Tag Archives: American

Chinese Medicine or was that marijuana I smell?

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My experience with Chinese Medicine has been a humorous encounter!

As an American our standards are just entirely different than the Chinese.  The traditional basic Chinese customs are fresh air is a must, even if it is below freezing.  One should open a window and let the cool air in.  Hot water is drank all the time, no ice and no cold water.  One must wear many layers of clothes and jackets pretty much all the time.  Of course if you are into the “fresh air belief” your home will be as cold as it is outside, therefore  jackets are worn in the house.  Surgical masks are worn by a majority of the people on the street.  Is it a fashion statement or is it to stay well?  I just bought one to keep my nose warm when I bike in 23 degree weather.  Mine has words on it– “Not Paranoid!”  One is allowed to cough, hock up a loogie and spit it on the street, or in your hand and then flick it on the road. One must always watch where one walks.  Kleenex tissues, impossible to find in the store are not used by the Chinese.  I have pockets full.

My wonderful Chinese neighbor brought me some throat lozenges to help my sore throat.  They are pink, round and chalky.  I tried one of these “Watermelon Frost” tablets as it was titled in English.  As fast as it went in my month, hit my tongue I expelled it!  The taste was that of Lysol!  I don’t want to disinfect my month but soothe it.  Last week I walked into our library to smell marijuana wafting throughout the room.  I saw the librarian holding a white cigar lit stick, in front of the heater letting the blowing air dissipate the smoke.  I asked, “What in the world are you doing with a huge doobie?”   She said it was Chinese Medicine to ward off the flu virus we all have.  I have news for you it may not get rid of the flu, but no one will care in an hour or so.  Someone needs to tell me, is hemp legal here?

Student Art – Chinese vs American

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Saturday I spent the morning watching our Chinese public high school teacher instruct his art class.  I was fortunate to see one student mastering the art of traditional Chinese painting.  He was working on chrysanthemums.   He had a blotter under his practice paper.  AH-HA that is the answer to working with the ever loaded brush and bleeding.  He painted one set of flowers on practice paper, which happens to be the paper I have.  Then he was given a paper with sparkles in it.  He painted the same composition again on this paper.  John, his teacher told him in Chinese to create more gradated values and I actually understood!  The third time he painted the flowers he used the same paper but turned it over to a plain backing.  This time he added more gradated washes laying the loaded brush on its side and quickly sweeping in a U-turn.  The brush tip was black creating a nice swish of gray to black.  All the students in the class were drawing from copyrited art, perfecting their skill.  In America this is something we do not stress.  I found the students were able to learn values, composition and how to lay down marks more proficiently due to the repetition.

China is heaven!

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September 4, 2010

Just got in from a night on the town, ok it is 10:15 pm and that is late for me, but I did have dinner and hit two bars with my colleagues.  We met up at McDonalds, the Aussie Peter, Brit Michael and youngster Brit John (he has lived here six years and is the one married to a Chinese woman) plus my American friends Daniel, Paula and their little sweet daughter.  We had a lovely Chinese dinner across the street from the University for 141 RMB, not quite $20 for seven of us!  Dinner was served family style in a private room, red walls and gold chairs and a gold table cloth.  Only chopsticks are allowed!  Got a proper lesson on how to hold them from John, the bottom stick doesn’t move only the top one!  Since John is Vegan, life if good for me, as he orders in Chinese and most all we have to eat is Vegetarian.  Michael says that the Chinese will eat everything that has four legs except the table!  E-gads…. Gad I am vegetarian.  I see chicken feet, turkey necks and all sorts of meat products we would toss in American, that are scrumptious morsels here in China.

After dinner we head to the Youth Hostel for a beer.  Just the guys and I go; Paula has to put the wee one to bed.  A Snow beer 2.5 alcohol content, and tastes like a girl beer from Texas with bubbles!  So this is really nice for me, the guys hate it.  Then after one beer, John wants to move on to another bar.  Off we go, this time to a college hang out, have a lager, and listen to the cute Chinese girl sing hits from the Carpenters!  That was eerie!   Played pool with the guys, felt like I was 19 and in college.  Had a few lucky shots, but let the Aussie and Brit win!  Yes I am good at pool, but guys need to win!  Then about 10 pm decided it was my bed time and they all walked me back to the hotel.   Someone tell me where I went wrong in America?  These guys actually care about my warfare.  How delightful is this??   I so love China, John told me I would never leave, I fit in so nicely.  It is a really unusual feeling, like I belong here.  Someone told me I must have lived a past life here, duh….. I think many past lives.  I am so comfortable here, everything makes sense.

During the afternoon I looked at an apartment near the school where I teach.  It was perfect… 27th floor about 2 blocks from campus and will be available in a couple weeks.  It is more than the school allotment provides but it will be wonderful for me.  All the appliances are so not typical American, very “old school” Chinese, but hell with a pent house view

who cares.  It is something like 100 meters square, God what size is that?  It has 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room and a bath and a half.  Total cost 38000 RMB for one year… about $519 a month…. And the school will pay 2/3rds of that. I am so ok with a penthouse view. (It is really not a penthouse, I am just calling it that and it is split level) Too cool for this American Art girl.

What is a”Carrefour” store?  Went to one of those today and found green olives, hot damn!  I am in heaven, plus a jar of Pesto!  (Patti, it is really good, almost as good as I make!) OK don’t laugh too hard, but I had McDonalds French fries too!  Tasted just like the states!   And they had ketchup, yew haw!  Motor bicycles are 1299 up too 1899RMB which is about $200+.  Someone tell me how cheap that is!!!!  Peter is going to buy one and I will ride on the back.  I don’t think I have the nerve to drive one with all the traffic!

Stopped in a tea shop and sat down at a tree truck table, with a Buddha carved in it.  Ok that was the best Karma ever.  The guy boiled up some Oolong tea, oh my god, best I ever drank.  I sat there looking at his little Buddha clay trinkets for sale and found one with a frog on it.  Yes I have this frog thing going now.  He sold it to me for 30 RMB ($4) then he took it and soaked it in water and it somehow filled up!  Next he poured boiling water on it and the frog magically spit water out its mouth.  Omg, I started laughing so hard, I could hardly stand it.  Then he had a water buffalo figurine and he poured boiling water on him and low and behold he turned red!  I thought I was in magic heaven!  I am so going back to this place and having tea during school lunch break.

China is heaven!