paratus taiwan

Currently low on cash so I can't renew my picasa account, so I created a flickr. Better than nothing.

Regarding Chinese medicine

Recently in class I was chuckled at for saying that I would take medicine if I had diarrhea. Really? This followed a conversation in which each person said what they would do, and since my class is predominated by Koreans and Japanese people it seemed that herbal remedies were the best medicine for just such an occasion.

Discussing it after lunch with my Korean classmate, I was told apparently Asians believe Western medicine to be harmful to the health because it's not natural. I know he by no means represents all of Asian, and While I agree Western medicine has its faults, I would much rather choose that rather than herbal medicine. Why? Scrutiny. Chinese medicine no doubt has its merit, but I'm supposed to believe it works because it addresses flow issues with the unproven concept of "chi" or success rate is based on the anecdotal evidence of believers who may very well be subject to the almighty power of the placebo? No. If it works, then it should be researched. Why does it work? I'm not going to deny the benefits of herbal medicine, or deny that America is most certainly over-medicated. What I am not going to do, however, is simply resign to herbal, Chinese, new age, etc. medicine working because "it just does" or some other equally illogical reason.

To avoid ranting and making a poor argument I'll stop there and maybe pick it up later when I've done more than react, BUT this article and video about sums up my viewpoint:

Credibility

mini-update

My landlady/English student asked me for my e-mail last Friday so that she could send me some stuff about Mid-autumn festival and general Taiwan culture. I said sure. I promptly got about 55 e-mails, and they're still coming.

Hurray?