More on Acupuncture

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I was learning acupuncture, and had been attending a course. The instructor told us that acupuncture was particularly effective in treating the following illness (read: possibly better than Western medicine):

• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Irregular heartbeat
• Coronary heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Gastritis
• Facial paralysis
• Headache/migraine
• Stroke

So, if you have been plagued by such illness, it’s time to look for an acupuncturist.

Of course, acupuncture is no panacea. You still need to complement it with other forms of medication or therapy.

The King

No, this is not a post about Elvis Presley...

I had a short trip to Bangkok with my parents in August.

One night, I was walking by King Rama I Road. I wanted to cross the road to get to Siam Discovery Center. But as I was approaching the pedestrian overpass, I was stopped by a police. I knew what was going to happen, as I had similar experience before…

As I had expected, a limousine carrying royal family members sped by shortly. You got the idea: we lowly people can’t be above the monarch in any way.

But I wonder why Buddhist monks do not enjoy the same level of privilege…

If you have been to Thailand, I am sure you notice that portraits of the royal family are ubiquitous in the Land of Smile. You see them at road junctions, on the wall of buildings, and in calenders. The state propaganda machine constantly reminds the people how King Bhumibol has sacrificed for his subjects, therefore all Thais must love his majesty.

The ‘Yellow Shirts’ certainly love the royal family. They ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom they believed had shown disrespect to the King. (Thaksin denied this accusation.)

Well, I can’t write too much here. You know, I am wary of Thailand’s notorious lèse majesté law…

Learning Acupuncture

I have been learning acupuncture lately. I attended a short course in a local university. The course was conducted by a lecturer from the Faculty of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I know some of you will ask, “Isn’t it dangerous to prick a needle in the body?” Well, to be sure I am not a daredevil too. I do it very cautiously. In particular, so far I only choose ‘acupuncture points’ on my arms and legs, which are considerably less risky to apply the needle.

Here are a few points I have used:

• Hegu (合谷) – alleviates fever
• Zusanli (足三里) – relieves stomach discomfort
• Sanyinjiao (三陰交) – relieves stomach discomfort; also relieves menstrual pain
• Xingjian (行間) – refreshes tired eyes