A selection from the past few weeks...
http://picasaweb.google.com/tyler.chernin/WestMeetsEast02
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Change is good
So, the program officially ended last night. We went to Xining's most expensive restaurant and we ate (well not all of us) Peking duck (they also served chicken fingers. And when I say chicken fingers I mean pickled chicken feet. It looks far more disgusting as it sounds and I couldnt take a picture because I was going to gag). We were also witness to a warm speech by the Don and then received actual mini diplomas and were scarfed (see below) by our hosts. It was all bittersweet. I am sad to leave my classmates and our hosts for the past month, but I think we are all ready to move on and do something different.
To celebrate, we went to a Tibetan dance hall after dinner. Basically it looks like a dinner theatre, and you sit at a table drinking while watching Tibetan dance routines and songs. The beer was flowing and we were all getting silly. A Tibetan custom of showing respect/admiration is to go up to a person and place a white silk scarf around their neck. So, the waittresses walk around with plates of scarves and you can buy them and then place them around the neck of the performer you fancy (right in the middle of the performance, you just walk right up on stage and interrupt them). This custom birthed a new expression for us: 'scarfing.' As in, 'yeah, he's hot and totally scarfable.' Obviously, we had fun with this and we al managed to scarf someone by the end of the night. While we all were feeling the effects of the alcohol, our program director, the Don was definitely the most drunk: 'Are you guys having fun!!!??. I mean, ARE YOU GUYS HAVING FUN!!!!????' It was awesome and a great way to formally finish our experience here.
As things in China are always unpredictable, our trip to Lhasa has fallen through. At first we were denied permits, but then we found another travel agency that could get them for us no problem. The issue here was the cost; roughly 1200 USD for a 6 day tour of Lhasa, minus going to Everest Base Camp. It was soooooooo hard saying no. I have dreamed of going to Lhasa for quite some time now but I believe that what is meant to happen always ends up happening. I think I'll get there one day...
Instead we rented a car, driver and hired a guide to take Katie, Rohit and I (the Canadians) to Yushu. Yushu is the name of an autonomous Tibetan region in Qinghai province. It (like all of Qinghai province) was once part of Tibet, but now sits outside the formal Tibetan Autonomous Region. All of these names are just labels, because we are told the place is almost entirely Tibetan (as opposed to roughly 40% of the population now in Lhasa). It is quite remote and the trip there is normally a horrendous 15 hour journey on a smoke-filled bus without a bathroom. So, the renting of the car, while expensive, is key (at least for me!). Apparently the ride is gorgeous, and at one point you pass through the mountains at 17,000 feet! We will spend a few days seeing the sites, then continue to Nancheng, and then head back up to Xining. After that, Katie and I are flying to Guilin and Yangshuo in the south of China, which we are told is gorgeous and is home to the famous Karst Topography. After that, we plan to go to Shanghai.
I know I promised pics before but I am working on it. Hopefully tonight.
Miss you all and look forward to hearing from you.
Love,
Tyler
To celebrate, we went to a Tibetan dance hall after dinner. Basically it looks like a dinner theatre, and you sit at a table drinking while watching Tibetan dance routines and songs. The beer was flowing and we were all getting silly. A Tibetan custom of showing respect/admiration is to go up to a person and place a white silk scarf around their neck. So, the waittresses walk around with plates of scarves and you can buy them and then place them around the neck of the performer you fancy (right in the middle of the performance, you just walk right up on stage and interrupt them). This custom birthed a new expression for us: 'scarfing.' As in, 'yeah, he's hot and totally scarfable.' Obviously, we had fun with this and we al managed to scarf someone by the end of the night. While we all were feeling the effects of the alcohol, our program director, the Don was definitely the most drunk: 'Are you guys having fun!!!??. I mean, ARE YOU GUYS HAVING FUN!!!!????' It was awesome and a great way to formally finish our experience here.
As things in China are always unpredictable, our trip to Lhasa has fallen through. At first we were denied permits, but then we found another travel agency that could get them for us no problem. The issue here was the cost; roughly 1200 USD for a 6 day tour of Lhasa, minus going to Everest Base Camp. It was soooooooo hard saying no. I have dreamed of going to Lhasa for quite some time now but I believe that what is meant to happen always ends up happening. I think I'll get there one day...
Instead we rented a car, driver and hired a guide to take Katie, Rohit and I (the Canadians) to Yushu. Yushu is the name of an autonomous Tibetan region in Qinghai province. It (like all of Qinghai province) was once part of Tibet, but now sits outside the formal Tibetan Autonomous Region. All of these names are just labels, because we are told the place is almost entirely Tibetan (as opposed to roughly 40% of the population now in Lhasa). It is quite remote and the trip there is normally a horrendous 15 hour journey on a smoke-filled bus without a bathroom. So, the renting of the car, while expensive, is key (at least for me!). Apparently the ride is gorgeous, and at one point you pass through the mountains at 17,000 feet! We will spend a few days seeing the sites, then continue to Nancheng, and then head back up to Xining. After that, Katie and I are flying to Guilin and Yangshuo in the south of China, which we are told is gorgeous and is home to the famous Karst Topography. After that, we plan to go to Shanghai.
I know I promised pics before but I am working on it. Hopefully tonight.
Miss you all and look forward to hearing from you.
Love,
Tyler
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
T minus 3 days
Hello all,
Last week in Xining and things are winding down at the hospital. I think we are all ready to finish by now. The rotation has been a mind-opening experience, and is something few foreigners have been able to do in the past. We have been challenged and frustrated but will come away with a great appreciation for another culture and the way in which its medical system has existed and survived for literally thousdands of years.
That said, we have kind of hit a wall in the past two weeks in terms of learning. The number one issue, as I've said many times before, is the language barrier and the fact that we are limited to asking very superficial questions. That is essentially a deal breaker when it comes to understanding the incredible complexity of Tibetan Medicine. Our hosts have been wonderful and can sense our frustration (they must feel it as well). We don't look forward to lectures because they can be very hard to follow and our morning clinical rounds have become a bit stale. One of the doctors we were rounding with has left and so we see patients with a non English-speaking Tibetan doctor and our untrained (medically at least) translator. So you can imagine a lot gets lost in translation.
Another issue that has come up relates to this hospital in particular and the current state of Tibetan medicine overall. The system is in flux right now, at least in urban areas, as it tries to combine both Western and Tibetan knowledge. However, the outcome is less than the sum of its parts. A lot of the Tibetan doctors are not truly practicing pure TM. At the same time, they are prescribing Western medicine without truly understanding the why and how of it all. Xrays are ordered, labs are sent off, but from what our host says (The "Don") they only have a basic understanding of the results and what they mean. The outcome is a mishmash of both systems and the whole thing seems a bit slapped together. We witnessed a team of Western and Tibetan doctors admit a patient (which means seeing him/her for the first time and is traditionally the most thorough and exhaustive encounter between doctor and patient) and it was far from the holistic method I had anticipated/expected. The whole thing lasted less than five minutes and it didnt seem like any of the pure TM techniques we learned about were coming into play. I dont judge any of the doctors, because I cant imagine what its like to straddle two divergent systems of thought, but it was disenchanting nonetheless. (then again, I have had many such moments working in Boston this past year).
At the end of the day, I would do this over again. I think the program needs to make some changes, but its only in its second year, and that's to be expected. Outside of the hospital we have had some awesome experiences on our incredible day and overnight trips. This weekend we went to Repkong (Tongren in Chinese), which is almost 100% Tibetan and is the home of three beautiful monasteries. It is also the origin of all of the best Tibetan thangkas (traditional Tibetan religious artwork, describing it would not do it justice). In fact, the worlds largest thangka was made there and is over 600m long (all hand-painted in extreme detail). In many Tibetan and Chinese cities, people gather at night to dance in the main square. In Repkong, there is only one tiny square, and we joined in on the traditional Tibetan circle dancing. The dance is beautiful and everyone seems to know the moves (except us). We caused quite a scene...(see upcoming pics). All the kids were following us, making fun and laughing. It was hilarious.
The next day (Sunday) we left for another overnight trip to the mountains to collect herbs. The highlight however was the fact that the "Don" finagled his way into having us stay inside a monastery. Apparently this rarely happens, especially for women. We were greeted incredibly warmly and two monks in particular gave up their little home for the night for us to sleep in (not the best night of sleep but a very small price to pay). The monastery sits in a little valley surrounded by amazing holy mountains, and fields of canola (bright yellow). We climbed one of the peaks to get a good view and realized we were higher than some of the clouds! The monks were about our age (23) and were our guides/official hosts for the night. They hung out with us in our room till we slept, laughing with us, even though they spoke practically no English. At one point they pulled out these elementary English-Tibetan lesson books and we taught each other words for a while (I know this sounds lame, but honestly it was one of the best nights I have had in a long time). They exuded warmth and love and we all felt incredibly at peace around them. It really was a palpabe sensation coming from the entire monastery. Walking around in the early morning, all we could hear was chanting coming from each little house. All of our senses were engaged, with the bautiful view and the crisp air...In the morning they prepared for us a traditional Tibetan meal called Tsampa (take a bowl, fill it with Yak butter and Yak cheese pellets, then melt down with hot water. Then add Barley flower and using your fingers, mash it up until it has the consistency of dough. Serve and enjoy!. It isnt horrible, but the Yak cheese adds an unpleasant after taste. It is also as hard as a rock). Soon it was time to go and we all regretfully hopped into the van and wished we could stay another day. It was really one of the highlights of the entire trip (see pics soon).
The program finishes this Friday. The plan, as it stands, is to head for Lhasa (capital of Tibet) with Katie on Saturday night on a 24hr train ride (if we get our visas in time). We'll spend a few days in Lhasa and then head to Everest base camp, which is a 6 day trip there and back (stopping a lots of little towns on the way). After that, we are flying together to Xi'an to see the terracotta warrios and then to Shanghai. Altogether about three weeks of travelling. I'm really excited!!!
Hope to hear from all of you soon and make sure to check out the photos that will be posted soon.
Peace and love,
Tyler
Last week in Xining and things are winding down at the hospital. I think we are all ready to finish by now. The rotation has been a mind-opening experience, and is something few foreigners have been able to do in the past. We have been challenged and frustrated but will come away with a great appreciation for another culture and the way in which its medical system has existed and survived for literally thousdands of years.
That said, we have kind of hit a wall in the past two weeks in terms of learning. The number one issue, as I've said many times before, is the language barrier and the fact that we are limited to asking very superficial questions. That is essentially a deal breaker when it comes to understanding the incredible complexity of Tibetan Medicine. Our hosts have been wonderful and can sense our frustration (they must feel it as well). We don't look forward to lectures because they can be very hard to follow and our morning clinical rounds have become a bit stale. One of the doctors we were rounding with has left and so we see patients with a non English-speaking Tibetan doctor and our untrained (medically at least) translator. So you can imagine a lot gets lost in translation.
Another issue that has come up relates to this hospital in particular and the current state of Tibetan medicine overall. The system is in flux right now, at least in urban areas, as it tries to combine both Western and Tibetan knowledge. However, the outcome is less than the sum of its parts. A lot of the Tibetan doctors are not truly practicing pure TM. At the same time, they are prescribing Western medicine without truly understanding the why and how of it all. Xrays are ordered, labs are sent off, but from what our host says (The "Don") they only have a basic understanding of the results and what they mean. The outcome is a mishmash of both systems and the whole thing seems a bit slapped together. We witnessed a team of Western and Tibetan doctors admit a patient (which means seeing him/her for the first time and is traditionally the most thorough and exhaustive encounter between doctor and patient) and it was far from the holistic method I had anticipated/expected. The whole thing lasted less than five minutes and it didnt seem like any of the pure TM techniques we learned about were coming into play. I dont judge any of the doctors, because I cant imagine what its like to straddle two divergent systems of thought, but it was disenchanting nonetheless. (then again, I have had many such moments working in Boston this past year).
At the end of the day, I would do this over again. I think the program needs to make some changes, but its only in its second year, and that's to be expected. Outside of the hospital we have had some awesome experiences on our incredible day and overnight trips. This weekend we went to Repkong (Tongren in Chinese), which is almost 100% Tibetan and is the home of three beautiful monasteries. It is also the origin of all of the best Tibetan thangkas (traditional Tibetan religious artwork, describing it would not do it justice). In fact, the worlds largest thangka was made there and is over 600m long (all hand-painted in extreme detail). In many Tibetan and Chinese cities, people gather at night to dance in the main square. In Repkong, there is only one tiny square, and we joined in on the traditional Tibetan circle dancing. The dance is beautiful and everyone seems to know the moves (except us). We caused quite a scene...(see upcoming pics). All the kids were following us, making fun and laughing. It was hilarious.
The next day (Sunday) we left for another overnight trip to the mountains to collect herbs. The highlight however was the fact that the "Don" finagled his way into having us stay inside a monastery. Apparently this rarely happens, especially for women. We were greeted incredibly warmly and two monks in particular gave up their little home for the night for us to sleep in (not the best night of sleep but a very small price to pay). The monastery sits in a little valley surrounded by amazing holy mountains, and fields of canola (bright yellow). We climbed one of the peaks to get a good view and realized we were higher than some of the clouds! The monks were about our age (23) and were our guides/official hosts for the night. They hung out with us in our room till we slept, laughing with us, even though they spoke practically no English. At one point they pulled out these elementary English-Tibetan lesson books and we taught each other words for a while (I know this sounds lame, but honestly it was one of the best nights I have had in a long time). They exuded warmth and love and we all felt incredibly at peace around them. It really was a palpabe sensation coming from the entire monastery. Walking around in the early morning, all we could hear was chanting coming from each little house. All of our senses were engaged, with the bautiful view and the crisp air...In the morning they prepared for us a traditional Tibetan meal called Tsampa (take a bowl, fill it with Yak butter and Yak cheese pellets, then melt down with hot water. Then add Barley flower and using your fingers, mash it up until it has the consistency of dough. Serve and enjoy!. It isnt horrible, but the Yak cheese adds an unpleasant after taste. It is also as hard as a rock). Soon it was time to go and we all regretfully hopped into the van and wished we could stay another day. It was really one of the highlights of the entire trip (see pics soon).
The program finishes this Friday. The plan, as it stands, is to head for Lhasa (capital of Tibet) with Katie on Saturday night on a 24hr train ride (if we get our visas in time). We'll spend a few days in Lhasa and then head to Everest base camp, which is a 6 day trip there and back (stopping a lots of little towns on the way). After that, we are flying together to Xi'an to see the terracotta warrios and then to Shanghai. Altogether about three weeks of travelling. I'm really excited!!!
Hope to hear from all of you soon and make sure to check out the photos that will be posted soon.
Peace and love,
Tyler
Monday, July 7, 2008
It's been a long time...
Nin Hao!
Hope everyone is doing well! From the myriad of postings you all have written, I feel like I never left home...Haha....ha.....ya
It's been quite an eventful few days. For one, my 5 day, 'mysterious nighttime fever' is gone! Being with a group of med students, many theories were put forward but I think in the end alas we will never really know why (for the nerds out there; no, I did not have any contact with aborted cow fetuses). It seems like week 2 is 'sick week' for the group as everyone seems to have come down with some sort of bug. I think the food here is just so utterly alien that our bodies are starting to get tired of grease, oil, spice and mystery meat (yes, I have accidentally eaten a bit of meat). But I think the worst part about having diarrhea here is the fear of having to use a Chinese toilet. 1-there is no toilet paper so you have to come prepared. 2-chinese toilets are what we call squatters (if they are upscale, instead of a hole in the floor, there is a hole in a porcelain 'basin' that is fitted into the floor). 3-you dont put toilet paper in the toilet here. No, you dont. You put it into a garbage can next to the toilet because the sewers cant handle it. Do I need to elaborate more? The good thing about our hostel is that half of the toilets are american style (guess which ones I use).
This Friday was July 4th, and since we Canadians put on such a show, it was only natural that our American compatriots woul try and outdo us. We started with dinner at Casa Mia, the best/worst Italian food in the world. Then we came back to the hostel and played celebrity (sort of like charades but way better) but restricted to Americans, past and present. It was so much fun, except my team lost. However, the losing gift was something truly amazing. When the girls saw it in the supermarket (just sitting in a regular shelf), they almost died. Check out my photos to see what it was...
On saturday we took a trip to Qinghai lake (Lake Kokonor), China's largest lake and a very sacred place for Tibetans. We piled into a cramped little van and headed West for the 2.5 hour journery. But the journey really was part of the destination. The scenery was magnificent. The city quickly gave way to rolling hills, then startling mountains, then snow-capped peaks as we wound through the little turns and valleys. The temperature dropped precipitously too as we steadily made the 1km ascent from Xining (lake sits at 3200m). We made a pit stop at this one junction where lots of locals were catering to the tourist influx. Despite the touristiness, the spot was gorgeous, overlooking a famous mountain and marking the spot where the Chinese Princess Wen Cheng crossed into Tibet hundreds of years ago to marry the Tibetan emperor. The wind was roaring, and the thousands of Tibetan prayer flags were flapping away. It was incredible. Jen, one of the students, payed 5 Yuan to sit atop a Yak. After she paid, all these people came running over; one threw a traditional Tibetan robe on her, the other a headdress with a fake hairdo attached, the other threw a baby goat into her arms! There she was atop the Yak in all this fine regalia...I got a great picture and she looks amazing!
When we first caught site of the lake, it took our breath away. For one, its huge, but the contrast of the light blue water, the blue sky, the rolling green hills and the snow-capped mountains was overwhelming. Pictures really do not do it justice and almost seem to cheapen the sight. We spent a few hours sitting by the lake, thinking, relaxing and then had a traditional Tibetan lunch. We couldnt stomach the boiled yak and the mutton blood sausages so they kindly went out and bought us vegetables. They were very kind to us but I think they were happy when we left. But before we got back in the van, I couldnt resist sitting atop this beautiful yak and taking a photo.
A side note on Yaks. I dont know much about them, but they are a pivotal part of Tibetan culture. They give milk, and are used for meat, and nothing goes to waste. They also serve as pack animals. Since nothing much grows at the high altitudes where most Tibetans used to/continue to live, their lives were deeply entwined with this amazing animal. They have an incredible respect for the Yak and it is amazing how many times Yaks come up in our daily life here (on urinalysis; "when you stir the urine, the bubbles are big like yak eye"). The yaks I met on the weekend were so beautiful and looked so gentle.
We didn't waste any time on Sunday, and headed out early for another field trip, this time to a great natural reserve called Kanbula. It was also about a 2 hour drive away, but because we organized this one ourselves, we were treated to a luxurious bus/van that made the journey a lot more fun. We arrived, and then took another bus to a lake. This lake was much much smaller than Lake Kokonor, but was the most amazing green and turquoise color I have ever seen. Plus the contrast of the red mountains on each side pretty much took your breath away. We piled into motor boats and crossed the lake, where we headed for a nunnery that is well known in the region and beyond. This nunnery is literally hanging off a small hill in the middle of an imposing valley. There are a few dozen houses made of earth surrounding the nunnery (they look very primitive until you see the satellite dishes and power lines). We climbed the little hill and visited the nunnery. It was such a cool place because it reminded me of those traditional Chinese paintings of mountains and cliffs where the villages are drawn all perched together on tiny ledges and cliffs. Off in the distance you could spot these little temples and pagodas that were built perched on even tinier and more precarious spots than the one we were on. It really sparked my imagination and my sense of adventure. Around us there were tons of wild goats, scaling the cliffs without any fear.
From this spot, we took a harrowing "bus" ride up to one of the peaks. The bus was flying, the roads were dirt and incredibly bumpy, and the cliffs were on either side of us, without any safety borders or anything. It looked like a cartoon. I was simultaneously crying and laughing and most of us (the foreigners) were screaming. It was so scary...I kept thinking of you Mom and how freaked out you would have been. This was my first taste of what I am told are driving standardss throughout most of the world.
The rest of the day was spent sight-seeing, as we made our way up and then down another route to where we started. Each vista was more breathtaking than the next. It really made me realize how isolating it is to grow up in a city. I mean, there are perks of course, but we miss so much of the world staying inside. This is coming from someone who has rarely ever camped or trekked, but I find that everytime I get out into the wildnerness, I long to return and see more.
I am in the process of uploading some photos and hope you all enjoy them (they should be on in the next few hours). I miss all of you and love hearing from you.
Love,
Tyler
Hope everyone is doing well! From the myriad of postings you all have written, I feel like I never left home...Haha....ha.....ya
It's been quite an eventful few days. For one, my 5 day, 'mysterious nighttime fever' is gone! Being with a group of med students, many theories were put forward but I think in the end alas we will never really know why (for the nerds out there; no, I did not have any contact with aborted cow fetuses). It seems like week 2 is 'sick week' for the group as everyone seems to have come down with some sort of bug. I think the food here is just so utterly alien that our bodies are starting to get tired of grease, oil, spice and mystery meat (yes, I have accidentally eaten a bit of meat). But I think the worst part about having diarrhea here is the fear of having to use a Chinese toilet. 1-there is no toilet paper so you have to come prepared. 2-chinese toilets are what we call squatters (if they are upscale, instead of a hole in the floor, there is a hole in a porcelain 'basin' that is fitted into the floor). 3-you dont put toilet paper in the toilet here. No, you dont. You put it into a garbage can next to the toilet because the sewers cant handle it. Do I need to elaborate more? The good thing about our hostel is that half of the toilets are american style (guess which ones I use).
This Friday was July 4th, and since we Canadians put on such a show, it was only natural that our American compatriots woul try and outdo us. We started with dinner at Casa Mia, the best/worst Italian food in the world. Then we came back to the hostel and played celebrity (sort of like charades but way better) but restricted to Americans, past and present. It was so much fun, except my team lost. However, the losing gift was something truly amazing. When the girls saw it in the supermarket (just sitting in a regular shelf), they almost died. Check out my photos to see what it was...
On saturday we took a trip to Qinghai lake (Lake Kokonor), China's largest lake and a very sacred place for Tibetans. We piled into a cramped little van and headed West for the 2.5 hour journery. But the journey really was part of the destination. The scenery was magnificent. The city quickly gave way to rolling hills, then startling mountains, then snow-capped peaks as we wound through the little turns and valleys. The temperature dropped precipitously too as we steadily made the 1km ascent from Xining (lake sits at 3200m). We made a pit stop at this one junction where lots of locals were catering to the tourist influx. Despite the touristiness, the spot was gorgeous, overlooking a famous mountain and marking the spot where the Chinese Princess Wen Cheng crossed into Tibet hundreds of years ago to marry the Tibetan emperor. The wind was roaring, and the thousands of Tibetan prayer flags were flapping away. It was incredible. Jen, one of the students, payed 5 Yuan to sit atop a Yak. After she paid, all these people came running over; one threw a traditional Tibetan robe on her, the other a headdress with a fake hairdo attached, the other threw a baby goat into her arms! There she was atop the Yak in all this fine regalia...I got a great picture and she looks amazing!
When we first caught site of the lake, it took our breath away. For one, its huge, but the contrast of the light blue water, the blue sky, the rolling green hills and the snow-capped mountains was overwhelming. Pictures really do not do it justice and almost seem to cheapen the sight. We spent a few hours sitting by the lake, thinking, relaxing and then had a traditional Tibetan lunch. We couldnt stomach the boiled yak and the mutton blood sausages so they kindly went out and bought us vegetables. They were very kind to us but I think they were happy when we left. But before we got back in the van, I couldnt resist sitting atop this beautiful yak and taking a photo.
A side note on Yaks. I dont know much about them, but they are a pivotal part of Tibetan culture. They give milk, and are used for meat, and nothing goes to waste. They also serve as pack animals. Since nothing much grows at the high altitudes where most Tibetans used to/continue to live, their lives were deeply entwined with this amazing animal. They have an incredible respect for the Yak and it is amazing how many times Yaks come up in our daily life here (on urinalysis; "when you stir the urine, the bubbles are big like yak eye"). The yaks I met on the weekend were so beautiful and looked so gentle.
We didn't waste any time on Sunday, and headed out early for another field trip, this time to a great natural reserve called Kanbula. It was also about a 2 hour drive away, but because we organized this one ourselves, we were treated to a luxurious bus/van that made the journey a lot more fun. We arrived, and then took another bus to a lake. This lake was much much smaller than Lake Kokonor, but was the most amazing green and turquoise color I have ever seen. Plus the contrast of the red mountains on each side pretty much took your breath away. We piled into motor boats and crossed the lake, where we headed for a nunnery that is well known in the region and beyond. This nunnery is literally hanging off a small hill in the middle of an imposing valley. There are a few dozen houses made of earth surrounding the nunnery (they look very primitive until you see the satellite dishes and power lines). We climbed the little hill and visited the nunnery. It was such a cool place because it reminded me of those traditional Chinese paintings of mountains and cliffs where the villages are drawn all perched together on tiny ledges and cliffs. Off in the distance you could spot these little temples and pagodas that were built perched on even tinier and more precarious spots than the one we were on. It really sparked my imagination and my sense of adventure. Around us there were tons of wild goats, scaling the cliffs without any fear.
From this spot, we took a harrowing "bus" ride up to one of the peaks. The bus was flying, the roads were dirt and incredibly bumpy, and the cliffs were on either side of us, without any safety borders or anything. It looked like a cartoon. I was simultaneously crying and laughing and most of us (the foreigners) were screaming. It was so scary...I kept thinking of you Mom and how freaked out you would have been. This was my first taste of what I am told are driving standardss throughout most of the world.
The rest of the day was spent sight-seeing, as we made our way up and then down another route to where we started. Each vista was more breathtaking than the next. It really made me realize how isolating it is to grow up in a city. I mean, there are perks of course, but we miss so much of the world staying inside. This is coming from someone who has rarely ever camped or trekked, but I find that everytime I get out into the wildnerness, I long to return and see more.
I am in the process of uploading some photos and hope you all enjoy them (they should be on in the next few hours). I miss all of you and love hearing from you.
Love,
Tyler
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Day 12 in Xining
Happy Belated Canada Day!
In honor of yesterday, the two other Canadians and I hosted a little Canada tribute evening. We made a little jeapordy game for our fellow Americans, split them up, and forced them to compete against each other. The categories were history, geography, sports, people and miscellaneous (did you know Keanu Reeves is Canadian?). We used wikipedia to come up with all the questions, as I clearly wouldnt have known any of the answers in the first place. We spiced up the educational side of things with some wine we bought at the store. All the wine here is 'Great Wall' brand - it's horrible. Sometimes almost undrinkable. Oh, and the losers' prize was a package of Yak Jerkey!
Other than last night's festivities, there is not much to report on. Morning observations in the clinic have started to become a bit repetitive, so someone in our group had a little talk with Renchen 'the Don' Dhondrup about how to make things a bit more structured dynamic. So yesterday, we were brought into a patient's room and went through all the steps that a Tibetan Doctor would go through if he were seeing the patient for the first time (which we hadnt done before). This was a lot more interesting and forced us to take on more of an active role. The basic outline for a patient encounter is the following: Questioning (where do you live? what do you do? what are your symptoms?) followed by observation, which includes urine diagnosis, stool analysis (we skipped this one, thankfully), and tongue analysis. Then there is pulse diagnosis. After you gather all of the data, it is then one's job to put it all together and place the patient's symptoms in the context of an imbalance of the three humors. This particular patient had leg weakness/paralysis, leg swelling. For example, an inability to ambulate implies a decrease or dysfunction in the patient's rLung (wind humor), which represents movement and circulatory processes in the body (not just blood circulation, but general fluidity in the body). The leg swelling is attributed to an increase in 'yellow liquid' which can be compared to it's Western counterpart, lymphatic fluid. While lymphatic fluid is derived from blood in Western thinking, it is a bit more complicated in Tibetan theory (pretty much over my head). Furthermore, the patient's urine was orange-ish, had a lot of sediment, a pungent odor, prominent vapors and when you stirred it, the bubbles disappeared quickly (I was given the task of stirring the urine). All of these characteristics are classic for a 'Hot' disease (a lot of diseases can be initially classified as 'hot' or 'cold' before getting more specific), in this case likely due to an increase in Tripa (Bile humor). Treatment would then be designed specifically for this patient to bring his humors back into balance. Pretty interesting, no?
While the doctors apparently learn how to use stethoscopes, I havent yet seen a doctor using one. In my limited experience, it also seems that there is less physical contact with the patients here, as opposed to Western medicine (ironic, since Western doctors are usually criticized for being distant). In fact, the only touching we did for this patient was when we felt his pulses.
I will upload some more photos soon. I got some really nice shots of the mountains and city from this mountain top park that we went to yesterday, 'Nan Shang Gong Yuen' (literally north mountain public park). I am really enjoying my Chinese lessons and am starting to be able to communicate, in extremely basic terms, at restaurants and stores. Our group's biggest outings are still going for lunch/dinner (meals here are leisurely and tend to last at least 1.5 hours) as there doesnt seem to be much else to do in this city. This weekend we are going to Lake Kokonor (Qinghai lake) for a day trip. It is the largest lake in China and is supposed to be beautiful:
http://www.amoshapp.com/kokonor.jpg
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the summer. Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Love,
Tyler
In honor of yesterday, the two other Canadians and I hosted a little Canada tribute evening. We made a little jeapordy game for our fellow Americans, split them up, and forced them to compete against each other. The categories were history, geography, sports, people and miscellaneous (did you know Keanu Reeves is Canadian?). We used wikipedia to come up with all the questions, as I clearly wouldnt have known any of the answers in the first place. We spiced up the educational side of things with some wine we bought at the store. All the wine here is 'Great Wall' brand - it's horrible. Sometimes almost undrinkable. Oh, and the losers' prize was a package of Yak Jerkey!
Other than last night's festivities, there is not much to report on. Morning observations in the clinic have started to become a bit repetitive, so someone in our group had a little talk with Renchen 'the Don' Dhondrup about how to make things a bit more structured dynamic. So yesterday, we were brought into a patient's room and went through all the steps that a Tibetan Doctor would go through if he were seeing the patient for the first time (which we hadnt done before). This was a lot more interesting and forced us to take on more of an active role. The basic outline for a patient encounter is the following: Questioning (where do you live? what do you do? what are your symptoms?) followed by observation, which includes urine diagnosis, stool analysis (we skipped this one, thankfully), and tongue analysis. Then there is pulse diagnosis. After you gather all of the data, it is then one's job to put it all together and place the patient's symptoms in the context of an imbalance of the three humors. This particular patient had leg weakness/paralysis, leg swelling. For example, an inability to ambulate implies a decrease or dysfunction in the patient's rLung (wind humor), which represents movement and circulatory processes in the body (not just blood circulation, but general fluidity in the body). The leg swelling is attributed to an increase in 'yellow liquid' which can be compared to it's Western counterpart, lymphatic fluid. While lymphatic fluid is derived from blood in Western thinking, it is a bit more complicated in Tibetan theory (pretty much over my head). Furthermore, the patient's urine was orange-ish, had a lot of sediment, a pungent odor, prominent vapors and when you stirred it, the bubbles disappeared quickly (I was given the task of stirring the urine). All of these characteristics are classic for a 'Hot' disease (a lot of diseases can be initially classified as 'hot' or 'cold' before getting more specific), in this case likely due to an increase in Tripa (Bile humor). Treatment would then be designed specifically for this patient to bring his humors back into balance. Pretty interesting, no?
While the doctors apparently learn how to use stethoscopes, I havent yet seen a doctor using one. In my limited experience, it also seems that there is less physical contact with the patients here, as opposed to Western medicine (ironic, since Western doctors are usually criticized for being distant). In fact, the only touching we did for this patient was when we felt his pulses.
I will upload some more photos soon. I got some really nice shots of the mountains and city from this mountain top park that we went to yesterday, 'Nan Shang Gong Yuen' (literally north mountain public park). I am really enjoying my Chinese lessons and am starting to be able to communicate, in extremely basic terms, at restaurants and stores. Our group's biggest outings are still going for lunch/dinner (meals here are leisurely and tend to last at least 1.5 hours) as there doesnt seem to be much else to do in this city. This weekend we are going to Lake Kokonor (Qinghai lake) for a day trip. It is the largest lake in China and is supposed to be beautiful:
http://www.amoshapp.com/kokonor.jpg
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the summer. Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Love,
Tyler
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