TheBanyanTree: I'm still alive

[Pat M]

 Hello friends,

I haven't written for nearly two months as I have been sick most of the
time, and to be honest, I was feeling a little depressed because of it. I
can't quite understand why my immune system is so weak. I've been here 3
months and have been ill at least half of the time.  Someone else might be
ready to pack up and move, but I'm not willing to consider it. I have
realized, however, that I MUST eat more nutritious food and have just bought
a hot plate and some cookware.

So... in a nutshell.... Since I last wrote, I was able (through my own
efforts and connections to a powerful man--my employer from last year) to
change and renew my visa so that I can teach.

For Spring Festival (and Chinese New Year's) the children went to relatives'
homes for one month. They left around January 16th. It was tough to say
goodbye as some of them did not want to leave and they wept. If you look at
my photos you will see a little girl and the conditions she lives in when
she goes to visit her grandmother.

Shortly after the children left, there was a huge quarrel here between two
workers and I found myself having to step in and keep them from having a
fist fight. It was terrible! One older woman lost control and began
shrieking at a younger woman. She told the girl (who is very shy and suffers
from lack of confidence) she could do nothing right--not even cut the
vegetables properly. The young girl began wailing at the top of her lungs
and the other woman continued to shout at her, telling her she had lost
face-the ultimate insult.)  I had to push the older woman away from the
girl... telling her to 'Be quiet'' in Chinese. But it didn't work. The young
girl ran to the far end of the compound, slumped against the wall and
sobbed. The bully followed her and I had to intervene again. It was very
upsetting to witness, more so because two children were still here waiting
for their relatives to pick them up. This place should set a
positive example. (I've since been told that physical fighting even between
women is fairly common here and the children have likely seen much worse.)

For the last two weeks of January, I was very sick with a gut-wrenching
cough that had me up most of the night, every night. I finally tried Chinese
traditional medicine for my cough, but it didn't work.  I had made a
commitment to live and teach at a local language school for two weeks
starting at the beginning of February, and it was very hard to follow
through with it. I was so tired and weak, I could hardly think.
Nevertheless, I forced myself to go, and I taught English every morning for
15 days in a row.Part of the deal was that the school would provide a room
and food. It was a treat to eat at the school as the food was delicious and
plentiful. I ate ravenously as if I had been starving... which is almost
true. At the orphanage, I was eating perhaps half of what the children
eat and had dropped 10 or 15 pounds since my arrival in China.

At first, teaching was a real chore because I was exhausted. Finally, in
sheer desperation, I allowed my employer (another Peter) to take me to the
best hospital in Pingguo county, which is at the aluminum factory. Pingguo
is famous for its huge factory and about 20,000 workers and their families
live around it. Housing is provided by the company and the small hospital
there boasts the best medical care in the area. Compared to most Pingguo
residents, the people who work at the factory are well-to-do.

The doctor ordered an x-ray which showed that my lungs and heart were fine
but that I had bronchitis (no one told me that and I figured it out several
days later). I was put on intravenous antibiotics for a week.

I taught in the morning and went to the hospital every afternoon for about 3
hours. The needle was inserted in the vein on the back of my hand. It was my
first time ever to have intravenous antibiotics but it is very common in
China. It's what everyone who can afford it does rather than take pills.  I
was given a small private room. I took my laptop with me and worked on
lesson plans. One day I bumped the needle when putting away my computer and
it really hurt. My vein began to swell up very quickly. I began to call,
""Help, help," because I didn't know if it was serious, and two nurses came
running.  Later I got a good laugh when I was told it was nothing to be
concerned about.

After the first week of antibiotics, I felt much better and enjoyed
teaching. On my last day, we took 25 students to the largest supermarket in
Pingguo and I used a bullhorn to review vocabulary with them as we walked
through the store. When we finished the students were allowed to go shopping
for a few minutes. One 12-year-old boy, Owen, bought me a heart-shaped box
of chocolates. Owen's father died of cancer and his mother has cancer that's
in remission. We had a connection from the get-go and I know I made a
difference in his life. You can see a picture on my web photos.

I'm back at the orphanage now. The children have returned and there are 13
new orphans here. I'll begin teaching English in the evenings next week. I
also have plans to teach Saturday and Sunday mornings at the language school
(Endurance Language School) so I can earn a little money to buy food for
myself and the children.

Hopefully I'll stay well now and will keep in touch more often.

Pat

Check out my photos:  http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/Pingguo#