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