As the trip was nearing an end, what could I bring home for the family guys as souvenirs. After a lot of though, how bout genuine Rolex watch's. So over to the street venders and a deal was struck. Back at the hospital, all the girls came in to see what a great deal I got and told me I would never get them thru customs. But I learned a long time ago, never say never.
Too soon it was time to leave. This was the fastest 7 weeks I have ever seen except for the airplane ride which I thought would never end. As we were packing all the new friends Linda and I made came to see us off and wish us well and it was hard to say good by. Diana had the van outside to take us to the airport and a group was waiting outside to say good by. After a lot of hugs we were off to the airport and back to the real world. Diana came in with us and pointed us in the right direction and it was time to say good by to her. All the staff and doctors at the hospital were just great, but I built a special bond with Diana and when I say I wanted to put her in my suitcase and bring her home, it was only half in jest.
But the world moves on and after check in we were on the plane for the never ending ride back. Going, the plane was only half full and there was room to stretch, but coming back it was full and we were packed in like sardines. After a lifetime we were back in San Francisco and on to the dreaded customs check. On the airplane we were given a form to fill out on what we were bring back and I put a few things on it but wondered what to do about the suitcase full of Rolex watch's I was smuggling in. Well I thought I would just play it by ear. Now these custom guys are taught how to weed out shifty looking characters, so I just looked causal and hoped for the best. I must have passed the test because after eyeing me up and down, he told us to pass, but did make the comment about how nice our new genuine North Face jackets were. Now going, we had to walk all over the airport and Linda had a hard time doing that and I had to carry her carry on bag and she had to stop and rest often. On the way back, we had to walk twice as far because they kept changing our departure gate, and Linda was able to keep up and carry her own bag besides. After a short flight on a small prop plane that bounced all over the sky like a yoyo, we were met at the Sacramento airport by David and after a stop at Subway to fill up we are home. Barry and Katie brought Rocky over and at first he seemed confused but after a sniff he was trying to climb up me like a ladder and out came the slobber. Than he checked out Linda and he was back home.
We went to bed, but at 3 AM I was wide awake, so I went to the grocery store to stock up and thought if I could keep this seclude, it would be great because I had the whole store to myself and no traffic. It's good to be home.
John and Linda in California
Friday, February 22, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Winding Down
Wed morning and the time is getting short. Just about everything they can do for Linda has now been done and it's time for the little cell buggers to do their job. There is a big improvement that can be seen already, but the really big improvement will be seen over the coming months . For the last week or so Linda has been complaining about her vision. The last couple of years her vision has been going down hill as part of PD. The eye communicates with the brain using dopamine and as the PD advances the vision gets weaker. So for the last week Linda tells me when we get home she has to go and get an eye exam and get stronger glasses. So she is sitting in the chair and takes her glasses off and rubs her eyes, than before putting her glasses back on she looks around and exclaims I can see better without my glasses than with them. Now what do you think that means.
Here in China phoney money is everywhere. The 100 YUAN bill is what is exchanged most. And it is the bill most copied. When something is bought at the store the clerk taking the money exams it in detail before putting it in the register because if it comes in on their watch they have to cough up for any bad bill. So yesterday Diana took me to the airline office to get our flight changed. To leave early there is an 80 dollar charge to change the tickets. So I pull out 2 100 dollar bills to pay for it and the airline people tell me they can't take American money, only Chinese. I have been cutting back on the Chinese money because we are coming home soon so I only had 8 100 YUAN bills and I need 12. so Diana says take 4 of hers than we can go to the bank and get more. So I take 4 of hers and hand the clerk 12 bills. With a sharp eye she counts them and gives me back one telling me it is no good. Well hell, I tell Diana to give her another one and this one is no good either. So Diana gets really pissed and starts on a rant that she just got paid from the hospital and that's where that money came from and she makes so little and they pay her in phoney bills. I have seen this before, a pissed Chinese woman is a sight to behold. So I eat one of the phoney bills and she eats the other. Than when we go to the bank she demands a lesson on how to tell if a bill is good. I bet that is the last phoney bill someone passes on her.
Our Chinese adventure is coming to an end and soon back to the real world. I am really enjoying China and the people here and will be sorry to leave all the friends we have made here, from the guy who sells me fruit to the street vendors to the wonderful people here at the hospital. We still have a few days here so we are going to enjoy it to the max. Tonight a bunch of us are going to Grandma's again for a taste of home and have a good time.
See you all soon, john and linda in China
Here in China phoney money is everywhere. The 100 YUAN bill is what is exchanged most. And it is the bill most copied. When something is bought at the store the clerk taking the money exams it in detail before putting it in the register because if it comes in on their watch they have to cough up for any bad bill. So yesterday Diana took me to the airline office to get our flight changed. To leave early there is an 80 dollar charge to change the tickets. So I pull out 2 100 dollar bills to pay for it and the airline people tell me they can't take American money, only Chinese. I have been cutting back on the Chinese money because we are coming home soon so I only had 8 100 YUAN bills and I need 12. so Diana says take 4 of hers than we can go to the bank and get more. So I take 4 of hers and hand the clerk 12 bills. With a sharp eye she counts them and gives me back one telling me it is no good. Well hell, I tell Diana to give her another one and this one is no good either. So Diana gets really pissed and starts on a rant that she just got paid from the hospital and that's where that money came from and she makes so little and they pay her in phoney bills. I have seen this before, a pissed Chinese woman is a sight to behold. So I eat one of the phoney bills and she eats the other. Than when we go to the bank she demands a lesson on how to tell if a bill is good. I bet that is the last phoney bill someone passes on her.
Our Chinese adventure is coming to an end and soon back to the real world. I am really enjoying China and the people here and will be sorry to leave all the friends we have made here, from the guy who sells me fruit to the street vendors to the wonderful people here at the hospital. We still have a few days here so we are going to enjoy it to the max. Tonight a bunch of us are going to Grandma's again for a taste of home and have a good time.
See you all soon, john and linda in China
Monday, February 18, 2008
Getting Ready To Go Home
Linda is over to TCM guys getting treatment of some sort. She is still feeling pretty good and looks good. I think we can leave on Fri of this week and get back to San Francisco on Fri of this week. We lost a day on the way over and will pick it up on the way back. I really like it here, love the people and feel right at home, but it's time to get back to our real life's.
Yesterday we wanted to pick up some souvenirs to take back home so I went to see the street vendors again. As I said before these guys are like sharks in the water and as soon as you make eye contact they smell blood. Well I saw a few things I wanted to buy and take home but how do you deal with them. So here is a plan I worked out you all can use if you ever come here. If you show any interest in an item, they say 200. No that's too much and start to walk away. They follow and start lowering the price. Now this is no secret, everyone knows that. But what did they pay. So you go to another guy and get the best deal you can on just one item from him and in your heart you know he still got to you. Now you take the one item you just bought and when the next guy comes at you, you say no and keep on walking. But they don't take no for an answer. So you take out the one you just bought and tell him you will sell him that one. He laughs and says how much, you say 200 and he laughs tells you how you just got taken. But you keep the pressure on him to buy yours and he gets mad and to show you how smart he is and how dumb you are he says he can get all he wants for 10. Than you say good, I will give you 15 each for all those. So on every transaction, there are the watchers. Well they all start to laugh at him and he gives in, making a little and you go your way while the rest of the vendors try to sell you more. But enough is enough and off you go.
Last night Diana was going to a friends house for dinner and asked Linda and me if we wanted to go along. We said sure and she called and asked if she could bring along a couple of Americans. Well OK, but not too enthused. Turns out this guy's name was also John and he was from AZ. he is 35 and has lived in China for 13 years now. He is married to a 23 year old Chinese woman. There were about 20 people there, all Chinese except Linda and I. His wife and her mother must have been cooking all week because the table had so much food of all kinds and looked mouth watering. Also, John brought out some Chinese Liqueur of some sort that looked like Kentucky moonshine and was so potent a little sip took your breath away. John explained to me that it was bad insults not to drink what your host poured for you in China. So as not to offend the host, I had my fair share. Soon as everyone else had their fair share the room became quite lively. And I found out much to my delight that although only Chinese was being spoken, I knew everything that was going on and when someone told a joke I understood the punch line and laughed just as loud as anyone in the room. This must be the stuff they pass out on the star ship Enterprise as a universal translator. When the meal is finished, no one leaves the table, they all just sit and chat for how ever long they feel like it. And pick at the food left with their chopsticks. And continual not to offend the host. All too soon it was time to go, so as we started to pack up John came with his camera for pics. He told me when Diana asked to bring a couple of friends he didn't think it was a good idea because we would feel left out and strange. But we got along so good with everyone he was glad we came. I told him I would probably never see him again, but I would never forget that night. So we left with that warm feeling only the universal translator can give.
A new patient just checked into the hospital today. Mike and Caroline from North Carolina. Mike is 68 and has the PD for years now. I don't know if I will see much of him as we have nothing in common at all. Mike likes to go to old car swap meets, collect old cars, has a few and also has a 1957 tbird. So what could we possibly talk about. But I may make an exception in case and talk a little with him. Caroline helps him pull engines under a tree. He reads the Early Bird from cover to cover.
john and linda in China
Yesterday we wanted to pick up some souvenirs to take back home so I went to see the street vendors again. As I said before these guys are like sharks in the water and as soon as you make eye contact they smell blood. Well I saw a few things I wanted to buy and take home but how do you deal with them. So here is a plan I worked out you all can use if you ever come here. If you show any interest in an item, they say 200. No that's too much and start to walk away. They follow and start lowering the price. Now this is no secret, everyone knows that. But what did they pay. So you go to another guy and get the best deal you can on just one item from him and in your heart you know he still got to you. Now you take the one item you just bought and when the next guy comes at you, you say no and keep on walking. But they don't take no for an answer. So you take out the one you just bought and tell him you will sell him that one. He laughs and says how much, you say 200 and he laughs tells you how you just got taken. But you keep the pressure on him to buy yours and he gets mad and to show you how smart he is and how dumb you are he says he can get all he wants for 10. Than you say good, I will give you 15 each for all those. So on every transaction, there are the watchers. Well they all start to laugh at him and he gives in, making a little and you go your way while the rest of the vendors try to sell you more. But enough is enough and off you go.
Last night Diana was going to a friends house for dinner and asked Linda and me if we wanted to go along. We said sure and she called and asked if she could bring along a couple of Americans. Well OK, but not too enthused. Turns out this guy's name was also John and he was from AZ. he is 35 and has lived in China for 13 years now. He is married to a 23 year old Chinese woman. There were about 20 people there, all Chinese except Linda and I. His wife and her mother must have been cooking all week because the table had so much food of all kinds and looked mouth watering. Also, John brought out some Chinese Liqueur of some sort that looked like Kentucky moonshine and was so potent a little sip took your breath away. John explained to me that it was bad insults not to drink what your host poured for you in China. So as not to offend the host, I had my fair share. Soon as everyone else had their fair share the room became quite lively. And I found out much to my delight that although only Chinese was being spoken, I knew everything that was going on and when someone told a joke I understood the punch line and laughed just as loud as anyone in the room. This must be the stuff they pass out on the star ship Enterprise as a universal translator. When the meal is finished, no one leaves the table, they all just sit and chat for how ever long they feel like it. And pick at the food left with their chopsticks. And continual not to offend the host. All too soon it was time to go, so as we started to pack up John came with his camera for pics. He told me when Diana asked to bring a couple of friends he didn't think it was a good idea because we would feel left out and strange. But we got along so good with everyone he was glad we came. I told him I would probably never see him again, but I would never forget that night. So we left with that warm feeling only the universal translator can give.
A new patient just checked into the hospital today. Mike and Caroline from North Carolina. Mike is 68 and has the PD for years now. I don't know if I will see much of him as we have nothing in common at all. Mike likes to go to old car swap meets, collect old cars, has a few and also has a 1957 tbird. So what could we possibly talk about. But I may make an exception in case and talk a little with him. Caroline helps him pull engines under a tree. He reads the Early Bird from cover to cover.
john and linda in China
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
