Thursday, September 5, 2013

Adventures in China: September 5, 2013- Some random thoughts from Elizabeth


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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