Spring arrived this week

It felt good that the sun came out and I did my homework out several times. Matt, my young French friend who helps me when I get stuck is ill with an angina. I was by the quay among the young busy students on Wednesday, in the Citadelle with the elderly folks and mums with young kids on Tuesday and also at the Turkish cafe. I am not sure it was the most efficient way of getting work done but Matt assured me that I ought to listen to real French conversations instead of listening to the cd that I am supposed to.Not sure how listening to a group of 'nanas' going on about their boyfriends would improve my vocabulary! It was good to be out and feel the heat though. The temperature went up to 21 C.

At the Citadelle, the patrolling police on bicycles asked a young girl for her pouch of tobacco - I think they wanted to check that it was not dope. She obligingly handed it to them and they gave it back to her politely after verifying that it was indeed just toabacco. It seemed so civilised in a way and so matter of fact. I thought that maybe elsewhere she could have been stroppy and protest.

I am slowly gathering more articles on disability in China. I should start writing soon, the deadline is approaching. And I have to assemble all the bits from the others and edit it before I leave for Vancouver. It has an incredible effect on me. A sense of responsibility maybe. Wenru, with whom I am in e-mail contact with, had written on one ocasion that she does what she is doing because they are 'her people' and I am going towards that direction. It makes me realised that I am actually in a priviledged position and puts my own belly aching into perspective. I never liked to make comparisons and I am not doing so now but recent events have put so much of my life in a precarious position that I have been stressed without wanting to admit it. The image of being in a transit station in between planes or trains keeps coming into my mind..or in a crossroad but since I don't drive, that doesn't have the same impact on me. What are the signposts that I should take heed of? Which direction, which train should I hop on?

I have also been going to the acupunturist, Dr. Nguyen down the road. He's very chatty and is originally from Vietnam. I wanted something to help my right hand since I am at the keyboard all the time. Having needles remind me of when I was a child - lying still with all the needles on my leg and a medicinal smell of incense vaguely comes to mind.  Dr Nguyen has no incense - he puts on some innocuous soothing music instead and tells me to sleep.

Christine (Naomi's godmother) and Lionel had their house blessing on Saturday. They now live about half an hour away from Strasbourg. Lionel says he will have his own car. So far, they had been a one car family. I went with my neighbours, David and Diana and we took a little detour to pick up Agnes who lives in Hautepierre, a sort of industrial suburb with a big hypermarket, Auchan, and hospital. It is at the end of one of the tram lines. Agnes told me she didn't like living there because there is too much vandalism. Christine and Lionel's house is big compared to the flat they had before. There were quite a few people there - good to catch up on news. It is a strange feeling of disconnection again - I used to belong to that congregation. The church premises is inaccessible to me now because before I went with the family and they had always lugged me up the few steps. I am wondering if I should keep going inspite of  the access issue. Am I depriving myself of  good company? It

I am behind in my work. I shall have to really burn the midnight oil and beyond.