Embracing Chinese Medicine
I guess it was only a matter of time before I gave in to some form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Several years ago during SARS, I showed up at my doctor’s office for an appointment one day, and the kindly receptionist thrust a cup of black, swamp-like, liquid in my hand. The smell was like nothing I had ever encountered – not bad – just exotic. I looked at the concoction suspiciously. “Drink this! To avoid SARS!” she exclaimed. Why not? I obediently downed the entire up.
While considered alternative treatment in the west, Traditional Chinese Medicine is popular in Hong Kong and much of Asia. It mostly consists of using remedies such as herbal medicines, acupuncture, and massage to cure one’s maladies. TCM, as it is called here, is thousands of years old and based on ancient Chinese principles such as yin-yang and Daoism. While my Chinese friends all embrace western medicine, they also routinely consult their TCM practitioner – as the need arises – thus combining what they see as the best of two worlds.
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