Report of 18 May 2010
Hello from Indiana -
A great many things got accomplished last week, including seeing an icon: the Dalai Lama was in Indianapolis at a paid event, and we went. I have long admired the man, and consider many of his qualities emulatable, if that's a word. Had we sat close enough (where the "Supporters and Friends" were), we might have understood more, especially as we are very comfortable with the accent from the Indian subcontinent. We were a bit far away, had to crane to hear, the sound system was not very good, and we got bits and pieces. Naren understood the most of all, but all still felt humbled to be in his presence. For a leader to be bundled out of his homeland by another country (what on earth does the other country want, other than contiguity - there is no oil, no gold, no nada in Tibet), and to not harbor any rancor or malice, to epitomise all that is peaceful and good - ahhh, what a difference, what an example.
There are certainly egos to be satisfied, and political accommodations to be made which I will not understand easily - many which prevent condemnation and a "Go back to your own seat" advice. It remains, however, my dream that Tibet will one day be Tibet, an independent nation and not a province of China. We had Tibetan refugees in Madurai, all very good-looking and selling woollens, and as schoolgirls, more than one or two of us strolled by their vending area - and that was not to buy woollens.
Work has also been great. I had an older patient with an exacerbation of his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and had given him some steroids for it. He returned feeling much better, and in the course of the visit, turned and muttered something to his younger wife (this couple generates some attention because he is older and she is a bit younger). She said to me, "He said that pill, the prednisone, made him feel better, and wants more." The patient had eaten well, was breathing better, had managed to plant 14 tomato plants and was in a good mood. In the course of the examination, I looked at the tattoos on his forearms, shared details of Scott's grandfather's tattoo, and we laughed. It was a fun time, and it was nice to see a previously very unhealthy-appearing man laugh.
We saw "Brooklyn's Finest," "Furry Vengeance" (the kids' choice) and "Robin Hood" (clearly my choice). I enjoyed Robin Hood, being a big Russell Crowe fan, and consider his pairing with Ridley Scott to be *quite* worthwhile. We got together with several friends to eat Indian food at my friend Carolyn's house, and that was nice of her to lend her place - and her parents, who came down just for the occasion (along with a vat of cookies, almost instantly devoured). Sid was sous-chef, Sonia brought bread, Carolyn made a salad, Maryam made Irani dip, Natalie brought cookies, my sister-in-law, Diane, brought brownies, Jacque and Cindy B brought flowers, Mary and Cindy S brought chocolate, plenty of folks brought their geniality and affection, and it was all good, filled with bonhomie and warmth - quite what my mother, in whose honor the meal was, would have loved.
The more I see my patients, the more I am grateful for my parents' upbringing - through all my umpteen mistakes (none of which they have revealed to the boys), they stayed supportive. I spoke to my Dad last week and he must have been feeling chatty, because he talked for a long time, and that was lovely. He terminated the call when it was time to take his walk, and I am happy that he is exercising.
Unw -
R
A great many things got accomplished last week, including seeing an icon: the Dalai Lama was in Indianapolis at a paid event, and we went. I have long admired the man, and consider many of his qualities emulatable, if that's a word. Had we sat close enough (where the "Supporters and Friends" were), we might have understood more, especially as we are very comfortable with the accent from the Indian subcontinent. We were a bit far away, had to crane to hear, the sound system was not very good, and we got bits and pieces. Naren understood the most of all, but all still felt humbled to be in his presence. For a leader to be bundled out of his homeland by another country (what on earth does the other country want, other than contiguity - there is no oil, no gold, no nada in Tibet), and to not harbor any rancor or malice, to epitomise all that is peaceful and good - ahhh, what a difference, what an example.
There are certainly egos to be satisfied, and political accommodations to be made which I will not understand easily - many which prevent condemnation and a "Go back to your own seat" advice. It remains, however, my dream that Tibet will one day be Tibet, an independent nation and not a province of China. We had Tibetan refugees in Madurai, all very good-looking and selling woollens, and as schoolgirls, more than one or two of us strolled by their vending area - and that was not to buy woollens.
Work has also been great. I had an older patient with an exacerbation of his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and had given him some steroids for it. He returned feeling much better, and in the course of the visit, turned and muttered something to his younger wife (this couple generates some attention because he is older and she is a bit younger). She said to me, "He said that pill, the prednisone, made him feel better, and wants more." The patient had eaten well, was breathing better, had managed to plant 14 tomato plants and was in a good mood. In the course of the examination, I looked at the tattoos on his forearms, shared details of Scott's grandfather's tattoo, and we laughed. It was a fun time, and it was nice to see a previously very unhealthy-appearing man laugh.
We saw "Brooklyn's Finest," "Furry Vengeance" (the kids' choice) and "Robin Hood" (clearly my choice). I enjoyed Robin Hood, being a big Russell Crowe fan, and consider his pairing with Ridley Scott to be *quite* worthwhile. We got together with several friends to eat Indian food at my friend Carolyn's house, and that was nice of her to lend her place - and her parents, who came down just for the occasion (along with a vat of cookies, almost instantly devoured). Sid was sous-chef, Sonia brought bread, Carolyn made a salad, Maryam made Irani dip, Natalie brought cookies, my sister-in-law, Diane, brought brownies, Jacque and Cindy B brought flowers, Mary and Cindy S brought chocolate, plenty of folks brought their geniality and affection, and it was all good, filled with bonhomie and warmth - quite what my mother, in whose honor the meal was, would have loved.
The more I see my patients, the more I am grateful for my parents' upbringing - through all my umpteen mistakes (none of which they have revealed to the boys), they stayed supportive. I spoke to my Dad last week and he must have been feeling chatty, because he talked for a long time, and that was lovely. He terminated the call when it was time to take his walk, and I am happy that he is exercising.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
11:20 AM
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