21
My usual morning grumpiness was met with a ceasless smile, Blaz had reached 21. Our morning was pretty much same old same old. We began with an hour physio session, followed by acupuncture and massage. We celebrated as best we could and made the day special in its own way.
We took the afternoon off from the rehab duties and booked ourselves a van for an outting. The day before we decided if the weather was sweet we would go to Houhai for a walk and a bit of a chillout. In the essence of the 18th it turns out no matter what country we are in, the sun is out in full force.
An hour before our van and driver arrived we were approached with the question of weather or not we would be interested in talking with a journalist (Bruce), who was writing an article on Stem Cell. We chatted in our room for a little under an hour and gave as much info as we could, he joined us on our outting and we continued our conversations. The Van that had come to pick us up was the same one that picked us up from the airport. Though this time we were prepared. Legs cramped and peak hour traffic at its prime we headed for Houhai.
It was nothing like i had expected. When you think lake, you usually think water, not ice. The lake was frozen over and people happily skated along its sturdy surface. The thought immedietly entered mine and Blaz’s mind; how do you think the wheelchair would handle on it. With safety as an issue and mum by our side we stuck to the comfort of the path. We all casually strolled and admired the surroundings untill we took refuge in the warmth of a restuarant. Hot choclate to warm the inside, wine to chill the mind, it was time to head back. 1 by 1 we filled the van; back onto the busy roads, through the city streets, down the drive of the hospital, through the corridors and we were back in our room.
Kamee, Rita and Kotan organised a beautiful cake and we all sang birthday cheers.With the jingles of the chinese happy birthday still ringing in our ears, the day had come to an end. It wasn’t the 21st we had pictured, but it was definately not one we would change. Happy Birthday Blaz.
5 comments January 21st, 2007
