I can now, summon my elbow, to bend at 90 degrees!
And yet, the Voice of Doom says, "You're progress is still too slow. Work harder."
!!!
I'm beginning to think there exists a great cultural divide between --- and myself.
I can take bad news and hard facts. But I value, effective communication. Half-listening to Doom, I wonder about empathy, about humour, about compassion.
Enter, from upstage left, The Cheerleading Team!
Trace- He doesn't know you, lah!
Daughter- Never mind. Slow and steady wins the race. Stay positive! You are doing GREAT, Mommy!
In the end our bodies will all go, but how you deal with this, is the legacy, the lesson you leave for her! (Paraphrased.)
- Trace
Mommy! You are so clever at styling with an injury!
You look better than many people who don't even have a broken arm!
All through my waking hours, I repeat the exercises, bending, straightening, rotating, tirelessly.
When my arm gets too stiff, I add a heat pad.
I practise things I would teach in beginner ballet, to encourage some strength back.
Note- still not able to supinate my palm fully, but at least I can lift my arm now.
A la Second...- My voice, ringing clearly, Hold your arms and your arms will hold you!
Think of the arms beginning from deep within the back, and fanning, reaching out! Like wings of a bird in flight!
Quick pause, and then my punchline- Class, like wings of a bird of prey! Not a domestic bird!
Right on cue, every class I've said this to, always breaks into laughter.
Because don't we all need to laugh in learning and living?
 |
| photo credit- HOM, you can almost hear their laughter! |
Why do, if it makes one so miserable?
Another cultural divide...
The only time I've formally studied Japanese was at college in Los Angeles, so imagine, my horror when the first thing the teacher did here at Japanese class in Singapore, was made us recite the hiragana alphabet, repeating about five times, after him!
44 years-old and rote learning?!!
a, i, u, e, o! ka, ki, ku, ke, ko! sa, shi, su, se, so!
Sensei- Isshoni ittekudasai!
(Please say together!)
a, i, u, e, o! ka, ki, ku, ke, ko! sa, shi, su, se, so!
Sensei- Shitsumon wa arimasuka?
(Do you have any questions?)
Sensei- You reply, Arimasen.
(None)
Sensei- Wakarimasuka?
(Do you understand?)
Class- Wakarimasu!
Sensei- Jaa, mooichido itekudasai!
(Say it one more time!)
a, i, u, e, o! ka, ki, ku, ke, ko! sa, shi, su, se, so!
I wonder if I can make it through the next two hours without staging a one-woman coup.
It's hard looking down at the textbook. The hiragana characters blur and float. I shut my eyes, chanting along.
a, i, u, e, o! ka, ki, ku, ke, ko! sa, shi, su...Sumimasen!
Sumimasen, Sensei! Shitsumon ga arimasu!
(Excuse me, teacher! I have a question!)
And just like that, like a lover from a past life, reappearing and enveloping me!
Tammy desu! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. London ni, uma kara ochita, ude o otta!
(I'm Tammy. Nice to meet you. I fell off a horse in London. I broke my arm.)
So, said the Ichi-ban (#1) Cheerleader in Civil Defense Uniform (Cultural shock #3!),
What did you say to the teacher when he asked you what happened to your arm?
I said I fell off a horse.
Huh, you didn't say it in Japanese?
Nope.
But why not?
He spoke to me in American.
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