**pole pole we said in Kiswahili mantra for social change *patience is vitalfor sustainability clear and sure-footed*small shifts in practicecan save thousands of lives making it all worthwhile*(above: community health workers Xiao Fei, Zhan Fei and Zhang Aiyi, me, Director Shi of the HIV/derm department at Hangzhou Number 6 People's Hospital, Dr. Yu, head of …
*a man with a knifesquats outside the hospital"give me medicines!"*he yells at doctorsand anyone who'll listen"i have HIV!"*problem is, his testsare all negative but hedoesn't believe it*
*a young man dyingof end-stage AIDS infectiontells us he is gay*as his wife sticks byhis bedside, fiercely loyal.she's known all along.*(and she still hasn't been tested for HIV)*
*boiling red pork fatpassed on for generationsof feasting diners*so spicy my mouthis first on fire then losesall its sensation*i can't refuse foodfrom head of hospitalnext day: diarrhea!*
*it is spring outsidemagnolia, plum blossomspink white firecrackers*yet i spend all daywith sick, dying, angry folksabsorbing their pain*i know things are badwhen i don't have energyto write my haikus*
*thin delicate shellairy, moist, chewy insideate 12 all at once *Get 'em fresh out of the oven at a bakery in downtown Kunming called 'Just Hot' which most people here including the workers pronounce as "Jess Hao." Check out their philosophy in the photo. I got hooked the first time trying them after a 2 …
