Jim woke up around nine o’clock last night, got up and had a good dinner. I ordered tofu and vegetables, cashew chicken–but hold the chicken (yes, they think I’m crazy) and white rice. The cashew chicken is cooked with vegetables, carrots, cucumber, etc. in a great sauce, so without the chicken it’s a really nice, nearly vegeterian dish.
He’s feeling good today…energy is up and he’s off to physical therapy. If he holds up for the weekend we might take an outing to the West Lake District. Besides the amazing pink lotus flowers in bloom during Autust on the Lake, there’s a museum we want to check out.
The Shejiang West Lake Gallery is hosting “The Last Days of Pompeii” exhibit. I hear that there are room-sized frescoes, mosaics and statues, as well as jewelry, tools and other everyday stuff that was excavated from the towns that were destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted. We’ve been watching the BBC series “Rome” so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
It’s interesting to be able to see Roman history while we’re in China getting stem cells.
Unfortunately the American contributions to Hangzhou are MacDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and Hooters. As Jim observed, “fast food and fast women”. Aren’t we proud.
August 9th, 2007
Today is Wednesday, August the 8th, and it’s Jim’s fourth and “final spinal” stem cell transfer. It’s also the first day of Fall here in Hangzhou, and as if on cue the sky has cleared to a beautiful blue with puffy white clouds. It’s the first non-grey, not hazy, clear day since our arrival.
Jim has been a bit weak and tired again today. James returned him to our room early from physical therapy, telling me that he was too dizzy to continue. We cancelled the electro wave therapy and Jim has been napping…waiting for his 2:30 appointment with Dr. Mike. At 2:00 the nurses came in to prep Jim and get his IV going. He was feeling pretty relaxed as they wheeled him away.
We have a floor to ceiling, large picture window in our room that looks out over the city. On a clear day like today I can see out to the horizon, and it’s all buildings. Some are businesses, skyscrapers and industrial buildings, but by far the majority are apartment buildings…large complexes and older, smaller buildings in their shadows as far as the eye can see. Very few people in China live in single family homes.
One doesn’t often see grassy lawns, at least not in this part of Hangzhou. There are occassional lovely plantings of lantana, ice-plant, and perfectly manicured bushes, and just like in Sonoma, the crepe myrtle trees are blooming. But any available vacant lot or plot of land has been cultivated into productive vegetable gardens. And to me these are more beautiful than lawns.
On very hot evenings some people drag cots up to the roof tops of their buildings and sleep outside. It’s such a beautiful evening tonight that people are bringing chairs outside on the sidewalks and terraces, and gathering to talk. The rickshaw drivers are sitting on the sidewalk in a small circle playing cards for money. The break in the heat seems to have energized everyone!
I spaced out today and got off on the 19th floor instead of the 20th. It turns out to be the maternity ward. A very proud grandma and grandpa were with walking with their brand new little grandbaby. They were so in awe and so joyful that they had to come over and show me. There is nothing more beautiful than a newborn, so tiny and perfect and fresh from god (whoever she is)!
So I’m standing up here in the window on the 20th floor sending out a quiet prayer of gratitude to all the Chinese mothers and babies who have donated the umbilical cords for these stem cell treatments. Xie xie.
August 9th, 2007
