Herbs in Shanghai

Dispatch From Shanghai

cirenitram — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:27:00 GMT

It is hard to believe that I have been in Shanghai for 4 weeks. So much has been compressed into such an abbreviated period of time, but I guess that should come as no surprise in a city that packs so much into such a small space.

My clinical rotations were busy and informative. I saw a wide variety of conditions, and on most weeks we saw multiple doctors which helped to keep things fresh. For the most part our translators were excellent. The lectures in the afternoon were a little hit-or-miss, but on the whole very good. We had an excellent lecture/demo on Tui-Na during the second week that was a nice change of pace from the less interactive lectures.

Our evenings and weekends were filled with the sights, sounds and flavors of Shanghai. There is an amazing variety of food to be had in this city, with an equally wide range of prices. Our hotel was located in an area that has a mix of higher priced European style restaurants and smaller, dirtier, cheaper and in many cases tastier local restaurants. So far most of us have suffered only mild GI upset, with only one case of moderate traveler’s diarrhea, which responded well to herbs and probiotics within about 12 hours.

Many of my classmates have been enjoying the Women’s World Cup Soccer tournament which has been taking place all month here in Shanghai and throughout China. Several students will be attending the finals this weekend. Other activities have included trips to neighboring towns, the Shanghai acrobats, touring ancient gardens, museums, buying clothing, buying clothing, and buying clothing. I think the fabric market, where you can get custom tailored items for great prices, has been the most popular spot for our group, with most students making weekly trips.

Now that the clinical shifts are officially over, I am off to see Asia. I will be in Shanghai just a few more days. On Tuesday the 2nd, eight of us will board a train to Lhasa Tibet. It will take us just over 2 days to get there. After a week in Tibet, I am going to Beijing for three days to see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Then it is off to Ko Chang in Thailand for some much needed R&R. If all goes as planed I will recharge on the beach for about 2 weeks, before returning to Seattle sometime around November 1st.

The Clinic Routine

cirenitram — Tue, 4 Sep 2007 20:03:00 GMT

We are now approaching one week in Shanghai and are starting to settle into a routine. We awake in the morning and go grab some breakfast. Most of us opt for Bao Zi, which is a delicious steamed flour dumpling filled with either meat or veggies. There is a great little shop that sells them from the sidewalk about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. There are 0.7rmb each or about 10 cents US. 3 of them is a BIG breakfast. There is also a Starbucks about 5 minutes from the hotel that many students are hitting in the morning. So far I have held out, opting instead to brew tea in my room, but I am sure there is corporate coffee in my near future.

We then are picked up by a private bus at 7:30 and taken to one of two area hospitals. Once there we spend the rest of the morning observing patients getting either acupuncture or herbal formulas (often both). On average we are seeing between 10 and 30 patients per shift. We are then bussed back to the hotel and have a lunch break. Many of us use this time to call home, as it is late evening back in Seattle. At 1:30 we then sit for a 2-3 hour lecture, on various topics. So far we have covered constipation, gastritis, and pain of the back, neck and knees. The quality of the lectures is quite good.

After a review of the day, we then have our evenings free. Common activities are sight seeing, shopping, and going to the library for some internet time. Dinners are always an adventure, and we are all exploring the wide variety of foods available.

Most of us are crashing by about 10:00 PM. A common theme seems to be waking around 4:00am. We think that this may be due to the fact that it is noon in Seattle (accounting for daylight savings time) which is the zenith of Yang energy that our bodies are used to.

More updates to follow.

Arrival

cirenitram — Sat, 1 Sep 2007 12:32:00 GMT

I am safe and sound in Shanghai. The flights in were great, no problems at all. We are staying in a cool area of town, the old French concession, which has some interesting old buildings, and a mix of new. Lots to do and see within walking distance. I am at the Shanghai library right now, only about 4 blocks from the hotel.

I will try to update this site at least once a week, so check back for photos and news from Shanghai.