There is an annoying robin chirping maniacally outside my window, which is why I am up typing, rather than sleeping like any sane person should be at 5 am on a day they don't have to work. It's a little like an ice pick on my brain and burying my head in the pillow just didn't rectify the situation.
There, now that my complaining is over, I will tell you about the amazing Li Qin (pron. Lee Cheen). She has been at Bethel Foster Home for a couple of years and is now 18 years old. When you meet her, you think she might be older because she is very calm and poised for someone that age. It's not that she doesn't have a sense of humor; it's just that she is much more mature than most 18 year old girls - I can't generalize that statement to 18 year old orphans, because I haven't met enough of them. Being an orphan, blind and extremely intelligent could tend to take the edge off feeling giddy, however.
Traditionally the only acceptable form of employment for the blind in China has been "masseuse" (did I spell that right? - dang those English words, which are actually French words in disguise).Being a masseuse in China is not the quasi-medical thing it has become in America, where it exists complete with waiting rooms, nature music playing softly in the background, and certification. The Chinese version is a little kiosk-like shop on the sidewalk where you go in and get your "massage" fully clothed. I haven't actually seen any of these, but have heard about them from others and am hoping to get a glimpse this summer. Apparently it is some kind of tapping massage, that must be somewhat effective, since blind people make an, albeit meagre, living at it.
Things are changing a little in China, and are somewhat like they were in the 70s in the U.S. Generally you do not see blind people or people with other disabilities on the streets and "in public". This is why we were such a tourist attraction last year as we trouped about with a trail of kids tapping their canes, chattering and enjoying themselves, completely oblivious of the gawking locals. Various jobs, other than masseuse, are beginning to open up. At Bethel there are now two teachers with visual impairment, one of whom is completely blind. Schools for the blind are developing in China and the consciousness is being raised.
Why the title "Dealing with the Feds"? This is about our school in Washington becoming certified to receive foreign students. Gone are the good old days when this was a fairly simple procedure. Because the guys that flew planes into the Trade Center buildings were here on student visas, the great CLAMP has come down. Now there are many hoops to jump through, even when you are a school for the blind that has been around since 1886.
When we were in China, Li Qin expressed an interest in our school. Laurie, one of our nurses who was there, asked Li Qin if she would like to come and study at our school for a year - and she said yes. And then the process began. Laurie had thought the challenges would be on the China end, until she started dealing with the requirements here. It wasn't long before she learned that our school would have to be certified in order to receive her. And then the fun began...
