Germ-Freak-Mom Still Freaking Out

One thing I haven't grown accustom to even after a year is the fact that food servers and medical workers do not wear sanitary gloves. For instance, when I went to have blood drawn a few weeks ago, the lab nurse put the needle in my arm and covered it with a band-aid without gloves on! I don't know who I'm more afraid for...me or her! And I've never seen any medical workers with gloves on. Granted I've never been in surgery so I can't say I've covered all the bases.

And for those of you who live in Houston, Marv Zindler would have had a field day in restaurants here:) I don't think there are any health code inspections. You know, I've worked in restaurants in the U.S. and I can't remember if cooks and food servers are required to wear plastic gloves or not. I think what freaks me out is that most of the washrooms (sinks) in restaurants don't have soap or towel to dry off so I automatically connect that to the hands of the cooks/servers that also have no soap or towel:) At one party we went to they were serving these snacks that could be compared to building nachos...the food server sprinkles all types of different things on a base of chips. But the problem was that he was using his fingers, not spoons and no gloves. I couldn't do it! Brian ate it and lived but I just couldn't risk it:) The thing is people's immunities have grown up exposed to this from birth. For foreigners being introduced to this type of dining you are certain to get stomach bugs somewhere along the way...which by now our stomach's have had plenty of their share. Our childrens' immune systems will be like steel after a few years here:)

The great thing is I love the food here too much to not eat out:) I just try not to think about it or take more than a glancing look at the kitchen...ignorance is bliss:) And with that said I know that there are many American restaurants that would gross me out too if only I saw the "slime in the ice" as Marv would say:)