One of the things I was looking forward to during my stay in China, other than the proximity and easy access to the many countries on my bucket list, is the opportunity to study and learn about traditional Chinese medicine. Of course, one main component in understanding the medicine is having sufficient background knowledge to comprehend the many beliefs and reasons behind why they do some of the things they do. Needless to say, I have been seriously enlightened by what I’ve learned thus far. Mind you, I haven’t even begun to learn about some of the medicine because I’ve had such a hard time getting past some of the things they do that are commonplace.
The biggest hurdle I’ve had to jump so far is the hawking. You know…the hawking of spit and whatever else in their mouths at the time. Not sure how it’s viewed in other countries, but in America it is not viewed as a socially acceptable practice hawk and spit at will. Well, here it is rather commonplace and both men and women do it. They do it during casual walks down the street, leisurely chats in front of stores and even while driving, taxi drivers too! So I asked someone about this because I just did not understand why it was widely accepted and it was explained that it is done for health reasons. It is believed that phlegm needs to be removed from the body immediately to rid the body of sickness. Now that I understand, but I mean can we get a phlegm cup or something?
Another tradition which isn’t hard for me to accept or even practice is the removal of shoes once you enter a home. Now that I see just how commonplace spitting is here and because of the way they potty train their children (that’s a whole other story), I gladly remove my shoes just upon entering my home as I have no idea what I’ve stepped in outside. Some of my neighbors even remove them before they go inside their apartment. They don’t believe in carpet on the floors either for that very reason. It’s healthier.
And the last thing which I’m still struggling with practicing is the drinking of hot water. I still don’t quite understand the purpose behind this practice. I’ve asked several times and the only answer I get is – balance. Well, I need a bit of a more convincing argument especially when it’s hot as hell outside most days. I look forward to the day when someone can sufficiently break down to me the benefits of drinking hot water in 90 degree weather. I’ve done it on a few occasions and it’s tolerable but it is definitely not my favorite thing to do.
As I continue to learn more I will update my blog. I have been inspired in many ways to change some of my own habits because of what I’ve experienced here – more massages and rededicating myself to my yoga practice and spin. However, I still need help understanding why people so seemingly into their health smoke at such a high rate and in most public places. I look forward to learning more about that as well.
Veni! Vidi! Que...? 