.  Everyone else was in shock. 

To avoid all the questions I didn't go back to the lunchroom and did that first x-ray that had been waiting.  Through the halls people kept congratulating me and telling everyone else what I did, I seriously felt like a celebrity.  I sat back down in the lunchroom when I was done and took a bite of my sandwich and a Dr. came back and said she was sorry but she had an urgent x-ray.  Went and did it, sat back down, another Dr. comes back with another x-ray... I'm never gonna get to eat at this point. Oh well. I go look at the name on the order and it's my Chinese friend!!  Woot Woot!!  The interpreter had shown up by this point obviously, but I didn't need him.  Me and the patient went back and spoke Chinese through the halls and through the x-ray and when I dropped her back off in the room she said thanks so much and my Chinese really was good.  (It really wasn't)  Whatever, she had to teach me how to say hold your breath cuz I didn't know how to!  HAHA .  It felt so great though, and gave me an opportunity to tell people about my mission because everyone had to know how in the world I spoke such a weird language.   Funny enough, this is actually the third time since I've been working in Cheney that I've gotten to use my Chinese! There's more of them around, I wonder if they have a club or parties I can go to.....and practice my Zhongwen!!  Oh what a great day.  So glad that my co-worker's kid wasn't feeling good today!  Hope she gets better by tomorrow though :)