Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Thursday November 6, 2008

It seems impossible that this trip is half over already. I will not be able to post anything over the weekend however because I am taking that jaunt to Mainland China. I need to pick up my Visa today. When the office manager and I were walking to the Consulate the other day, I caught my right foot in a construction dip, and went sailing. I fell particularly hard on my left knee, and scraped it up pretty good. So I am hobbling around a little. I just hope it doesn't heal completely before I get home because I don't want to miss out on the sympathy I expect to get, particularly from Bill :) When I came to Macau, my two toes on my right foot were still healing from being burned when I spilled boiling water on them. It's good to pick up a new injury now that my toes are all healed. Keeps me feeling normal.

The newspapers here today all full of Obama's win. Had I brought Obama buttons, I could have sold them for a pretty penny. I am amazed at how enthusiastic the people in Macau are about our election. Having been involved during the 60's and 70's for the civil rights movement, I feel particularly proud when I read comments by Roger Wilkins and other civil rights leaders from that time. I also feel particularly proud of my generation, those "hippies", who truely did change the face of the United States. It was our generation, the generation of Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement who said emphatically "no more Jim Crow". We now have the responsibility of passing on that legacy. I have told students here how when I was in high school in Waterloo, Iowa in 1966 there were no students of color in my high school, although the city was 25% non white, and how when we compare that to today, our students at John Deere couldn't even imagine schools being segregated. We are on the right path. I do so wish that two of my heroes, Jackie Robinson and Edgar Mevers would have lived to see this day.

Yesterday one of our students brought lunch to me. It was Curry chicken and rice. Yum. I want to know why, with all of the steps I climg and hills I trudge up, that I amnot a size 3 by now. I guess it has to do with the Curry and rice, huh?

Thank you for reading my posts. This is quite the adventure.
Lois

10 comments:

coffeejill said...

lol...i am envisioning you tripping in Macau! Glad to know I am not the only one....yesterday I was dragging my feet a bit going up the deck stairs from the roasterie and tripped and SMACKED my knee so hard on the next step!! ouchie!! it is all bruised and a bit swollen...I didn't tell Joe...no sympathy there for my clumsiness!! haha!! I suffer in silence...like a TRUE martyr! hahahahahaha

Love you! So neat to hear how excited and interested the Chinese are in our little election in the States!

What a wonderful day to be an American!!!!

coffeejill said...

Yesterday...just for the pure entertainment of it all, I listened to Rush Limbaugh on the radio...He almost had a SEIZURE on the air...tee hee! 'Course after about 5 minutes, I had to turn it off. Kicks aren't that hard to find!

:)

Love you!

coffeejill said...

ps--I think he said the world is coming to an end. Everybody better get under their desks and put their heads down! hahahahaha!

asuman said...

I laughed out loud reading you blog today. I had a great visual of you taking a spill!! Thankfully you are ok?!?! I have never been a very political person, but I have been standing much taller these last two days and have even gotten tears in my eyes watching all the coverage. I don't think our students yet realize how lucky they are to witness history being made. I also find it fascinating to see how people all over the world are celebrating with us. Very exciting

coffeejill said...

pps...have a super time in Mainland China!! What an experience!! Whoo hoo!

Norma said...

Have a great weekend. I can't wait to see pictures when you return home. I hope you are keeping a journal as well as these posts. I want to hear every detail.

Big crocodile tears (of joy) rolled down my face on Tuesday night and I still find myself choking up with emotion. Barak looked so exhausted during his speech. It makes me sad that his Grandmother didn't live to see him succeed. But she knows.

I love you. Stay safe.

Allison said...

Lois,
I just sat and read through all of your blogs! What a real treat! It is captivating to read about all of your adventures...and I have to admit...I enjoy reading about your minor mishaps too! How nice of you to share your experiences so honestly!!!! I'm sure you'll be sad to hear that you are missing student led conferences today and tomorrow here at Deere. I'm sure those are the days that you pine for....riiiiiight! Well Lois, it sounds like you are having a fabulous time...the time of your life perhaps?!?!?! I hope you enjoy every moment of your time in China. I think of you often and I hope you travels home are safe! Keep in touch and keep blogging!!!!
Allison

suev said...

Hi,
I am sorry about your fall! But glad your toes are better.
The Erie Park district did not fly did not know what news you can get on your computer.
I went to vote and stood there for 5 min trying to decide on who to vote for, finally I voted for the green candidate. Obama will make a fine president, so it worked out o.k.
Glad to hear you get to do even more traveling. Hope your weekend travels are great!
Take care, miss you here though!!
Susan

rosemary said...

i hope you have a great weekend on the mainland. is your knee better for walking now? (i hope) i look forward to hearing about the interesting things you will see. is it still hot there? the midwest has rain and snow. there is much more snow south of us, which is different since we up north don't usually end up with the warmer temperatures. i'll be waiting to get a text from matt later to hear that he had a safe trip to missouri. he's with a group of student reps from the U attending a weekend conference for university residential housing. he's on the board for the mpls campus. i hope you both have safe travels!

Hoke said...

Daisy....Here I am!!!! Great news!!!! Amanda D is moving to Cambridge. I axed her what she is going to do for fun in Cambridge and she replied "there's nuthin to do in Cambridge. I'm gonna have to go to Kewannee or Geneseo to see any action." At least she will have a place to pee in someone's corn flakes. Do they do that in China? Our trip to Boston was beautiful. Great color. And I went to Walden Pond in your honor. I brought back a leaf for you....I couldn't find any pencils. I also visited the graves of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph "Where's Waldo?" Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in Concord. I told them you were in China and they whispered "ah-soooo!" Have fun on the mainland...Wear denim! HOKE