Eventually the dream adventure in Brazil ended and I prepared for home. I had to fly 4 hours south to Sao Paulo to catch an Air Canada flight north for 9 hours to Canada. In Fortaleza I was already almost halfway to Canada, so having to fly south again, land, wait, catch a new plane to fly north again kinda sucked, but oh well... It's the way flights are organized..
I had to sleep sitting up because I had a seatmate this time. I don't recommend it. I experienced the joys of dependent ankle swelling for the first time in my life. Some knee pain was also involved, but fortunately, nothing more serious, like hemorrhoids or deep vein thrombosis.
In the Toronto airport I was selected for random search. The searcher was quite sensitive, I thought - she asked, did I have any body pain? I guess the last thing the searcher would want to do would be to aggravate any existing physical pain with clumsily-conducted body contact. I told her no, I didn't have any pain. Other than mildly annoying, mildly invasive, by default a public experience, and there not being any free toaster to win or even a free coffee voucher to reward me for my cooperation, it was OK I guess. The searcher joked with me a bit, said I could pretend it was a free massage.
My checked bag was lost, but arrived by bus a day later.
Back home, I've been digesting what happened, staying in contact with people I met in Brazil, keeping up a Facebook page and this blog. The next presentation adventure will be in July, at CPA Congress in St. John's. I'll have Angela to help out with that one. So, this closes the series of posts about Brazil. I have a few more pictures to add:
One of Rio's harbours, from SugarLoaf Mountain.
Another shot of the amazing pastry shop's interior- you can see a bit of the mezzanine floor above.
The end of a visit to a beautiful country with beautiful people. Muito obrigado.
2 comments:
I enjoyed this excellent series of posts on your Rio experience. I especially like the way a request (and funding) for your presentation appeared out of the ether. I have benefited a great deal from your posts and links over the years. A few examples that come to mind are as follows: Neal Pearson "Is this really dangerous", The Brain That Changes Itself (I think I read it before I realized it was near the top of your list, I wanted to learn more about the concept of neuroplasticity), V. S. Ramachandran and his work with phantom pain. I am delighted that you had the opportunity to spread the news in this way.
Naturally, much of what you write is deeper than I can penetrate with my limited background. Nonetheless, I usually follow the gist. I encourage you to persist in your efforts to convince more folks to adopt a broader view of pain and the nervous system.
As I was reading this series of posts, I was listening to Barbara and my daughter Julia bathing our grandaughter. She is two months old and screams her head off when she is bathed. I thought about the fact that so much of her experience is defined by how she is touched and held. We understand it for babies, but deny it for ourselves.
Sounds like you have a rough patch ahead in Vancouver tying up loose ends. I hope all goes well. When I am overwhelmed by that sort of stuff, I have to focus on the idea that lots of little successes will eventually lead to the end result.
I think you wrote about the happies and unhappies of the world. We who are among the unhappies just have to keep struggling along.
Thank you for your comment Kent. I agree re: we understand handling is important for babies' nervous systems but the adult culture likes to pretend it doesn't need or want somatosensory input. Even in a profession like mine. I'm glad I write clearly enough for you to follow the gist.
By this time next week the Vancouver dismantling will be over. I'll start a new practice in the fall. You're right - we just keep going. Personally I can't think of anything I'd rather do. :^)
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