Recent meme that's been going around. I'm willing to give questions, but don't expect them to be timely. these are from king_kobbe

Production: You take photographs sometimes; do you have one (or a themed collection) that you're particularly proud of?
( Actually... )

Education: Do you have a piece of advice that you'd like to pass on to the younger generation? Any advice for your peers?
( This is a funny question. )

General: It's pretty rare for us to talk these days; what is your typical day like? Do you have days that could be qualified as typical?
( oh good: something I have an answer for. )

Recommendations: Have you seen a movie that you think I haven't (a safe assumption, to be sure,) and think I should? How about a book you've read, or an album you've listened to?
hm. aside from more mainstream films, I can't think of any indie films to recommend. The one movie that sticks in my mind is Pan's Labyrinth, but I'm pretty sure you've seen it. Otherwise, here are the top 3 in my netflix queue: Linda Linda Linda, Train Man: Densha Otoko, Good Night & Good Luck. The most recent movie I watched that I really enjoyed was The Taste of Tea. I think I may have recommended this anime to you, but in case I haven't, Mushiishi. It's especially touching because it jives so well with what I'm learning.

books: my life is so completely consumed by Chinese medicine, that I can't think of a single book that isn't related to that. The most recent book I read was Awakening Intuition, which wasn't nearly as good as Molecules of Emotion. both of those were for a class, so they're related to medicine, but not the Asian. A Chinese medicine book I'm excited to read is Lonny Jarrett's Nourishing Destiny. In the same vein, and something I should probably finish, is Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies by Leon Hammer. Both of those authors came from distinctly Western backgrounds, but gravitated towards Chinese medicine, so their philosophies are a melding of the two. For shorter reads, here is someone I've been told to read: Heiner Fruehauf.

music: Thao with the get down stay down. I like her voice. and she does play a mean guitar. Jamie Lidell is also fun. Iron & Wine. Harry Belafonte is good to wake up to.

Yes. It's true, ~ won! And she brought her lover along. Way to win, ~.

Happy new year! May this year of the rat be prosperous and fulfilling. I know I'm gonna be reveling in the surprises that this year will offer.

It's snowing!

a patient comes in and complains of shoulder tension. is that where you hold your stress? she nods and continues to describe the pain. what about your emotions? blank. where do you hold your anger? ... what about your happiness? where do you feel your happiness?

I've entered an abyss. Words enter, but nothing comes out. It's darkness and silence. perhaps I should start from the beginning. Say...

I was in a car accident. It was sunset and I am driving along a highway after a day at the beach. I'm listening to Lucinda Williams and singing at the top of my lungs. The sun's rays are still warm on my face and I'm squinting slightly even as the day is drawing to a close. My mood is good and I'm glad to have gotten outside in the open ocean air. Just as I blink a little too long, a deer jumps out in my peripheral vision and I freeze. My hands suddenly clutch the wheel and I'm willing my entire being to move away, as if we were magnets and I could somehow make us the same polarity. It's another blink before I find myself at the side of the road and another person has stopped to check and see if I'm ok. A bruise around my shoulder, another near my eye, and my back is sore. Nothing major. My gut feels like it's been wrenched.

How do I feel afterwards? Relief? Pain? Anger? Where does that emotion go? Do I hold my shoulders the same anymore? Is it used to being crunched into the neck, suffocating the lungs in turn? Do I start to get panic attacks because I can't breathe the same anymore and my back is stretched because it's overcompensating for the shoulders? How does the body recuperate after a shock, or any major event? Even happy moments like a birth of a child or singing to your lover? Each moment of our lives, we are instructing our bodies to move a certain way, to respond in a structured manner. When there's something unexpected, what happens then?

Where do you hold your stress?
How do you express your anger?
Where do you feel your happiness?

For me, when I'm ecstatic, there's a spot in my chest that feels like it will explode. I know I'm about to cry when my throat swells. The body tells. It senses, feels, absorbs and expresses. It's unfair to say that it is merely a pain machine. It is just as capable of pain as it is of joy. Modern medicine too often only communicates with the pain. Where does it hurt?

Medicine should be about the individual. It should be about treating the main complaint, while taking into consideration the constitution of the person. All the ways in which the person's body has responded to life's lessons will reveal a lot about character, emotions and health. Without that vital information, it's like jumping across an abyss.

Anyone seen this? It's pretty funny.

Does anyone know of a good employment lawyer in the twin cities?

I stumbled across this website about a family in NYC that is trying to make as small of an impact on the environment as possible. The measures they take could be considered extreme, but there are so many useful tips on conserving, recycling and reusing. Check it out.

It is slightly disconcerting to come home from an ordinary day at school and read mysterious posts about people's mortality. My panic mode set in once I scrolled down and read everyone else's entries.

I'm sorry to hear about this enormously stressful event and I hope all of you are safe, both physically and emotionally. My first instinct was to call my parents, then others I knew who would be affected. It is so thoroughly a relief to be able to have internet and see people notify electronically. Be it as it may that I am all the way out here, my thoughts are still with you.

Edit: I received a phone call from a 952 number today and didn't think anything of it, but now I wish I had answered.

Last Tuesday we went wakeboarding. They say the hardest part is getting up. It looked so easy when the others did it, so I figured it would take a little getting used to, but that I'd get it in no time. The sky was overcast and, once in a while, we'd get rain. Fuzzy rain, as they'd call it in China. Despite the overcast weather, the water was still. The only waves were the ones created by the boat. Every once in a while another boat would speed by; most of the time, it was just us out there. I didn't realize how hard this sport is until I got into the water and immediately fell into panic mode. It was cold, unpleasant and deep. I had an uneasy feeling that there was some creature lurking underneath and that any movement I made only make me look more enticing. Yet for some strange reason, I felt a sense of security as I strapped my feet into the wakeboard. The first time is the hardest. I lurch and immediately fall face first. The water is uninviting and a lot of it goes up my nose. The second time is not much better. I hear encouragement and advice to keep my knees bent. There's a point at which you no longer need to wade water and can stand up, but I am not there. I'm lying on my back with the board strapped to me, like a baby at her baptism. I give the signal and hold on tight, my elbows tucked close to me. The boat gains speed and once again I meet the splash of water. It takes a while before the driver rounds back and picks me up, and each time I mentally prepare myself for failure.

Let go. My hands are starting to burn and I wonder why. It's not until much later when I realize I've been holding so tight that I don't let go when I need to. Third and fourth and fifth and sixth. I lose count of how many times I've waded, with my knees bent and board almost flush against the water edge until I lose control, all the while still tethered to a speeding boat. The excitement is waning and my body is feeling the weight of so much water. I tell myself, one more, just one more.

Go. There's a technique in acupuncture where you imagine yourself as an open vessel. Often when we needle, it's not so much about pressing the needle in, as allowing the needle to penetrate and enter the body. When both the acupuncturist and patient are open and aware, the needling isn't painful or awkward. If the intention is to allow the needle to go to the level of qi, the movement is smoother, easier, gentler. It's so naive to get caught up in thinking about finding the right spot or making sure the needle achieves de qi, but the first moment of contact is so eye-opening, so pure, that it's no longer about the needle. That's the beauty of acupuncture. And that's the beauty of life. When you let go, and no longer worry about the logistics, the magic happens. It's a floaty feeling and the air is crisp and the world is new. That's how I felt when I finally got to wakeboard. After so many trials and errors, I was walking on water. No, I was flying on water. For those scant minutes, everything was as it should. And then I fell again, but that is to be expected.

For several days after, my hands felt raw and I couldn't grip or hold anything. The inflammation from my tendons being stretched hurt. I'm looking forward to the next time. May be I'll only fall once or twice.

As a bookend for my break, we're going to the Oregon Country Fair tomorrow! Whenever I mention this to anyone, they snicker and say you mean run around with a bunch of dirty hippies out in the woods? Oh yes.

Last Friday came and went as if it were any other day. I still don't quite know what to do with myself now that I don't need to be studying all day. What do people do for fun nowadays anyway?

( What has 2 eyes and a whole lot of free time? )

Today, I went berry picking with friends. We drove out to Kruger Farm and spent a couple of hours in the fields getting strawberries and raspberries. The strawberries are just beyond their peak time, so most of the plants were picked over and there are a lot of rotting ones laying around. However, the ones we did get are sooooooo sweet and delicious. Nothing quite like a belly full of fruit. We also got a couple cartons of raspberries. We're going to be berry'd out these next few days.

Friday night I had a great time dancing and hula hooping it up with my fellow classmates at the End of the Year Party. It's great to see my teachers and laugh and not worry and just let loose. For the dessert potluck, we brought cherries I picked from my yard, and those went quickly. The yield sucks this year, but whatever. Can't have everything.

( How bout them melons? )

Anadamous had a link to hers, so I wanted a link to mine. It's funnier from the inside.

Think back to a year ago. What were you doing?
Did you have a goal? Did you want to have a goal?

What did you think you would be doing a year from then?
Does it fit with what you are doing now? Are you happy with the result?

What about 5 years from now? Do you know what you want to be then?



And finally, does it matter?

Be green.

I've been absent lately..because I've been up in Vancouver! We hit upon good fortune and had a spell of fine weather while we were up there. We weren't so lucky in the food department, which lead to an entire afternoon spent wandering the streets looking for (good) fare to fill our stomaches. In the end we were defeated and went back to our hotel. It was ironic how every time we decided on a new venue, the food source would be scarce and the minute we decided against that particular style of food, it would pop up everywhere. tempting us. All in all, we ate well, very well. On the one night we crazy-splurged, we ordered fresh crab (~3lb), scallops with broccoli(not Chinese?) and a shiitake with baby bok choy. I think we were surprised at how much we managed to stuff into our bellies. The dim sum on the way out of the city was fabulous. I can still imagine the taste of the scallop taro fried things. Soooo good. Also, note to self: always eat the yellow stuff inside the crab shell. We were almost scolded for leaving it alone. It's a little strong for my taste, but with some sauce, it does produce some good results.

We spent the last half of the day in Chinatown, perusing through the pharmacies and stores to find good deals on Chinese medicine. It made us both giddy to see familiar herbs and instruments. I was very tempted to buy a big clay pot to boil herbs, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Anyway, I have pictures.

My head feels different without its usual 12 inches attached. I haven't had hair this short since Cuba, which may or may not be a good thing. Either way, I'm glad I'm finally doing something that I feel I've neglected, which is to help the community. I still need to mail out the ponytail.

Anyway, spring break! I am officially halfway through this program. 1.5 years and I will (boards willing) be a certified acupuncturist/bodyworker/herbalist. It's crazy to think how little I've done, yet how much I've learned, over these past couple of years. I hope the hair I cut off will retain some of that magic for the recipient to appreciate. Who knows, perhaps it will inspire some cancer patient to took towards complementary medicine!

During this break, I'm hoping to write my essay for the AOM conference I want to attend in New Orleans. As I was typing this sucker out, I realized that my writing has really gone to the dogs. I can't formulate well-organized thoughts and the flow's all wrong, so I thought I'd take a look at my essay for coming to OCOM. Looking back at my thoughts before coming here has inspired and reinvigorated my desire for learning. It's like falling in love all over again. yeay!

The cherry trees are making their annual foliage..or should I say falliage? It's so pretty (when it's not raining). And whoever says it's pretty is just garbage.

J and I woke up from a late nap (8pm!) and then met up with some friends for Balderdash. I think all those years of lying and making up stuff has really preped me for this game. Sure, I had some help from J, but who else would come up with Hardboiled Canary is a movie about a prison inmate who aspires to become an opera singer or that Hircismus is a Greek term for a ratio greater than the Golden Mean? And yes, I now know that the term is Latin, not Greek.

It's snowing here! School's been canceled because of the 2 or so inches.

...it's snowing!

We had mahjong night last Friday. It was a blast because I mucked up the instructions and only managed to figure out what the real rules were after 3 or 4 games. Some of us were even "in the phonebooth". What brought more giggles was the fact that we got to say "take from the magical end".

January
It's 7:30pm on a Wednesday night. I've been up for 12 hours now. Class from 9am. Breaks of 10 minutes. Set over a period of 9.5 hours. The day draws out from a winding spindle of coarse twine, rolling unevenly in my fingers. I can feel the thickness wax and wane along my skin. I let it go and follow its path. I stop to check if it's me moving or if it's the spindle. Still the same as always.

February
26 That's how many years it's taken me to get here. In numerology, it is 1, which is all about the beginning. These last few months, I've been going through cycles of death and renewal. Gregorian calendar. Chinese calendar. And finally it is the karmic calendar. I went through a phase in middle school where I read a lot about palmistry, numerology, astrology and all sorts of personality tests that determined what kind of person I was. It is only now that I realize how desperately I was searching. A dog spinning round and round after its tail. However, the seedlings are freshly planted and soon will sprout their lovely green heads to join with the tai yang.

March
Spooning is the new hug.

April
The cherry blossoms are slowly making their way to the pavement. There was a week when I would bike/walk along a street that was completely lined with cherry trees. It felt like Japan everywhere I went. The magic never ends. I can see why people still celebrate. This week's weather has been absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't not justify riding my bike. Actually, I would feel guilty if I didn't. Everywhere there are flowers blossoming, blooming, budding. It's a burst of light red, dark pink, pale pink and shiny pearl. The colors; they really enter the heart.

May
Also, the diaphragm is an awesome thing. You should totally make love to it by breathing. deeply. And again.

June
Molly's moved in with her man and now the house is emptier than ever. I have 3 cats here and it makes me feel a bit strange, even if they aren't mine. At school, there are 2 individuals who have taken ill. One of my classmates has contracted a flesh-eating bacteria and is fighting for his life, while another person, who works at the school, has some strange cancer. Both of them are in critical condition. In the back of my mind, I wonder what's the link between those instances. My life, on the other hand, seems to have picked up emotionally, physically, academically. I haven't lived it with the rollercoaster that Molly has, yet I don't envy her path. Just as the Yin and Yang intermingle and transform into each other, it is inevitable that the cycle will continue; it's not a matter of what I can do to change, but how to allow the change to happen.

This morning, I was standing in the bathroom in front of the mirror and I realized that one of my molars was loose.

July
Ah, it was hand-foot-and-mouth disease all along. And here I thought the kid had rabies or something. Good thing there are meds for it, right? There's no meds? What do you mean I have to wait this out? Who makes these rules??
Day 5 complete! Only 2 more to go.

August
I'm back! Yeay for Portlandia!

September
Year 2.

October
I love you. iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouI whisper. The words echo in my head and don't seem to escape. Not the way that's natural. A part of me wants him to hear it, but a larger part wants him to know it. In fact, I don't want him to hear it, I want him to feel it. It's wishful mirroring.

November
we, Average Americans, have totally lost touch with our diets. Healthy eating? Doesn't just mean organic, whole foods. It means researching, understanding, locating foods that are suitable for your person.

December

I'm in San Jose! Give me a buzz if you'd like to partake in shenanigans. I have this week to fool around, but the second (and last) week is all business; my parents will be joining us. My sister mentioned whale-watching and Le Sur to me when I was picked up from the airport. So nice to be in the loop. At least it's not snake-rassling or cheetah groping.

Also, I don't know how this managed to slip past my grubby myopic clutches, but Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia is here. Chow Yun-Fat! Gong Li! Jay Chou!? I expect the usual technicolor megalomania.

Finals are over! I still can't believe it. A test a day keeps the...sleep away? I really got my crazy on this week. At least I didn't cause pneumothorax.

So the break is here and I have no plans. I'm off to my sister's for a couple of weeks, partly to take care of Ian, partly to check in on the fam. Right now it's relax with J and begin preparing for the Clinic Entrance Exams.

Giovanni Maciocia (of the tongue gallery fame) is coming to my school to discuss the Eight extraordinary channels. These are the channels that form when you are in the womb, which to some also indicate some level of genetic influence. Because of Maciocia's prestige, we're going to have to pay for the 2-day affair. I still haven't decided if I'm going to shell out the bones for that.

Oh yes, I'm going to a rubiks cube party tonight. The idea is that you dress up in each of the colors of the cube and the objective is then to trade/barter/shed layers until you are completely one color. All I can say it, thank goodwill I've managed to accumulate such a spasmochromatic wardrobe.

Lastly, cell phone plans: t-mobile versus sprint?

we, Average Americans, have totally lost touch with our diets. Healthy eating? Doesn't just mean organic, whole foods. It means researching, understanding, locating foods that are suitable for your person.

Our Western Pathology class did presentations on weight management. We were assigned to present on research that has been done on all aspects of obesity, satiety and diet. What's the conclusion? As the average American diet has become infiltrated by high fructose corn syrup and decreased in fiber intake, and with the sedentary lifestyles and a general weight-obsessed (versus health-conscious) culture, we've seen an explosion of obesity, metabolic syndrome (precursors of diabetes) and diabetes 2.

High fructose corn syrup is in everything. Like, everything. Sometimes "low fat" foods are the worse culprit. These empty calories don't equate to satiety, so you end up feeling hungry after a short period of time. The main culprit is the HFCS and simple carbohydrates. How does a person feel full without eating more? Fiber. What's better? Add a little fat (butter/cheese). Your small intestine will really love you for that.

Choices on fiber.

A recent article in Discover discussed epigenetics, a new thing that deals with changing genetics through environment. Through smart dieting, they managed to change the offspring, which carried the repaired gene for several generations. From one of the researchers: It was a little eerie and a little scary to see how something as subtle as a nutritional change in the pregnant mother rat could have such a dramatic impact on the gene expression of the baby.

Extremes
A classmate of mine, who's a personal trainer, talked about how difficult it was to change people's perception of weight loss. He said that one of the best ways to decrease body fat percentage is to increase muscle. However, woman aren't willing to do that because it means an increase in weight. Others who have reached a certain level want to push further, lose more weight, but there is a point at which the body is at homeostasis and doesn't want to lose more fat. It wants the fat, which is useful and protective. It would rather start stripping muscle in order to get its energy sources. That's why marathon runners run the risk (harhar) of losing too much muscle. They are already so low in fat that the body is too stubborn to lose any more, so it will begin cannibalizing the muscles to get its energy. And when you get to the extreme of those who are dangerously thin, the body shuts down processes in order to maintain homeostasis, so things like reproduction (menses) are struck from the list of things to attend to.

If it worked smashingly well, would you wear it?

This weekend has been a glut of dvds. We started off the holiday with some Dear Wendy, which was typical Lars Von Trier tripe, in that it was thoughtful, strange, and totally depressing. So I guess it was more gizzard than tripe. Then we did some cardio with Dave Chappelle. Ask a Black Guy rules. Then Friday was An Inconvenient Truth. I like the presentation. A little dry on the humor, though. And last night was Unknown White Male. Boy, talk about putting a downer on the holidays. The documentary wasn't particularly technically saavy, but the content engaged us for most of it.

I watched an interview with director Thomas Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier, who was not how I expected him to be. Mr. Von Trier had a warmer presence than the cold-blooded, peurile and malevolent monster I had imagined him to be. I mean, c'mon: Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, and even to some extent Dear Wendy. It's almost as if once he transfered over to the US, he lost that deadly touch. I almost picked up Manderlay, but realized that he would only kill everyone off with a swiftness. Then again, I can't entirely dismiss a man who was once quoted as saying There are a lot of Americans I sympathise with very much, but not the Government right now, no. We just do not agree on politics, but that's not being Anti-American. I am critical about a country with a system that allows so many losers. I think that is wrong.

Listening to the commentary on Chappelle's show made me realize that co-creater/EP is a white guy.

Jet lag. It's that time of year again! Lots of traveling and craziness. How do you get over a silly 1hour2hourXhour time difference? Through acupuncture! Actually, without the use of needles, there are certain points you can press (with a good amount of pressure) to help you adjust to the new "time". It's really quite simple. There are a couple of different ways of using this technique, but for the most part, they all involve the same acupoints and will require that you understand (and locate precisely) Horary points. These points are based on the Chinese Medicine clock (of the flow of qi). It is based on the idea that during a 2 hour period, a specific meridian is at its height, or most active. Also, when points on each meridian are parsed according to Five Element Theory, a specific point on the meridian would be the horary point. If this doesn't make much sense, look at the diagram. The horary point should be the most active during its 2-hour period. So the idea is that your body is circulating at a different place in the cycle than where you end up. Stimulating your body according to the horary points of your place of arrival will help your body adjust to the new time zone.

The most common procedure is:
1. Begin stimulating the Horary point for local (destination) time at departure.
2. Every 2 hours, stimulate the new horary point for local (destination) time.
3. Once you arrive at the destination, your body should be adjusted to the local time.
4. If you're hardcore, you can continue stimulating every 2 hours until you've completed a 24 hour cycle. And no, you don't need to wake up during your sleeping hours; just resume the stimulatin' when you wake up.
Here is a fantastic article from the guy who started it.

Also, there's an interesting article about air travel. It mentions a number of factors leading to discomfort on and after a flight.

Also, I hear for an ankle sprain (especially if it's been chronic), try rehab by writing the alphabet using your (sprained) foot. This helps the brain reacquaint to the spatial location and motion of the ankle. Apparently, after a sprain, the long-term lack of use and misuse of the ankle maps its location incorrectly, leading to chronic injury. I don't know how true this all is, but that's what my tuina TA told me, so it's worth a try. He's the one who's seen patients with all sorts of musculoskeletal issues. Plus, the advice makes sense.

Woah! Would you try acupuncture in a pill?

After spending a lovely long weekend with MN folks, we went down to Bagby hot springs for some relaxation before school started. It was absolutely perfect. Bagby is located in the Mount Hood National Forrest and it's free for anyone who buys a park pass. There are several wooden huts with wooden tubs in each. There is an irrigation system built that links the hot spring to each individual tub, with a well nearby of cold water, so you can adjust your temperature as you see fit. The 2-person tubs are in private stalls and the larger tubs may also be sectioned off. It really was fun. I brought cheese curds and jerky I bought from Tillamook and fruit from my yard. It was a redneck's delight!

The weather's been absolutely gorgeous these past few days...until we started class yesterday. Now it can't stop being all gloomy and wet. Welcome back, Portland!

What's your definition of a floozy?

I miss the thunderstorms. there is that instant when anything can happen. But that moment has passed.
Skin on flesh. flesh on bone. bone on emptiness. As Thea Elijah mentioned in her keynote speech, we are mostly space. What occupies that space depends on the erratic and projectable behavior of probabilities. How is this different than the shake of yarrow sticks, or the roll of a die? If one thinks in predictions, then the outcome will always be predictable. But thinking outside of the box is the same as thinking inside the box, right? We are both matter and waves. we are both empty and full. We are both male and female. There is no I or you. Everything is a reflection of myself. Or rather, everything I perceive is merely a judgement on myself. You are not a digusting person; you are a reflection of what I see in myself. a projection of predictable behavior. I do not exist. I exist everywhere and you exist everywhere. But how can we occupy the same space? how can we be both you and me, and yet not you and not me? at one point, an electron from me took up space in an electron of you. we are integral. saying you miss me is not the same as saying I miss you. by definition, everything is nothing. You are nothing.

Allopathic medicine is about contra-balancing. Use like with dislike. Homeopathic medicine is like against like. I see antibiotics as the eXtreme version of this. Oriental medicine is a combination of both, in that there are herbs that are used to balance while others are meant to enhance. these are mere simplifications of the philosophy of each paradigmn, but I don't see any conflicts between them. The methods used to draw a circle will always be different amongst different people. How do you tie your shoe laces?

This last weekend has flown by. I went to a seminar on the Balance method (aka Richard Tan style) of acupuncture. Another tool. Just as acupuncture is so useful for pain relief, herbs are wonderful for internal imbalances and massage is ideal for musculoskeletal misalignment, this style will be extraordinarily beneficial for a beginning practitioner. I'm excited to try this out when I get around to actually sticking needles in people. I didn't realize who the speaker was until I arrived. Once the realization hit, I was kind of in awe. It slowly sunk in that this the man who started using this style and it's made quite a difference in the effectiveness in certain treatments. He had none of the ego attached to someone who goes everywhere and lectures. Instead, he had the ego of someone who is business-oriented yet compassionate. He sounded like Mr. Miyagi a lot of the time, though, and he made a lot of crude jokes, but it was enjoyable to be listening to him and learning the system.

Saturday evening was spent in the company of Katie and Adam in Berkley. We ate pizza from a co-op and shared desserts at a raw foods place. Hippies, I tell ya.

Going out to Half Moon bay on Sunday was nice and relaxing, albeit kind of chilly. I didn't even go in the water (because I'm a wuss). So far, I've accomplished very little this summer, but I am enjoying some if it. Time seems to be passing at a rate proportional to my focus. Feeling very anxious yet bored. Good thing the upcoming school year will eat all remaining boredom from my brain.

Where's teh qi when I need it?

I've seen more Chinese+other kids here and it's still unnerving when one of them pipes up in perfect Chinese. It, like, makes me embarrassed.

Need an acupuncturist who does Tan style in MN?

I miss Portland. and Minneapolis. And Japan.