Among the many types of “common cold” described in Chinese medicine, there is one type–called “winter warmth (dongwen 冬温), that I have often invoked in treating patients. In particular, it is the type of cold my daughter is most prone to catching. Continue reading
Today we had our first real rain shower since winter began. In spite of being humid, foggy, and overcast much of the time, it seldom rains in Chengdu during the winter. Continue reading
[Warning this one rambles!] This is not my own. It’s by one of China’s most famous poets and misfits: Li Bai 李白。 The translation, however, is mine. This was the first Chinese poem I read, and like many Chinese grade school students, the first Chinese poem I committed to memory. I can still recite it–rather better than most grade-schoolers … I think. 🙂 Continue reading
Outside of East Asia, not many people realize that the first line of the Confucian Analects is a statement about the joys of life:
The Master said, “To study and at times put it into practice, is it not a pleasure? To have friends come from afar, is it not a joy? To take no offense when other do not recognize [your virtue], is [such a person] not a gentleman? Continue reading
It’s been almost five months since my last post. This one actually takes me back to the beginning of August last year. I’ve been extremely busy and happy, and still am, but I’ve realized that working on this blog causes me to approach my life here in a different, and more productive, way. For that reason if nothing else, I want to try and get this going again. Mind you, I’ve got so much old material to post, it may take a while to get caught up. 🙂 Continue reading
Ten Thousand Li 