Jing Ying's family cultivates rice. Her parents are migrant workers working in Guangdong, a big city about 10 hours down the highway. Her aunt prepares her food during the day, and her grandma takes care of her at night, when she's done working in the fields. She has an older brother, who was also born with a cleft lip and palate, and an older sister. Both are also migrant workers. The brother is learning to use heavy construction machines. The parents borrowed money for his surgeries many years ago, but they couldn't afford to pay for their daughter's surgeries. The translator said that girls aren't as important. Her mother had developed cancer, and the cost of her surgeries has left the family in debt, although she seems to be well now. Although Jing Ying's mother works far away, she returned to bring her daughter to Interplast. She will return shortly to her job.
Here I am pictured with Jing Ying and her family. I was given the highest honor you can give a guest - I was served eggs (in rice wine soup). It was a bit embarrassing since I am not the hugest fan of rice wine soup, but it was very sweet, and I ate it nonetheless.
It was a wonderful peek into a very different way of life.
What a great adventure to be a part of the children,s family. I love going on these trips and realizing how lucky we are. It is a renewal for me. Keep well and keep E-Mailing
Posted by: Maureen Cox | April 09, 2005 at 05:36 PM
Eric, setting aside prataiccl considerations, do you think Iran would be justified in making a military attack on Israel?In these waiting periods you recommend when Iran should wait out the US, and Israel will continue in its bad behavior or get worse, have you created scenarios in which Iran becomes sufficiently powerful, and sufficiently well-connected, that Iran has the ability and the allied to, indeed, destroy Israel? If you could do something to precipitate a solution before that occurred, what would it be?
Posted by: Sembiring | October 27, 2012 at 05:32 PM