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2008 Olympics and a Tribute 20 November 2007 The last week has been a bit of a roller coaster for The Old Codger here in China. Nothing that one can not survive, but still a week that has required a bit of reflection on different things. One issue that has arisen has caused me to question how well I can survive in a society that does not speak all that much English without me learning a whole lot of the local lingo, Chinese. Imagine for a moment having a significant knowledge of a particular subject, and having to convey that knowledge to someone else who probably has the same knowledge or substantially so, who does not speak English. Seems like a daunting prospect to consider, to say the least. Of course, I could go to Shanghai where they do have English speaking facilities, but I fear that the bus ride there would be unbearable at the very least. Problem is that I have a pinched nerve in my back - and I know what I need to do to cure the problem. Some of it I can do myself, but I am going to require a bit of medical intervention to perfect the cure. I have gotten quite good a sign language since I have been here in China - and have been able to obtain pretty much everything that I needed or wanted that way. But, when one has both a sciatic and lumbar pinched nerve it is difficult to explain the symptoms with sign language, and equally as difficult to explain the cure or treatment desired. I certainly don't want to have to endure the testing procedures that might be required for a doctor to diagnose the problem without much input that he can understand from me either. Hence, I have decided that this is going to have to be a multi-step process in order to maximize the potential for benefits. First step is for me to write a diagnosis of the problem and required treatment program in English. Then, I have to take that to a Chinese person to translate into Chinese. After that, the next step is to take that translation to another Chinese to have them translate it back into English. That way, I can check the first translation, and see what kind of Chinglish I get from it all. If the second translation is close to what I have written, then I am in good shape. If not, then I need to start all over again. Ultimately, this should be an interesting experience and experiment. Seems like a lot of work to go through to get a simple cortisone shot or two and some muscle relaxers, but one must adapt and do what they must in these circumstances. I must say, I do miss my Chiropractor back in the states and the Thai style massages I was getting in Thailand. Needless to say, there will probably be an update on this pending story and experience.
On another topic... I have been an aficionado of British Comedies for ate least 20 years. Thee is something about British humor - which is shared to a degree or two by Australians - that is quite appealing to me. Back in the States I would get my British Comedy "fixes" every Sunday night on my local PBS channel. What may be surprising to many Americans, a number of comedy shows that have aired there actually originated in England under different names. One recent one that comes to mind is The Office. An older one was Sanford and Son named after Steptoe and Son. Of course, I have been immersed into Australian humor due to numerous visits to Australia over the years, and having a good Mate down in Sydney. Unfortunately, not many Americans appreciate the finer points of Australian or British comedy. Just as a side note - Australia is having a federal election next Saturday to decide if John Howard (the Liberal Party - equivalent to the Republicans in the States) will be given another go. Reading about the campaign there in the Sydney Morning Herald has been entertaining. To give you non-Australians a sample of the coverage, check out the Opinion Piece that was in the paper today: You're toast, says one happy little Vegemite to the PM. (Vegemite is basically brewers yeast and equivalent to peanut butter in the US.) Anyway - this week I sent out news about a contest where a person could win tickets to the Beijing Olympics.
WIN 2
AIRLINE TICKETS ALL EXPENSES PAID
The picture:
Surprisingly, I have gotten a number of e-mails from my American friends about this e-mailing. Some are asking if it is "true" or "for real" - and others are sharing their answers with me, and soliciting advice. I believe that there are only 3 girls in the picture, and the teacher is the individual in the second row in the middle - the one whose face is partially obscured. I also believe that the whole thing is a joke. It is, I believe, a play on the Western parody that all Chinese look the same. This is, without a doubt, an effort at classic British and Australian humor. Therefore, it would not be wise or advisable to send your entries to the International Olympic Committee. Doing so could possibly result in the folks from Homeland Security paying you a visit... This week I had to face a situation that all ex-pats - or at least most of them - have to confront at one time or another. What do you do if a family member back home - parents, sibling, child, etc. - or a very close friend - becomes gravely sick or passes on? Sure, the prospect of that happening was considered when the decision to become an ex-pat was made - but that is a different situation. One is not faced with the reality of the situation at that point. A couple of weeks ago I was advised that my father was basically on his "death bed." That was anticipated - I knew that it would happen eventually given that he had suffered from dementia for a number of years, and then subsequently Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, at least for my own minds peace, I had said my good byes to him whilst he was still fairly lucid, and I have been able to convince myself that was sufficient. With others in the family within the last couple of weeks, it had been discussed whether or not I would attend any funeral or memorial services for him upon his passing. I decided that it wouldn't really do him any good if I did nor didn't and to do so would place a considerable burden on me financially and time wise to make a quick trip for a day or two back to the States. As a result, I had decided in advance that I would not make the trip. On Friday morning, 16 November he passed away in his sleep - one month shy of turning 90 years old. There is little doubt that he is now better off - and in a better place than in the nursing home we had to put him and my mother in earlier this year. There is also no doubt that he is much happier now that he doesn't have to listen to my mother, but that would be a whole different story - but one that I am sure many could relate to. All in all - he was a good man in his own way and manner. Last week I also discovered that my sister - 18 months older than I am - is also gravely ill and probably won't last much longer either. She is a diabetic that has suffered a couple of strokes and also kidney failure that has caused her brain to deteriorate, so she too has Alzheimer's. Of course, my mother, being in a nursing home as well, is not in very good shape. No one really seems to know for sure what her problems are other than numerous. So, no doubt it won't be long before she too is gone. Being abroad has one distinct advantage: A person does not have to deal directly with the individuals affected and witness their progression towards the final days. I suspect that is the hardest things for family members to have to do. By being abroad, I can remember what I want to remember without things being clouded by that nasty thing called "reality." A disadvantage is that one can not be there for others - such as close relatives. I know that my nieces are having a lot of trouble dealing with the events that are transpiring. I don't know if I could successfully be of any benefit to them if I was in the States - and I guess that is something that I will always wonder about from time to time. No - it's not a disabling or major emotional dilemma (at least for me) but it does take some time for considerations. Seeing everyone in one's immediate family poised for a final exit relatively close to each other and in presumed relatively short time period is somewhat of a shock. It is enough to make one think of their own mortality. Last week the University had their "accreditation inspection" from the big folks up in Beijing. This had all the students in a bit of a tizzy for two weeks as they received instructions from the University on how they were to act and conduct themselves. The instructions included things such as having to be out of their dorms no later than 7:20 AM (forget the fact that their first classes aren't until 7:50...); have to stand and say "good morning / afternoon teacher" when the class starts, and "thank you teacher" when class is over; not miss any classes at all, for any reason; not be late for any class for any reason; and at all times, perform admirably. One further requirement was that all students were required to eat at the cafeteria (canteen it is called here as there are numerous food vendors plying their version of food to the students) for all meals and were prohibited from going off campus to eat. The reason was that they wanted to demonstrate to the inspectors that the students were enthusiastic about the food being sold to them - which very, very few are. I know I am not impressed by the food offered there. Of course, teachers were put on notice as well. I was advised that one of my classes would be visited - but wasn't overly concerned about that prospect. Of course, I wasn't advised of which class would be visited. Again, not concerned about that. I do basically the same thing for all of my classes - makes it easier for the lesson planning and implementation. Ended up having two classes visited because the inspectors wanted to see how I was going to pull off what I stared in the first half of the class. They were impressed - at least from what they told me as they left each class. Since it was tough on the students last week I decided to give them all a break this week and am only showing movies for them. Naturally, to make it easy on myself, I have told the students to bring in what they want to see rather than me picking something for them. This way I don't have to watch the same movie 8 times over. That's about all for this time around. About 6 weeks of classes left before I get a 7 week vacation - with pay. Don't know how I put up with all of this... The Old Codger
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