Report of 8 Oct '06
Hello from humid Chennai -
Both boys are at homework, Scott has left for Bangalore, and I am wilting w/ this 90% humidity. I don't enjoy high heat, she says as she chooses to live in India. In fact, I loved fall and winter in the U.S. Esp when it was crisp and got colder, walking or playing outside was such a joy. There is a dear former classmate from Poland on this mailing list and he loves Houston weather; he states he's had enough winter to last him a lifetime, just as I'd had enough summer by the time I got to the U.S.
The Banyan is fun and getting busier. My days of 3 days a week, part-time, are long gone. Now it's trying to fix problems and anticipate issues, and try to deal w/ our patients enough to make 'em healthy. In my outpatient side this week, one of the residents spoke of having leg pain; she was abandoned a while ago by her husband, her son is being raised by her brother and she tried to leave her household stuff w/ her uncle as she looked for a place to live, and he beat the tar out of her. She showed me a smashed finger. She had me by the heartstrings, let me tell you, and as she told me that she wanted to raise her son herself w/o being a burden to anyone, she tightened her grip on said strings. The B is sending her outside to work as a cleaning lady, her mental illness is under control, and I prescribed some meds for her leg ache, and told her I wanted to see her next week to ensure that she was better. I like the B's approach of trying to make our ladies independent, self-reliant, and magnificent.
Our resident who has since become a lawyer was waiting one day to be photographed for a billboard which will feature our successfully-employed residents w/ the caption "She might have been your lawyer; she might be your favorite beautician; she probably cleans your house; she was once at the Banyan." I asked her to try on her robes and she did, and appropriately preened, and I admired her, and am happy that she is now successfully rehabilitated. The social workers are a tad miffed that she doesn't acknowledge the B's role in her rehab, attributing it to the lawyer she's clerking with; said lawyer is standing for a political office and is milking our resident's prior history for all she's worth ("I gave poor Ms. U her first job, see how great I am"). I'm not miffed: I think if it is in U's nature to appreciate us, so be it. If it is not in her nature, who on earth are we to demand it. Appreciation must come from within, it can't be cast from without. For the record, U has been pretty appreciative of the medical help; even had she not been, it is enough for me that she is healthy, and well on the way to a successful, independent life.
The tutoring service goes on well and after last week's session, all the kids had a raucous session of "Pick up sticks." It is nice to see tutors and students sit together in this caste-ridden society and play a popular game. Naren and Navin are quite the leaders in ensuring that all are treated equally, and for this, and for their American upbringing, I am grateful.
The boys have been delightful this week, arguing and helping and mouthing off and loving. All part of the teenage package. I told them again that I was 100 times worse as a teenager. We had a bunch of people over for dinner last night, including some new friends from the U.S., Meenakshi and Mitch, and their kids, Maya and Evan. N and N babysat w/ gusto after helping to prepare the meal and clean up; as usual, they received compliments from the guests and this made them very happy.
This is a good life, knock on wood. I am happy to be in it.
Unw -
R
Both boys are at homework, Scott has left for Bangalore, and I am wilting w/ this 90% humidity. I don't enjoy high heat, she says as she chooses to live in India. In fact, I loved fall and winter in the U.S. Esp when it was crisp and got colder, walking or playing outside was such a joy. There is a dear former classmate from Poland on this mailing list and he loves Houston weather; he states he's had enough winter to last him a lifetime, just as I'd had enough summer by the time I got to the U.S.
The Banyan is fun and getting busier. My days of 3 days a week, part-time, are long gone. Now it's trying to fix problems and anticipate issues, and try to deal w/ our patients enough to make 'em healthy. In my outpatient side this week, one of the residents spoke of having leg pain; she was abandoned a while ago by her husband, her son is being raised by her brother and she tried to leave her household stuff w/ her uncle as she looked for a place to live, and he beat the tar out of her. She showed me a smashed finger. She had me by the heartstrings, let me tell you, and as she told me that she wanted to raise her son herself w/o being a burden to anyone, she tightened her grip on said strings. The B is sending her outside to work as a cleaning lady, her mental illness is under control, and I prescribed some meds for her leg ache, and told her I wanted to see her next week to ensure that she was better. I like the B's approach of trying to make our ladies independent, self-reliant, and magnificent.
Our resident who has since become a lawyer was waiting one day to be photographed for a billboard which will feature our successfully-employed residents w/ the caption "She might have been your lawyer; she might be your favorite beautician; she probably cleans your house; she was once at the Banyan." I asked her to try on her robes and she did, and appropriately preened, and I admired her, and am happy that she is now successfully rehabilitated. The social workers are a tad miffed that she doesn't acknowledge the B's role in her rehab, attributing it to the lawyer she's clerking with; said lawyer is standing for a political office and is milking our resident's prior history for all she's worth ("I gave poor Ms. U her first job, see how great I am"). I'm not miffed: I think if it is in U's nature to appreciate us, so be it. If it is not in her nature, who on earth are we to demand it. Appreciation must come from within, it can't be cast from without. For the record, U has been pretty appreciative of the medical help; even had she not been, it is enough for me that she is healthy, and well on the way to a successful, independent life.
The tutoring service goes on well and after last week's session, all the kids had a raucous session of "Pick up sticks." It is nice to see tutors and students sit together in this caste-ridden society and play a popular game. Naren and Navin are quite the leaders in ensuring that all are treated equally, and for this, and for their American upbringing, I am grateful.
The boys have been delightful this week, arguing and helping and mouthing off and loving. All part of the teenage package. I told them again that I was 100 times worse as a teenager. We had a bunch of people over for dinner last night, including some new friends from the U.S., Meenakshi and Mitch, and their kids, Maya and Evan. N and N babysat w/ gusto after helping to prepare the meal and clean up; as usual, they received compliments from the guests and this made them very happy.
This is a good life, knock on wood. I am happy to be in it.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
5:04 AM
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