iHaTePiNk.com! - acupuncture

Receiving Faxes via E-mail for Free

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:24:24 GMT

I had been using a physical fax machine, but with the increased amount of electronic insurance billing I’ve been doing, insurance companies have been faxing me like crazy. This is great for helping my patients save money! However, it was way annoying that fact that they chose the weirdest times to send me stuff (3:00 am! what!!?!).

I started looking for a fax number that would receive and route to e-mail. And because I’m cheap, preferably free. :) And so! That narrowed down my search greatly. I’ve been using K7.net coupled with a gmail account (big, fat, and also free) for a few months now and it’s been great. K7’s basic website did not inspire immediate faith in the service, but it’s been really smooth for me. Here’s a brief review:

Pros: free (funded by ads), can choose to set it to Fax Only mode or can use the Fax + Voicemail mode (voicemails show up as .wav files in your e-mail), reduces paper waste, NO MORE FAX RINGING OFF THE HOOK AT 3:00AM!!

Cons: can’t choose a number in your area code (by default you get 206 for Seattle, WA, so perhaps people in Seattle would consider this a “pro”) … but that hardly matters to most, especially to the insurance companies who are sending stuff to all sorts of area codes. If you set it to Fax + Voicemail mode, sometimes the faxes are interpreted as voicemails with that intermittent beep.

The “catch”? Gotta use it at least once every 30 days, or else it’ll be deactivated. It’s an automated system too – I know, because I got deactivated. I sheepishly wrote into customer service and they graciously gave me my fax number back as a one-time courtesy. The trick? Set it to Fax + Voicemail mode, call in every 2 weeks and leave yourself a voicemail, and you’re golden.

Thanks K7 for letting me sleep through the night!

If you’ve tried K7 or any other free fax receiving service, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments.

Potentially confusing: “K7.net” and “www.K7.net” go to different pages. The one with the “www” prefix goes directly to the fax-to-e-mail service I have described here.

Rapport With Kids?

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:49:27 GMT

I spoke at ICC, a local Chinese school, about acupuncture this past weekend to mostly middle- to high-school students. Got some newspaper coverage too! Yay!

Action shot:

My goofy Powerpoint at least made them laugh. :)

We covered some basic Chinese medicine theory, introduced some modalities of Chinese medicine, and went over the fundamentals of health. I was pleasantly surprised that the students were so attentive and inquisitive! I even got to do a cupping demo on a brave student on stage. I had a great time. Many thanks to ICC for the opportunity to speak, and to Ms. He for making it even possible in the first place.

And so went my thus far biggest ever acupuncture speaking engagement. 'Twas a good day. :)

Buying Stickers is Fun

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:56:46 GMT

With a few kiddie patients under my belt, it's fun to reward them with stickers. Walmart has a pretty good selection - they've got your regular stickers, then stickers on clear backing, fuzzy stickers, and even 3D stickers. I try to stay away from the super heroes since that implies some violence, and pick stuff like cars, kittens, and Baby Pooh. Not sure if Toy Story stickers imply violence at all. Oh well. The shiny foilness was too cool to resist.

Kids (And Patients in General) Say the Darnedest Things

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 31 May 2007 18:48:26 GMT

Recent patient hilarity:

[ phone rings, I answer in my usual business-like manner ]
Long-time Patient who Can Predict Weather by Pain in Joints: Caroline! What did I tell you? It rained today! The weather forecast didn't even pick this up!

I couldn't help but laugh. It was true. The weather was great until all of a sudden we had golf-ball-sized hail in some parts of Houston, and it was coming down like a whole stampede of cats and dogs.

ADORABLE Eight-Year-Old Patient at End of First Visit: You're the smartest doctor I've ever met.
Me (stifling urge to laugh): Oh? Why do you say that?
AEYOPEFV: Because you explain stuff better to me.

This is interesting to hear. I don't have many child patients (understandably), but those whose parents do have them try acupuncture have probably tried everything under the sun first, exposing the poor things to more doctors than many adults have seen in their lifetimes.

Acupuncture Trivia - for Acupuncturists

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 09:59:56 GMT

Fellow acupuncturist brethren - holla back if you knew that Huo Xiang is only supposed to be cooked around 10-20 mins, and thus Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San, if done in decoction form, is only supposed to be decocted for no more than 20 mins.

Be honest now. :)

Cell Phone and Other General Etiquette: Rant

Your DisplayName here! — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:27:00 GMT

I just completed a weekend of required acupuncture continuing education. Oof. I never knew that sitting on my behind for 10 hours straight could be so draining, but it is.

There were both Chinese and English tracks, and I took the English track since there were more interesting topics being taught. We are required to take one hour of ethics (where we were privileged to have a professor from Baylor College of Medicine come speak to us), where both students from the Chinese and English tracks were sitting all together.

That was the only class where we were mixed with the Chinese track group, and these are my observations about cell phone etiquette during that one hour.

Good: cell phone is turned off, or is on silent or vibrate mode.
Bad: the cell phone is left on.
Bad: multiple cell phones go off during the class because owners didn't take a hint when people were annoyed by previous offenders.
Bad: a cell phone is left on, and the owner leaves to use the restroom, and then someone calls the phone. Repeatedly.
Worst: a cell phone is left on, rings, and owner answers. LOUDLY.

I would love to be all proud of my people and stuff but ... I'm afraid in the arena of cell phone etiquette, we generally suck. At the temple a couple weeks back, it was packed for Chinese New Year. There were TWO pleas made by the emcee for people to please turn off their cell phones. Yet multiple phones still went off, some even playing polyphonic renditions of rap songs - all in the middle of the temple service. Niiiice. Why do people think they are immune to this? Do they think, "Oh, I'll leave it on, since no one is going to call me"? To the people who need to answer the phone during situations where answering would be disruptive (and there are many), please, it really is very simple: turn your phone to silent or vibrate, take note when someone is calling you, leave the area, then either answer if you are in time or call the person back. What is so hard about this?

Another etiquette faux-pas encountered at the continuing education: I was reminded how much I despise talking to someone (up until now, always a male) who CANNOT MAKE EYE CONTACT (as in, YO, UP HERE, ON MY FACE, YOU FOOL) when talking to me. No, I don't find it flattering that you have your eyes "on the prize" ... especially when there's not much of a prize there to begin with. And if I'm already freaked out by your overtly oozing sleaziness (like I have felt before), I'm not going to be much inclined to give you a hug. Read the body language please and see why I am standing more than an arm's length away with back tensed and all hair on end. Do NOT approach me and make physical contact.

Not sure if other girls feel the same way, since I'm pretty old-school, but this is how I operate.

Hokey dokes. End of rant. Class dismissed.

The Power of Visualization

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:03:27 GMT

[humming] "When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true ... "

This rings true in so many ways. When you visualize, you are subconsciously setting goals, prepping the environment in which to make things happen. Of course you don't just sit around on your tush and wait for things to magically materialize in front of your eyes, but it helps guide you in making decisions, in how you use your time, in making it happen step by step.

I'm always telling my patients about visualization. Be it women trying to get pregnant, be it people with back pain, be it people with emotional issues, we cannot underestimate the power of visualization. Just as we can think ourselves sick, we can think ourselves healthy.

This applies to every situation in life, really. Just as we can think ourselves angry and sad, we can think ourselves happy as well. We can think ourselves stagnant or progressive. We can think our relationships difficult or harmonious. It comes down to that choice. Do you WANT to be there? Remove the doubt, empower yourself, and visualize it.

Why the sudden inspiration for this post? Something just kind of exploded onto the scene that we'd been visualizing for a while now, and I am excited to see the changes in the coming months. Each time something like this happens, it reaffirms for me the power of visualization.

Best Post-Valentine's Present Ever

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 21:11:57 GMT

I generally don't accept gifts from patients. But I'll make an exception here. Besides, he IS only three years old. :)

I Gave Him my Male Colleague's Business Card

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 20:38:09 GMT

There is the rare occasion in which someone (always male) walks into our clinic and promptly walks back out before I can talk to him. I've learned that these are people who are seeking the services of our neighbors next door at the "spa" and have accidentally stepped into the wrong place.

Today I had one come in, realize he was in the wrong place, but try to cover it up (of course I didn't realize it until afterwards):

Me: Hi, can I help you?
Spa customer: Uhhh ... is this a clinic?
Me: Yes, it is.
SC: Ummm ... what kind of clinic is this?
Me: It's an acupuncture clinic.
SC: Errr ... what's ... acupuncture?
Me: Oh, it's a natural method of healing where we use very fine needles on the body.
SC: Is ... it ... therapy?
Me (slightly confused, but whatever): Physical therapy? Yes it is.
SC: Let me get a business card.

Patient leaves, and makes a beeline for next door. (I can always tell when they have customers because you have to ring the doorbell before they let you in, and the doorbell chime is really loud and sounds like the clock has happened upon the hour, identical to the clock tower's song at UT Austin.)

It seems weird to me that a dude who has the guts to go to a "spa" in broad daylight can at the same time be ashamed and embarrassed to have inadvertently stumbled into the wrong establishment. But what do I know.

Not Quite as Planned

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:54:11 GMT

So I landed in Taiwan on Friday, participated in the obligatory drinking for Alan's bday, and then Saturday toured around some and ate whatever vegetarian street food I could lay my hands on. Come Sunday, starting bright and early (5 am-ish) I came down with sumpin' truly terrible - basically, it was a 19+ hour ordeal all day fighting unwanted and violent fluid loss. I shall leave out the gory details. I have trained my non-TCM friends in some modalities (no, not the actual act of needling - I have yet to trust any non-TCM friends with needling me), and they have been so so kind in playing nurse to my weak Americanized @$$. (Oh yes, the s*** and @$$ jokes will be going for awhile.) That's me at the right, laying face down, getting some treatment.

Today I thought I was feeling better and was going to do some sightseeing - Tina hooked me up with all these great Taipei travel tips before coming here - but I was sidetracked by light-headedness and general malaise. I *finally* went out tonight for a bit, fulfilled my wish to ride the MRT system by myself, but after running one errand, I promptly went home and, sick of my pitiful condition, asked my friends to take me to the hospital. I have been prescribed, if you can believe it, Super Supau (a type of sports drink), and no food for the next 2 days, along with some meds. Lovely.

Looks like my mission to gain lots of weight and eat stinky tofu at every turn has experienced a major setback.

Some pics are uploading here. Don't know why the comments aren't showing up. Grr. Will fix that later. I'm gonna let 'em upload, finish up tonight's dose of Super Supau, and hit the sack.

Weirdo Window Washer Man Returns

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 23:37:18 GMT

Weirdo window washer man showed up again today. And he actually spoke somewhat clearly today.

Weirdo Window Washer Man: Do you need your windows cleaned for five bucks?
Me: No thank you.
WWWM: Are you SURE you don't need your windows cleaned for four bucks?
Me [ noting immediate discrepancy in price ]: Yes.
WWWM: You remember me right? Do you have my business card? Here, here's my business card.
Me: Yes! No. Thanks.
[ WWWM exits, and 2 seconds later I hear VIP Spa's doorbell ring as he solicits their business. Somehow I doubt that a "spa" with all of their windows blacked out would need them cleaned. ]

His business card:

------------------------------------------------------

Bonded Residential, Commercial

Philadelphia City of Brotherly Love
Window Cleaning Service (Will Not Use Large Ladders)

Phillips Rasbach (832) xxx-xxxx
------------------------------------------------------

I'm so confused by his card. Am I missing something and being overly mean to someone who I should be nicer to?

WE did THAT!!

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 26 May 2006 20:49:55 GMT

My colleague and I had been collaborating for some time now on a difficult infertility treatment - he handled the husband's case, while I handled the wife's case. Both acupuncture and herbs were involved. Well ...

Today we received in the mail an ultrasound picture of our newly pregnant couple.

It was truly a high-five moment (we couldn't hold back). I think we both wanted to jump around and hug and cry from the sheer joy, but there were patients around, so we didn't.

I can't stop staring at the ultrasound and thinking, "We did that. WE did that. WE DID THAT!!"

Can't wipe the smile off my face.

Auriculotherapy Stupidity

Your DisplayName here! — Wed, 17 May 2006 21:03:08 GMT

Has anyone seen ear stapling in the news lately? I'm wondering why so many people have asked me if I do ear stapling recently.

Well, here's my take on it, if you haven't already guessed from my subject title - it's stupid. No, I don't do it.

1) Claims that it will stimulate the point forever are false. First of all, nothing is forever (duh). Secondly, the body adapts to what it perceives to be permanent damage and shifts energy meridians to go around the puncture site. The body is not a static, unchanging object; it's a dynamic entity that is always adapting / reacting to external / internal stimuli.

2) The risk of ear infection by stapling the ear is higher than non-invasive techniques such as the ear seeds we use. Blood flow to the ear is not as great, and thus fewer white blood cells (the little guys in the blood that combat infection) so any infections in the ear just don't get enough help fast enough.

3) Anyone performing this procedure is most likely NOT a licensed acupuncturist, so you are definitely getting this done at your own risk.

Same thing goes for piercings: any claims that they will stimulate any acupoint forever are false.

Here's an article for your further perusal, which is pretty consistent with how I field questions on the matter.

I love doing auriculotherapy / ear reflexology though. It's the coolest thing! What I tell everyone:

What: Massage your ears daily. And thoroughly, inside and out. Ideally, do it until your ears are hot and throbbing, then you can stop. You'll notice that some parts are more sensitive than others. Those are the parts of your body that could use some work, or have sustained injury from the past.

Why: By doing so, you increase energy flow and circulation to your entire body (as the ear has the entire body mapped out on it), including your internal organs. It's a natural boost to your immune system, and it's easy to do.

It's the same theory as foot / hand reflexology, just easier to reach and massage yourself. (Please don't anyone tell me they are taking their shoes off at work and rubbing away at their feet!)

Hmm. I could probably use this in a FAQ for my acuforlife.com website.

Close to Greatness

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 00:09:48 GMT

The week in summary: Friday, my cell phone was stolen. Saturday, got a new SIM card activated and was back in business with my backup phone. Went to Crome to go clubbing (welcome back, Chris! I had fun but discovered later that other friends had been unfairly snubbed at the door, BOOOOO) and then to Mai's for late-night grub. Recovered from Saturday on Sunday. Monday: did my friends 'n family treatment sessions, and was granted a gourmet meal for me and a friend by Chef Hugh. Tuesday: met a friend's new dog.

And I got real up close and personal with greatness on Wednesday: I got invited to a Project Runway Finale viewing party downtown and just so happened to be standing in front of Chloe and her boyfriend, so I got a chance to chat with her a bit. (OK, keep in mind that I don't watch TV, so I only got barely acquainted with the the show earlier that day via website.) Obligatory "I saw / chatted with / shared breathing space with Chloe" pic here! Thanks Will for the hookup!

Perspective, perspective, it's really all about perspective.

There are so many things I should be thankful for, rather than whining about my sorry self.

I have patients who believe in my abilities to treat them.

It was just my cell phone that was stolen, not my laptop nor cameras nor wallet, plus no one was physically or emotionally traumatized by the incident.

I have friends and fam who I love and who love me and stuff. (Somehow the grammar doesn't sound quite right here ... oh well)

These listed in no particular order.

The week in pictures.

Happy Reading

Your DisplayName here! — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 22:27:18 GMT

Just found a copy of the Texas Medical Board Bulletin (Fall 2005). I usually hate watching news cuz of sensationalism, and now here I was flipping thru with horror at the contents of the bulletin. 14 of 23 pages were filled with the particulars of disciplinary actions taken against which medical professionals and also those who'd had formal complaints filed against them.

The nature of wrongdoings spanned from those rather innocent, like, "The Board and Dr. So-and-So entered into an Agreed Order whereby Dr. So-and-So voluntarily surrendered his license due to his age", then the not so innocent, like, "Failure to [perform x procedure], resulting in the patient's death" or "Self-prescribing; Intemperate use of drugs or alcohol" or "Falsifying medical records", and then the downright sickening and disgusting: "Inappropriate behavior with female patients / nurses" and the worst: "Videotaping minor females in the nude and using the bathroom; possessing pornographic material with images of young girls; pleading guilty to a state jail felony obscenity charge".

If this freaks you out, you can verify your Texas physician, physician assistant, or friendly neighborhood acupuncturist on their website here.

Scary Acupuncture Movie

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 03:27:27 GMT

A few days ago, Violeta came over to shoot some footage for a short film on acupuncture she was doing as an extra credit assignment for a class. Viet and Eddy came along as needle fodder and as ghetto lighting assistants. I was offered a raincheck on more of Viet's specialty martinis as remuneration. Hey, will do acupuncture for free drinks! (Drinking and acupuncture not done simultaneously, of course!) [ taking close-up pics with special lighting ] [ goofing around ]

Oh yes, and I just got a new haircut. Most people think it's absolutely fab, but I think it's just so-so. Hmm. I'll get used to it in time, I'm sure.

Interview!

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 19:41:01 GMT

Shaun of ChinatownConnection.com came in today and I got my first ever media interview about acupuncture. Well, hmm, make that my first ever media interview, period.

Ick. I need to seriously cut my hair. Or at least brush it in the mornings ...

Insurance - The Double-Edged Sword

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 22:07:23 GMT

I absolutely hate calling up insurance companies. Each time I call up with like 2 simple questions, I get inundated with acronyms and contradictions. HMOs, PPOs, blah-blah-blahs, why I wouldn't get paid for this, why I might get paid for that. Their friendly demeanor almost makes it all the more aggravating because I can't yell at them - they're being nice to me. The urge to scream is there though.

Man, I just got a marketing phone call advertising web-building services. First off, there was loud music blasting in the background - annoying. Secondly, the marketer didn't have any smooth comebacks for my responses. Didn't help that this came hot on the heels after talking with the insurance company ...

Me: Is this a marketing call? Because you're calling me on my cell phone, and I don't want to waste my minutes.
Marketer With Loud Music Blasting in Background: What's that, ma'am? Do you have a website?
Me: Sorry, I am not interested.
MWLMBiB: Do you have a website ma'am? Just think, your very own website. It could be good for your business!
Me: Sorry, I am not interested.
MWLMBiB: But ... um ... hello ma'am? Just think ...
Me: Sorry, I am not interested. [click]

On a lighter note: Don't forget to leave me comments on my previous potty-related post! Love the comments so far! Keep 'em coming!

Acupuncturist Party

Your DisplayName here! — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 23:50:37 GMT

Last night was the first time I hosted my colleagues. Another first was having kids over, three of them, aged 9 through 11 (cuties, all). Since I was entertaining my colleagues, I wasn't able to keep an eye on their kids at all times. I learned some valuable lessons:

1) Don't ever let kids into the elevator without prior instruction. (Yes, there is an elevator in this house.)
2) The password protection on my computer turned out to be a really good idea.
3) Don't ever leave hot peppers laying around.

At least I had Robots on DVD so they sat somewhat still for like an hour and a half.

I'm sure it didn't help that one of the little boys seems to have a crush on me. According to past experience (as a much older girl with little boys crushing on me), little boys like to show they like you by doing annoying things to get attention. (Perhaps akin to Flying Pear's sock-sniffing kid?)

I was afraid my BBQ'd veggie-kabobs wouldn't be enough, but we ended up having WAY more than enough. On the menu: layered chip dip (courtesy of Boy), stir-fried wide slippery noodles (cooked by colleague's hubby!), tofu in spicy sauce, and carrot cake for dessert. Almost everything was vegetarian (just a portion of slippery noodles was not), and every last bite was delicious. Mm mm good.

Aside from 5 hours of house cleaning and food prep, mingling with my colleagues in a casual environment was pretty enjoyable [group shot]. Of course, it helps that no one got hurt / got permanently stuck in the elevator / had spontaneous burning diarrhea / installed random stuff on my computer ...

I will be better prepared next time kids come over to the house.

Oh, and valuable lesson #4, unrelated to kids:
4) I don't need no can opener to open cans! (Well, I had one, but don't know how to use it.)

Massage Update

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 23:53:22 GMT

(See my 9/29/05 post)

I bought the package of 5 massages, and I only have one more left! Call / e-mail me if you want it! You'd be doing my friend Thi a favor while indulging in 1.5 hours of relaxation for $36!

If there's enough demand, it'd be no problem for me to get another package to satisfy all of our massage-at-a-killer-deal needs. (No, I am not making any money off of this.) So just lemme know, people! Oh, and psst - massage definitely goes good with acupuncture too.

Update: massage package all gone. Thanks, guys!

Massages, Anyone?

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 23:54:44 GMT

My girl Thi (pronounced "tee"), a physical therapist, has long been generously giving great massages to her friends (me included), but just recently decided to add registered massage therapist (RMT) to her credentials. She needs 50 hours of internship, so hey people, get a feel-good massage AND help my friend out! The skinny:

1 hr massage is $30 (usually $50-60)
1.5 hour is $45 (usually $60-75)

Special package is buy 4 get 1 free [can share with others!]

Says Thi: "i recommend the 1.5hour if you really want total body work, or if your neck or back needs extra time, or if you really like foot rubs "

The school is near Harwin/59. Starting Oct. 1, her schedule:

Wednesdays 10am-5pm
Saturdays 10am-6pm
Sundays 1pm-6pm

Personal testimonial - Thi is excellent. She combines her theoretical and practical expertise in everything she does, with massage being no exception. Friends, let me know if you want in on a package of 1.5 hour massages. If you wanna go solo, shoot me off an e-mail and I'll give you Thi's phone number.

Foot rubs sound GOOOOOOOD. I miss them frequent visits to the foot reflexologists in China, yo ...

Graduation, wha?

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 25 May 2002 21:55:27 GMT

[yawn] Just woke up, thanks to a wake up call from Lily Sr... if it hadn't been for her, wouldn't know there was a grad rehearsal at 9am.. hahahah ... anyways... not like we don't know how to walk across the stage after our name is called ... oh yeah, today's our grad ceremony ... told parents not to come just cuz our school is cheap and so didn't want them to pay for tickets flying over and all that. But, if you feel like showing up, it starts at 10am, at the Korean church across from the school. Come on over! Bring a bunch of homeless ppl or something and cause a ruckus. That way I at least won't be falling asleep, hehe.

Happy Thoughts

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 24 May 2002 21:53:30 GMT

In practice mgmt class this wk, teacher said that in practice, when picking up the phone, we should actually smile and consciously think "I love you" while talking to the person on the other end. Sounds silly, but I think it's true that the person on the other end can actually feel that. I wonder if it works with "I hate you" as well. I think this holds true with instant messaging too. Random thought of the day.

I'm a Bum. Do I Qualify?

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 16 May 2002 21:41:44 GMT

I'm madly sending out resumes, since I am pretty much stuck indoors for fear of aggravating my condition, and am (as usual) in no mood to study. Today I chanced upon this job post:
Teach in Liaoning
Teachers wanted with or without qualifications
Right on ... I don't care how desperate I am ... I ain't going there ... see map (upper right hand corner, by North Korea) ... BRRR ...
EnVaDoR suggested this alternate post headline:
Teach in Liaoning
Wanted: Bums off the Street

At any rate, I'm happy cuz so far I have amassed 3 offers that I'm kinda brewing upon while seeing if I can get anything better. =)

OK! Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang it is for now! (since I actually have it on hand in capsule form and it approximately fits my condition)

Experimentation While Sick

Your DisplayName here! — Wed, 15 May 2002 21:38:13 GMT

Yesterday I started hocking up a lovely juicy thick yellow bloody phlegm. Took some herbal decoction courtesy of Henry's pharmacy (he's gonna have a webpg soon! yay!), but today I've still got headache and an intermittent cough. Ugh. Luckily I've got access to the landlords' loquat trees, and so:

The 1st pic is steamed loquat with apricot seeds (the southern kind) with some rock sugar (tastes good!). The 2nd pic is of the loquat leaves soaked in boiling water (doesn't taste so good). According to the book, the leaf is good for my type of cough, and needs to be "scrubbed clean of any 'hair' to prevent irritation to the throat". According to my landlords, the steamed loquat is good for cough. I'm taking both.

It's good that I'm sick. It's making me crack open the books and read about this stuff I'm experimenting with. And for all you do-it-yourselfers out there: don't try this @ home without some guidance from your friendly neighborhood herbalist. (disclaimer: i am not responsible for anyone making themselves sicker by trying what i am trying here.)

Soap, Drugs, Gems

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 07 May 2002 21:23:28 GMT

I made some soap for my mommy =) I was a cheater tho; I didn't make it from scratch (I will attempt that one day when I have more time) but simply melted it, added fragrance and color and whatever else to the mix, and poured it into a mold. The problem now is getting it OUT of my makeshift Gladware molds ...

Drugstore.com says that the top 5 medications ordered off their website are 1) Vioxx, 2) Prozac, 3) Fosamax, 4) Glucophage, and 5) Viagra. Which means that ppl have 1) osteoarthritis, 2) depression and/or obsessive compulsive disorder, 3) osteoporosis, 4) diabetes mellitus type 2, yet 5) still want lots of sex no matter what age. Me disillusioned with ppl who disregard their health until it's way too late? Why would you think that?

A gem from my friend Wanda: "Each day passes regardless of if you are happy or sad." So simple, yet ... so profound ...

Picking ... Battles

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 30 Apr 2002 22:48:42 GMT

Here's another oh-so-immature rumination by me: is it a crime to pop a patient's big bad backne? (pimples on your back.) I had to quash the urge =) Hey, it was so juicy ... the white head thing was showing thru the skin ... it would've exploded like a volcano! =)
Pics from Sacramento are up - and Lily, I know you have some frightening ones of me. Please please send =)

More Hiking / BBQ Pics

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 26 Apr 2002 22:51:05 GMT

Updates to the hiking / BBQ pics. I was in a more creative writing mood, plus Lily got me some more pics. =)

Trip Up to Sacramento

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 26 Apr 2002 03:22:59 GMT

Wow, a whole wk without updates ... sorry 'bout that, to my few but loyal visitors. =) Well, Monday nite I spontaneously agreed to go to Sacramento via bus to support some sort of bill to increase the # of academic hrs in the acu program to 3000 hrs. There's ppl out there arguing that this will raise the competency of acupuncturists. I don't agree, but I was bribed into going with clinic hrs ... anyhoo, here are my conclusions from the trip (which are pretty unrelated to the whole reason we went):

Sadly, when a group of older-generation Chinese get together in a big gathering, they forget they are in America. Their actions perpetuate the stereotype and ridicule of all Asians. This makes it more & more difficult for Asians to emerge in America, for us to be taken seriously ... I don't feel that it necessarily has to do w/ English language ability, but w/ attitude and respect for American culture. Not that I agree w/ all aspects of American culture, but that's how it is in ANY country - we need to respect that particular country's ways and policies.

It was very sad that the most embarrassing ppl were the Asian MALES. Asian males already have enough stereotype against them as it is - their actions on Tuesday, in the eyes of all onlooking Americans, can only feed those negative stereotypes.
Specific examples of embarrassing behavioUr:

not turning off cell phones: more than 5x

clapping (the committee chair had already stated "no clapping" at the onset of the hearings): 3x

physically obstructing the opposition from speaking: 1x
But anyways, despite all this, Lily and I somehow dragged Hiroko into going, and we had our own fun - pics will be up soon. =)

Here are pics from hiking up at Santa Anita Park and Henry's BBQ! Yo Lily, get me the pics you captured on your camera =) (the girlz both got digital cams as well - copycats! hehe ... but Lily scored the best deal, and Hiroko has the cutest one)

Vampires, Urinals, and Exam Results

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 28 Mar 2002 08:25:56 GMT

Saw Blade II @ Downtown Disney. Lotsa sci-fi gore and vampires necking. My favorite line? When the heroine gets bitten by one of 'em weirdos and says, "I can feel it burning inside me ..." HAHAHAH. Sci-fi perverts! So ANYWAYS, afterwards we had to go to the bathrooms, and the women's restroom was SO swanky! Much nicer than the men's restroom. And NO I am NOT the proud owner of a PENIS. =)
Just in the mail: I PASSED BOTH THE HERBS AND THE ACUPUNCTURE PARTS OF MY NATIONAL LICENSING EXAMS!!! WAZZZZAAAAAP!!!!!! I was so worried about the herb part ... I still await the score on my point location but ... I'm not worried about that. Now I can exhale for a while. =) Moocho grassyass to H2L for pounding me the night before!!!

Usage Not Covered Under Warranty

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 18 Mar 2002 21:24:03 GMT

I am so bummed that my Jabra cell phone headset crapped out! I took the features I liked and were removable - the eargel and the clip - and surgically transplanted them to another headset. =) I really liked the button on mic too tho ... I guess that's what I get for using the 2.5mm jack in lieu of a real ear acu pt finder =)

Stress Go Away? I Think Not ...

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 11 Mar 2002 21:19:20 GMT

That herbology test on Sunday killed me ... oh well ... I will find out my results in a month. Time to destress ...
Just kidding. I'm entertaining my bro for a few days, trying to edit a book, gotta prepare 10,000 clinic case presentations, finish applying for the state board licensing exam, oh, and let's not forget about finals next wk. The madness will go on until the end of March ... oooog ...

Sign Eeeeeeeeeeeet!

Your DisplayName here! — Sun, 10 Mar 2002 21:18:41 GMT

My guestbk is back up and working again! Now PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE (pretty please with a cherry on top) sign it and make me feel special! =) Back to cramming ... brain ... just about ... cooked ... to a very well done consistency ...

Kicking Arse and Taking Names

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 09 Mar 2002 21:17:53 GMT

[Doing the victory dance] BOO-YAH! After freaking out for weeks and losing lots of sleep over this, I just want to tell everyone that I officially kicked arse on today's acupuncture portion of the licensing exam. Must cram for herbs tonite tho ... and I'm definitely officially herbally retarded. Sigh. Thank you Henry, Lily, and Hiroko for sacrificing your Friday night for me to help artificially boost my intelligence!!! (I think I will be remembering some things from last night for a loooong time. =) I owe you guyz BIG TIME ...

Discouraging Statistics

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 04 Mar 2002 21:11:01 GMT

Current stats:

Number of days left til test time: 5 & 6

Current confidence level: 26%

Current anxiety level: 74%

Number of raging red pimples on face: 5

Number of pimples on the mend, but likely to leave a scar: 3

Number of times a patient said I was "full of donkey doodoo" today when I tried to cheer them up and it didn't work: 1

Counting Down

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 01 Mar 2002 21:09:36 GMT

Yay! I'm over 1000 on my Chinese counter (see below)! Thanks to all my visitors! If you haven't yet, please sign my guestbook! =)

Here's a pic of an ill omen of things to come - one week before my licensing exams and THIS happens. Well, at least my car LOOKS clean in the pic ...

Vandals!

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 28 Feb 2002 21:05:54 GMT

Lily and Henry vandalized my car today on my study break. It made me gasp but I love it! Thanks guys! =)
This and this is what Henry does in the library when no one is looking. I don't think I've ever gotten such a clear look at his nostrils before ...

AUGGHHHHHH!!!

Your DisplayName here! — Wed, 27 Feb 2002 21:02:51 GMT

OK, I've never had a panic attack (to my knowledge) but I think I am coming pretty close to having one. I was trying to locate some notes from a class to study for my licensing exams ... and ... they were GONE. I VAGUELY remember lending them to someone ... I hope I am remembering the right person, and I hope that he still has my notes!!! OH ... MY ... GOD ... I think my insides are collapsing ...

New 'Do

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 26 Feb 2002 21:02:18 GMT

Got a haircut (I like it, well, I like it almost as much as the cut Ah-Boga gave me back in the day =). In Chink med, hair is formed from excess blood. Theoretically, chopping it short again should concentrate the blood more @ my brain. Boy do I NEED IT ... my two licensing exams are less than 2 wks away, and I don't know jack ... @_@

Having Trouble Keeping The Pants On!

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 18 Feb 2002 19:01:34 GMT

Hiroko apparently gets even sillier when she's sick. =) Caution: you may laugh your pants off! =)

Whoa ...

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 14 Feb 2002 18:59:34 GMT

...
11:55p - What do you get when you have unwanted admirers, flowers, condoms, phallic balloons, and a bunch of mischievous twenty-somethings at a family restaurant? =) Thank you Lily, Henry, and Hiroko for making this such a hilariously memorable night. You guys are the best! Oh, and thanks to On for going along with Lily's silly antics =)

I Passed!

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 15 Nov 2001 23:22:21 GMT

Wow ... I actually passed the midterm that I thought I failed miserably. Yay! Caroline's guessing strategy wins again! =) Still awaiting the score on the other one ...

Blah

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 09 Nov 2001 23:21:01 GMT

Finished my 2 measly midterms this wk. Of course I had to make it hard on myself by waiting 'til the last minute to study, heh. Felt like I got chewed up and spit out by that midterm last night.
To keep me off my computer, I did a total Scandisk operation with surface scanning on my 40 GB HD ... AND a total defrag ... heh ... in total it took over 10 hrs =) However, my computer has been acting gimpy afterwards ... I'm now able to update my webpage only after many, many reboots ...
Counting down ... 24 more days until ... Turkey Day? X'mas? I-Felt-Like-Declaring-A-Holiday Day? Nopes ... but it's better than all of the above! Stay tuned to find out =)

And Still Stressing ...

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 10 Sep 2001 22:08:03 GMT

10 pg paper done ... but 3 finals to go ... laundry basket is overflowing, my room is a mess ... life's not fair =P Anyhoo, today my younger bro turned 21! Happy birthday Howard! =)

Stressing ... Again ...

Your DisplayName here! — Sat, 08 Sep 2001 22:07:18 GMT

Go AhBoGa!!! Yoo kan doo eet! And Garth, you won't be disappointed. =) I'm currently stressing out about finals next wk: wedding shower tomorrow, 8-hr review class Sunday, 10 pg paper due Monday (haven't started yet), 3 finals ... I'm in for a rough week. I'll keep you posted on if I survive...

Did Someone Say Sale?!

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 17 Aug 2001 04:45:15 GMT

60% off some stuff at www.AnnTaylor.com! Whoohoo!!!I'm goin' shopping!!! I deserve a lil' something after my grueling week of tests!!!

How Many Ways Can I Procrastinate Here ...

Your DisplayName here! — Sun, 12 Aug 2001 04:44:39 GMT

Helped out with the landlords' yard sale and got to sell some of my junk off ... and got $13. which is more cash than i've had for a while now =) back to studying ... last midterm on monday!!! AHhHhHhh

Orisinal is SO Original!

Your DisplayName here! — Sun, 12 Aug 2001 04:42:21 GMT

After about 2 hrs of monkeys and penguins and cows and crabs on ORISINAL, i am feeling SICK. it's gotta be a combo of almost zero sleep and 100% stress and cramming. i'm gonna crawl into bed now ...

Ears and Eyes Not Cooperating

Your DisplayName here! — Mon, 16 Jul 2001 22:37:53 GMT

I just HAD to take out the seeds. My ears got SO itchy with them in, and now that I've taken them out they still itch, and there's some pus coming out too (eewwww!). I do have to say that my appetite did seem increased. Didn't eat much just cuz I didn't have the food on hand / lazy, heh. =) Dunno about my left shoulder though.
This sucks. I've just gotten around to putting what I thought was a cool chrome-looking longhorn emblem on my car, only to be reminded that I HAVE GOLD TRIM ON MY CAR, NOT CHROME. GRR!! Sigh. Oh well. I hope it looks okay when I go out in the daylight tomorrow morning. [knocking head against wall]

Coolio Auriulotherapy Seminar

Your DisplayName here! — Sun, 15 Jul 2001 22:34:45 GMT

Just finished a grueling 2-day seminar on auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture and/or ear seeds) and friend Mira, who also attended the seminar, gave an equally grueling set of ear seeds. All I have to say is MY EARS HURT!!! and that this pain had better be worth it!! I'm doing the weight gain protocol (thought I'd try it since I am disgustingly underweight) as well as something for my left shoulder (not sure how that happened, since I'm a righty). At least I wasn't that brave woman who went up in front of the class as a demo only for the master to announce to everyone 1) she was currently on her period, and 2) she had "mild" hemorrhoids. How embarrassing. =P Here's a list of words that the speaker said that I so cleverly deciphered. =)>