ITALY 2006... THE ZANSHIN DIRECTIVE

I like to think that 90%-95% of the time, things will go as planned. [I'm talking about the day to day things, not looking at one's life as a whole.] I intend to go to work for the rest of this week during my regular schedule, and I will most likely achieve this goal. I will most likely do some grocery shopping this weekend (as I do most every weekend). But then, there's the 5%-10% where things don't go as planned... where we're diverted by exterior forces that compel us to change our plans...

The first time I heard the term "zanshin" was in karate. Basically, it means an awareness of your opponent and/or surroundings. (The literal translation is "remaining mind".) Am I in a state of "zanshin" 24 hours a day? Of course not. At work and at home, I'm not in a heightened state of alertness. However, walking to my car, on the road, in a mall, and in unfamiliar places, I try to at least be aware of what's going on around me...
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TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2006: ARRIVAL IN ITALY

When HotFudge and I arrived in the DaVinci airport in Italy, we were tired and anxious to get to our hotel. We got our luggage and made our way to the exit. Immediately, we were bombarded with various cabbies wanting to give us a ride. Mind you, even though I had been listening to some language lessons, I didn't understand shit. In Spain, I had an easier time communicating, but Italy was much harder.

ZANSHIN...

A shuttle was suppose to take us from the airport to our hotel. It was just a matter of finding out where that shuttle-stop was. We exited and found ourselves amid more chaos. Tons of taxis and shuttles and people coming and going. Anybody we'd show our paperwork and destination to would've been glad to take us to our hotel... for a fee. We declined because it was suppose to be a free service. We eventually ran across a gentleman in plain clothes who looked at our paperwork. He spoke no English, but was able to convey that we were too late; the last shuttle had already passed.

ZANSHIN...

With luggage in tow, we crossed the street and got away from all the hustle and bustle. The last gentleman we'd had contact with kind of followed us, but kept his distance. Now, one of the RULES I had set down was that HotFudge and I NEVER, NEVER separate. Further, we always watch each others' backs. Well... we immediately broke the separation rule. I stayed outside, across the street, with the luggage, while HotFudge disappeared back into the airport to try to get some clarification on the shuttle service.

A little farther away from where I was standing were some shuttle ports. Upon investigation, I found the spot where our shuttle would be. Unfortunately, the sign confirmed what the gentleman standing at a distance had already told us: the last shuttle passed at 1:00pm. It was already 1:45pm.

ZANSHIN...

HotFudge returned after a while with the same news. I pointed to the sign. The big question, then: What do we do? The guy standing at a distance LOOKED okay. He APPEARED harmless. After some discussion, we waved him to us. His car was a regular car, not a cab, and since he was dressed in plain clothes, this made Ronin that much more suspicious. I suppose in situations like this, you just have to have a little faith...

ZANSHIN...

I believe the reason we went with him was because his fee was slightly cheaper than the cabbies. We loaded our baggage into his trunk and climbed into the backseat.

ZANSHIN...

When we first crossed paths, Ronin had sized up this gentleman and decided he could take him down as long as Ronin saw anything that might be coming. But... what if he were to turn off the main road onto a dirt road? What if three or four other guys were waiting for us? As silly as this may sound, these were the things that were going thru Ronin's mind. Ronin has no idea how many people he could take on. Sure, he's been tested in controlled environments, but the street is a totally different dynamic. And the idea that a human being can "disappear" forever without a trace scares the shit out of Ronin. The fact that human trafficking and slavery even exist makes Ronin's stomach turn. One of the more horrid qualities about the human race is its ability to be utterly inhuman to one another. There IS a certain amount of fear involved when you're in a foreign country and cannot speak or understand the language. There are things out there far worse than death...

ZANSHIN...

Well... Everything went fine. We took in the scenery and marvelled at all the small cars. Eventually, we saw our hotel, and Ronin relaxed. I think it cost us 40-60 Euro. (I'll consult my Moleskine and get the exact amount.) Regardless of the cost, Ronin and HotFudge were grateful for his service. We guessed he was just trying to earn a few extra Euro.

And this was HotFudge's and Ronin's first hotel in Italy...




Of course we were on vacation. Of course, we were in Italy to have a good time. Still, in Ronin's mind, there's always that small chance where something may go utterly wrong. That's why...

ZANSHIN...

EAR - RIGATION

[Let's take another break from our Italy trip, dear reader...]

A little over a week ago, I went to bed just fine. When I woke up, the hearing in my left ear seemed muffled. Kind of like that feeling when you're in a plane and the air pressure in your ear hasn't equalized with the cabin pressure. Over the course of the day, it cleared up, so I thought nothing of it. But it grew steadily worse. I'd go to bed at night, and by morning, my left ear would again have that muffled/plugged feeling. And, throughout the day, that muffled feeling would stay with me longer. Plugging my nose and blowing wasn't helping. Was I starting to lose my hearing?

So, Monday morning, I made an appointment to see a doctor after I got off from work. Of course, the doctor first asked me what was wrong. I told him my concerns. He looked in my left, then in my right ear and immediately knew the problem. There was a wax build-up in my left ear.

He took me to a nurses' station. The nurse looked at my paperwork and said she was going to irrigate my ear. She took me to a room and put some liquid into my ear. Actually, I think it was a mixture of some sort. (It smelled like it might have iodine or vinegar.) Then she fixed a cotton ball into my ear to hold the liquid in and told me she'd have me wait in the waiting room for about half an hour.

Now, did I feel ridiculous going back to the waiting room with a cotton ball sticking out of my ear? Yes I did. I consciously and intentionally chose a seat close to the door where the least amount of people were likely to see the cottonball sticking out of my ear. I occupied myself for the next half hour writing in my Moleskine.

A little over half an hour later, the irrigation began. The nurse told me she was going to squirt a mixture of warm water and hydrogen peroxide into my ear. She asked that I hold a curved, miniature basin up to my ear during the process.

I am at a loss for words on how to describe the feeling. It didn't hurt. It didn't feel bad, yet the sensation of a warm liquid being squirted into my ear is not a sensation I'd go looking for, either. It felt "uncomfortable" going in, but wonderful coming out. Without a doubt, however, when the process was over, my left ear felt brand new. I looked into the little basin that had been used to catch the liquid and noticed 3-4 lumps of wax mixed in. One big chunk and a few smaller ones. -YUCK-

I asked the nurse if there was anything I could do to prevent or minimize this from happening again. She gave me a piece of paper with some tips that I will now share with you...

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EARWAX
Earwax is a protective secretion similar to mucus or tears, that filters dust and keeps the ear clean. Normally earwax is liquid, self-drainig, and does not cause problems. Occasionally, the wax will build up, harden, and cause some hearing loss. Poking at wax with cotton swabs, fingers or other objects will only further compact the wax against the eardrum. You can handle most earwax problems by avoiding cotton swabs and following the treatment tips below.

EAR CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS
Use mineral or olive oil mixed half-and-half with hydrogen peroxide. Place a dropper full of the mixture in the affected ear(s) at bedtime for three nights in a row. Place a cotton ball in the outer ear to hold mixture. Remove cotton ball in the morning and flush gently with an ear syringe or by directing your ear into the spray of a showerhead. Do not use this procedure if you suspect an infection or eardrum rupture.

Go to the Nurse's Clinic nearest your home for ear wash only if, after completing the above procedure, your earwax is causing a hearing problem....

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Perhaps this is just my imagination, but before my appointment, I thought my right ear was just fine. Now that my left has been irrigated, my right ear doesn't "feel" as clean. Ah well,... I shall inquire about having my right ear irrigated during my physical.

WHAT? PHYSICAL?

Yes... Physical. I've made an appointment for a full work-up early this August. As I approach 37 years of life, I guess this is a good a time as any to find out where my health stands.

Damn... if my right ear doesn't seem just a tad more muffled than my left...

Now I REALLY want my right ear irrigated...

Maybe I'll try those curved "chop-sticks" that Lotus and Shogun gave HotFudge and me...