Post card from China - The quest for tampons

Caution: This story contains references to feminine hygiene products.

Every now and again a gal on the road finds herself in need of a tampon. Such was the case in Beijing.  I started my tampon quest looking for a pharmacy. Chinese pharmacies are identified by a large green cross on their signs. They differ from American pharmacies in that they are smaller stores and the products are behind locked, glass doors.  You have to ask a clerk to retrieve the items you want.

I approached two younger women clerks, in white coats, behind the counter and in my best mandarin said “nihao, wo xuyao” (Hello, I need a…..) and held up a wrapped tampon from my backpack.  They both gave me a quizzical look and motioned for me to hand them the tampon - which I did. They both examined the tampon with great care turning it over, holding it up to the light and viewing it from all angles as if it was a precious and exotic art object.  This struck me as a bit strange  - it was just a tampon after all.  I had expected them to simply take me to the feminine hygiene products isle. There was a lot of discussion between the two ladies - none of which I understood. They handed me back the tampon looking a little perplexed. I pointed at my abdomen saying “yue jing” (or something like it) which means menstruation.  One of the women jumped up and cheerfully gestured me down an isle where she handed me a large bag of cotton balls. I smiled and said “mieyou” (no). She then handed me a sanitary napkin the size of a brick - I smiled, shook my head and and said “mieyou” again. I thanked them and left, walking back to my little hutong (neighborhood) hotel. I just assumed I hadn’t been clear with my question.

I wanted to be ready for my next tampon request so once back in my room I looked up the mandarin word for tampon - which is “miantiao”.  One of the young women at the hotel spoke fluent English and I asked her where I could purchase tampons.  She said that they had those downstairs at the front desk and she would call down and get some for me. I went down stairs to the front desk where another young woman, also fluent in English, handed me a box of Q-tips. At this point I was beginning to wonder if there even was such a thing as Chinese tampons! In my very best mandarin I said “miantiao” to which the desk clerk said “Yes! Noodles! How would you like them cooked?  I’ll get them for you”. 

I simply could not help myself and broke out giggling.  “Miantiao” is the same word for noodle and tampon.  While spelled the same, the pronunciation and inflection is completely different.  When I pointed out the words in my phrase book we both had a good laugh. So much for my Mandarin!!!!

I finally did find tampons - there were only a couple of boxes at the local grocery store. They are not a popular product with Chinese women.  

Ladies - if you are planning to visit China – bring your own tampons or be prepared to eat noodles!

Post Card from China - Tui Na Training

While in China I had the opportunity to do some advanced Tui na training in the Orthopedics’ department at Wangjing TCM Hospital in Beijing. Chinese massage is called Tui na and literally means push and grasp in Chinese.  Tui na is taught in hospitals, medical schools and is widely practiced in Chinese households. As I observed - it is an essential part of China’s primary healthcare.  This is a typical treatment room in Wangjing hospital - not a lot of privacy in a 15x15 room packed with patients, the director (left), assistants, med students and four visiting acupuncturists. Despite the tight quarters patients and doctors happily chatted and visited during the treatment.

Tui na is related to acupuncture in its use of meridian pathways to restore the balance of yin and yang, stimulate qi and blood flow, remove blockages, reduce inflammation and pain. It is useful in treating injuries, joint and muscle problems and internal disorders. In the above photo cervical and lumbar spondalosis are being treated.

An interesting side note: many Chinese tui na practitioners (outside of the hospital setting) are blind, relying on their fingers and senses to guide them. In this picture I had just received a tui na treatment with cupping therapy (the reddish circles) from a blind therapist. It was intense, vigorous and I felt great the next day.  

Tui na can be applied to both horses and riders. Read more 

May 5 - Valley Public Radio on the Wall!

When I left California Jon said; "You should take a hat." 

 "Can I fit it in my pack?" I wondered.   

Jon said; "We have a bunch of baseball caps, pick one!" 

 I said; "I'll take our VPR hat, and I'll wear it on the Great Wall, and take a picture!" 

Well I made it!  It was windy, cold, and raining.  My legs are like jello due to some serious elevation gain on the stair master from hell - but it was worth it! 

From the Great Wall to the Central Valley...Thank you KVPR for all you do!

May 2 - Eating Well in Beijing

It’s easy to eat well (and healthy) here in China especially in Beijing.

There is a wonderful array of foods from tasty street snacks to international cuisine. Here are a few more “interesting” menu offerings, DoorDingpatty, Fry Meat on Paper, Red Bum Chicken, and of course....Moo Meat.

My most recent favorite (I really did eat this one) is exploding duck breast with vegetables. Yummmmo!!!

May 1 - Subway Confessions

I have a confession. I have never ridden on the subway…at least until I came to China.

Growing up in California (the land of the free...way) the opportunity never presented itself AND my notion of the subway was strongly influenced by Hollywood. My impression was that subways are hot, dirty, graffiti- painted, scary places frequented by gang bangers, perverts and somebody usually gets shot.

Well that has all changed and I’m a subway frequent flyer! Beijing’s subway is clean, air conditioned and remarkably easy to use. Signs are in both English, pin yin (phonetic Chinese) and Chinese. People are helpful and polite. For 2Y (about 31 cents) you can ride all over the city. While it can be a bit crowed at times everybody just moves over and makes space on the car for one more.

May 1 - Chinese Medicine Museum - Happy May Day!

The Chinese medicine museum near Anguo is a delightful place! This small, well designed space is full of old medical texts, medical devices and antique herbal processing equipment. You defiantly get a feel for the “di dao” (the authentic medicine) it’s history and roots (no pun intended) even as it is practiced today in modern settings.

Here is a bronze man. Life-sized models like this one were used to teach and test students on the correct location of acupuncture points.  Some models had tiny cavities drilled at acupuncture points and a dot of pigment inserted into them. For student testing models were covered in a thin layer of paper mache-like rice paper.

In order to pass yearly exams, medical students would be assigned a number of points and an equal number of needles. Students had only one opportunity to correctly locate and needle all the points. If a point was correctly located and needle inserted, the pigment would bleed to the surface of the paper. If not…… too bad! Better luck next year.

This portrait is Dr. Huato.  It is said that Dr. Huato’s skill as an acupuncturist was so accurate that he could pass nine long needles through a live chicken without injury to the chicken. (Kids - Don’t try this at home!)

These are some early wooden and bamboo acupuncture needles. Thank goodness we have modern stainless steel today!  I don’t think my patients would tolerate these.

April 30 - At the Herb Market

Outside of the larger Chinese cities “Western Foreigners” aka “Big Noses” ... are something of an oddity.  I certainly discovered this when I visited the Ja Jin herb market outside of Anguo.

Clearly, I fit the profile. As red headed foreigner with an ample snout, I received a lot of stares and looks.  Getting through the noisy, busy market was a bit of a challenge. I just smiled, waved and kept on moving down the rows, and all told everything went very well.    

Ja Jin herb market is a busy (and aromatic) place with 400 vendors from all regions of China. There is a lot of chatting, visiting and a fair amount of high volume haggling going on (along with card games and smoking)  In addition to plant materials stalls feature exotic substances, minerals and animal products.