Morning SOS

Turning to my other side ready for a few more hours of quality sleep I hear my mom's urgent voice calling my name "Elviiii" ... Some kind of commotion with water in the bathroom at the background is happening ...

Deep in my happy Lalaland I was hoping that this was just a fraction of another dream and not a reality at 8 o'clock in the morning. Unable to ignore (but trying really hard) mom's third or fourth cry for help at this wee hour I dragged myself out of bed and rushed to the emergency scene that looked like this:

Mom is standing wrapped in a towel, dripping water on the bathroom mat, while the water is rapidly cascading just like Niagara waterfalls almost overflowing the tub from the faucet.

"Ohh nooo"

This is what's called "Waking up on an instant" and I cry for Geoff's help, who is obviously practicing the same sleep-defensive tactic of ignoring my loud shrieks. It takes at least 3 calls before he is out of bed and following all three of us are attempting to close the faucet ...

It was a vista from the Russian tale of a Giant Turnip, in which the turnip grew so big that it had to be pulled out from the ground by a human chain: grandad, grandma, mom, dad, boy, girl and a dog. I don't know how mom managed to turn the faucet so hard and plug the plug in the tub at the same time, but somehow she manages the most unbelievable things at times.

I know it's somewhat hard (even if she is here for the fourth time) to understand the working of every single thing which is different in Slovakia versus the US (like the faucet) and trying to comprehend English after 40 years of loving the USSR.

As a matter of fact, she just wished Geoff "Blesk you" after a good big sneeze while doing the newest Japanese craze the "Suzuki" :) on the couch.

I must admit, I have had my share of "misunderstandings" especially with the English language. Some of these mix-ups steam from the fact that nobody corrects my English any longer. Everyone seems to be under the assumption that after 9 years I've had enough practice to know better.

One of my signature mishaps was with the sign "XING" which is painted on many streets of New York City. The first time I saw the sign I was visiting a friend in Flushing, which is a predominantly Asian/Chinese area of the city.
The sign drew my attention immediately and I noticed that cars stop or slow down by the "XING" sign. It just happened that during this famous visit there were many yellow school busses around that were making a stop by the "XING".

By the logic of eliminating every other explanation that came to my mind I concluded that "XING" means school in Chinese Mandarin ...

Not until a few years later did the subject of Chinese schools came up, when we were visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Driving down the hill one sunny afternoon after a day of apple and pumpkin picking the sign "XING" caught my sight to my overwhelming surprise.

I looked at Geoff and said:
"Honey, isn't it weird that there are Chinese schools in this area?"
Geoff looked at me completely puzzled and like a dummy he inquired ...

"Where did you get that?"

Now I looked puzzled and wondered how is it that he's been living here all his life and does not know .... and so I explained ..

Well, thanks to his driving skills we did not crash .... And for those other "meees" that do not drive like myself .. XING means CROSSING :)

I am thankful the subject never came up during some dinner conversation with friends, whom I would have tried to wow with my knowledge of Chinese ...

So, once again "Like mother, like daughter" :)

* * * * * *

Otherwise? I am still not completely OK.

When I started this chemohorror everyone said "It will get better with time laaadydaaaa" but now that I am sick non-stop everyone keeps saying: "I heard it gets worse by each session .. "

It's almost like when no-one ever compliments your hair, you get a haircut and the second it's cut everyone says "Ohh, I preferred it longer" ...

My world has shrunk since Chemoland .. I live on about 5 blocks surrounding the apartment and go for walks like puppy dogs do in coats - with supervision for 15 minutes before I get tired and wish someone actually had a cute purse to carry me around as a pet.

Tomorrow I am off to work (3 blocks to the right and 4 downtown) ... will see how long I last ....