Mafia Don

12 July 2020

[Above photo: A hot pot lunch in the UniMed1 cafeteria. Dr. Thi Thi Aye, in yellow, ordered it.]

I’m certain that I am not the first to label DT (addicted and delirious) as “Mafia Don”.   His consistent gangsterism occasions it. Veiled threats, predictable vengeance, us vs. them, and “favors”. That he bought the concrete for his buildings in NYC from Tony Salerno, the head of the Genovese Crime Family, and was cozy with others in that sphere isn’t a surprise, given how many of his “associates” have gone to jail in the past 3 years. There is method to his chaotic, dishonest, and conflicting style: keeping everyone constantly off balance and reactive to him. The only defense is to make sober, accurate, and direct comments occasionally, enunciate good policy plans, and not to be reactive. I think Joe is doing that nicely.

And I must say, Tammy Duckworth certainly looks good to me. She has the smarts, the courage, the mouth, and the credentials, if anyone does. How fabulous for our country to have a real war hero, an honest patriot, someone who in fact puts America first.  His attacks on her patriotism are risible; she lost her legs and soldiers on, he has bone spurs (maybe) and cheats at golf. Mary Trump’s book would ordinarily allow me to feel some empathy, except that he has occasioned such immense damage, destruction, and death. And pardoned Roger Stone, his slimy buddy.

Our new clinic is such fun! This Wednesday at one moment there were two individual psychotherapies being conducted in the front of the auditorium, as well as a third via Zoom. In the back were two child evaluations and a family behavior management session. I am so thrilled with my students. One said, “I haven’t ever, for one minute, regretted taking this course.” The course is taken, for her, with considerable effort as she must return to Dawei (12 hours by bus) every two weeks to run her clinic and is on 24 hour call by telephone all the time when here as she is the only psychiatrist in her district hospital.

Another student approached me during a quiet moment in clinic to say: “There are 5 principles a student must follow with her professor. We learn these in Standard 1 (First grade). Number one: Be obedient. Number 2: Study hard. Number 3: Care for your professor. Um, I don’t recall the other two.” We both dissolved into laughter when she couldn’t remember these other “principles”. I later sent her a WhatsApp: “Number 4, Iron his longis. Number 5, Prepare a different musical welcome for him each day”.  She is very soft-spoken and incredibly competent and intuitive. She grasps psychodynamic principles in a way I could only envy if I were at her stage of training. In addition, she is one of Professor Tin Oo’s proteges and is constantly having to do massive amounts of work to assist him. She finished her Journal Club presentation today at 4AM, for example. “I often don’t get too much sleep.”

Yet another of my fabulous students told us not to bring lunch on Thursday. She had ordered a take-out hot pot to be delivered. We traipsed down to the student cafeteria to find it nearly empty since the medical students have not yet returned to school.  A Myanmar celebrity, Maung Maung Aye, who runs a very popular Myanmar TV game show, “Dreamboat”, saw the coronavirus closing of all the restaurants in March as a business opportunity. He quickly arranged for large hot pots—with central charcoal-filled chimneys—to be manufactured and has a thriving business.

Our hot pot came with plenty of fresh vegetables, fish, chicken, lotus root, shrimp, etc. and two large containers of broth. We got it all going and in 20 minutes we were eating like kings and queens, complimenting it with spicy and savory dipping sauces. The people in the cafeteria looked on in amusement, if not amazement or envy. We laughed and slurped and had a great time. At one point, the student who ordered it, Dr. Thi Thi Aye, said, “ I am always with people in my family who don’t want to take risks. Life is so boring without adventures. My father was always saying, ‘Please, my daughter, don’t do it. It is too complex.’ I would always do it.” She is smart as a whip. She said the other day, “I have really learned something valuable from this training. I have learned how to contain myself, how not to just react.”

I love them all. I pointed out the difference between content and process in our meal. We were preparing and eating lunch from the hot pot, the content.  The process was we were laughing and totally enjoying ourselves. They really fill a deep need for connection for me, although I don’t socialize with them individually.

I had a remarkable stroke of luck. A Burmese psychiatry resident in California saw my blog and contacted me. He left Myanmar for the US after high school, went to college, worked at the NIH, went to medical school and now is doing his psychiatry and child psychiatry training at UC Davis. It’s where I trained 45 years ago.

He is interested in returning to Myanmar after his student loans are repaid. His large family all lives here.  I liked him instantly. He is kind and smart and courageous, qualities we so need in our leaders. We’ll keep in touch. He’s currently working in an early psychosis detection and intervention program, an evidence-based model that is operational, and very effective, in many parts of the world.  I’ve asked him to consider doing a webinar on it for us.

The rising number of infections and deaths in the US is sobering for most but not apparently for the one person who, more than any other, could make a huge difference in the outcome.  The Lincoln Project (George Conway and other disaffected Republicans) videos are short and sharp. The Opposition (Jason Klepper et al) videos are witty and hilarious. Mafia Don’s leaky boat is drifting farther and farther from shore and help does not appear to be on the way.  His buddies are leaving the beach and packing their cars to head home. Helios’ chariot is dipping into the sea. No cement slippers needed for The Don, I think.  And, of course, Ms. Maxwell’s testimony may punch another hole in the side of his skiff. Perhaps his financial records will show why he is so fawning over and conciliatory to Mr. KGB, in addition to the fact that The Don admires his style and envies his power.