My visits to the hand therapist are a bit like a weekly weigh-in at Weight Watchers.
Physiotherapist Mark measures my "forward and back" wrist angles and pronounces my results:
"A 3-degree improvement....a 2-degree improvement..."
The numbers seem so insignificant that my face falls. He explains "That equals a 5-degree increase in range". Put that way, it sounds more encouraging.
The X-rays show a bone that's mending well.
I receive the go-ahead to start driving again. Hooray - it's two months since I drove a car. But when I get home there is something wrong with my vehicle. My husband takes it to the service centre, where it will remain over the weekend. Another few days of begging lifts and catching buses.
Meanwhile, we are making ready for our first visit to Brazil.
We both need vaccinations. I've lost a few weeks as a result of the wrist surgery, and we just scrape in to the six-week lead-time for the shots. I manage to make an after-hours appointment for my husband. The doctor advises me not to have the Yellow Fever shot during my performance week, in case I suffer a reaction. I present at the clinic on the Monday morning after the Saturday performance. Neither of us reacts to the Yellow Fever. And this immunisation is for life.
The travel agent informs me that it could take twenty working days to obtain our visas. We need to obtain photos of a specified size. We must state where we are staying - but our accommodation hasn't yet been booked. Quickly we select a hotel in Rio. My husband must supply a letter of invitation from the conference he is attending. We both have to sign the visa papers. I deliver everything to the travel agent and hold my breath. For about a week. Then she emails me to say the visas have arrived, and I can call in anytime to collect our passports.
Eneias sends me the lyrics of a song he has written. He wants me to translate it into English. It is the Kangaroo Samba. Straight away I can see that a literal translation will not suffice. I need to write a piece of poetry. I let some ideas rumble around in my brain, but still no inspiration strikes.
He also asks me to learn some extra songs. I know a couple of these, but I will need to learn the lyrics - in Portuguese. I guess the flight will be very long, and this will give me something to do.
I continue with my Portuguese language study. It's the school holidays, but I do some lessons with my phone app, and also try to read a children's book that I bought in Portugal. It's at the right level for me.
I begin to focus my singing practise on my Brazilian repertoire.
Eneias says they are all looking forward to my visit.
I am bursting with excitement.
Last week Gihan Perera interviewed me about the story so far. Click on the link below to listen to the interview:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7372437/IMatter-AConcertInRio-ShelleyDunstone-4433.mp3
Physiotherapist Mark measures my "forward and back" wrist angles and pronounces my results:
"A 3-degree improvement....a 2-degree improvement..."
The numbers seem so insignificant that my face falls. He explains "That equals a 5-degree increase in range". Put that way, it sounds more encouraging.
The X-rays show a bone that's mending well.
I receive the go-ahead to start driving again. Hooray - it's two months since I drove a car. But when I get home there is something wrong with my vehicle. My husband takes it to the service centre, where it will remain over the weekend. Another few days of begging lifts and catching buses.
Meanwhile, we are making ready for our first visit to Brazil.
We both need vaccinations. I've lost a few weeks as a result of the wrist surgery, and we just scrape in to the six-week lead-time for the shots. I manage to make an after-hours appointment for my husband. The doctor advises me not to have the Yellow Fever shot during my performance week, in case I suffer a reaction. I present at the clinic on the Monday morning after the Saturday performance. Neither of us reacts to the Yellow Fever. And this immunisation is for life.
The travel agent informs me that it could take twenty working days to obtain our visas. We need to obtain photos of a specified size. We must state where we are staying - but our accommodation hasn't yet been booked. Quickly we select a hotel in Rio. My husband must supply a letter of invitation from the conference he is attending. We both have to sign the visa papers. I deliver everything to the travel agent and hold my breath. For about a week. Then she emails me to say the visas have arrived, and I can call in anytime to collect our passports.
Eneias sends me the lyrics of a song he has written. He wants me to translate it into English. It is the Kangaroo Samba. Straight away I can see that a literal translation will not suffice. I need to write a piece of poetry. I let some ideas rumble around in my brain, but still no inspiration strikes.
He also asks me to learn some extra songs. I know a couple of these, but I will need to learn the lyrics - in Portuguese. I guess the flight will be very long, and this will give me something to do.
I continue with my Portuguese language study. It's the school holidays, but I do some lessons with my phone app, and also try to read a children's book that I bought in Portugal. It's at the right level for me.
I begin to focus my singing practise on my Brazilian repertoire.
Eneias says they are all looking forward to my visit.
I am bursting with excitement.
Last week Gihan Perera interviewed me about the story so far. Click on the link below to listen to the interview:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7372437/IMatter-AConcertInRio-ShelleyDunstone-4433.mp3
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