Needles In The Foot, Mummies and Lamb Hoove Snacks.

Every morning I get up with two friends and go for a run through the streets.  It is a good time to check out the neighborhood and is relatively quiet if before 7 am.  After 7, the streets crowd quickly and people are everywhere. 

Loved the way the light was hitting these flags as we jogged by.

 I noticed that the streets were completely wet but the sidewalk was clean.  It appears that they clean the streets here every morning. 

 Typical apartment building for a middle class neighborhood. 

 We found a huge park in the middle of the city.  These parks are set up in every city and town.  Most people in the park in the morning are the elderly.  The elderly work out every day.  The Chinese are a fit people who take great care in developing flexibility and maintaining fitness.   People hang their birds out while they work out.  These cages can be seen all over. 

 The running paths through the park are endless. 

 Tai Chi group. 

This morning we were off to a discussion about Chinese traditional medicine.  The talk covered the basics about acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping. 

After our lecture we headed over to the Xi'an Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 
In the front hallway was a little girl with a calligraphy brush designing things on the floor with a little water and food coloring. 

Tools that were used for grinding herbs and medicines were seen here.  These were hundreds of years old.  

I was called to the corner of the museum by some of my peers to check out a curious find.  Looking down I saw this looker staring back.  Or sort of staring back - without eyeballs that is. 

 I couldn't help but think of Jenny and how she would love to see the shriveled toes on this guy.  Hard to give a pedicure here. 

 The only information I was able to get about the mummy is that it was a man, who was quite fat when he died, and he died about 500 years ago. 

 I asked why he was on display or dug up.  The response was that the people probably dug him up and put him on display, "because they could and did."  #fairenoughthen

 Look Shelly Murphy, medicine bottles.

 From there it was onto the hospital for our next session.

We were able to try acupuncture here.  I had them work a bit on my foot that had been bothering me because of all of the walking and running around we have been doing.   The needles used are very very thin.  After an examination of the foot, and numerous questions about it answered, they took the needles and placed three in my foot and one in my upper shin.  I felt a twinge of pain in the site that had been bothering me.  My foot became very warm and I started to sweat big time.  I was told to relax and sit back and did so for about 1/2 an hour.   They removed the needles after that, and I do have to say, my foot pain subsided.  

Below is a video of our guide Tiger having a cupping session. The Chinese believe that your body should be balanced between wet and dry to maintain the flow of energy, otherwise known as one's chi. Cupping helps to get rid of excess dampness. What I love about this session is that Tiger was all business, wheeling and dealing our dinner plans. He's the man.

 

 

After our 1,000,000 dumpling dinner (actually each of us ate about 15-17 dumplings each - no Tim, you did not eat 24) we decided go go for a tour in the Muslim Quarter Market.

Ramadan sees the Muslim faithful fasting from sunrise to sunset during the holy month. Dates are often eaten to break the daily fast. There was no shortage here.

I cannot possibly put into words just how crowded space is in China. People come out in droves, especially at night. Streets are full and there is something going on everywhere.

Let me say that I know I have posted a lot of weird looking food so far. #sosorryvegan. Now, I do this as it is a curiosity. I have never walked around the Windsor Fair and seen people gnawing on lamb feet, so pardon me please. I will create an entire post on food and Chinese cuisine that will reflect the reality. I assure you, we are eating well.

Garbage piles up quickly, however, large recycling programs exist here and the Chinese do not waste much. Compared to the USA, it is nothing. 

I have made some truly awesome friends here. I am luck indeedy.