Just Breath but not too deep.

I love the morning. I enjoy the waking ritual. Open my eyes, realize that I am starting to be aware of my surroundings, go through a lengthy decision process where I try to assess any damage to my body that may have occurred in the night and see if I want to get out of bed. Let’s see, head feeling good, not dead, still breathing, knee hurts a little, can’t feel my hand because I slept weird. Ok pins and needles arrived to tell me hand is still attached. It’s light outside but barely. Now do I want to actually leave the prone position? My bed is hard, not as hard as the ground but pretty close. My girlfriend pointed out that it is only a box spring with no mattress. I had never bothered to really check. I just figured the Chinese like their beds hard. We bought a small pad to go over the “mattress” and it has helped but I am really getting used to the hard bed. My back feels better than it has felt in a long time.

I weigh all the pros and cons of getting out of bed and decide that since I have coffee beans in the fridge, I will face another day in the upright position. Making coffee and the morning ritual is pretty much something I do partly asleep. It isn’t until I have swigged down a cup of what I call nectar of the gods, that I can really know I am awake. There is even what I call glorious coffee making music, which the school next door pumps out over a PA system to start the day. Today I feel pretty good! I may even let some light into the apartment so I throw open the drapes to check out my view of the school. Suddenly I realize that someone stole the school, the kids, the buildings, everything!!!! As my eyes clear a bit, I realize it is just another smoggy day in Beijing. I think that this may be a day the smog index hits 400. This means that I would probably do less damage to my health if I just stayed inside and chain-smoked all day.

The air pollution index can be found in China at bjair.info and it comes from a twitter feed. It measures the air pollution in Beijing and gives updates on the condition of the air. It looks like this:

The numbers give you a score card to what kind of air will be visiting your lungs today. They also give you a way to decipher the numbers.

Good  0-50,

Moderate  51-100

Unhealthy for sensitive groups 101-150

Unhealthy  151-200

Very unhealthy 201-300

Hazardous. 300+

It looks like this when you sign on. There is even an app for that so while you are walking briskly because you missed your cab you can see just how damaging each deep breath will be. One of my Chinese friends asked me why I was so interested in the exact quality of the air. She said that maybe it is better not to know so I don’t get stressed out. Hmmmmmmm. Very interesting outlook. I told her I would rather know so I don’t do something crazy like ride my bike on a day that is over 300.  Since China relies heavily on manufacturing, the air takes a hit with factories belching out smoke particulates of who knows what. There have been many stories about the smog lately in the state run media. The Govornment is looking at the situation. We have had several days at 500 and even a few too high to measure. I have started to play a game where I look out my window and try to guess the number of the air index. If I can't see the smokestack in the view I figure it is over 300. If I can make it out a little it may  be in the 260 range. I have gotten pretty good.  I am starting to think the Chinese are a super race.They don’t sweat during the long hot muggy summer, they can withstand sandstorms from the Gobi desert, they can breath toxic air and still they go on! That being said, when I wake up to a blue sky, something I took for granted in San Diego, I know it is going to be a great day. Even the Glorious coffee making music sounds better. I will never take blue skies for granted again. 

This is the view on a 340 day. 

Bird men. Of Qianyongkang Hutong.

One thing I love about Beijing is you never know what you will see when you venture out by foot or bike. When my friend and I decided to ride our bikes to a small hutong we visited in June, we thought we would just have lunch then ride on to see some places we were curious about.  We walked into the small place, filled with locals and as we sat we saw a familiar face.  A red-faced smiling man who we had met before in the same place months earlier greeted us with excitement. He had talked to us back in June when we were last here. I remember him because his face was red and sweaty and he was sitting with several men at a table next to us, which was covered with beer bottles. I thought his red face was due to drinking and wondered if he was wasted so early in the day. 

When we saw him in June he was friendly, almost overly friendly I thought at the time but he offered us some of the food while we were waiting for ours. Fried Sardines were offered, we politely refused but after repeated offers, we accepted so as not to be rude.  He talked to us, or rather to Amy who speaks conversational Mandarin and I just did what I have come accustomed to, smile and nod my head a lot. Amy would try to translate as best as she could.

Three months later we found ourselves sitting across from the same man. This time he wasn’t drinking but his face was still red as an apple and sweaty. I concluded that he has a reaction to spicy food and that seems to be his permanent state while eating at this restaurant. He recognized me instantly. Having a beard in China makes you more easily remembered I guess. He started to talk with us, with my friend leading the way of course but I was starting to understand a few words here and there.  He was asking where we were from and what we were doing in China. Amy would translate and I would try to respond when I understood something. At one point he said something that confused her. The three men at his table were flapping their hands like wings and she said they were saying that birds talk. I offered that I had seen talking Mynah birds in a hutong for sale and she figured, after a few questions that they had some talking birds.  They invited us to return at 4pm for what seemed to be some kind of bird show.

Lao Qin

We took Lao Qin (as he asked us to call him) up on his offer and went to his home in Qianyongkang Hutong to see his birds. He brought out two Black and yellow Mynah birds which Chinese call Liao Ge Liao is from the word for chat and Ge is from the word for pigeon. They started out with Ni Hao (Hello), which you would expect. Then the older of the two birds said Gong xi fa cai which is a greeting said around new years. When some of the men repeated that phrase, the bird would say Hong bao na lai Which means give me the red envelope. Red envelopes with money are given around New Years. It struck me as sad that after several months of me taking lessons, this bird speaks better Mandarin than I do. A frustrating realization but what can you do? Several men came out to hang out with the birds. One man brought his bird out and hung it up on the wall opposite Loa Qin’s birds. It didn’t say much but I think maybe he hung it there to learn from the more experienced birds.

I have had little opportunity to hang around in a hutong with local people other than going to a restaurant or bar. This was a great chance to see daily life old Beijing style.  When a few friends hang out in front of their homes it really is basically the same thing. They chat, BS and joke with each other from a comfortable place. We felt lucky to be part of it. We saw a neighbor walk by with a dog that had two pairs of tiny tennis shoes, people coming by to say hello to the birds, the district leaders came by to hand out copies of  a neighborhood newspaper. 

At one point a guy rode by on a scooter dressed in his red McDonalds uniform making a delivery.  Yes McDonalds delivers in China but it seems more interesting when it happens in a hutong. One neighbor I enjoyed watching was the wise crackin’ older guy who sits, legs crossed observing and making comments. At one point a driver in a van tried to make it around the tight corner of an intersection. Wise cracker sat there watching him struggle, then said something that made Amy laugh. She told me that he basically said “So Driving…..how’s that working for you? “  Seems like no matter where you are people don’t change much.

This bird speaks better Mandarin than I do.

Lao Qin with one of his birds

Add caption

Just another afternoon in a hutong. 

I call this guy Mr. Stoic. He was very nice but never cracked a smile. 

Night of the Living Measure Word - My first Grammar Nightmare!

 I think I can safely say I have never had a grammar nightmare before. The closest I have had is one of those dreams where you are late for a test and no matter how fast you run, you can’t get to class on time to take the test you aren’t ready to take. I have been taking classes to learn Mandarin. I never knew if I was one of those people gifted with the ability to learn another language. I can speak conversational Spanish but I grew up listening to it so that doesn’t count. Mandarin was my first totally foreign language experience. I find that I am not one of those gifted people! This is difficult! You have to contend with the dreaded four tones of Mandarin.  You might say, only four tones? Cantonese has nine different tones. Well for me it just seems like more than a coincidence that there happen to be four horsemen of the apocalypse. 

Ok so if you haven’t had the pleasure, Chinese words can be said in four different ways. Each pronunciation will have a different meaning.  For instance, the word Ma can be Mother (first tone) Toad (second tone) Horse (third tone) or Scold (fourth tone). In reality that is a very simplistic approach because just when you think you are getting this down they throw in that there is a fifth tone which is no tone. Then they surprise you with the fact that each Ma can have several different Characters which make it a totally new word that sounds like the one you thought you knew but isn’t. Not only does this cause a lot of confusion but sometimes you have to just know in context what is being said since you can’t see the characters and I couldn’t read them if I did see them. So third tone Ma can be Horse, the name of a river, Mammoth, Morphinem Agate, Leprosy, Ant………you get the picture.

That would be enough to give me nightmares but it hasn’t. The grammatical point that finally got me is the dreaded MEASURE WORD!!!  When you talk about things in numerical context, you have to use the proper measure word. If you for example want one serving of rice you don’t say Yi Mifan (one Rice) you say Yi wan mifan (One bowl of rice). Ok not that bad.  Wan is the measure word for things that come in bowls mostly. Noodles, rice and such.  If you want one serving of Bao zi (steamed buns) you ask for Yi Tier Bao zi. But if you want one serving of Jiao zi (dumplings), you ask for yi pan jiao zi. If you want something that comes in a pair, the measure word is shuang. So yi shuang Kuai zi is one pair of chopsticks. If you drop one chopstick, you can’t use that measure word though because you only need one so you have to change the word to gen.

If you want a spoon, fork or knife, the M-word is Ba. This holds true for things you hold, most of the time. Other words that use ba as a M-word are doorknob, fan if it is a hand held fan only, armchair because you can put your hands on it but it also counts for a standard chair. So you would think that would hold true for gloves but the M-word for gloves is shuang because it is a pair. A watch uses the generic measure word ge.

For clothes, most of the things you wear on the top half of your body use Jian as the M-word. Hat though has Ding because that is the m-word for things on top. Pants, Skirts and things you wear below the waist use tiao, which is also used for ties, scarfs and other long thin things. If you want one suit, you have to use Tao as the m-word that also goes for pajamas. Zhang is the M-word for flat things like bed, desk and table but bed table uses ge. Also even though books are flat they use ben as the M-word TVs, computers and ovens use Tai, as does an electric fan……….. You see where I am going here??

So in my dream, I am being asked to say the measure word for a variety of things. At first I am doing OK then I get confused, Wait, isn’t that the m-word for things that are shaped like a banana? Wait a tie is flat but it is also long and straight but you wear it on the top half of your body??? Soon I am in full confusion and my teacher is throwing words at me at breakneck pace. Soon m-words are coming at me but they are spiders! Thousands of spiders crawling all over me! I am itching and scratching and trying to get them off me when I sit up straight in my bed. I am scratching my hands and arms. I realize that it is a dream but wonder if I really was bitten by spiders in the night because I am really scratching. I get up and in the light of the lamp, which I am sure has its M-word, I notice that there are no spider bites. I wonder what the measure word is for sleeping pills? 

Shan Ba escape

Some of us took a little day trip away from the center of Beijing. Partly,  to get away from the heat and humidity but also just to see something outside the city. We travelled by bus to the Huai Rou district north of Beijing and then contracted cars to take us to a place called Shan Ba. Shan Ba translates to Mountain Bar. It is a short ride up into the hills and out of the city heat. The restaurant, lodge and cabins are tucked into the hillside near a stream.

As much as I love being in Beijing, it was a nice change to be in the cooler mountain environment surrounded by greenery. The restaurant is known for it’s seafood but friends told us that the hot ticket is the huge racks of ribs. They didn’t oversell it at all. We ordered two Fred Flintstone style rib racks that could tip over even the sturdiest foot powered car. We also ordered fish, lamb and some veggies to round out the meal. Of course there was the usual stack of green bottles of Yanjing beer to cool us off.

Our bevy of comrades grew on the trip out as we met a migrant worker from Hunan?? We ended up inviting him to come along. He seemed to very confused and a little nervous as to why a group or laowai would want him to come along but must have been curious or hungry and decided to come along. He was just arriving in Beijing to work on a road project. He does steel work with rebar. At one point he pulled out his phone and showed pictures of his kids to us and sent a text message. I offered to one of my friends that he may be thinking, if I show these guys I have kids, maybe they won’t take me and murder me after dinner and that his text said…. I have been kidnapped but some foreigners, I don’t know what they want with me but will try to text later. After a few beers and food his trepidation seemed to melt away and soon we were laughing together. He knew a few words in English. We had a Chinese friend with us and most of us know a little Mandarin. Beer is like a liquid translator because I noticed on more than one occasion, after a few drinks people seem to be able to understand more. Who knew? He pulled out his phone to text again and I turned to my friend to offer that now he was saying…I think I am getting Stockholm syndrome because I like my captors. They’re not so bad really, they are buying me food and drinks and smiling and sharing cigarettes. I still don’t know what they want but at least the situation is bearable. Later we laughed more and he seemed totally comfortable in the fact that we just liked him and wanted him to join us.

After several hours of feasting and enjoying the mountain air, we decided to catch the 7:30 bus home. We were approached by men who have cars to rent, unofficially of course. They were trying to tell us the bus doesn’t stop here anymore and negotiations started for rides all the way back to Beijing. It is about an hour journey or so and if the bus came it would take at least two buses and a cab to get home. At first they seemed to be saying eight hundred kuai for two cars. There was a lot of gesturing and back and forth reasoning. Soon we agreed to 600 kuai for two cars four of us in each car.

Our driver jumped in and cranked the Techno music up to eleven and took off like a grand prix racer. He was taking the mountain curves like a pro and we were lost in a sea of noise, screeching tires and strange looks from every one we passed. He had a horn that sounded like a police siren and another that made the sound fire trucks make when approaching an intersection. He zoomed past horses, carts, cars, motorbikes, probably a goat or two, pretty much everything that you see on a typical mountain road in china. He seemed to be very skilled. Under normal conditions we would have been a bit nervous about the way he was driving but under the peaceful fog of good food and many beers, we just all seemed to be happy and in that (let’s just enjoy the ride kind of place). We made a short stop to drop off our new migrant worker friend and after a cramped, loud but fun trip, we were back in our happy neighborhood, the echo of techno music still in our ears.  

Shan Ba

Our new friend Ma Chu Lei

Hao chi! 

Lee and Shenye

Shenye feeding the ducks

Happy after a great meal and a few cold drinks! 

Negotiations for a ride home

WEDDING SINGER.

I was invited by one of the photographers Feng yong bin and his wife Sun Cheng Jing who recently got married to a party. I didn’t know what kind of party but accepted. Guan Xin and her husband picked me up and we went to a place where we were escorted up to a large banquet room filled with my co-workers and others. The parents of Fon Yon Bin were throwing a party to celebrate their son’s marriage. I was introduced to the father my host and whipped out my best hun gouxin ren shi ni. I got good reaction for giving it an effort. Just before we arrived Guan Xin taught me how to say bai nian hao he which means a hundred years together. I was able to get that out to the delight of Feng Young Bin’s mom. The sat me next to the host with my boss on the other side. I think that is a big deal. The seating arrangements of a Chinese banquet are like many things in China based on years of tradition. I know that if you get put in a certain seat, that mean you are picking up the check. Another spot is for the honored guests etc.  I noticed immediately the presence of the little shot glass that means GAMBEI! Oh Oh. I had a late night the night before and was not in top form for a big round of gambei. For those who missed it in an earlier post, gambei means empty glass and is said when the host wants you to drink it all.

The giant Lazy Susan started to roll and amazing dishes kept appearing, Pork, chicken, fish and things I have learned not to ask about. Just try it! I looked around at the smiling faces of my coworkers and was struck by how much I like them. I really felt honored to be invited to this special occasion. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I remember feeling like that when I was with my family in San Diego. I started to try to stop and look around and see the faces of the people I love the most. I made myself take it in and appreciate the time I have with them. I am so far away from them now but am so lucky these people, who I didn’t know five months ago have taken me in and welcomed me so completely. I feel truly blessed. I realized that this is the first time we have gathered outside of work except for the few trips to a restaurant for lunch. It is great to see them all in this environment.

The father of the groom then starts with the toasts.  I see quickly that at noon this is going to be a long day. Even though table tennis is the national pastime, I think they enjoy trying to get lao wai (foreigner) drunk even more. He toasts everyone there and thanks us all for coming. Then he toasts the bride and groom, and then my boss. Two photographers arrive late. He makes them do san ganbei (they had to knock back three shots) for punishment. Then he comes to me and I learn that I have to do two ganbei to his one. I am not sure why but I am not going to be rude so here it goes. I know how this is going to play out. Soon everyone is getting up from the table and toasting each other. I lost count at 30 shots but there was so much laughing and eating and all around great fun. I love the way Chinese people enjoy life. When they are together eating and drinking it is like there are no troubles in the world. I see it when I am out, I feel it here today in the middle of the day and now I am feeling the effects of the baijiu. I just hope the brain cells that are unselfishly sacrificing themselves in the interest of cultural understanding aren’t the ones I need to learn Mandarin.

Side note. Bai Jiu literally means white alcohol. It is usually 80 to 120 proof. The alcohol by volume ABV is usually on the label, which does me no good because it is in Chinese characters but I am told this particular brand is 54%. For reference Beer is usually 4-6% Wine is usually 12 -14% Tequila Whisky and Vodka are usually around 40%. So Bai Jiu holds its own.  When toasting you are supposed to show respect for elders or people above your station by lowering your glass lower than his or hers when you clink them together. My host made that difficult by quickly dropping his glass at the last second. I tried to match that action and he had more tricks up his sleeve. We go for the cheers and he quickly puts his hand under my glass so I can’t go any lower. This guy was good. Real good.

So after multiple rounds of gambei and delicious food the banquet ends. I am thinking that I have a date to meet a friend for dinner and I am thankful that I will have hours to recoup before that. Oops spoke too soon. We go across the street and into a room that is set up for Karaoke.  Now I don’t really do Karaoke. Never been much for singing in public. Not sure why but it just isn’t my thing. It may have something to do with the fact that my family used to trot me out in front of guests and make me sing “Side by side” which starts out with Oh we aint got a barrel of money; a song I have learned to hate.  Even now they love to sing that song to get a rise out of me. Maybe if they made me sing a cooler song I would like singing but that is for my therapist and me to work out.

Here in Beijing, they loves them some karaoke!  There are KTVs and Partyworlds everywhere. It is different than most places in the US though in that you rent a private room so it is just you and your friends or guests. It starts out nicely with some of my co-workers singing some Chinese songs. Then they put on an English song and of course want me to sing. I politely decline. More Chinese songs, more beer. Soon I find myself belting out something by the Carpenters. I think it was “Let me be the one” ( I didn’t pick it) and I know I have given myself up to China.  The next day the photos tell the ugly truth. Not only did I sing a carpenters song but I also did “Can’t live without you” by Barry Manilow. Ah the shame washes over me! BARRY MANILOW??? Really? Du Lianyi tells me that her husband says I sing with much feeling. I can only imagine what it sounded like. I can only hope no one shot video. Ahh Bai jiu you White Devil. 

All photos ©Michael Paul Franklin

Acupuncture part 2 -Mind over fire needle

I have been going to acupuncture at the Sino Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing for two weeks now. I have seen some dramatic differences in my knee. Even the way it looks. It used to only have a few small holes from repeated arthroscopic surgeries. Now it has like a million little holes in it! Remember those cartoons where someone gets shot and they laughingly say “Ha ya missed me”. Then they drink a glass of water and it pours out from hundreds of holes? I am a little afraid that will happen.

But seriously; I am trying out a new attitude on the whole pain thing. I am trying to embrace my fire needle experience with a more positive attitude. I have to believe it will work. I have one of the best doctors in Beijing in Dr. Bai and they have used these techniques for thousands of years. Well maybe not the ones where they put 30 needles in my leg and apply electricity to them to make my muscles do the Macarena but the other techniques have been around for a long time.

I am reminded of a series of tapes I listened to. Brian Tracy , was the business self help guru on the tapes and he stated that you have to make thoughts and affirmations from a positive approach. Like if you want to eat better for instance you have to tell yourself I only eat food that it good for me as opposed to saying I don’t eat fast food because it is bad for me. He and others say that your subconscious will take that information and help you get what you want. OK Steven Covey, Joe Vitale, Wayne W. Dyer and all you guys. I hope you know what you’re talking about. I am now trying this technique on my acupuncture. When they are about to stick a hot lawn dart into my leg in about 40 places, I tell my self It feels good. IT FEELS GOOD. IT FEELS GOOD. THIS IS SO GOOD FOR ME! I LOVE GETTING JABBED BY SHARP HOT NEEDLES. I LOVE TO SOUND OF A RED HOT NEEDLE WHEN IT GOES INTO MY FLESH!!!!!!!!!!!!  They say picturing success is a good idea. I picture myself walking with no pain. I picture being able to walk long distances or even running. Hey this is working. Now I am running on the beach. Hey a beautiful woman in a flowing white dress is running toward meEEYOWEEE SWEET BABY JESUS THAT HIT A NERVE!!!!!! OK I need more practice but the technique is working. The pain seems less when they stab at me. I have to practice to focus more and stay positive.

The regular patients are forming into a little family of needle heads. The other day I was getting my hot stone massage before the needling. It felt a little different but I couldn’t see anything because I was face down on the table. Then the person doing the massage said something to me in Chinese and I looked around to find that it was one of the other patients who was doing the massage. She was helping out the doctor. Hmm I thought? Then the other day after my timer went off she came over and turned off the timer and started pulling the needles out of my leg. Hmm I thought again. Then I saw her sitting next to the doctor while she consulted with a patient. She seemed to be consulting with the doctor and offering advice. It is not uncommon for the patients to pitch in. They may hold the lamp with the flame for the fire needle or change the bed after a patient is finished.

Yesterday I was lying there and again my timer went off and the same woman along with another came over and started to do the wrap up. One was pulling a heater cart away and caught the wires that were connected to the plethora of needles in my knee. The wires tightened and started to bend the needles. My new caretaker caught it and kept it from becoming a scene from a three stooges movie. She stated to remove the needles in my knee and leg. She said something in Mandarin and I caught a few words. It sounded like you have good leg chicken? It turns out the word for muscle is the same as the word for chicken. Chicken meat is Jī ròu the word for muscles is Jī ròu but the first character in the written language is different. So she either said I had nice leg muscles or my legs look like chicken meat. Sometimes a little knowledge is scary. I must have looked confused as the other woman made a gesture indicating it was the muscle thing.

I am feeling more strength in my muscles around my knee, one in particular, which atrophied a few years ago after surgery number two. It just seems like no matter what I did, I couldn’t build it back up. When the needles are inserted an inch and a half into my muscles, I feel an energy like they are working even though they are just lying there. At the end of a session I feel like I ran a marathon. (like I know what that feels like) They feel exhausted but somehow energized. I think this is worth continuing and committing to it.

This morning I really focused on the positive thinking thing and even though she was inserting that fire needle into the spaces around my knee joint, it wasn’t that bad. Maybe next time I visualize the woman running on the beach in slow motion she won’t be carrying a sharp spear. 

Dr. Bai on the left is one of Beijing's top acupuncturists. People come from all over the world to study with her. Yoon Ji Young (Xiao Jing)  is here from Korea to learn from Dr. Bai. She is holding the lamp where the fire needle is heated up. 

I call these the friendly needles. They are thin and are are not inserted too deeply.

This is the fire needle. It is thicker and often heated with a flame. Sometimes it is heated until red hot. It can be inserted one and a half inches into the muscle etc.

This is the resting position when all the needles are in, some light electric current gets the muscles jumpin' and there is heat applied to the knee. I sometimes fall asleep when in this stage. Note the needle just above the knee cap is pretty deep!

On pins and fire needles. Acupuncture in Beijing

The pain in my knee has become unbearable because of the amount of walking I do here.  Living an active life when I was younger was great but I have been paying the toll for that lately. I tore my meniscus playing tennis years ago. I got it repaired and the doc told me to keep doing what I was doing as my knee would be as good as new. So 8 months after the surgery I went skiing, I took my first turn and when I felt no pain I was off. I had the best day of skiing in my life as the recovery and therapy had made my legs strong and I was in shape from tons of bike riding. At the end of the day I hit a patch of “Sierra cement “ a slushy thick heavy snow that is very good at catching edges and the knee went again. Surgery number two was an odd thing. I woke up in the middle of the procedure and heard hammering. I could see my knee moving with each strike. I asked the doctor and before he could say much the nice man with the pain meds put me back out. My knee hasn’t been right since. Now I have had two more surgeries and have places where bone is touching bone.

I refused to sit around with my knee up and miss all that China has to offer. I hate feeling limited but that is where I am so I have learned to live with daily pain and just try to deal with it. Some days are better than others. I decided that since acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, I should give it a try here where the masters are.

Acupuncture in the US was a pleasant experience. Long very thin needles are placed just below the surface of the skin and once they are in the pain is non-existent. I found it relaxing even. That was what I was expecting here in China. I headed off to my hospital where they have a master acupuncturist Dr. Bai who is world renown. With an open mind and hope in my heart that they could do something for me. Dr. Bai had me get x-rays and looked them over with a lot of head shaking and uttered grunts that didn’t sound particularly good.  

She said through an interpreter that she could see why I was in so much pain. She then repeatedly scolded me for being so fat. She made gestures that fat equals knee pain and skinny equals no pain. Maybe it is because there is a language gap but she seemed to repeat that over and over. I GET IT!!! The funny thing is a lot of the weight gain is because of the knee problems. I had to give up tennis, skiing and other sports I used to like to do years ago and that would bring more weight. I got into sea kayaking in a serious way for years to stay active and that helped a bit but it is a constant battle.

The treatment started immediately. She pulled out a needle that was very different than the ones I have seen before. The needle was almost as thick as a dart.  I was thinking all you need is some feathers and this thing would work in the pub. Fire Needle she said! Then she lit an oil lamp and put the needle into the flame. Then she jabbed it into my knee way deeper than I would have thought and she moves it around. I am a little shocked but then she quickly started to stick and move all over my leg.  The procedure is a might more violent than my friendly acupuncturists back home would do. The needle goes in at different depths from a quarter of an inch to an inch and a half. She moves around poking, wiping the blood and moving on. She had me lie down on my stomach and poked the back of my legs. At one point she hit a nerve and it felt like someone had plugged the needle into the house current . I think my quote was something like yiiiiiiieeeeeeeeowwweeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I felt my body leave the table. She communicates with a few words in English and a few slaps to the body. She is probably best described as a combination of drill sgt. and strict grandmother.

After about 35 minutes of this I got some ointment on my legs then under the heat lamp for cooking. In acupuncture, there is a lot of talk of meridians in your body and Qi (prounounced chi) moving around and I don’t know if any of that is true but I definitely felt my qi doing a serious reorganization.  The doctor said I need many treatments at 5 to 600 kuai a shot. Wow I get to be poked and get to pay for it as well?? Sign me up!

On my second visit a very nice young Korean girl was to help me. She is a student of the Master Bai. Her Chinese nickname is Xiao Ying. She started with a leg massage with warm oil and a hot iron. Ahh I thought they give you pain first, then, make you feel better with the more gentle approach. My young doctor has a great smile and speaks English. She is kind and checks to see if I am comfortable. She does some of the fire needle work but somehow it doesn’t seem to hurt as much as last time. Every time she does something she asks if I am ok. Sure thanks!.. Then she tells me that she is going to do blood cupping. In my blissed out state I say sure why not. I have had cupping before and it was a pretty relaxing experience. Then she gets closer to me and says in a whisper. This is going to hurt.  I just smile and… WHAT?? Then she jabs me about 8 times behind the knee with the fire needle and sticks a flame into a glass ball and attaches that over the fresh puncture wounds. Then she does the same to the other leg.  What happened to god cop bad cop?? 

Xiao Ying The smile helps with the pain.

Blood cupping.

Soon my friend Craig sticks his head in and asks how I am doing. A Chinese man also pops his head in and they both start commenting on the color of my blood, which is pooling in the glass cups. Apparently the other man who is a cab driver was commenting that it wasn’t black as often is the case.  Soon they are having a conversation about me and realize oh yea this is China. There is no privacy here. I think mostly because it is a crowded country. Privacy takes space. All of the patients in the room know what is going on with the other patients. Them or their family will walk up while the doctor is working on you and ask what is going on. What’s wrong with him? It is something you just have to get used to. One woman is here because of facial paralysis and she gets needles in the face to the point where she looks like a porcupine in love. She has been coming for almost a year and has had some new movement in her face.

The jury will be out for a while on whether this works but I am giving it a good run to see what happens. My attempts with western cures haven’t been much help. They seem too quick to do surgery for everything. I read that results from having meniscus surgery aren’t very different from those who just rested and did physical therapy. I have had cortisone shots, hyaluronic acid injections and who knows what and they didn’t help much.

There are several aspects to the Traditional Chinese Medicine that I have seen and experiences so far.

Gua Sha

First is body scraping or Gua Sha . In this procedure the skin is rubbed vigorously with a soft edged instrument and blood will rise to the surface to promote healing and also to show where there may be problems. A friend of mine has that done quite a bit and at one point Dr. Bai asked him if he had gotten drunk in the last week. Apparently the skin over his liver was showing signs. This is not painful but is kind of irritating. They scrape and scrape and the skin gets a bit tender.

Cupping

In cupping, glass balls are heated by a flame and instantly put on the skin forming a suction. This is supposed to draw toxins to the surface, improve blood flow and open obstructions that may hinder the flow of energy. Mostly it is done after scraping here but sometimes they also poke holes first to draw blood.  You can recognize when someone has had cupping by the large hickies on their backs. 

Video of blood cupping

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If that doesn't work here is a link to the video http://youtu.be/6QJXBPI7tjA

Fire Needle

As said above a tungsten needle is heated sometimes until red hot and then inserted which is a nicer way to say plunged into your body. The needle is often rotated around or pulled to the side while inserted. Often you can see people who have had extensive treatments on their necks because of the scars on the back of their necks. In my case they will go between the knee joint and I can feel it touch the bone.

I have had all three of these done so far and mostly it seems to help. I can feel when the fire needle hits the muscle and when it hits a nerve. I can feel more movement of energy. It may or may not work but I want to believe that it will because some days the pain is significant. If anything my body may just make itself better out of fear of the fire needle!! Ok Ok I will get better just stop jabbing me already!!!  The sight of is isn’t for those with weak constitutions. At first it is shocking to see someone getting worked on. Sometimes you hear someone cry out in pain. Westerners would never stand for this because we are used to an approach that is more painless. So for now I will submit myself to acutorture for a bit. Maybe it will be good for building character.  I do know that Dr Bai has taught many acupuncturists from all over the world and many still come to intern for her. She gets results. 

When I got to work after one particularly grueling session with the fire needle I happened on photo of Slaysha Randall attempting to beat the record for most body piercings in a single sitting. She was aiming for 3600 piercings but stopped at 3200 since she had broken the record of 3100. All of a sudden the fire needle didn’t seem that bad.