September 5, 2013
Some random thoughts from
Elizabeth
The air in Changchun is clean. It is about 10:30 am, there
are fluffy clouds in a blue sky with a gentle breeze and 21 degrees. After class this morning I bought milky
coffee and a piece of fried dough I the dining hall and sat in the gazebo in
front of our residence. At this time of day there is not much traffic noise.
The main sound is that of the first years marching on the field. Hmmm … could this be a Tim Horton’s
substitute?
This morning we saw a bird in the trees outside our window.
It looked like a grey jay (I am away from Wi-Fi so cannot look it up.) That’s the first bird that I have
actively noticed in China. Time to stop looking down, and look at the birds.
Yesterday’s trip to the hospital so vividly captured by David
was one of our first chances to get into the rest of the city. No idea where we were … but there was a
zoo, and malls, and a block of old storefront type stalls all selling building
materials, and wide boulevards.
The medical procedures were indeed efficient. (Explicit material ahead … do not read if you are bothered
by bathroom descriptions) After
blood was taken we were given a cotton swab (which had been used to apply iodine) to stop the blood flow and handed a
small cup for a urine sample. Imagine
holding, with a drippy arm, important forms and a purse and then having to pee
into a small cup over a Chinese style toilet. All cool until I tripped over the
step coming out of the cubicle and nearly lost it all. But no problem, the
attendant cleaned the floor, said that there was enough. The washroom, like the
rest of the building, was spotlessly clean.
Our residence is also spotlessly
clean with shiny marble floors.
I am sitting in the little lobby at the top of the stairs on
the fifth floor. The apartments all look over the street and the other side is
essentially all windows, currently open, that face the college gardens and
field. Colleague John came out to chat and brought me some slices of raisin
cake made freshly this morning.
Ruthie’s class this morning was doing some work based on a
chapter from "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff", by Carlson. I was
prepared to silently think negative thoughts about the book. But it makes sense
in a very accessible and easy to read way. Especially right now with so many
new things and so much we can’t control.
So, this is calm, mellow, well fed Lizzie signing off for now.
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