Tidbits and Nerves

Well, first thing, it seems Drew is starting to show his age. He is almost 29 you know :) Two nights ago at volleyball, Drew was jump serving and afterwards starting to experience alot of pain in his leg. His original thought was that he re-injured his hamstring from a strain a few years ago. We spent most of yesterday trying to find a doctor, which was a real trip. First, I accidentally sent him to a gynecologist. Needless to say, they wouldn't look at him. Ooops. Then, Drew went to a general practitioner who only said, you need to see an orthopaedic specialist, and referred us to someone who was not in that day. Finally, we found an orthopedic doctor. He thinks that Drew actually has sciatica, or lower back nerve problems due to spinal cord compression instead of a hamstring strain. This makes sense as Drew has been working much longer hours here in Hong Kong, increasing his sitting time. He also didn't suddenly start feeling the pain after one jump serve, like a pull would do. So, for the moment, he is on pain meds, anti-inflammatories, and rest. Once the initial pain goes away, he will most likely be on some kind of back stretching routine. I think now my Dad, Brian, and Steph's husband Kane have all dealt with this at one point or another. You too Stu? Apparently sitting for long periods of time really is bad for you. Anyways, keep Drew in your prayers for some initial pain relief.

A few more cultural tidbits.

1. Holding Hands. Public displays of affection are not uncommon here. Teenagers for sure are all over each other, as is typical in most countries. But what I found interesting was the number of older couples still holding hands as well as grown-ups with their even older parents. The old couples are very cute. Sometimes, it seems the holding hands is more to keep from getting separated or to support one another as they bumble along, instead of actual affection. But, at they end they are still holding hands aren't they? How many older couples do you know that still hold hands? It's very endearing to see. The adult kids to the parents is even more interesting. Both grownup sons and daughters will hold their parent's hand, again likely for support and direction, but it's cool to see. I think it shows how much more the Asian culture respects the older generations. The next tidbit also ties in.

2. People in Hong Kong walk surprisingly slow. In most U.S. large cities, people fly around, walking as fast as they can, because there is always somewhere to be. It is very different here in Hong Kong. Perhaps, it's because the typical Asian is shorter than me and therefore has shorter strides, but I am constantly running into the backs of people. And I don't even walk that fast; Drew can attest to that. Or maybe Hong Kongers have figured out that if they walk slower, they are less likely to sweat in the high humidity, which is true. Or perhaps it is because there is still a large amount of older folks walking around, and everyone purposefully slows down to accommodate them. Or perhaps there is some Confucianist philosophy coming into play. Rushing around creates chaos, which Confucianism tries to avoid. Everything is much more orderly if everyone walks slower and at a similar pace. Or perhaps there is just too many people to walk fast. I'm not sure what it is, but the slowness exists for whatever reason, and most newbies to Hong Kong notice it. Both of my Mandarin classmates commented on this same thing.

Finally some funny pics for the road. The first is a box of Milo cereal. I saw it at the grocery store and had to try it for Leah's sake. Yes, it tastes very similar to Coco Puffs. And yes, Drew, I have been hiding it from you for the past few days. Don't worry, there is still some left!

The next is an inside joke for Leah and I. Not sure where this jingle come from, but we say it whenever we actually do something brilliant, just to remind ourselves that a blonde moment (which happens much more frequently than our brilliant moments) is just around the corner. "I am so smrt. S-M-R-T." Needless to say, the Singapore transit system is called the "Singapore Mass Rapid Transit."

Finally, this was the view from our apartment yesterday. A beautiful sunny afternoon, which Drew got to longingly stare at from his position on the couch. Rough day, love. Feel better soon.