contemplating what means the most in life

Today was a strange day. I've had a wonderful few days but I'll write about today.

I went to Christina's in the morning and we went to visit her extended family an hour and a half out of town. Her dad was driving and driving in China is so hectic! Christina's dad honked at ppl all the time and I thought that, I'm a good driver in Canada but in China I wouldn't get anywhere because there are buses, cars, bikes, motor bikes and pedestrians that come out of no where in no particular order. Street lights are somewhat optional, yellow road lines mean even less.

When we got to Christina's aunts house, I met her relatives, tons of them! her aunt, uncle and two cousins were celebrating moving into a new house. It was on the 12th floor of this tall building in a brand new community. Her little cousin named Si Si who was 11 years old, took quite a liking to me and me to her and she felt like a little sister( I miss Erica ).

Si Si showed me some of her written homework that was done in Ancient Chinese and a few sentences really aught my attention. They said that 'all people die and that all plants lives come to an end...that things do not last forever' I said to Christina that that was a good thing for young people to learn. But I wondered if the 11 year olds (grade 6) actually grasped the concepts they were writting out or if they just copied out the words.

We ate a huge lunch at christina's auntie's house and it was absolutely delicious, the food all cooked cantonese style. Whole fish, fish balls, shrimp, mushroom dishes, squid, soup, vegetables, buns...Then we went shopping and I bought a coat for in Beijing where I'm going on tuesday. Anyways, then we went to dinner that was more like a feast at a beautiful restaurant. There must have been 60 relatives there and I couldn't help thinking about our big family dinners in Quesnel. They were similar to this one in that Christina didn't even know all of her relatives there.

Christina's dad got a bit into the drink. Christina said that 'He is impatient even with his drink'.

I met Christina's grandma and we got along great! she didn't speak anything but cantonese but she gave me some food to take back after dinner and we took a picture together. She only has 2 teeth left and She's somewhere in her mid 80's. I think she looked a lot older. I was so happy to meet her though and to be able to share this special celebration with Christina and her family. It touched me deeply that they were so kind. I think that mom and grandma would have been really happy for me and also gracious to these people.

The next part of my night was not good.

Christina's dad was driving too fast and we hit a woman and her toddler child. I ran out of the car to the accident scene and the woman was laying on the ground moaning and her child was crying. This was the second accident scene I had been to in the past 3 months. I remembered some training from lifeguarding and knew excactly waht to do. I checked the woman for blood and the child as well. then Christina translated while I told her mom to stabalize the woman's head and spine. The woman was not bleeding profusely from anywhere, nor the child but she started to shake a lot. I told Christina that we needed to keep the woman and her child warm because they were going into shock and gave them the coat i had just bought and my sweater. We tried to comfort the woman and I wish that I could speak her language, but I told Christina to tell her that her baby was okay, that she was okay and that the ambulance was on it's way. Just anything to make her less scared. We were in the middle of the street and cars were still going by. I can't believe how dangerous the roads are in China for pedestrians!! Anyways...then the ambulance finally arrived and me christina and her boyfriend went to the hospital with the woman while her mother and father stayed with the police officer to deal with that side of it.

When the ambulance finally arrived I was APPALLED! they didn't stabalize the womans head or spine when putting her onto the stretcher. When we were driving along the bumpy road christina was trying to stabalize the woman's head and shoulders but didn't know how. I didn't say anything because there were 5 ppl dressed in white who apparently were there to help...the nurses or whatever but they completely ignored the woman! her head was bouncing around in the ambulance and the attendants were indifferent. I asked Coffin and Christina what the attendants were talking about and apparently one girl was complaining that she didn't have a seat and the others were talking about where they got their name tags!!!!!! I was so sincerely upset, angry and just disappointed. I felt like I knew more than them, and I was much more empathetic for sure which is understandable since they do this all the time...but What the FUCK! they did absolutely nothing for her. when we got to the hospital it was only me and christina and Coffin who were looking after the woman. The woman's bf was there but he wouldn't hold her hand. Christina did the whole time and she said that the woman complained that she was scared and in pain.

So my thoughts are that life is not finite and that some people take it for granted. I had intense emotions today in being invited to spend quality time with Christina's family, it meant so much to me. Plus, if family means so much to me it's those people that I should tell that I love everyday because you never know what will happen. I feel like calling home tonight just to tell Erica and Dad that I love them.

Also, on the other spectrum I think that This proves that patience is a true virtue. If Christina's father had been a little more patient these people would not be hurt. This woman and baby could have died. This accident was completely his fault. People are so dumb sometimes, they think that it won't happen to them. I actually thought this tonight as well, nah it won't happen to me what are the chances and poof there i was in an accident. But it's important to try to learn from others and not just our own experiences. Everyone can't wait for an accident to happen to them to slow down and pay more attention.

I think that tonight was very important. I have this feeling that it means more than nothing. It feels like an epiphany. I still think that there is so much more to think about but, I'm getting kicked out of the lounge room.

Love Holly