Spa

At the moment, I'm kinda anti-computer. But I like showing pictures. Maybe that makes me a narcissistic bitch. Maybe not. But here's why I'm anti-computer: because you can't take the computer in the bathtub without the risk of electrocuting yourself. So until they make water-resistant laptops. . .

Here's where I spend a lot of my time nowadays:


{my home spa}




{. . .with new washcloths. . .}




{. . .and a glass of chardonnay, a pitcher of lemon water. . .}



[By the way, funny thing I discovered: lemons float, limes sink.]




{yesterday, my hair started falling out. Or rather, it started coming out easily when tugged on. I sat in the tub for an hour, massaging my head, rubbing vigorously, tugging with my forefingers and thumbs, pulling out little black clumps. Kinda like weeding, only taking much longer. Guess I have a lot of hair. Now my head just looks like a poorly clipped shrub.}

Airport Sign

Yesterday, as Henry and I were walking from the terminal to baggage claim at the airport in Honolulu, Henry said, "Hey, isn't that Tu?" It was my former co-worker from UCLA, Ying Ming Tu. I shouted, "Hey, Tu-tu!" He turned, his mouth dropped open, and he ran to give me and Henry a hug. He also just happened to be with Angela Oh, another friend from LA. I worked with Angela on her book, "Open," which talks about her work as a civil rights lawyer and her philosophies that have arisen out of that. She's also a Zen Buddhist priest.

Angela touched my hair and asked me why purple? I explained how I'm going to have chemo in a couple weeks and wanted to dye my hair a funky color before it fell out. I told her that I was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Her hand went to the exact place of the tumor without me telling her which breast or anything. She said, "Our meeting here like this was meant to be, I can feel it." She then called up a Zen master at the Chozen-ji International Dojo in Honolulu and asked Roshi if Henry and I could have an appointment to meet with him. It takes weeks to get an appointment, but Roshi agreed to meet with us on Thursday (tomorrow!). Angela said to go, climb to the top and meditate. She told us we'd have to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, and I would have to take out my jewelry. I found this article on the dojo here: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Jun/13/il/il02a.html

At the moment of seeing Tu and Angela, I was so elated! Lots of people have told me to visualize the cancer leaving my body, to meditate, but I haven't felt like that would work. But now, with this completely serendipitous encounter at the airport--at the moment when Henry and I were coming, and Tu and Angela were leaving--I feel a sense of joy and encouragement and spiritual uplifting. Even Henry, who's not really into thinking about meditating and such things, looked happy. It was a really special moment.