Report of 26 Mar 2006
Hello from Chennai -
A dear friend named Maya created this blog for me and I have just found the time now to learn its workings and use it. Thank you, Maya.
The week has been good. It had its share of mishaps w/ the Banyan staff forgetting to document important details when they took the patients to the hospital. I can't abide this, because then I have no idea what the doctors there said about the patient, and I can't fully cooperate in the care of the pt. We continue to work to overcome such obstacles. The physical therapy department at the B now attracts interns from elsewhere, and I saw some of them engaging the patients in games like tug-of-war, etc., which produced much raucousness and merriment. One day, there was some singing and dancing, and I noticed that one of our pts, Ms. B, was particularly exuberant. She has lost both her arms, I dare not ask how (pts w/ mental illness are subject to a lot of violence in the community) but she has stated that it was a train accident; B was letting nothing stop her as she sang a Hindi song which I did not understand, and did a peppy little dance, which I clearly understood the sheer joy of. I stood mesmerised, w/ my head against the door jamb, and watched her - armless, far from her family, w/ the stigma of mental illness driving her from her town, and treated so efficiently by the B that her spirit has recovered and is well and happy.
The veg market folks are well, and rounds there were quicker than usual. The kids tutored and 3 of the regulars came to be taught. Next week will be our last tutoring session and we will wind up w/ a party.
I was fortunate enough to go to Madurai for a day and see my parents. It was a lovely time and I remain very grateful that I was born to these 2 folks who are uncorrupt, full of integrity, intelligent, compassionate, exceedingly funny; we talked and ate and laughed. I was lucky to see a dear friend, Dr. Leila Kurien, who is the mother of a friend and also my friend, and her perspective and company are always great treasures for me. I also managed to see my college friend, Selvalatha, and her son Arun; Arun was in a horrendous car accident in November, sustained head injuries, and is recovering slowly but surely. He can recognise people and converse w/ slow speech, eats well, participates in physiotherapy, and is working to make his speech unslurred. I think the children of close friends are akin to one's own, and I was particularly delighted w/ Arun's progress.
Scott and I went to see "Memoirs of a Geisha" today after I finished reading the book. Both book and movie were good, and I was very happy to have Scott's company, but I found the whole saga undeniably sad - that a young girl should be taken from her parents and sent off to a trade and the flesh market. Such things happen routinely in India still, and I was filled w/ a sense of good fortune that not only did this not happen to me, but that we can afford to keep our children w/ us. Lady luck continues to smile on us, knock on wood, and never more so than w/ our friends and family, many of whom we'll see next month. I so look forward to it.
"Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about." - Oscar Wilde
Unw -
Renu
A dear friend named Maya created this blog for me and I have just found the time now to learn its workings and use it. Thank you, Maya.
The week has been good. It had its share of mishaps w/ the Banyan staff forgetting to document important details when they took the patients to the hospital. I can't abide this, because then I have no idea what the doctors there said about the patient, and I can't fully cooperate in the care of the pt. We continue to work to overcome such obstacles. The physical therapy department at the B now attracts interns from elsewhere, and I saw some of them engaging the patients in games like tug-of-war, etc., which produced much raucousness and merriment. One day, there was some singing and dancing, and I noticed that one of our pts, Ms. B, was particularly exuberant. She has lost both her arms, I dare not ask how (pts w/ mental illness are subject to a lot of violence in the community) but she has stated that it was a train accident; B was letting nothing stop her as she sang a Hindi song which I did not understand, and did a peppy little dance, which I clearly understood the sheer joy of. I stood mesmerised, w/ my head against the door jamb, and watched her - armless, far from her family, w/ the stigma of mental illness driving her from her town, and treated so efficiently by the B that her spirit has recovered and is well and happy.
The veg market folks are well, and rounds there were quicker than usual. The kids tutored and 3 of the regulars came to be taught. Next week will be our last tutoring session and we will wind up w/ a party.
I was fortunate enough to go to Madurai for a day and see my parents. It was a lovely time and I remain very grateful that I was born to these 2 folks who are uncorrupt, full of integrity, intelligent, compassionate, exceedingly funny; we talked and ate and laughed. I was lucky to see a dear friend, Dr. Leila Kurien, who is the mother of a friend and also my friend, and her perspective and company are always great treasures for me. I also managed to see my college friend, Selvalatha, and her son Arun; Arun was in a horrendous car accident in November, sustained head injuries, and is recovering slowly but surely. He can recognise people and converse w/ slow speech, eats well, participates in physiotherapy, and is working to make his speech unslurred. I think the children of close friends are akin to one's own, and I was particularly delighted w/ Arun's progress.
Scott and I went to see "Memoirs of a Geisha" today after I finished reading the book. Both book and movie were good, and I was very happy to have Scott's company, but I found the whole saga undeniably sad - that a young girl should be taken from her parents and sent off to a trade and the flesh market. Such things happen routinely in India still, and I was filled w/ a sense of good fortune that not only did this not happen to me, but that we can afford to keep our children w/ us. Lady luck continues to smile on us, knock on wood, and never more so than w/ our friends and family, many of whom we'll see next month. I so look forward to it.
"Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about." - Oscar Wilde
Unw -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
3:48 AM
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