Wudalianque: On the rails again

火 山
Fire Mountain = volcano

Coursework almost complete for 21 July deadline and I'm in a 'soft seat' 6hr20min train back fom volcanos of Wudalianque in NW.

(my temple motto - 'I am good enough' means I can go away and have fun even if it means possibly getting 5% less! Also less time to worry about work and just get on with it... good theory).

My traveling companions are Malaysian acupuncturists. Pie (who graduated 3 yrs ago and has been invaluable translating for me in oncology clinic) and friend have published amongst others a bilingual book of medicinal plants of Malaysia (see pic). Can't believe I'm on holiday with someone who takes more flower pics than mum! His excuse is that it's for medicinal purposes!

It was a much-needed return to nature and felt my soul come alive as I hiked up a volcano - even if I was on a Chinese tour with the guide singing karaoke to get us up the mt quicker!!!

Just as we got on the tour bus and off the train from Harbin to Beian yesterday the heavens opened but luckily we had a sunny eve for the first excursion to the ice cave and lava sea.

The famous Wudalianque (5 lakes that
were once a river which got pooled by the last eruption in 1723?) is famed for it's spring water which is surprisingly sweet and subtly sparkling. Then our group got marooned by a thunderstorm but I persisted and this other lady joined me and were rewarded with a soaking and a view of the moody lake - free of the herd.

This morning we were out at 6.20am, breakfasted and hiking up Heilongshan - black dragon mountain. It's only 526m but somehow reminded me of hiking Switzerland a few summers ago - maybe I've got a natural beauty deficit after big smog city life!

It was an even lovelier trip than expected but I'm looking forward to my student hall room 403 and my routine of 4.40 alarm for 5am taiji, clinic, lunch, power nap with TENS or cups or needles, study, dinner and twilight taiji. Outside this there's the weekly uni taiji class where I'm now solo as all my classmates hv now left apart from Guye who returns to Guangzhou in a week. So after essays are in I'll be back to 2 swims a week and more cycle rides to parks to amuse myself.

Mastering the art of power-napping at the fat camp

Phew, coursework completed:

40 short clinic cases;
Inpatient case - Bell's Palsy - facial paralysis;
Outpatient case - dizziness due to TIA transient ischemic attack;
Journal article - breast cancer
Reflective essay - needling technique UK vs China.

Still got to proof read my Chinese classmates' essays - payback time for all their help - then I can relax and go swimming!

Hopefully the pool won't close for the summer as I've just discovered that they are turning OFF the hot water for the next month!! We may get s dribble of hot water at 7pm but this is my eve taiji time.

Anyway I was having at least 1 cold shower a day anyway and the hairdresser downstairs says he'll charge 5 RMB for a hairwash - that's 50p!

I'm now waking at 4am so I can get some standing qigong in before the da gong exercises and taiji - before clinic at 7.45am.

I'm needling again in clinic, the patients and students have got used to me again and the doctor is happy for his son to practice his English. In fact his son, who stydied in the year above me in London is a sweetie and gave me a copy of his dad's book neurology - mainly western diagnoses and all in Chinese apart from headings and disease names - eg Gilles de la Tourette - apparently swearing isn't the main symptom!

My noisy neighbours - the fat farm -ers are back! I thought they'd just come for the 24 needles on the tummy treatment but apparently just swimming and footie... And lying in bed all afternoon shouting and watching cartoons!

Funnily enough my tolerance level has increased and I can now manage my 45min 1pm power nap after clinic even without needles or wired up to my TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine.