Report of 12 Mar 2006
Hello -
The sunshine streams onto my balcony, the clothes give up their last bit of moisture, and I never knew the value of non-stop sunshine until I had to do without it in parts of the U.S. A friend emailed and talked of how nice it is to read of the sun in Chennai, while she is in the throes of winter in the U.S. Wow! We take some things for granted here, and it was nice of her to reaffirm my many blessings.
The weekend was exhausting. My days off are Monday and Friday, not the weekend. The 3 Weiss men and I had a talk last night, and I told them while they lounged about on a Saturday, my head had to whir with things yet undone: boys' haircuts, Navin's dental appt, veg market, await the cook, go visit my brilliant aunt, etc. As such, then, I needed help w/ a couple of errands either taken over by someone else or the men at least being aware of the same. They agreed, and I expect this will last 1 weekend, but at least we have these talks without the fam groaning and rolling their eyes.
We've had a string of fractures at the Banyan. Some ladies have fallen, and their bones are so osteoporotic (brittle due to lack of mineral inside) that they break. One of their xray reports only reached me a week later, in spite of my persistent asking, and I was dismayed that we'd missed a precious week of healing the wrist. So one of the founders, Vandana, the senior medical social worker, the human resources chappie and I had a meeting to iron out similar issues; I was impressed with the speed with which certain decisions were taken. Lack of bureaucracy is a fine thing.
One of the pts at the B is HIV+ and speaks a language none of us knows. So a lot of nonverbal communication is adopted. She has taken to coming and sitting on the floor by me when I am on rounds; I find this staggeringly flattering and humbling. She sits quietly, sometimes talks/gestures to herself and I could spend quite some time watching her, so content despite her dreadful illness. One day, the B sent an auto (a 3-wheeled cab) for me, and as we headed to work, we noticed a lame man trying to go up a rather steep road onto a bridge; he likely could not afford a prosthetic leg, and his left leg hung uselessly over the stick he used as a crutch. I asked the driver to stop, and in his inimitable auto driver style, he bellowed to the pedestrian, asking if he wanted a lift; the man smiled and declined, saying he was almost at his destination. That smile pretty much made my day, that someone could smile in the midst of his disability and adversity. Really, we have a lot to be thankful for.
The veg market was fine, and the vendors (90% of whom are my patients) looked well. One of them told Navin he needed to comb his hair, and I loved it (esp bcos Navin did need to). Indians are nothing if not opinionated. On an Indian train once, my co-passenger looked at my husband and 2 sons, and asked (not in a hushed voice) if I'd been sterilised yet. I lived in the U.S. then, and was thunderstruck at the question, but not many such words from fellow Indians faze me now.
Tutoring went well with us being hammered w/ students again. I continued to work w/ the little girl who does not know her alphabet, and progress is slow but existent. She can pick out the first 3 letters and "o" randomly. Methinks she may be held back this year, but that's ok; better that she gets to the next grade when she can handle its pressures. The kids drew thank-you's to the restaurant that sold us the food for the carnival, we took the artwork to the owners, and they loved 'em.
We took Naren out for lunch on Sat to an u.o.e. (unfortunately obscenely expensive) restaurant w/ spectacular food, then had a huge b'day party at home for him in the evening and many of his friends came. The SPL, Rega, is a special friend (I don't think it's romantic - yet) and we'd sent her a small bottle of perfume to congratulate her on her election victory; she said she liked it a bunch. (Scott's aunt Peg considerately buys a ton of such things - perfumes, candles - for me at garage sales in the U.S., even more considerately declines reimbursement, and these purchases come in very handy as thank-you/congrats/any occasion gifts.) Some parents had asked us to discuss the kids' addiction to gaming and adult sites, and I asked Naren if we could on Saturday, and he very graciously agreed. So all the kids, Scott and I had a talk, and we enlightened them on the dangers of such practices. Some of them thanked us later, and we had thank-you's from some parents today. We were happy to do it - forewarned is forearmed - and even happier that our son trusted us enough w/ his friends to unleash such "lectures."
I'm so looking forward to our U.S. trip. I'll attend a conference in Philly, which I eagerly anticipate, stay w/ my friend Doug's parents, who are now my friends also; visit San Antonio and speak to some students; go to Brecksville and speak at a Kiwanis gathering; get together w/ Scott's rambunctious, unmalicious relatives; and hang out in Indianapolis some. I look forward to the uncomplicated nature of our American friends and family, eating some salad, and revelling in the greenery and the movie theaters.
"It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you: the one to slander you, and the other to bring the news to you." - Mark Twain
Unw -
Renu
The sunshine streams onto my balcony, the clothes give up their last bit of moisture, and I never knew the value of non-stop sunshine until I had to do without it in parts of the U.S. A friend emailed and talked of how nice it is to read of the sun in Chennai, while she is in the throes of winter in the U.S. Wow! We take some things for granted here, and it was nice of her to reaffirm my many blessings.
The weekend was exhausting. My days off are Monday and Friday, not the weekend. The 3 Weiss men and I had a talk last night, and I told them while they lounged about on a Saturday, my head had to whir with things yet undone: boys' haircuts, Navin's dental appt, veg market, await the cook, go visit my brilliant aunt, etc. As such, then, I needed help w/ a couple of errands either taken over by someone else or the men at least being aware of the same. They agreed, and I expect this will last 1 weekend, but at least we have these talks without the fam groaning and rolling their eyes.
We've had a string of fractures at the Banyan. Some ladies have fallen, and their bones are so osteoporotic (brittle due to lack of mineral inside) that they break. One of their xray reports only reached me a week later, in spite of my persistent asking, and I was dismayed that we'd missed a precious week of healing the wrist. So one of the founders, Vandana, the senior medical social worker, the human resources chappie and I had a meeting to iron out similar issues; I was impressed with the speed with which certain decisions were taken. Lack of bureaucracy is a fine thing.
One of the pts at the B is HIV+ and speaks a language none of us knows. So a lot of nonverbal communication is adopted. She has taken to coming and sitting on the floor by me when I am on rounds; I find this staggeringly flattering and humbling. She sits quietly, sometimes talks/gestures to herself and I could spend quite some time watching her, so content despite her dreadful illness. One day, the B sent an auto (a 3-wheeled cab) for me, and as we headed to work, we noticed a lame man trying to go up a rather steep road onto a bridge; he likely could not afford a prosthetic leg, and his left leg hung uselessly over the stick he used as a crutch. I asked the driver to stop, and in his inimitable auto driver style, he bellowed to the pedestrian, asking if he wanted a lift; the man smiled and declined, saying he was almost at his destination. That smile pretty much made my day, that someone could smile in the midst of his disability and adversity. Really, we have a lot to be thankful for.
The veg market was fine, and the vendors (90% of whom are my patients) looked well. One of them told Navin he needed to comb his hair, and I loved it (esp bcos Navin did need to). Indians are nothing if not opinionated. On an Indian train once, my co-passenger looked at my husband and 2 sons, and asked (not in a hushed voice) if I'd been sterilised yet. I lived in the U.S. then, and was thunderstruck at the question, but not many such words from fellow Indians faze me now.
Tutoring went well with us being hammered w/ students again. I continued to work w/ the little girl who does not know her alphabet, and progress is slow but existent. She can pick out the first 3 letters and "o" randomly. Methinks she may be held back this year, but that's ok; better that she gets to the next grade when she can handle its pressures. The kids drew thank-you's to the restaurant that sold us the food for the carnival, we took the artwork to the owners, and they loved 'em.
We took Naren out for lunch on Sat to an u.o.e. (unfortunately obscenely expensive) restaurant w/ spectacular food, then had a huge b'day party at home for him in the evening and many of his friends came. The SPL, Rega, is a special friend (I don't think it's romantic - yet) and we'd sent her a small bottle of perfume to congratulate her on her election victory; she said she liked it a bunch. (Scott's aunt Peg considerately buys a ton of such things - perfumes, candles - for me at garage sales in the U.S., even more considerately declines reimbursement, and these purchases come in very handy as thank-you/congrats/any occasion gifts.) Some parents had asked us to discuss the kids' addiction to gaming and adult sites, and I asked Naren if we could on Saturday, and he very graciously agreed. So all the kids, Scott and I had a talk, and we enlightened them on the dangers of such practices. Some of them thanked us later, and we had thank-you's from some parents today. We were happy to do it - forewarned is forearmed - and even happier that our son trusted us enough w/ his friends to unleash such "lectures."
I'm so looking forward to our U.S. trip. I'll attend a conference in Philly, which I eagerly anticipate, stay w/ my friend Doug's parents, who are now my friends also; visit San Antonio and speak to some students; go to Brecksville and speak at a Kiwanis gathering; get together w/ Scott's rambunctious, unmalicious relatives; and hang out in Indianapolis some. I look forward to the uncomplicated nature of our American friends and family, eating some salad, and revelling in the greenery and the movie theaters.
"It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you: the one to slander you, and the other to bring the news to you." - Mark Twain
Unw -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
3:27 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home