A VISIT WITH DAO SANG

My friend Dao Sang was supposed to come for a visit on Monday, but he had a complication, a broken wrist,  and arrived on Tuesday about 10:00 a.m. instead. He is an ordained (if that is the correct word) Buddhist Monk, but sadly, he hasn't had much time to gather with his followers because of multiple health issues.
I'm known him for years,  before he went to Thailand to become a Buddhist Monk. He was a Buddhist and  had health problems when I met him. Something called cluster headaches.  He is also a disabled Marine Vet and returns to the Palo Alto Clinic for treatments, a nine hour drive from where he lives in Newport, Oregon.
I had planned on taking him to my favorite burrito joint in Rogue River for lunch, but we settled for lunch at my house instead. I wanted a ride in his new race car that can easily hit 120 miles per hour. He has always had to have special cars because of his height, now at 6 feet 5 inches. "I've shrunk," he says. And he has lost 50 pounds. We spent the afternoon visiting and then I said, "Let me sit in the new bomb".
With my hands and feet straight out, I couldn't reach the pedals. His knees almost come up to his chin when he drives.

I still wanted to vrooom, vroom around town. Maybe next time.

He is a gentle giant and I tried to get him to break up his trip and stay the night, but he declined. He told me he loves his car and a nine hour drive is fine with him. He says he occasionally has to stop for a bit of espresso if he gets sleepy.

My friend Michal and I went to China in 2007. We ran into Dao at the airport on his way to Thailand. We had a table and he got on his knees and talked to us for 15 minutes. He was taller than both of us seated while he was on his knees. And my former partner, John, a tall lanky 6 foot four, said to him the first time they met, "I'm not used to looking up at people, it hurts my neck."

Everyone plays fun with his height, but it is the cause of many problems. He inevitably bumps his head on something, Too many times. Too many concussions. Thus, the cluster headaches.  His youngest daughter stayed with his oldest daughter in Stockton and he headed back to Newport without her. She'll join him later.