Report of 4 Sept '05
Hello from Chennai!
Boy, time flies, does it not. Here we are in the 9th month already.
Work at the Banyan continues well. Our patients are physically healing and we have able psychiatrists to deal w/ mental issues. One of the pts came into the sick room weeping copiously and loudly the other day; she had been placed on an anti-depressant and had then started hitting everyone, so was taken off the anti-dep. She was calmer on the next visit, so perhaps an alternative had been found. The entire narrative was very funny to me and the nurse and I laughed. Such laughter is not usually malicious, and we do seek to help the pts, but as you can imagine, inadvertent side effects ensue provoking much mirth.
One of our patients in the outpatient area stated to me that her father had died when she was a child, she and sibs were subsequently abandoned by their mother, some of the kids studied but they were separated and she had not seen her sibs in many years. You know, I have cause to feel fortunate daily for many things, and this time it was gratitude that my sibs and I saw each other w/o any family feud or separation interfering. This is a great blessing for me: that we ensure that my widowed sister-in-law has some support; that I tell my sister after some new accolade (most recently, the Fellowship of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, I think - FRCPCH; all Brits are welcome to correct me) that she is perfectly entitled to buy a peacock blue sari w/ spangles for the occasion even if her husband rolls his eyes at it; that my younger brother emails me and states that his wife states their unborn child is a bit like him already because it gets excited when she eats chocolate. Lots of interactions, most of which serve to boost the spirits - how phenomenally fortunate am I.
A friend took over the tutoring for me this week as I was the school doctor for the 3-day Sports Festival at my sons' school, Abacus. The event was fun, in spite of the heat, and I always feel privileged that my schedule allows me to participate in the kids' school activities. Naren and Navin brought home some medals, and Naren's house, Cassiopeia, won the overall shield (as usual - they are a powerhouse). Navin's house, Perseus, came in last, also as usual. Orion and Andromeda have no reps in our family, so we don't generally show much interest in their standings. We have told the principal, Kamini, that she must institute shields for academics, conduct and the arts as well, not just for overall well-rounded development, but because Perseus has become the punishment kids wish on other kids they don't like - a young friend of theirs said of her less-than-favorite cousin, "Ooh, I hope she joins Perseus."
This week, a friend, Janu, invited me to speak at the Ability Foundation, where she and others help train "cross-disabled" folks (folks w/ any kind of disability) for employment. The entire event was supposed to last an hour. I entered the room, and got so choked up I couldn't speak: awaiting my arrival were blind, deaf and mute college grads. I tried valiantly to put back the tears, and managed to maintain composure. The talk was on health issues, and it was a very interactive audience. My initial puzzlement at their not making eye contact w/ me gave way quickly to the knowledge that they were focusing fully on the signer next to me. Some of them busily signed back, some nodded at comments I made, some pointed to neighbors as some kind of validation of something I said: it was absolutely magnificent. All that interest, all that emoting, all the rapt attention: my word, I was humbled!! We had been at Janu's children's school play (The Sound of Music) the previous day and the chief guest, a very important individual, had made a lengthy speech during which Janu said her mother fell asleep. My audience honored me - an unimportant, underdressed person - differently. At the end of the allotted time, when the questions were by no means finished, I asked to be invited back. One of the young men - a handsome fellow w/ a trendy haircut - stood up and signed the class's collective gratitude and darn near made me weep again. I'll be back there soon and by golly, it will be my privilege.
On the ride back from Ability, I pointed out a disabled man in a wheelchair (very visible here) and Naren requested that I not do that any more as he felt sad to see such folks. We had a talk, and I told him how we react to "differently-abled" folks determines who we are inside, that there was a regime which killed disabled folks (as we know - Hitler's), and that perhaps Naren's sadness would lead to his deciding to build a training facility or home for the disabled. It was a nice chat. The children are developing cores of compassion - whether willingly or not - just due to being w/ impoverished and disabled folks; thank goodness, it could so easily be otherwise.
The boys brought report cards home and the grades are better than zero; that's the extent of good I can say about the grades. To a person, both kids' teachers mentioned their potential and how Naren's is undertapped. Navin has also slacked off in some areas. Naren states he will not sass or interrupt his teachers from now on, as his student in our Friday tutoring group cannot seem to pay attention regardless of what Naren does. Ahhhhhh - this tutoring activity is producing unforeseen benefits. We are starting anew w/ both boys, and emphasising their potential more than their idiocy w/ class pranks now. Naren goes to Delhi w/ 9th and 10th grade kids tonight - a trip we absolutely did not want to keep him back from - and Navin and I go to Bangalore to hang out w/ Scott.
We read a scathing article by an American on the unpreparedness of the U.S. w/ Katrina - feel free to tell me what you think. The article said the poor were the first abandoned. Aiyo - I hope not. It seems like we came through the tsunami ok, underdeveloped and third world though we are.
"It is only the poor who are forbidden to beg." - Anatole France
Until next week -
Renu
Boy, time flies, does it not. Here we are in the 9th month already.
Work at the Banyan continues well. Our patients are physically healing and we have able psychiatrists to deal w/ mental issues. One of the pts came into the sick room weeping copiously and loudly the other day; she had been placed on an anti-depressant and had then started hitting everyone, so was taken off the anti-dep. She was calmer on the next visit, so perhaps an alternative had been found. The entire narrative was very funny to me and the nurse and I laughed. Such laughter is not usually malicious, and we do seek to help the pts, but as you can imagine, inadvertent side effects ensue provoking much mirth.
One of our patients in the outpatient area stated to me that her father had died when she was a child, she and sibs were subsequently abandoned by their mother, some of the kids studied but they were separated and she had not seen her sibs in many years. You know, I have cause to feel fortunate daily for many things, and this time it was gratitude that my sibs and I saw each other w/o any family feud or separation interfering. This is a great blessing for me: that we ensure that my widowed sister-in-law has some support; that I tell my sister after some new accolade (most recently, the Fellowship of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, I think - FRCPCH; all Brits are welcome to correct me) that she is perfectly entitled to buy a peacock blue sari w/ spangles for the occasion even if her husband rolls his eyes at it; that my younger brother emails me and states that his wife states their unborn child is a bit like him already because it gets excited when she eats chocolate. Lots of interactions, most of which serve to boost the spirits - how phenomenally fortunate am I.
A friend took over the tutoring for me this week as I was the school doctor for the 3-day Sports Festival at my sons' school, Abacus. The event was fun, in spite of the heat, and I always feel privileged that my schedule allows me to participate in the kids' school activities. Naren and Navin brought home some medals, and Naren's house, Cassiopeia, won the overall shield (as usual - they are a powerhouse). Navin's house, Perseus, came in last, also as usual. Orion and Andromeda have no reps in our family, so we don't generally show much interest in their standings. We have told the principal, Kamini, that she must institute shields for academics, conduct and the arts as well, not just for overall well-rounded development, but because Perseus has become the punishment kids wish on other kids they don't like - a young friend of theirs said of her less-than-favorite cousin, "Ooh, I hope she joins Perseus."
This week, a friend, Janu, invited me to speak at the Ability Foundation, where she and others help train "cross-disabled" folks (folks w/ any kind of disability) for employment. The entire event was supposed to last an hour. I entered the room, and got so choked up I couldn't speak: awaiting my arrival were blind, deaf and mute college grads. I tried valiantly to put back the tears, and managed to maintain composure. The talk was on health issues, and it was a very interactive audience. My initial puzzlement at their not making eye contact w/ me gave way quickly to the knowledge that they were focusing fully on the signer next to me. Some of them busily signed back, some nodded at comments I made, some pointed to neighbors as some kind of validation of something I said: it was absolutely magnificent. All that interest, all that emoting, all the rapt attention: my word, I was humbled!! We had been at Janu's children's school play (The Sound of Music) the previous day and the chief guest, a very important individual, had made a lengthy speech during which Janu said her mother fell asleep. My audience honored me - an unimportant, underdressed person - differently. At the end of the allotted time, when the questions were by no means finished, I asked to be invited back. One of the young men - a handsome fellow w/ a trendy haircut - stood up and signed the class's collective gratitude and darn near made me weep again. I'll be back there soon and by golly, it will be my privilege.
On the ride back from Ability, I pointed out a disabled man in a wheelchair (very visible here) and Naren requested that I not do that any more as he felt sad to see such folks. We had a talk, and I told him how we react to "differently-abled" folks determines who we are inside, that there was a regime which killed disabled folks (as we know - Hitler's), and that perhaps Naren's sadness would lead to his deciding to build a training facility or home for the disabled. It was a nice chat. The children are developing cores of compassion - whether willingly or not - just due to being w/ impoverished and disabled folks; thank goodness, it could so easily be otherwise.
The boys brought report cards home and the grades are better than zero; that's the extent of good I can say about the grades. To a person, both kids' teachers mentioned their potential and how Naren's is undertapped. Navin has also slacked off in some areas. Naren states he will not sass or interrupt his teachers from now on, as his student in our Friday tutoring group cannot seem to pay attention regardless of what Naren does. Ahhhhhh - this tutoring activity is producing unforeseen benefits. We are starting anew w/ both boys, and emphasising their potential more than their idiocy w/ class pranks now. Naren goes to Delhi w/ 9th and 10th grade kids tonight - a trip we absolutely did not want to keep him back from - and Navin and I go to Bangalore to hang out w/ Scott.
We read a scathing article by an American on the unpreparedness of the U.S. w/ Katrina - feel free to tell me what you think. The article said the poor were the first abandoned. Aiyo - I hope not. It seems like we came through the tsunami ok, underdeveloped and third world though we are.
"It is only the poor who are forbidden to beg." - Anatole France
Until next week -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
8:30 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home