War of Mind

Click clack

The sound of heels patter against the

sleek shine of hardwood.

Yes, I am aware that

the assignment was not to

fall into the abyss of technology.

I am aware that

I am expected to ignore

the tantalizing traps

but sometimes my mind

has no motivation to combat

the demons of deviation

For it is a war

a war of mind

that cannot always be won.

Long nights of work assigned.

Duress, forcing my mind

to take an overtime shift

without rest.

Eventually

something

has to

give.

So yes,

I will complete the assignment

but on my own time.

Forging New Paths

After the death of Baba, Amir is left to embark on a new journey of independence.  The road represents the journey Amir will undertake without Baba at his side to guide him through life. Just like the path, life is full of twists and turns, and nothing is straightforward. The tree’s vibrant green color represents the joys of life that may not seem evident at first, but will motivate Amir to continue on in search of more happiness. His marriage to Soraya and the lessons he learns by interacting with Sohrab are joys that come from the depths of darkness, and that give Amir hope for a better future. The shadows that cover up much of the road show that Baba’s death will darken Amir’s life in the near future, but the light that illuminates the horizon show hope for a better future and one free of guilt and anguish. When says, "I'm going to miss him," (176) it shows how the shadows and the darkness of Baba's death will leave a lasting impact on Amir, but throughout the rest of the novel, Amir uses Baba's advice to better himself and redeem himself for his past actions.

On The Road to Recovery

On The Road to Recovery

When Sarah, a 48 year old woman living in the Gauteng region of South Africa, had a stroke, there was nowhere for her to go. The nearest clinic was many kilometers away, but against all odds Sarah’s family managed to get her there. However, this attempt was fruitless due to a severe lack of prescription drugs, which are almost impossible to afford anyways. Sarah’s family, now desperate, take her to a hospital, only to be kicked out and told to go to the clinic that had already informed them that there was nothing that they could do(Gaede, Versteeg). Stories like Sarah’s are not the exception. South African citizens living in rural regions of the nation all suffer because of the current state of the public health care system. 80% of South Africa’s population rely on this health care system(Taylor), and for many, the outcome is not favorable. Due to the lack of doctors and medication, many citizens lose their lives to curable diseases. The World Health Organization recommends that there are supposed to be about 2.28 health care workers per every 1,000 people in a population. South Africa’s ratio is far below the recommended number, at about .29 doctors and 1.35 nurses per 1,000 people in the population.(du Toit, Versteeg, Couper). If this is related to the entire population of South Africa, there should be about 120,795 health care workers in the system. With a combined total of 86,887 workers currently in the system, South Africa only has two thirds of the recommended health care worker count, which can only negatively affect the citizens who have no choice but to rely on the public health care system.The public health care system officials are not always fit for their jobs, which can be detrimental to a patient. Citizens in rural South African regions identified this as a key issue that needs to be solved in order to improve the health care system(du Toit, Versteeg, Couper). The people assigned to these roles are responsible for planning when to order medication, hiring doctors, and much more. When these people are not completely qualified to do their jobs, the population is left to suffer the effects. One nurse states the extent of the issue when she recalls, “We’ve run out of [Tuberculosis] treatment; we’ve run out of antibiotics. It’s happened that we were down to one or two IV (intravenous) antibiotics, which is ridiculous”(Taylor). Without the proper tools, it is impossible to administer aid to a patient. Therefore, many patients die from diseases that have cures. Despite the recent issues with the system, various foundations, such as the Uthombo Youth Development Foundation, have dedicated themselves to narrowing the gap of deficit of health care workers for the public(Atlantic Philanthropies). With this increase in health care workers, many people living in South Africa have a better chance at getting the cures that they need. Citizens like Sarah are hopeful that an improved health care system in the future can provide better treatment, but only time will tell if South Africa is really on the road to recovery.

  Works Cited

"Bringing Health Care Services to Rural South Africa." Atlantic Philanthropies. Umthombo Youth Development Foundation, 1 June 2012. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

Du Toit, Lilo, Marije Versteeg, and Ian Couper. "Abstract." Building Consensus on Key Priorities for Rural Health Care in South Africa Using the Delphi Technique. 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Gaede, Bernhard, and Marije Versteeg. "The State of the Right to Health in Rural South Africa." University of Witwatersand, 2011. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.

Taylor, Darren. "Inside South Africa's Rural Healthcare Crisis." VOA. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

With Ignorance You Cannot See

Sijie uses Four Eyes’ glasses as a symbol of coming of age throughout the book. Four Eyes is dependent on his glasses, and in a way, he hides behind them. Four Eyes is kind of a cowardly person, and his glasses represent that. Additionally, the fact that Four Eyes wears glasses shows that he can be blind and closed minded, especially to other people’s opinions. He is only focused on his own goal and nothing else. When Four Eyes’ glasses become broken, he depends on his mom to send him another one. This shows that he is dependent on his parents, and also that his glasses represent his hopes of getting out of re-education to reunite with them. His mom is the one that helps him get new glasses as well as get out of re-education, and without his glasses, he can’t work in the fields or do anything else. He is using Luo and the narrator in this way, because he doesn’t actually consider them friends, he is just using them to get out of the re-education system.

Another idea through the symbolism of Four Eyes’ glasses is how the buffalo is the one that knocks them off, and in effect, breaks them. The buffalo represents the peasants and whole re-education system, and how the buffalo is taking away what Four Eyes needs and also his chance to get out. Throughout the book, Four Eyes does change, but the glasses just represent how he acts as his parents taught him to and he becomes more and more like that; he uses people to get what he wants behind a cowardly facade.

“The buffalo was of medium size, but boasted an exceptionally long tail, which swung vigorously from side to side as though determined to splatter its timid, inexperienced master with as much filth as possible. For all of his efforts to dodge the relentless lashes, one split second of inattention was enough for Four-Eyes to receive a blow to the face from the buffalo’s trail, which sent his spectacles hurtling through the air...he let out a stream of abuse, as if he had been blinded” (47).

“‘I’ve written to my mother. She’s going to send me a new pair as soon as possible, but I can’t sit and do nothing until they arrive. I’ve got to work, that’s what I’m here for. At least that’s what the headman says.’ He talked very rapidly, as if he had no time to waste on us” (53).

Balance

Balance

When a man understands the way of the Tao

he becomes a scale.

One side of the scale holds the ups,

the other holds the downs.

One side of the scale holds giving,

the other receiving.

One side of the scale holds a beginning

the other an end.

But this is only when a man understands the Tao.

When a man doubts the Tao

he is in a stupor.

He will believe that all of his ideals must fall into

one side of his life. He is unbalanced, he will fall off the

tightrope that is life.

Only the wise strive for balance.

A wise man is different from the rest. He

has let the Tao balance him, allowing him to lead

a life of enlightenment.

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