Posted in Language on Nov 3rd, 2008 No Comments »
In the first Chinese class I attended in Taiwan there was a very intelligent and well spoke Australian, who had was in the process of repeating this most basic entry level course. For the third time.
His habit of an immaculate English vocabulary was an un-vaultable wall which prevented him from learning to crawl in Chinese [...]
Posted in Acupuncture, Culture, Curiosity, Health, Herbs, Language, Wellness on Aug 21st, 2008 No Comments »
There is a method of telling fortunes in Taiwan. Actually, there are many methods of telling fortunes in Taiwan. 算命先生 fortune tellers in Taiwan are as numerous as psychotherapists in any trendy west coast American city, and for the most part serve the same function. Which is to help us ask the questions that get [...]
Posted in Language, Translation on Jul 1st, 2008 6 Comments »
My first clue came in Taiwan when I was teaching English.
I’d approach the grammar portion of the lesson with fear and trepidation. Give myself a glancing review of subordinate clauses, predicate adjectives and past perfect participles. Relying as much on my students inability to understand English, as my own well honed skills in extemporaneous [...]
Posted in Language, Medicine, Taiwan, Travel on Mar 12th, 2008 1 Comment »
It is not that time changes things. But, that things change as they flow through time.
Seven years ago about this time of year I boarded an airplane with the destination of Taiwan. Armed only with determination and desire to learn enough language to engage the medicine in Asia. Tonight in the deep beyond midnight I [...]
Posted in Language, Taiwan on Jan 8th, 2008 No Comments »
A flashback travel log from the summer of 2001. Back when every new word of Chinese learned was a luminous experience.
.
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I like spending time with my friend from Brazil, Marcelo. His name in Chinese is
Ma Rou-Zi. The sound comes off my tongue like cranking up an old metal windup toy. The kind that had [...]
Posted in Health, Language, Medicine on Dec 13th, 2007 No Comments »
In China, they are concerned with “getting cold”, “poor circulation”, “unregulated organs” and supplementing weakness. In the States, the concern is inflammation, allergies and stress.
In China people talk about having a stuffy feeling the chest and dizziness.
In the US we talk about anxiety, and depression.
We all have that about which we are concerned. [...]
Posted in Language on Sep 14th, 2007 No Comments »
To the ear that has not learned to pull meaning out of the staccato of short syllables accented with tone, Chinese sounds like a rusty machine gun.
But, for those who can pull meaning from the slurry of sound, it sounds like this poem from my friend Jiang, who lives in Yangshou.
In our hearts we like [...]
Posted in Curiosity, Language, Wellness on May 10th, 2007 No Comments »
Affirmations never worked for me. They are like lost post-it notes from another dimension, lacking a certain verve, and calling to a dream that might be best forgotten.
Taiwanese stationary on the other hand, incorporates the best of intentions, with the slight twist of English that is not wrong, but neither is it quite right.
It speaks [...]
Posted in China, Language, Travel on May 7th, 2007 No Comments »
Language has an odd drip drop drip way of falling through the ears.
It tingles nerves and bounces up against thoughts, rings meaning out of syllables, feels like drowning in a rapid fire stacco of breathing. It feels fast when the words fail to chime meaning and is full of nuance and emotion when it does.
At [...]
Posted in Herbs, Language, Medicine on Apr 19th, 2007 2 Comments »
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
十大類方 (shi da lei fang), the book I’m in the process of translating is getting site of its own. While items of general interest pertaining to health and vitality will still appear on this blog. The new site Classic Formulas will host information that is more geared to [...]