Here is the link to my Picasa account. Check them out!
http://picasaweb.google.com/tyler.chernin/WestMeetsEast02
Let me know if there are any problems.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Day 9 in - Italy, Monasteries and Blind Massage
Finally, a lazy Sunday to relax and do nothing...I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the summer.
Week 1 at the hospital is now over and we are all weighing in on the experience so far. I think the consensus has been that everything we are learning is fascinating, but that the limiting factor continues to be language. Communication is working for big picture ideas, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty questions that we inevitably have, things get a lot murkier. It's frustrating at times. However, I just keep reminding myself that this experience is for broadening my understanding of medicine, not to learn traditional Tibetan medicine in its entirety. Once I remember that, it's easier to go with the flow.
Friday night we were all feeling a bit nostalgic, so we went to "Casa Mia" an "authentic" Italian "home away from home." Needless to say we didnt have high expectations, but the meal was fantastic (relatively, I guess). We had two bottles of wine (wine is very hard to come by here because no one drinks it) and I ordered eggplant parm which tasted great. It turned out to be by far the most expensive meal I have had here. My share was 100 RMB (divide by 6.8 to get canadian dollars). Things are so cheap here!!! Most of our meals do not exceed 20RMB per person, and there is always wayyyy more food than we can eat.
Yesterday we had our first field trip to Kumbum Monastery. The trip there was interesting as the cab driver was half asleep at times (we resorted to singing the theme song from "fraggle rock" very loudly whenever his eyes closed for more than 2 seconds. Mom, I know you are going to send me a special email now warning me to be safe, but trust me, we are doing our best!). This Monastery is at the center of the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism, the sect which HH the Dalai Lama follows. It is situated about 30 minutes from Xining, nestled into this little valley. There is of course a very touristy town around it, which caters to the vast amounts of tourists that come here. Hard-core Tibetan tourists sort of scoff at the place, now that it is so overrun by the Chinese. We visited several temples as well as the Monks' own hospital. The temples were so incredibly beautiful, and the doorways were painted in the most striking and detailed way. I took some pictures and am uploading them to my Picasa account (see below). The level of intricacy was astounding. One of the temples is dedicated to Tsong Kha Pa, the founder of Gelugpa Buddhism. There is a large stupa (term for a commemorative structure) built at the site of his birth, housed inside one of the temples. It is a huge, 3-story structure made entirely of silver and other precious metals and countless jewels. As the story goes, Tsong Kha Pa's mother was carrying water jugs when she felt labor pains. She put down her load and gave birth right there. The blood from the umbilical cord then mixed with the ground and from it a Bodhi tree sprung up. This tree is contained in the stupa. Pretty awesome. When you enter a temple or walk around it, you always have to walk clockwise, as this is the direction of earth's rotation. There are also these large prayer wheels on the outside of temples that you spin as you walk, which contain various religious/spiritual teachings written inside. We capped off the day with a Tibetan/Chinese lunch. The cab driver on the way home was way more animated. When I let out a mild shriek at the oncoming traffic we were headed straight toward, he slapped my thigh and them held my hand. I can only suppose that this meant I should relax.
As a side note, the taxi drivers in Beijing have all been given a tape, from which they are supposed to learn 100 English words. Apparently, one of the words is "Look out!" to which the tape responds in Chinese "Don't worry, if your passenger yells 'look out' as they are simply not used to Beijing drivers."
When we got back yesterday we were all a little tense, so Rohit (Canadian guy who goes to Queen's) and Katie (Canadian girl who goes to U of Manitoba) and I went to get a massage. But this was no regular massage, this place is run by blind people. Yes, all of them blind (except for one lady who deals with money and sets up the massage tables...There was a little confusion at first because at one point she told us that she loved katie's red hair and blue eyes. After a few seconds I was like "wait a second!" but then we figured it out). I wouldnt necessarily say the place was "clean" but in China you really have to let go of Western standards (i.e. Chinese toilets...). They don't speak English but they just sort of motion you onto the table. It isnt really relaxing as there was a lot of loud cell-phone talking and yelling but it did relieve some tension. And you cant beat the price: 35 RMB for the hour (remember, divide by 6.8). But on a more serious note, this is a really nice way for these people to make a living, which would otherwise be very difficult for them.
Finally, last night we went out for dinner for "Indian" with our clerkship director, Renchen. This guy is really an enigma. He is a Tibetan doctor, former/current Tibetan club owner (we call him the "Don") and one of the most stoic people I have ever met. With time we have all really grown to really like him and respect him and understand him better. He can be very serious at times, but then breaks out into this huge smile when he finds something funny. Overall, it is obvious that he really cares about us and the rotation. We finished dinner at around 10:30 and felt like going out, so we asked him to take us somewhere where we could dance. The cabs pulled up to this place that sort of looked liked a casino. The waitresses were wearing gold 80's prom dresses, yet everyone started at us. This place was so random. There were entertainers performing dances/skits with this cheesy host who would sing ballads every now and then. At one point, a guy came running out in a full tuxedo and played violin pieces for three sets. The place was so weird and I could not stop staring. What made it weirder was that there was a strip club component as well (which we did not enter!)...that added significantly to the sketchiness factor. We finally made it out of there around 1:30, dazed.
Wow, if you made it all the way here you probably really are interested in my life. Thanks for reading.
Miss you all,
Tyler
P.S. Tibet is officially open to foreigners!
Week 1 at the hospital is now over and we are all weighing in on the experience so far. I think the consensus has been that everything we are learning is fascinating, but that the limiting factor continues to be language. Communication is working for big picture ideas, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty questions that we inevitably have, things get a lot murkier. It's frustrating at times. However, I just keep reminding myself that this experience is for broadening my understanding of medicine, not to learn traditional Tibetan medicine in its entirety. Once I remember that, it's easier to go with the flow.
Friday night we were all feeling a bit nostalgic, so we went to "Casa Mia" an "authentic" Italian "home away from home." Needless to say we didnt have high expectations, but the meal was fantastic (relatively, I guess). We had two bottles of wine (wine is very hard to come by here because no one drinks it) and I ordered eggplant parm which tasted great. It turned out to be by far the most expensive meal I have had here. My share was 100 RMB (divide by 6.8 to get canadian dollars). Things are so cheap here!!! Most of our meals do not exceed 20RMB per person, and there is always wayyyy more food than we can eat.
Yesterday we had our first field trip to Kumbum Monastery. The trip there was interesting as the cab driver was half asleep at times (we resorted to singing the theme song from "fraggle rock" very loudly whenever his eyes closed for more than 2 seconds. Mom, I know you are going to send me a special email now warning me to be safe, but trust me, we are doing our best!). This Monastery is at the center of the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism, the sect which HH the Dalai Lama follows. It is situated about 30 minutes from Xining, nestled into this little valley. There is of course a very touristy town around it, which caters to the vast amounts of tourists that come here. Hard-core Tibetan tourists sort of scoff at the place, now that it is so overrun by the Chinese. We visited several temples as well as the Monks' own hospital. The temples were so incredibly beautiful, and the doorways were painted in the most striking and detailed way. I took some pictures and am uploading them to my Picasa account (see below). The level of intricacy was astounding. One of the temples is dedicated to Tsong Kha Pa, the founder of Gelugpa Buddhism. There is a large stupa (term for a commemorative structure) built at the site of his birth, housed inside one of the temples. It is a huge, 3-story structure made entirely of silver and other precious metals and countless jewels. As the story goes, Tsong Kha Pa's mother was carrying water jugs when she felt labor pains. She put down her load and gave birth right there. The blood from the umbilical cord then mixed with the ground and from it a Bodhi tree sprung up. This tree is contained in the stupa. Pretty awesome. When you enter a temple or walk around it, you always have to walk clockwise, as this is the direction of earth's rotation. There are also these large prayer wheels on the outside of temples that you spin as you walk, which contain various religious/spiritual teachings written inside. We capped off the day with a Tibetan/Chinese lunch. The cab driver on the way home was way more animated. When I let out a mild shriek at the oncoming traffic we were headed straight toward, he slapped my thigh and them held my hand. I can only suppose that this meant I should relax.
As a side note, the taxi drivers in Beijing have all been given a tape, from which they are supposed to learn 100 English words. Apparently, one of the words is "Look out!" to which the tape responds in Chinese "Don't worry, if your passenger yells 'look out' as they are simply not used to Beijing drivers."
When we got back yesterday we were all a little tense, so Rohit (Canadian guy who goes to Queen's) and Katie (Canadian girl who goes to U of Manitoba) and I went to get a massage. But this was no regular massage, this place is run by blind people. Yes, all of them blind (except for one lady who deals with money and sets up the massage tables...There was a little confusion at first because at one point she told us that she loved katie's red hair and blue eyes. After a few seconds I was like "wait a second!" but then we figured it out). I wouldnt necessarily say the place was "clean" but in China you really have to let go of Western standards (i.e. Chinese toilets...). They don't speak English but they just sort of motion you onto the table. It isnt really relaxing as there was a lot of loud cell-phone talking and yelling but it did relieve some tension. And you cant beat the price: 35 RMB for the hour (remember, divide by 6.8). But on a more serious note, this is a really nice way for these people to make a living, which would otherwise be very difficult for them.
Finally, last night we went out for dinner for "Indian" with our clerkship director, Renchen. This guy is really an enigma. He is a Tibetan doctor, former/current Tibetan club owner (we call him the "Don") and one of the most stoic people I have ever met. With time we have all really grown to really like him and respect him and understand him better. He can be very serious at times, but then breaks out into this huge smile when he finds something funny. Overall, it is obvious that he really cares about us and the rotation. We finished dinner at around 10:30 and felt like going out, so we asked him to take us somewhere where we could dance. The cabs pulled up to this place that sort of looked liked a casino. The waitresses were wearing gold 80's prom dresses, yet everyone started at us. This place was so random. There were entertainers performing dances/skits with this cheesy host who would sing ballads every now and then. At one point, a guy came running out in a full tuxedo and played violin pieces for three sets. The place was so weird and I could not stop staring. What made it weirder was that there was a strip club component as well (which we did not enter!)...that added significantly to the sketchiness factor. We finally made it out of there around 1:30, dazed.
Wow, if you made it all the way here you probably really are interested in my life. Thanks for reading.
Miss you all,
Tyler
P.S. Tibet is officially open to foreigners!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Day 6 in Xining
We have now got ourselves into a routine at the hospital. Each morning we arrive at 8:30 to meet our interpretor and esteemed Tibetan doctor, who then takes us to a specific ward or department. Mostly we do 'walk rounds,' which means we walk to the rooms of various patients and learn about their disease, method of diagnosis, treatment...etc. It is fascinating just to get to see the hospital and see how differently, and similarly, certain things are done. We have been focusing a lot on pulse diagnosis this week, which is a way to pinpoint disease to a particular organ/body part just by feeling and characterizing the patient's pulse (weak, strong, rolling, soft...etc.). You feel the pulse along the radial artery (wrist) with three fingers (index, middle, ring) of the opposite hand that you are examining (left examines right, vice versa). On the left wrist, the index finger can palpate the heart and small intestine, the middle finger the spleen and stomach and the ring finger the left kidney and reproductive organs. On the right wrist, you can feel the lungs and large intestine, liver and gallbladder and right kidney and urinary bladder. The doctors are adamant about us examining each patient in this way, and while we are always up to the challenge, we are all usually unable to reproduce their findings (no surprise there). However, the doctor was able to tell I was having indigestion just by feeling my pulse (no hint from me) and claims he can identify what part of her cycle a woman is currently in (menses enhance the spleen's pulse).
We also had a talk yesterday on venesection, or bloodletting! A doctor came in to explain the process and theory behind it. It is a very precise science, and there are about 77 commonly used points for most common ailments. Interestingly, venesection is almost always used for 'hot' diseases, because it is believed that the loss of 'bad blood' gets rid of tripa, or the hot humour. I volunteered to be a guinea pig (don't worry, not for the actual bloodletting part). He placed a very tight band around my forehead so that that vein in the middle of my forehead began to bulge. He then took out the little blade that he would normally use, showing us how he would 'flick' it at just the right distance from my forhead to make a small knick in the vein. Apparently, the amount of blood you remove depends on the ailment, but can exceed 300ml. When I asked the doctor the theory behind this practice (i.e. what are they actually removing? what is 'bad' about the blood?) he told me that some Western doctors had done some sort of study in the past and analyzed the blood that was removed, finding that the cells were 'dead' and 'useless.'
What I am starting to appreciate and respect, the more I am here, is that one cannot approach TM in the context of Western medicine. At first, and even now, we find ourselves trying to find a Western equivalent to the diseases these patients are presenting with. Sometimes the connection is obvious ("patient has pain in stomach, vomits blood, cannot eat without vomiting" we soon realized was a case of stomach ulcers caused by H. pylori. The patient was taking Amoxicillin and Omeprazole, prescribed by the Western docs). But other times we are left perplexed and sometimes even frustrated ("patient has ringing in ears, ear pain, face turned black, kidney problems, nerve pain and muscle pain." This patient has everything!). It is important to remember that this is a science that is 3800 years old, and just because it doesnt make sense to me, doesnt mean it isnt valid in another context. If the body were a PC, western medicine would be like Windows and Tibetan medicine would be Vista. Same computer system, but you are interacting with the machine in a different context. Another way to look at it, is that Western medicine is designed for acute care, whereas TM is better designed for preventative and long-term well-being.
---
On a less serious note, I am quickly getting used to the food here. Dont get me wrong, I am not going to miss it by an means, but I am slowly figuring out how to order. "Soo Shuh Juh" is my new favorite sentence. It means: "I am a vegetarian." Still, isnt always foolproof, as my spicy eggplant rice dish arrived today with chicken and beef. My new motto is "tyler, shut up and pick around it." Meal time can be a bit of a hassle, both for us and the servers. I have seen more than one look of disguised despair from a hostess at the sight of all nine of us entering their restaurant ("oh great, yeah, a bunch of...foreigners...uh huh...WELCOME!"). Ordering is a huge hassle, as we pull out our phrase books and hack at the Chinese pronunciations while they laugh at us. The other day we decided to visit our neighborhood joint, called "French Island Jazz Coffee." If that isnt a good example of Chinglish, I dont know what is. The menu was also in English, and was hilarious (an ice cream flavor called "unfortunately" for example. Another place we went to today, which I have dubbed Turtleville because of the tank of alive, and apparently edible, turtles at the entrance. Their word for pork sausage was "pig colorectal slices"!). The restaurant sort of looked like a brothel on the inside, with all these individual rooms with names of French places on the outside. We were brought into the "Louvre" room thank you very much. There were plush couches, a big wooden dining table, and brocade wallpaper with some "paintings" of French aristocracy. Totally trippy and random and sketchy. But the food was good!
People are still staring at us, incredulously. My new thing is to just stare right back, which is especially giggle-inducing to the groups of young Chinese girls. Sometimes they shout out "Hello" and when you say "Hi" back they crack up as if it were the funniest thing you ever said. Some people take pictures, without asking. Yesterday we were sitting on the grass outside the hospital and this Tibetan man, dressed out of another century, just came right up to us and sat right in our circle. He didnt say anything or smile, just stared. He continued to say his prayers while moving his prayer beads, as if this were the most casual of interactions. But to him it was! We are so concerned with personal space, which just isnt really a concern over here. After a while it was kind of nice to have him there, and he eagerly accepted an Oreo cookie from us. Eventually a small group formed around us, and even some Buddhist monks joined us. It was really cool. The Tibetan people are so amazingly beautiful. Their traditional dress is beautiful and they all have very gentle, but worn, faces. The women sometimes adorn their heads with these beautiful scarves, which just sort of sit folded on top of their heads. I have some pictures and I hope to post them soon.
All for now. Hope you found it interesting. Let me know whats going on in your lives!
Tyler
We also had a talk yesterday on venesection, or bloodletting! A doctor came in to explain the process and theory behind it. It is a very precise science, and there are about 77 commonly used points for most common ailments. Interestingly, venesection is almost always used for 'hot' diseases, because it is believed that the loss of 'bad blood' gets rid of tripa, or the hot humour. I volunteered to be a guinea pig (don't worry, not for the actual bloodletting part). He placed a very tight band around my forehead so that that vein in the middle of my forehead began to bulge. He then took out the little blade that he would normally use, showing us how he would 'flick' it at just the right distance from my forhead to make a small knick in the vein. Apparently, the amount of blood you remove depends on the ailment, but can exceed 300ml. When I asked the doctor the theory behind this practice (i.e. what are they actually removing? what is 'bad' about the blood?) he told me that some Western doctors had done some sort of study in the past and analyzed the blood that was removed, finding that the cells were 'dead' and 'useless.'
What I am starting to appreciate and respect, the more I am here, is that one cannot approach TM in the context of Western medicine. At first, and even now, we find ourselves trying to find a Western equivalent to the diseases these patients are presenting with. Sometimes the connection is obvious ("patient has pain in stomach, vomits blood, cannot eat without vomiting" we soon realized was a case of stomach ulcers caused by H. pylori. The patient was taking Amoxicillin and Omeprazole, prescribed by the Western docs). But other times we are left perplexed and sometimes even frustrated ("patient has ringing in ears, ear pain, face turned black, kidney problems, nerve pain and muscle pain." This patient has everything!). It is important to remember that this is a science that is 3800 years old, and just because it doesnt make sense to me, doesnt mean it isnt valid in another context. If the body were a PC, western medicine would be like Windows and Tibetan medicine would be Vista. Same computer system, but you are interacting with the machine in a different context. Another way to look at it, is that Western medicine is designed for acute care, whereas TM is better designed for preventative and long-term well-being.
---
On a less serious note, I am quickly getting used to the food here. Dont get me wrong, I am not going to miss it by an means, but I am slowly figuring out how to order. "Soo Shuh Juh" is my new favorite sentence. It means: "I am a vegetarian." Still, isnt always foolproof, as my spicy eggplant rice dish arrived today with chicken and beef. My new motto is "tyler, shut up and pick around it." Meal time can be a bit of a hassle, both for us and the servers. I have seen more than one look of disguised despair from a hostess at the sight of all nine of us entering their restaurant ("oh great, yeah, a bunch of...foreigners...uh huh...WELCOME!"). Ordering is a huge hassle, as we pull out our phrase books and hack at the Chinese pronunciations while they laugh at us. The other day we decided to visit our neighborhood joint, called "French Island Jazz Coffee." If that isnt a good example of Chinglish, I dont know what is. The menu was also in English, and was hilarious (an ice cream flavor called "unfortunately" for example. Another place we went to today, which I have dubbed Turtleville because of the tank of alive, and apparently edible, turtles at the entrance. Their word for pork sausage was "pig colorectal slices"!). The restaurant sort of looked like a brothel on the inside, with all these individual rooms with names of French places on the outside. We were brought into the "Louvre" room thank you very much. There were plush couches, a big wooden dining table, and brocade wallpaper with some "paintings" of French aristocracy. Totally trippy and random and sketchy. But the food was good!
People are still staring at us, incredulously. My new thing is to just stare right back, which is especially giggle-inducing to the groups of young Chinese girls. Sometimes they shout out "Hello" and when you say "Hi" back they crack up as if it were the funniest thing you ever said. Some people take pictures, without asking. Yesterday we were sitting on the grass outside the hospital and this Tibetan man, dressed out of another century, just came right up to us and sat right in our circle. He didnt say anything or smile, just stared. He continued to say his prayers while moving his prayer beads, as if this were the most casual of interactions. But to him it was! We are so concerned with personal space, which just isnt really a concern over here. After a while it was kind of nice to have him there, and he eagerly accepted an Oreo cookie from us. Eventually a small group formed around us, and even some Buddhist monks joined us. It was really cool. The Tibetan people are so amazingly beautiful. Their traditional dress is beautiful and they all have very gentle, but worn, faces. The women sometimes adorn their heads with these beautiful scarves, which just sort of sit folded on top of their heads. I have some pictures and I hope to post them soon.
All for now. Hope you found it interesting. Let me know whats going on in your lives!
Tyler
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Let's Learn Chinese and Tibetan!
Part of this program includes daily lessons in Mandarin, and some Tibetan (Lhasa dialect) as well. It's nerdy I know, but I love languages and Ill keep posting what I learn as we go along.
Chinese:
Hello = Knee How
What is your name = Knee Jow Shen Meh Ming Dzuh?
My name is _____ = Wo Jow _____
Table = Jwo Dzuh
Chair = Yee Dzuh
Stool = Deng Dzuh
Hospital = Yee Ywen
Vegetarian = Soo Shuh
Tibetan:
Hello = Tashee Deleg
Thank you = Guadenchee
Bye = Demo
Chinese:
Hello = Knee How
What is your name = Knee Jow Shen Meh Ming Dzuh?
My name is _____ = Wo Jow _____
Table = Jwo Dzuh
Chair = Yee Dzuh
Stool = Deng Dzuh
Hospital = Yee Ywen
Vegetarian = Soo Shuh
Tibetan:
Hello = Tashee Deleg
Thank you = Guadenchee
Bye = Demo
Pictures Galore!
Just kidding...have some great ones but having trouble uploading them. Is there a better way to save them as opposed to JPEG to make them easier to handle?
Thanks
Thanks
Day 4!
Hey All,
Day 4 in Xining. Having a really interesting time. The people on my trip are really nice and chill. Altogether, we are nine students; three canadians in all! No one has any previous experience in Tibetan medicine so we are all on the same page. I feel great about the group and am looking forward to getting to know everyone.
There is so much to write already about my short time here. As some of you read from my previous emails, I am still getting over an acute case of culture shock. I dont really think I allowed myself to think about this possibility before I left, which is definitely for the better. No one can escape the surprise you get when entering such a foreign place! But overall the shock is turning into intense curiosity, and I am switching over from 'survival mode' to 'eager tourist' mentality.
Some of my recent thoughts/observations so far:
-Why put diapers on your children when you can just cut a slit in the crack of their little pants and let them go anywhere? You can even cut a slit in the front and let it hang out as they walk. Seriously brilliant (actual pictures to come I promise)!
-Who needs toilet paper?
-We think Montreal drivers are crazy...uh huh. There are no lines on most of the streets here and it seems like the point of crosswalks is to drive as close as possible to a fearful pedestrian (dont forget to honk!).
----
On a more serious note, today marked the second day of our time at Qinghai Tibetan Medical Hospital. This place blows your mind. On the one hand, you can recognize some aspects of Western medicine. Doctors wear white coats, patients' vital signs are charted, there are specific departments for each specialty, there are elevators.... But the similarities sort of end there. We are obviously still learning the theories behind TM, but the tools Tibetan doctors use to diagnose and treat disease are totally incredible/shocking/amazing! From bloodletting, to moxibustion (burning herbs in specific locations on the body), urine analysis (not the Western kind), pulse diagnosis and tongue analysis (to name only a few), the world of Tibetan medicine is a fascinating and always daunting experience for someone trained in the technology-dependant Western world.
Tibetan doctors believe there are three poisons: hatred, ignorance and desire. These poisons cause disease, by causing imbalances in the three humors.
The three humors are (in Tibetan):
-rLung: known as wind but implies movement, circulation...etc. This is a neutral temperature.
-Tripa: known as bile but refers to hot processes in the body, such as digestion. Also liver, gallbladder. This is hot.
-Bekan: known as phlegm. This is cold.
It is a constant challenge for us to understand the essence of what the humors (and all of Tibetan medicine for that matter!) are supposed to represent. They can refer to specific organs (each organ seems to be a specific mixture of the three), bodily processes...etc. Part of the problem is that this is a very complicated subject, and also that the translations are not always appropriate or possible. Combine this with the language barriers we are facing with our instructors, and I fear a lot can be misunderstood! But it is always a fun challenge.
Today we learned a bit more about urine diagnosis. There are many properties to analyze about one's urine, but one of them is sediment. For example, the location of the sediment in the urine can tell you where in the body a patient is experiencing a 'fever' (I think this refers to the source of the fever). Sediment in the top layer implies a heart or lung source, the middle layer implies visceral organs, and the lower layer may indicate kidney or lower extremity origins. There are many other things you can do to urine and apparently this is on the agenda for tomorrow! Woohoo. [the doctors are not fazed by urine, obviously. The doctor we had today was very eager to show us a patient's urine sediment and you could definitely tell we weren't used to getting this close to someone else's excretions! He would hold it up, and move the cup quickly from side to side as he talked, stirring it around as well. Each of use would take turns reflexively stepping backwards, away from any possible spillage...Even the patient didnt mind at all having us crowd around her pee, poking and prodding away]
We also had a session on moxibustion today. In a nutshell (which is pretty much all I know anyway), many diseases in Tibetan medicine (TM) can be classified as 'hot' or 'cold' in origin. So, if a patient is suffering from an excess of cold, it might be helpful to give them 'hot.' This can take the form of moxibustion. Special herbs are prepared by the doctor and burned over specific areas of the body. These sites are either located exactly where the patient is experiencing pain, or may be located in specific areas that are known to provide relief from certain ailments. It is then important for the patient to avoid any fluids for at least an hour after the treatment lest they extinguish the 'hot' that they obtained from the therapy.
Sorry if this posting is all over the place, I just have a lot on my mind!
You should all be able to post comments, but if you cant and still want to reach me, send me an email! Love hearing from all of you.
Day 4 in Xining. Having a really interesting time. The people on my trip are really nice and chill. Altogether, we are nine students; three canadians in all! No one has any previous experience in Tibetan medicine so we are all on the same page. I feel great about the group and am looking forward to getting to know everyone.
There is so much to write already about my short time here. As some of you read from my previous emails, I am still getting over an acute case of culture shock. I dont really think I allowed myself to think about this possibility before I left, which is definitely for the better. No one can escape the surprise you get when entering such a foreign place! But overall the shock is turning into intense curiosity, and I am switching over from 'survival mode' to 'eager tourist' mentality.
Some of my recent thoughts/observations so far:
-Why put diapers on your children when you can just cut a slit in the crack of their little pants and let them go anywhere? You can even cut a slit in the front and let it hang out as they walk. Seriously brilliant (actual pictures to come I promise)!
-Who needs toilet paper?
-We think Montreal drivers are crazy...uh huh. There are no lines on most of the streets here and it seems like the point of crosswalks is to drive as close as possible to a fearful pedestrian (dont forget to honk!).
----
On a more serious note, today marked the second day of our time at Qinghai Tibetan Medical Hospital. This place blows your mind. On the one hand, you can recognize some aspects of Western medicine. Doctors wear white coats, patients' vital signs are charted, there are specific departments for each specialty, there are elevators.... But the similarities sort of end there. We are obviously still learning the theories behind TM, but the tools Tibetan doctors use to diagnose and treat disease are totally incredible/shocking/amazing! From bloodletting, to moxibustion (burning herbs in specific locations on the body), urine analysis (not the Western kind), pulse diagnosis and tongue analysis (to name only a few), the world of Tibetan medicine is a fascinating and always daunting experience for someone trained in the technology-dependant Western world.
Tibetan doctors believe there are three poisons: hatred, ignorance and desire. These poisons cause disease, by causing imbalances in the three humors.
The three humors are (in Tibetan):
-rLung: known as wind but implies movement, circulation...etc. This is a neutral temperature.
-Tripa: known as bile but refers to hot processes in the body, such as digestion. Also liver, gallbladder. This is hot.
-Bekan: known as phlegm. This is cold.
It is a constant challenge for us to understand the essence of what the humors (and all of Tibetan medicine for that matter!) are supposed to represent. They can refer to specific organs (each organ seems to be a specific mixture of the three), bodily processes...etc. Part of the problem is that this is a very complicated subject, and also that the translations are not always appropriate or possible. Combine this with the language barriers we are facing with our instructors, and I fear a lot can be misunderstood! But it is always a fun challenge.
Today we learned a bit more about urine diagnosis. There are many properties to analyze about one's urine, but one of them is sediment. For example, the location of the sediment in the urine can tell you where in the body a patient is experiencing a 'fever' (I think this refers to the source of the fever). Sediment in the top layer implies a heart or lung source, the middle layer implies visceral organs, and the lower layer may indicate kidney or lower extremity origins. There are many other things you can do to urine and apparently this is on the agenda for tomorrow! Woohoo. [the doctors are not fazed by urine, obviously. The doctor we had today was very eager to show us a patient's urine sediment and you could definitely tell we weren't used to getting this close to someone else's excretions! He would hold it up, and move the cup quickly from side to side as he talked, stirring it around as well. Each of use would take turns reflexively stepping backwards, away from any possible spillage...Even the patient didnt mind at all having us crowd around her pee, poking and prodding away]
We also had a session on moxibustion today. In a nutshell (which is pretty much all I know anyway), many diseases in Tibetan medicine (TM) can be classified as 'hot' or 'cold' in origin. So, if a patient is suffering from an excess of cold, it might be helpful to give them 'hot.' This can take the form of moxibustion. Special herbs are prepared by the doctor and burned over specific areas of the body. These sites are either located exactly where the patient is experiencing pain, or may be located in specific areas that are known to provide relief from certain ailments. It is then important for the patient to avoid any fluids for at least an hour after the treatment lest they extinguish the 'hot' that they obtained from the therapy.
Sorry if this posting is all over the place, I just have a lot on my mind!
You should all be able to post comments, but if you cant and still want to reach me, send me an email! Love hearing from all of you.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Welcome!
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for checking out my blog.
This way, if you're interested, you can read about what I'm up to and hopefully see some pictures from my trip, all as it unfolds.
As you all may or may not know, I am travelling to Xining city (pop. 770,000) in the Qinqhai province of China to spend 4 weeks learning about traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) with a group of medical students from the US and Canada. From the limited information I currently have, I am told that we will be spending our days hearing lectures, observing in clinic, going on field trips, and learning Chinese! While the region I am visiting is not in actual Tibet, the region is very much culturally Tibetan (formerly part of Amdo in the Tibetan world).
Some (interesting?) facts (thanks wikipedia!):
-The current Dalai Lama was born in Qinghai and the region is home to many Tibetans
-The average elevation is 3000m above sea-level
-One of the largest and 3rd poorest of China's provinces
-The Kumbum Monastery outside Xining is home to the Hall of Yak Butter Sculptures!
To look at a map, click here: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=xining&ie=UTF8&ll=34.089061,100.283203&spn=31.653811,52.822266&z=4&iwloc=addr
I have a cell phone already set up, so if you'd like to get in touch with me, you can apparently call: 00 86 136 0162 6780 (I don't know how much this will cost...)
Or you can always email me at: tyler.chernin@gmail.com
Looking forward to your responses!
Love,
Tyler
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