A Week in Review

The past week was crazy and I was unable to find the time (or energy) to sit down and write this post.

At CAU, we were able to apply the information we gained from Dr. Liu during the first week and actually insert needles into a demonstration donkey and dog.  Veterinary acupuncture was first developed to solve the illnesses found in horses.  Ancient China, horses were very important because they were used as both work animals on farms and as calvary in war. In recent years however the horse has been replaced by cattle for farm work.  To practice the equine acupuncture points, a donkey was used.  I actually enjoyed having a donkey as a stand-in because it was actually "my size".  I don't think I will be able to treat a horse with needles unless I have a step stool to give me the height I need ;-)  The donkey's skin was so tough to penetrate with the needles that it was frustrating that I wasn't sure if this was for me.  One of the professors traveling with us stated that horse skin isn't that hard.

The next day, we learned the acupuncture points of the dog and were able to practice with a medium sized dog.  It was interesting how the veterinary professors at CAU interacted with this dog.  The culture of caring for dogs in China is very different from the US.  They are just beginning to consider dogs as "part of the family".  Many of the dogs, we saw while walking around the city were "owned" but were free-roaming. Applying the needles to the dog was a lot easier than the donkey and it made me feel accomplished that I can go back home and apply what I have learned.

Last day of class we learned about the use of massage as a preventative medicine.  The presenting professor began massaging her own cat as a kitten and the cat lived to be 24.  Many of the locations of massage are over a region of acupuncture points and she stated that the exact location is not as important as being thorough with each session.  I think this could easily be added to the the discharge protocols for many patients and will help enhance the human animal bond.

Along with class I traveled all over Beijing during my last week.  We visited the Olympic Park from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  It was really cool to visit the site of Michael Phelps amazing medal run and see the Bird's Nest and Water Cube up close.  One of my favorite parts was the wall of Olympians; they had every medal winner's name carved into a wall including those in the Para-Olympics.  I was also able to finally have Beijing Duck.  Everyone in class had talked about the city's iconic food but every time I tried to find a restaurant I was thwarted with poor directions, terrible weather, or lack of time.  I was finally able to enjoy it at the Olympic Village Roast Duck Restaurant and it was worth the wait.


Our last weekend, we traveled to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors.  We traveled as a small group and took the slow overnight train to Xi'an.  The train ride was actually very comfortable.  The four of us had a small cabin and we were able to sleep as we traveled the 12 hours from Beijing to Xi'an.  When we arrived in Xi'an, our tour guide met us at the train station and we were off.  The warriors were amazing to see.  The site was discovered by a local farmer while he was digging a well on his property.  To stand at the front of the first Pit that was excavated was breath taking.  Only a small portion of the warriors have been fully excavated and restored and the rest are waiting to be removed by the archaeologists.  For me this was similar to when I visited Pompeii and the archaeologists were still in the process of finding new artifacts and learning new things about a site that is hundreds of years old.

My last day in Beijing was a day of accomplishment.  Kat and I were able to navigate the subway and bus
system to visit the Harley-Davidson Store and Central Perk.   The coffee was good and the continuous loop of Friends re-runs made me feel like I was back in the US.

With my trip over and safely back in the land where pedestrians have the right of way, I am glad that I was able to participate in this adventure.  My other trips abroad have been "easy" compared to this one.  My first travels were with my family and it was easy to allow them to figure it all out.  My first trip solo was to a country that spoke my first language and it was easy to ask directions and get help.  Traveling to China with a completely different language and alphabet made me expand my horizons and become a global citizen. (wow that sounds cheesy)

(Getting a nifty certificate at the end didn't hurt either)