TTM travels

goodbye until the next time

signing off from this blog for a while, until my next journey anyway.

It has been an intense and spectacular experience and I offer up my gratitude forever to everyone who was involved in making it so. And thank you to those at home who cheered me by sending texts and emails and messages. They were my life line some days when I felt every one of the ten thousand kilometres between me and mine.

So its back to normal programing on the Buttercupchappati channel, see you there!

Last day

Much of which will be spent wrestling with my packing, and then tonight a goodbye dinner with Sonam and Lhamo and maybe the Handsome Dr and his wife. Tibetan food of course, must have my last chance for momo's.

I have just been for a walk though because the sun is out and its quite a mild day. Sunday is a universal family day I guess and there were lots out enjoying the sun too.

Last night I caught up with Menpa Machig on his was back from Lhasa, he had escorted his teacher home. He was a bit tired because he had to come on the train, a plane ticket impossible to get this week. Fortunately, because he is a tall tall man, he had a sleeper; very uncomfortable for someone with such long legs to sit up for 24 hours. We had a nice dinner and made some plans for a future visit and a few other things. Classic rLung food for a classic rLung type - meat, momo's, and more meat!

While part of me is not ready to leave, a bigger part is starting to look forward to the comforts of home, what a lush life we live in Australia. And it will be so good to see everyone again!

I am missing my morning coffee from my espresso machine, and toast, and a glass of red wine will be welcome. And strange to say, dim sims! (Not that I eat them so often at home, but when you can't have something... ) Funny I know, but of course Aussie dim sims have very little to do with Chinese food; and in this part of China soy sauce is never served at the table, the only condiments are red chili and black vinegar.

I am going to miss my lovely nomad ladies, all so beautiful, especially the old ladies. And i never get bored of looking at yaks. Never ever was bored at either of the hospitals, although I think my working room in Mahlo was my favourite, looking out across the horse race grounds, the chorten, the nomad camps and far mountains. Oh who am I kidding, Mahlo always wins, in any contest!

I was awake for a while thinking last night and can't believe the time has come to an end. So fast! And I can't believe it was me that did all these things.

Spoke to Mathew this week, which was really good. "London is awesome, why didn't anyone tell me? Why doesn't everyone live here?" Yep, he has been drinking the red cordial. He is about to weasel favour with Kay by making her Anzac biscuits....

And I am throwing that terrible white coat out, I will buy one which actually fits next time!

Kokonor and back again

Well a long day spent on my bum in the car, which I'm sure I will pay for on the treatment table tomorrow. Had to pass on todays massage as the Kokonor Dr drove up bright and early wanting to take me back to see the progress on the building before i leave.

So after some steamed dumplings for breakfast, off we went. Traffic was not too bad being mid week, weekends it is bumper to bumper, but it still took a good two and a half hours.

It was cold and bleak when we arrived with a very biting wind coming off the lake. The mustard (the main crop of the area) has finished flowering, so the travelling bee keepers have moved their hives away to other collecting places and instead the roadside is lined with their small tents selling the honey. So no more fields of gold, just small jars of gold to take home.

Its about six or seven weeks since I was here and the progress even in that time is amazing. Allowing for the natural slow down of works during the winter months, he expects it to be finished in about ten months and the clinic fully operational about six months after that.

This will make more sense when i put up the photos when i get home, but it is a big multi building project with other business lease opportunities being built next to the clinic, restaurants, shops, things like that which will also generate income for him.

As i said when i first visited this trip, although our hospital had been forced demolished, the original clinic which had been next for demolition, is still there. The new plan is to renovate it to provide some inpatient facilities.

And guess what, we are all helping!

There are other plans afoot now, including some sponsorship opportunities for kids from small rural villages to study Tibetan medicine and some womens health initiatives, you'll be hearing from me soon!

I am so happy that this has turned around, last year was devastating and if you know anything about me at all, you will know that i hate feeling helpless in any way.

And then after lunch we got back in the car and headed back to Xining. Just another day burning up and down the highway, i think i have my own hole in the ozone layer!

Tired but happy. Taking on something like the study and practice of TTM also means giving back to the country and culture of its origin, so ensuring young tibetans get a chance to become Menpas is important to me; and that there are opportunities for tibetans to choose TTM for health care in the country that evolved it.

Last song from Aku Pema tomorrow, until next time!

look after your body!

I clearly haven't been, is my thought as today I kind of hobble back to the hotel. And I thought she had found all the whimper points yesterday... not!

And to make it worse, the Handsome Dr dropped by to say hello while I was on the table, and its hard to look all sauve and together while pounding the pillow with your fist in pain. Does it hurt he asks, boys!

Tserang has located a spot at the base of my spine that has clearly been biding its time. She offers a few tuts of sympathy but is a woman on a mission. Today I had cupping as well as the ku nye and hot oil treatment. Tomorrow I am expecting nothing less than amputation. But have to admit I slept straight through for nearly ten hours last night after yesterdays session.

It is nice to be back with some internet connection, this hotel has free wifi. Its quite nice, newish. The rooms are clean and comfortable but pretty small. There is a tastic heater in the bathroom for which I am more grateful every day as it gets colder.

There is also a lounge bar restaurant area which means I dont have to sit in my room on the bed. As a guest I don't have to order stuff to sit here, and they will bring endless glasses of hot water. There are books and magazines left by other visitors, and for warmer days and nights, a large deck area. They also have best collection of mix tapes from the seventies and eighties. Its hilarious to have some tea and a bop along to the Bee Gees or the Carpenters.

There is one song here that transcends all racial barriers, and is played relentlessly, even as ringtones, that anthem from the movie Titanic. Not having seen the movie I am not sure about the significance, but everyones heart is going on, apparently.

Ooh, the Top Gun theme...

This morning I took the bus to have a wander through a different part of the city. There is a large geological musuem I would like to look through, this region is rich in all kinds of stone, gems and crystals, but am yet to work out the opening times. I'm down with when its closed, whenever I go so far...

Dont Cry For Me Argentina, always popular....

Anyway, on my walk I was really struck by the many many shops selling gift boxes of medicines. Things like the cordyceps sinensis. This does puzzle me a bit, what's the message? Here is something for you, I respect your business practices, would like something from you, so am expressing my concern about your errectile dysfunction?

Oh oh, By The Rivers of Babylon, I might never leave...

Ku Nye!

I have just staggered back from the hospital after 3 hours of massage and herbal oil treatment, awesome!

Being a year since my last massage, here actually, Tserang found sore spots I did not know about. Tiny thing with such strong hands, she just laughed at my whimpering. Am going back every day this week. I had been dying to try the hot oil treatment and its really good, will try to replicate the mixture when i get home, without the pig fat maybe.

It was a good reminder about how much there is to learn from receiving therapies not just giving them. And as always i make resolution while on the table to take more time for receiving treatments myself. Its a good plan anyway...

This morning i made my ritual trip to the market for an extra bag to bring stuff home, medicines this year, no chuba. (Spelling and punctuation alert, am keying with one finger on tbe mini-tablet thingy - Darth)

Have laid out a little money on some red coral. Not big pieces, not being a Rockerfeller! But genuine i felt and when i got to mahlo it was well checked out by everyone with approval all around. The nomads love love love their coral. So now i am a proper tibetan woman - sort of - with my coral and my sparkly earrings. And my leathery skin, i bless Noryung every night as i slather myself with the lotion she gave me.

Kokonor Dr comes to visit tomorrow, he wants me to go back with him to see the buildings, now near completion, but then added that his wife is in hospital, so i think he doesnt need to be ferrying me up and down the highway, its a good two hour drive at least, more if the traffic is bad. Anyway, i am booked in for more torture/healing!

man proposes

And God disposes, isn't that the saying, I like Robbie Burns better, with his plans of mice and men gang oft aglay.

To extend my visa was such a huge engerprise I caved and am heading home at the end of the month. Its all good, its been an amazing two months and plans are afoot for a return to Mahlo next year. Which gives me even more time to expand my tibetan, don't know about the mongolian and chinese, next life perhaps.

Dropped by the hospital in Xining to book some treatments for myself and was greeted like a long lost child which was lovely. And got dragged along to watch some patients receive moxa seeing as i was there...

In dire need of a massage, think the last one I had was when here last year!

The Kokonor dr is coming to visit during the week, and with some little bits of shopping, i think this last week will fly, but really the whole time has flown. Only sorry that i won't get back to Mahlo to say goodbye to everyone but there is no point in burning up and down the distance again. Will phone and send my messages with Menpa Machig when I see him on saturday.

So feeling very content after a bit of a mixed up and confusing time. And home will be very good!

summer in Mahlo

There was snow on the ground when I left Mahlo this morning, and we drove through falling snow for nearly an hour. Thats summer for you at 3,800 metres!

Such a beautiful landscape, and I had such a nice driver who was happy to stop for photos. (And he didn"t smoke, play dreadful music or make me keep the window closed! I was more than happy to shout him lunch when we stopped for a break in Rebkong. It was a shocking drive today, the road was awful.)

So, leaving Mahlo this morning helped me make up my mind, I am not ready to go, so pending an extension of visa tomorrow, i will go back with Menpa Machig when he returns on the weekend and spend anotber two weeks. There, i feel better now the dithering has stopped.

While waiting I will have some ku nye treatments at the hospital and then cloister myself for three days for a Dorje Gortrab retreat, cant go to Gonlahka, the road is broken, no cars can get through.

And i have only worried about Mathew a few times today! Yes really.

Feeling far away today...

Mathew flies out to London tonight for an extended stay, so although I have already said my goodbyes and hugged him blue in the face, today I am embarrasing myself in the internet cafe leaving surreptitious tear stains on the key board while I write him a sentimental motherly email. Sniff.

Also it is freezing cold, the weather has snapped into wintery as it does here, could still be nice and sunny tomorrow, but today I am wearing all my thermals and when in my room, sit under the quilt to keep warm - with my jacket on! Must not give in to temptation and rush out and buy yet another chuba to keep warm! And no hospital today, so no work and no multi-lingual chat. One of the doctors had offered to take me to visit a monastery today but that had to be re-scheduled.

IT has been busy, I loose track of how many patients in a day. We are having The Return of the Yuk Cho. I had done it on a few people, then before I knew it, there are queues, some waiting and some just looking. I had given my sticks to Dr Nyima in Xining because they are much better than the ones he had and he has such an interest in it, now I am a bit sorry, I should have given them to him later! Oh well. The ones here are ok, sort of...

Most of the therapies are strong and act quickly so I am not sure that the people will have the patience for the yuk cho to work, but they certainly like it. I am doing lots of moxa under the stern eye of Menpa Machig, I got a nod of approval. It is strong and expected to leave a small burn. We even blow on the burning cone with a small hose to make it really burn well! Try not to look at the wincing face if you are the torturer, and if you are a relative, give them advice along the lines of man up, it doesn't hurt that much. (It does)

I have bought my medicines and now have a large santa sack to try and fit into the case.

So now I am in decision place, I am quite tired and tempted to just come home at the end of this month, which will be two months away, or get an extension on the visa and spend more time with Menpa Machig, which is always wonderful. But being a bit emotional today, its not the best time to decide. The pull of home is very strong...

I love you Mathew and know you will have a fantastic time in London, I am very proud of you and have no doubt that you will be awesome at whatever you decide to do.

If you could smell me,

but maybe you can! Its a fetching mixture of butter, juniper smoke and yak dung. Why? Because I have had a ring side seat at a fire puja for two days in a row!

Since last year, the new hospital has been completed. So at the moment there is a long and important Yuthok practice going on to bless the new hospital. A special teacher has even been bought in from Lhasa to officiate and all the doctors are taking part. This one is not done very often, and is a men only affair! However we are allowed in to circumambulate the mandala house, and are allowed to loiter in the doorway watching from time to time. And Menpa Machig let us in to take photos during the lunch break which was very kind. I dont know the details of the puja exactly, it went for hours both days, and it seemed the whole town had turned out to watch. As visitors we were given special seats right near the fire!

For this first week, the lovely Anya has been here with me, a very welcome surprise. She is a student from Russia I met last year, and has been here for a couple of weeks. So it was nice to have someone here for a while. She went home today and I will miss her, we have had fun.

Lots of patients to treat, lots of moxa, cupping, and lots and lots of bloodletting. Some of the old ladies that they bring in look about 200 years old, with two walking sticks, and when we ask where is the pain, the list is endless! Well, yes, at their age and after the hard lives they have lived, they have pain. Sometimes it is hard when there is not a lot we can do.

The patients often take us to their home for lunch, and the doctors have offered us dinner with their families. Menpa must eat is the refrain - menpa is doctor. One lady who came for treatment, and her sister who works at the hospital took us for lunch to a hot pot restaurant, wait for it, with kareoke! It was hysterical. We were force fed huge amounts of food and then they wanted us to sing! So funny.

A more normal lunch is tea, bread and tsampa. Sometimes yoghurt too, and a special dish called torma. it is like a root and tastes like red beans. It is served with lots of butter, sugar, sometimes rice and sometimes yoghurt. It is very nice and is offered to guests as it is supposed to be good for longevity. After no butter at all since I left home, on the first day I was given enough in a bowl of tsampa to last a family for a week. Menpa must eat.

One of the young doctors also took us out and bought us both a pair of very sparkly earrings so we could look like proper Tibetan women. Very sparkly... She is a lovely girl, Tsering, and she speaks a little english. She bought her mum in for a treatment, her Dad was too chicken!

It is a big change from Xining where most of the patients were men, here it is mostly women. And after you have trreated someone, when they see you in the street, it is a big occasion and we have conversations where we all talk in our own languages, and know exactly what is being said!

All the nomads are sporting their new winter chubas so I am guessing the cold weather is not too far off.

I am just back from an overnight trip to Xining. I had completely forgotten there is no bank in Mahlo and I want to buy medicines here. So six hours drive each way and an overnight stay in Xining. I could take the bus which is cheap but it takes over 10 hours, so I am a spoiled westener and get a car. I felt very proud - I found the place where you find them and negotiated a price all by myself. It was most entertaining for them all anyway. There was snow on the mountains on the way through.

For those who are asking, Lhasa is not going to happen this time. There are all sorts of reasons which I won't bore you with here, but mostly it is a matter of complex permissions and great expense. For every day I am there I would have to hire a guide, a driver and a car, even for any days I may be spending observing at the hospital. So I think that program can wait for another time. It was a bit disappointing but it will be there for another time. Its very difficult to travel there as an individual.

I was laughing the other day when I saw a little boy on his way to school with an icecream for breakfast, then ten steps later was one having one of those red chicken feet! There is a two hour lunch break from school and it is not uncommon to see the kids serving in their families restaurants at lunchtime. Most of the restaurants have large pictures of food on the walls, so we can just point and hope for the best. So far so good!

Hello from the grasslands.

I am here in this beautiful place once again. I will see the Dr this afternoon and work out what my schedule will be. I hope to take the Lum (bath) treatment again as it was so beneficial for the arthritis last time.

The drive from Xining takes about 6 or 7 hours depending on the road. That is by car, the bus takes 10 or 12. The road had its issues this time! Lots of rain means rock falls, flooding across the road and often detours because the road is just not there. So it was very Leyland Brothers for those of you old enough to remember them, even crossing a few little streams. Well at least that washed the mud from the car yes? And the driver was great, once we arrived too, helping me with the hotel and my bags.

But once we get through the mountains and up onto the highway through the grasslands the road is always great. As is the scenery, just wonderful.

Am feeling the extra 1000 metres altitude today, and last night it was cold enough for me to drag out the thermals!

Staying at the same hotel as last year, was going to try a different one, but its very busy for some reason and there was nothing else available. Its ok, just the beds are really really hard and the bathroom has shall we say, a unique aroma? I will try the others again in a few days.

On my own here, but have phone access to Sonam and Pema and my translator thingy so am not worried. Will force me to learn a little more language. I think I know more than I give myself credit for, but am a bit shy to try it out. That is sure to change!

Don't know how often I will be able to access the internet, so if there is nothing from me just be patient.

It is so busy! There is even a traffic light now, a portable one which is kept in the lobby of my hotel overnight. Although herds coming through have right of way!