All Things Change

For just about every one of the 2000 or more days that we’ve resided here we’ve seen people getting around with what looks like large purple hickeys. Did they have a rash? Did they get hit with 20 baseballs? Or has someone been playing with an industrial vacuum cleaner?

No. It is called baguan (bar~gw~R) or hot cupping and it’s a cure-all for ALL that ails you. What can’t be fixed by being tapped with an *I.V. line/bag seemingly can be with 20 glass bulbous like cups. A small flame is used to create low pressure inside the cup before it’s dropped with a “thhhhup” onto your back. The low pressure inside the cup then allows you skin, with flesh attached, to stretch and pinch its way deep into the cup.  

So did I really want to have 18 or so large bruised, itching, sun burnt like welts on my back? Hmmm… maybe and no. I was up for a regular Zhongyi (Chinese medical) massage but it was at a new up-market set up. So when the guy in the white lab coat wheeled out a trolley of clinking glass bulbous cups my fear levels began peaking. ‘White lab coat guy’ sensed the fear or simply saw my contorted face and asked, “Are you afraid?” He had challenged my macho pride, “No, no. Of course not,” I replied. Oh was I ever quivering and on the inside telling myself, “You idiot.” Later that night as the light rubbing of my shirt caused stinging pain to numerous welts I told my self out loud, “You idiot.”  

At the time I told myself “Sure it kills but later on you’ll feel better.” It’s funny how denial twists reality and allows me to do completely stupid things.  

Denial lied to me. It really hurts to be lied to. 

* A trip to the doctor for a cold, the runs, a severed limb or unexplained hair growth can be treated with an I.V. line/bag. Most hospitals here have a large room at the entrance filled with big comfy couches each with its own I.V. stand and hook.