Having to service my broken ankle, I went to the Chen Gong University Medical Center for treatment. It was a fairly busy day in the outpatient department. My wife left me in the waiting room to go get some documents. In the center of a long corridor chairs were arranged in columns and row to face 8 doors which opened to 8 examination rooms along the left wall. A large window at the far end provided ample sunlight.
Being the only foreigner in the room, most of the 150 people tracked me as I wheeled my chair across the room to the window to get some vitamin D.
As my number was soon to come up, I rolled back to the main door, and took up a place tucked in a corner, out of the path of direct traffic but close enough to my doctors door. Absorbed in my book, I looked up in time to see the only other wheel chair enter the room, a olive skinned, curly haired man in his early 30's. He looked Mediterranean or Middle eastern.
“ Hello”, I greeted him.
Seeing another Mediterranean/middle eastern face, he lit up,” Hello” he approached. “I'm Mohammed from Iran.”
“I'm Malcolm from New York,” and to put him at ease I smiled with an outstretched hand,”A pleasure to meet you.”
“What happened to your leg?” he asked.
“Paragliding accident,” and noticing his back brace, “And you ?”
“Spinal injury. Herniated disk.”
“So sorry. Sorry also about the trouble between our home countries.”
“I hate politicians!” he added emphatically, spitting out the words like chewed betelnut. “If they would get the hell out of the way we could all make a world of peace for ourselves.”
“So true. Spend the same amount of money on peace initiative that we spend on war, and we could have peace.”
“You are Muslim?”
“Yes, You are Christian?”
" Yes."
“Good! We give politicians, how you Americans say, the Bird,” and with outstretched arms, and a warm smile, we reached across our wheel chairs and clumsily embraced.
“I pray for healing in your nation and in your spine. Amen”
“I pray for your country to know peace and for you to fly again very soon. Allah Akbar..”
“Shalom Alechem.”
“Wa Alaykum Salam.”
When my wife returned, she found me in a most unusual position, hands clasped, and embracing another man who bore a striking resemblance to me.
“You 2 look like long lost brothers.”
“ Hahaha, yeah, Jacob and Esau!” I quipped.
“ Hahaha. Hey, you got facebook?”he asked.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Road Trippin' Taitung County, 2001
Come on Pauli, I've been on a road trip with all my Taitung buddies except you.
Paul just laughed, and replies,” Maybe. One day.”
This was the 77th time I urged him into this. “OK. This weekend I have to visit the electronics store. Let's go.”
Paul was very duty bound and responsible. His outward conservative behavior and expressions belied a deep and broad creativity. But it was his duty to mind the house and yard, his disabled father, his aging mother and his son.
We left the next afternoon in my red CMC minivan. I swear by these vehicles. I have had at least 8 of them in my life in Taiwan. They are good on gas, easy to repair, parts are cheap, everything is accessible. They have a sharp turning radius and it is 60 cm longer than other vans in it's class. They are big on the inside, small on the outside. It can carry a motorcycle and yet park in a space only 6 cm longer than itself. It sleeps 2 average adults, snugly. Two average adults sleeping in a van, I guess “snuggle-y” is what they would want. Alas, the little red minivan is another story.
Once in Kaohsiung, Paul and I completed our respective tasks. The minivan laden with goodies, parts, tools, toys and a lot of American junk food from Costco we headed back as the sunset.
“Did I ever tell you about the time,...”
“Is this gonna be a long story?”
“It's gonna be a long drive.” I parried. “I was sitting at home with the missus and started feeling antsy, like I had to go for a drive. I had been fasting and praying and felt like there was something unusual to this. So, I got in the car and headed for Kaohsiung, at around 11 pm. The mountains of Da Ren and Xr Dze Xiang were shrouded in cloud. I came upon a small car on the side of the road. I saw a man struggling with a flat tire. I swung my car around so the light was in his face and scared the shit out of him. So, to set him at ease, I promptly spoke English with him. I changed the tire for him and was about to leave when his wife in the back seat of the car called me over. 'Grandma says that you are like an angel. She has been praying in tongues that God would send someone to help us. And you are.'
“'Are you Christian', I asked. Turns out they go to the same church as my friends Dave and Weifun in Kaohsiung.”
“Very interesting. I hope we don't have that kind of adventure on the road.”
By the time we got to Xr Dze Xiang, Nei men, night had fallen. A mist cloaked the slopes from 350 meters and up. As we came around one of the countless blind bends we saw a 28 wheel crane truck had run into the cliff on the right side. “ Paul, roll down your window an see if this guy needs help.”
“Nah, he's OK. He has a cel phone. I'm sure”
I stopped the car. “Hey, do you need help?”
“ Jio ming, ahhh!” Save my Life! I kinda expected that. “The radiator pinned my legs. I can't get out. “
Paul jumped out of the car before it came to a full halt, saying,“ I will take this water. He can pour on his legs to cool. OK?”
“ Of course,” I replied.
I parked the van 30 meters down the road. I could hear Paul instructing the victim in a calm voice. I sprinted back up the hill to where Paul had flagged down a passing big blue truck. I heard him using his passive authoritarian “Yoda” voice, to convince the driver to let us use his tow rope, chain and truck to pull the front window post and the radiator off of the trapped driver.
Paul sprung like a acrobat from truck to truck, giving instructions, attaching the tow. A policeman had arrive and wanted to know what was going on. “ Did these men cause the accident he asked the victim driver.
“No, they kindly stopped to help. Please get me out of here!”
Paul informed him that he could be helpful by directing traffic, which he did.
In minutes we heard the creaking of steel on steel and the driver was extricated, none the worse for fear.
While the policeman had his back turned, we slipped away from the scene, back to our van and disappeared into the night like Batman and Boy Wonder-WTF-is-going-on.
“Well, wasn't THAT an adventure? “ I teased Paul. “You like that, don't you?”
Paul is grinning with all the feeling of satisfaction of a good hard days work and saving someones life,”No more adventure.”
“You really sprung into action like you know what you're doing”
He offered,“I had some experience on the tunneling and construction job sites as a civil engineer.”
“Yes, but the way everybody listens to you. You're like the Jedi Knight.”
People in authority use authority voice. Workers listen.”
“Oh.” I had learned some of what would become know as the classic Paul wisdom. I'll let that sink in and see how to use it in the the ESL classroom.
The police lights flashed in and out of view to the rear, with each turn we took on the torturous road home. “No more adventure, “ Paul remarked.” Let's just go home. “
And, none too soon. As we came up the coastal highway past Da Xi, we saw headlights a little too far off the side of the opposite side of the road, askew from the horizontal.
“No more adventure” Paul repeated what had become a mantra, though his laugh belied his words.
“Looks like they drove into the storm drain.“
“They can call a tow truck.”
“Can we do this?”
“Sure?“ I couldn't tell if Paul was asking or assuring.
The driver seemed a little drunk. He was with 2 other men. They were driving home from a wedding.
Paul went immediately into “Jedi” mode. He had everybody out of the car, lifting the fender while I drove the car backwards. The one rear wheel which had been cantilevered up, touched the ground just enough to jolt the car out of the ditch.
Paul left them with a stern warning,”Huh jyo, bu kai che.” - Drink wine, don't drive car!
Laughing, I emphasized with a drunken slur, “Huh che bu kai jyo!” Drink car, don't drive wine!”
We had left Kaohsiung at sunset and it appeared we wouldn't get home til after midnight. “ Yeah, 2 hour drive, you said,“ Paul chided me. “Next time you can road trip alone, hahahhaa “
“ OK. No more stops. No more.”
The coastal highway is up on pillars just south of Taimali, 2 lanes wide with a very narrow shoulder. So what were these 2 lovers doing at midnight, car parked on the side?
“Oh, no not another,” Paul smiled, chanting, “No more adventures.”
I was well aware of the local peoples fear when another vehicle pulls up at midnight. So, I used my best American accent to greet them in English and hopefully it will put them at ease. “ Good morning. Are you OK? Do you need help?” I asked.
“ Engine is overheating,” replied the woman.
“ Well, I can leave you a couple of bottles of water,” I offered.
“Thank you.”
“ Let me have a look,” said Paul.
“You busted a fan belt. It is wrapped around the fan. Paul stood on the side and gazed at the sea, his long auburn hair blowing offshore, wizard-like.
“How about we take you to Taimali, and they can get you a tow,” I asked.
“ Good idea,” Paul said.
“ How much? The man asked.
Paul laughed,” You are our third rescue tonight. No charge.”
It was 1:30 when we arrived in Taimali. And we were remarkably fortunate to find my friend Ah Kuhn awake and playing with his cars in his 4WD shop.
“ Ma Tai -i. What are you doing out so late at night?” He introduced me to his coworker,” Ma Tai-i is a paragliding instructor. He flies here on Jin Dzen San.”
“This is my partner, Paul. And these nice folks' car broke down up the road. I think they need a belt. You might want to tow them back and repair it.“ The driver gave him the keys and a description of the car.
“ Hey, Paul what do you say we head home.”
“ We should stay and make sure that they are alright.”
“ It's 3 a.m.”
“Duty. You assume it, you follow it through.”
Such is the wisdom of Paul.
Paul just laughed, and replies,” Maybe. One day.”
This was the 77th time I urged him into this. “OK. This weekend I have to visit the electronics store. Let's go.”
Paul was very duty bound and responsible. His outward conservative behavior and expressions belied a deep and broad creativity. But it was his duty to mind the house and yard, his disabled father, his aging mother and his son.
We left the next afternoon in my red CMC minivan. I swear by these vehicles. I have had at least 8 of them in my life in Taiwan. They are good on gas, easy to repair, parts are cheap, everything is accessible. They have a sharp turning radius and it is 60 cm longer than other vans in it's class. They are big on the inside, small on the outside. It can carry a motorcycle and yet park in a space only 6 cm longer than itself. It sleeps 2 average adults, snugly. Two average adults sleeping in a van, I guess “snuggle-y” is what they would want. Alas, the little red minivan is another story.
Once in Kaohsiung, Paul and I completed our respective tasks. The minivan laden with goodies, parts, tools, toys and a lot of American junk food from Costco we headed back as the sunset.
“Did I ever tell you about the time,...”
“Is this gonna be a long story?”
“It's gonna be a long drive.” I parried. “I was sitting at home with the missus and started feeling antsy, like I had to go for a drive. I had been fasting and praying and felt like there was something unusual to this. So, I got in the car and headed for Kaohsiung, at around 11 pm. The mountains of Da Ren and Xr Dze Xiang were shrouded in cloud. I came upon a small car on the side of the road. I saw a man struggling with a flat tire. I swung my car around so the light was in his face and scared the shit out of him. So, to set him at ease, I promptly spoke English with him. I changed the tire for him and was about to leave when his wife in the back seat of the car called me over. 'Grandma says that you are like an angel. She has been praying in tongues that God would send someone to help us. And you are.'
“'Are you Christian', I asked. Turns out they go to the same church as my friends Dave and Weifun in Kaohsiung.”
“Very interesting. I hope we don't have that kind of adventure on the road.”
By the time we got to Xr Dze Xiang, Nei men, night had fallen. A mist cloaked the slopes from 350 meters and up. As we came around one of the countless blind bends we saw a 28 wheel crane truck had run into the cliff on the right side. “ Paul, roll down your window an see if this guy needs help.”
“Nah, he's OK. He has a cel phone. I'm sure”
I stopped the car. “Hey, do you need help?”
“ Jio ming, ahhh!” Save my Life! I kinda expected that. “The radiator pinned my legs. I can't get out. “
Paul jumped out of the car before it came to a full halt, saying,“ I will take this water. He can pour on his legs to cool. OK?”
“ Of course,” I replied.
I parked the van 30 meters down the road. I could hear Paul instructing the victim in a calm voice. I sprinted back up the hill to where Paul had flagged down a passing big blue truck. I heard him using his passive authoritarian “Yoda” voice, to convince the driver to let us use his tow rope, chain and truck to pull the front window post and the radiator off of the trapped driver.
Paul sprung like a acrobat from truck to truck, giving instructions, attaching the tow. A policeman had arrive and wanted to know what was going on. “ Did these men cause the accident he asked the victim driver.
“No, they kindly stopped to help. Please get me out of here!”
Paul informed him that he could be helpful by directing traffic, which he did.
In minutes we heard the creaking of steel on steel and the driver was extricated, none the worse for fear.
While the policeman had his back turned, we slipped away from the scene, back to our van and disappeared into the night like Batman and Boy Wonder-WTF-is-going-on.
“Well, wasn't THAT an adventure? “ I teased Paul. “You like that, don't you?”
Paul is grinning with all the feeling of satisfaction of a good hard days work and saving someones life,”No more adventure.”
“You really sprung into action like you know what you're doing”
He offered,“I had some experience on the tunneling and construction job sites as a civil engineer.”
“Yes, but the way everybody listens to you. You're like the Jedi Knight.”
People in authority use authority voice. Workers listen.”
“Oh.” I had learned some of what would become know as the classic Paul wisdom. I'll let that sink in and see how to use it in the the ESL classroom.
The police lights flashed in and out of view to the rear, with each turn we took on the torturous road home. “No more adventure, “ Paul remarked.” Let's just go home. “
And, none too soon. As we came up the coastal highway past Da Xi, we saw headlights a little too far off the side of the opposite side of the road, askew from the horizontal.
“No more adventure” Paul repeated what had become a mantra, though his laugh belied his words.
“Looks like they drove into the storm drain.“
“They can call a tow truck.”
“Can we do this?”
“Sure?“ I couldn't tell if Paul was asking or assuring.
The driver seemed a little drunk. He was with 2 other men. They were driving home from a wedding.
Paul went immediately into “Jedi” mode. He had everybody out of the car, lifting the fender while I drove the car backwards. The one rear wheel which had been cantilevered up, touched the ground just enough to jolt the car out of the ditch.
Paul left them with a stern warning,”Huh jyo, bu kai che.” - Drink wine, don't drive car!
Laughing, I emphasized with a drunken slur, “Huh che bu kai jyo!” Drink car, don't drive wine!”
We had left Kaohsiung at sunset and it appeared we wouldn't get home til after midnight. “ Yeah, 2 hour drive, you said,“ Paul chided me. “Next time you can road trip alone, hahahhaa “
“ OK. No more stops. No more.”
The coastal highway is up on pillars just south of Taimali, 2 lanes wide with a very narrow shoulder. So what were these 2 lovers doing at midnight, car parked on the side?
“Oh, no not another,” Paul smiled, chanting, “No more adventures.”
I was well aware of the local peoples fear when another vehicle pulls up at midnight. So, I used my best American accent to greet them in English and hopefully it will put them at ease. “ Good morning. Are you OK? Do you need help?” I asked.
“ Engine is overheating,” replied the woman.
“ Well, I can leave you a couple of bottles of water,” I offered.
“Thank you.”
“ Let me have a look,” said Paul.
“You busted a fan belt. It is wrapped around the fan. Paul stood on the side and gazed at the sea, his long auburn hair blowing offshore, wizard-like.
“How about we take you to Taimali, and they can get you a tow,” I asked.
“ Good idea,” Paul said.
“ How much? The man asked.
Paul laughed,” You are our third rescue tonight. No charge.”
It was 1:30 when we arrived in Taimali. And we were remarkably fortunate to find my friend Ah Kuhn awake and playing with his cars in his 4WD shop.
“ Ma Tai -i. What are you doing out so late at night?” He introduced me to his coworker,” Ma Tai-i is a paragliding instructor. He flies here on Jin Dzen San.”
“This is my partner, Paul. And these nice folks' car broke down up the road. I think they need a belt. You might want to tow them back and repair it.“ The driver gave him the keys and a description of the car.
“ Hey, Paul what do you say we head home.”
“ We should stay and make sure that they are alright.”
“ It's 3 a.m.”
“Duty. You assume it, you follow it through.”
Such is the wisdom of Paul.
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