Life is Change

Today my best friend Suzy returned home to DC, I found out that my tenure with my company back in DC will be ending in February, and that my parents wish to retire to Cape Town.

Though I expected my job to end, it was not news I was expecting to hear so soon, nor news that I was prepared to react to. Knowing that I had work allowed me to not dwell on the inevitable financial implications I will almost certainly encounter in the future - regardless of how much prior planning I had done. Further, the news of my parents wishing to move so far away from the reality I had become used to made me feel that much more isolated here than before.

Present reality had Suzy leave me today, upcoming reality will have me severing my ties to the people I've worked with for 8 years in the near future, and the possible reality of my parents moving from the current place which I call home to a new and unknown destiny had a triple compounding effect on an existing feeling of isolation on this island which I'll be calling home for 4 years while I study. A ticket to Cape Town from Kona would be a 31 hour of travel and $2,300.

It seems ludicrously funny to consider the potential reality that to see each other we will have to meet in odd places around the world like Amsterdam, London, or even New Delhi.

Who knows where we will all be with each school break and thereafter. Present reality has me fearing for my financial future with a house that I must pay for, a precarious tenant situation, and a housing market which precludes the sale of my house without my owing money to the bank.

I'm so glad that Suzy could visit - her trip here meant more to me than I can express. It felt so strange to show her around this place - this small rock in the middle of nowhere brimming with life and energetic turmoil.

The only thing one can rely on is that life is change. Stasis is the end. While there is movement, it isn't the end. The Yang interchanges into the Yin, and the Yin interchanges into the Yang in a constant interplay. The cyclical game of life continues its play while we humans settle into new routines and seek to control our environments, taking for granted the people, places, and things that define our lives. We continue to plot our lives in terms of making small carefully measured adjustments we call 'improvements', 'betterments', or 'differences'. All along, our illusion of a controlled life with expectations of how things will be can change into any alternate phantasmagoric fable at any second.

Attachment to any reality in particular will always result in pain. This same theory is expressed in Chinese Medicine wherein any pain in the body results from the stasis of blood, or Qi.

Pictures will follow.

Mana Road

I've not written for a while, but wanted to post some pictures from a trip up Mana road with my roommates from two weeks ago :)



We took the jeep down the dirt road that runs from Waimea to Hilo along Mauna Kea's North-eastern side. We got out of the truck several times - once to hike up the slopes and moo at the cows in the pasture.

The second stop, after opening and closing a gate behind us was to hike up a volcanic canyon. I startled a wild pig who was sleeping. She screeched and ran up the mountain slope. I was about four feet from her bower. I was glad it wasn't a boar with an appetite.

The drive was magical and the sunset was beautiful.

The First Day of Chinese Medical School

Reality...

I woke up this morning, and after some Qi Kung practice, found myself being very awake for the start of class. 14 hours later, I'm very tired and in need of rest. I have to get up at 7:15 tomorrow to make it to the next class.

The classes today were deceptively easy except one which is the Theory class which I expect will be very challenging. We have this professor for two classes and she is pure genius. I will tremendously enjoy every single one of her lectures I'm sure. She also happens to live two houses down from us. :)

Tomorrow's Medical Chinese Terminology, and Point Location class will no doubt complete my understanding of why the first year is as difficult as it is.

While feeling very gratified to be in the program, reality of the fact that studying this for the next four years has started to set in today. My walk to school, my walk back for lunch, and my walks back to school and home again were accompanied with the scenery I will be seeing, the temperature I will be feeling, and the community I will be living in for the next four years.

A certain reality for the predictable future has me feeling the gravity of my decision to become immersed in this. My former ways of life are not those of a student. Adjustment will be interesting. After being immersed in work for so long, and not having a mental vacation for a while, I feel the weight of this more heavily than I thought I would.

I don't feel healthy - I need to start my acupuncture treatment to get me back to the energy level and fortitude of spirit I will need to sustain myself at the level this trimester will require.

Today confirmed that I have the background that makes a lot of these concepts very at home for me. The next four years will fill in the depth I have wanted. Others in the class are seeing this fresh, and are as yet unaware of the depth that I know will be coming based on my interaction with acupuncturists on these topics, and my personal private study of Oriental Medicine and Herbology which foreshadows the immersion to come. In many ways it feels daunting because my brain seems full from work-related concerns.

Five Element Theory v.s. The 8 Principles...

Today, through questioning my professor I got to understand the nature of various schools of acupuncture - most notably, the distinction between TCM and Five Element Theory schools. I have intuitively known that the Five Element School is the subtle art which I wanted to pursue. The 8 Principles method aka Traditional Chinese Medicine, on the other hand is the Yang to the Yin of the Five Element School.

TCM & The 8 Principles...

The Principles are primarily concerned with:

• Yang & Yin
• Hot & Cold
• Excess & Deficiency
• Exterior & Interior

In this school, we go in depth with the 8 Principles, while schools like Tai Sophia go in depth with the Five Elements which are primarily concerned with the Generative & Control cycles of:

• Fire
• Earth
• Metal
• Water
• Wood

I do not regret my decision, because I now understand the implications and merits of each.

The Application of the Two Schools...

As confirmed by the prior article I found on Stir-fry v.s. Sushi, the analogy is contiguous. Japanese Traditional Acupuncture is Five Element based, but not as concerned with the depth of the Five Element School. Japanese Traditional Acupuncture is primarily concerned with excess and deficiency in each of the 5 phases, but does not contain the subtleties of the Five Element School which deal with Reduction/Control cycles - its schooling is different, and as yet not fully understood to me. I've been exposed to Five Element acupuncture with Tai Sophia, however.

Five Element School is more elegant in its approach and gets to the source of an elemental imbalance in the body - seeking to correct the imbalance. Once balance is restored, disease is eradicated. This school of thought is also best equipped to handle psycho-emotional conditions are is extremely effective at this level of healing.

The TCM school is more like a sledge hammer and is most effective in musculoskeletal disorders and deals with specific remedies based on the theories of the 8 Principles. While TCM will be able to address your back problems, for example, Five Element School will not be as effective. You will find tremendous healing with the Five Element School, but your back problems may persist for a decade without the specific approaches which lend themselves to immediate resolution with the TCM school.

The two schools are the specific concentrations of study into the same medical knowledge. There is a teacher here who also integrates a lot of the Five Element theory, but I will have to go to an intensive program or supplement my education with another degree program if I'm to get a well rounded education in Oriental Medicine. This seems to be analogous to why TCM schools offer a Masters of Science degree whereas Five Element schools offer Masters of Arts.

My understanding of these differences is cursory, and I'm sure once I've had a year under my belt, I will be able to speak more intelligently on the differences.

Regardless, this field offers so much to learn, that a lifetime will not be enough to attain mastery of these topics. At best, I will have to be aware and receptive to discover what my path in this field will be. The best metaphor for this from western medicine is one of a Doctor who works within a Speciality and becomes an '-ologist' of one type or another.

The Last Weekend before Classes

It has been a long and stressful week. I've had work responsibilities which have kept me busy with applying lots of intellectual effort to completing the major deliverable necessary to conclude a chapter of my current work responsibilities. The deliverable seeks to describe my company's business in terms of abstractions that define the parameters and linguistics of the company's business processes in terms of distinctions which can be leveraged by our software to facilitate conducting of our business processes in a generalized manner associated with the growing range of services the company contemplates as necessary for the expected growth and scalability challenges of our business. If you've been able to thoroughly enjoy my run-on-sentence, then you would fully appreciate the nature of the deliverables I've had to write! :)

Luckily, my responsibilities are changing as school commences next week. Applying this much intellectual effort has been taxing on me mentally, and has robbed me of much needed mental energy to enjoy portions of my personal life which require intellectual effort - portions such as reading, writing, and artistic expression. Turning down some of the volume and redirecting it to my school work will be a welcome change.

School Orientation...

Thursday's first year student orientation for my Traditional Chinese Medicine program left our class of 11 individuals filled with excitement and numerous questions as to the nature of what the next 4 years will be like. There are 7 guys, and 4 women. This apparently is very new for the school, as most prior years have been mostly female. The staff is also mostly female. The students represent individuals from many walks of life. Two of the students have lived on the islands for 12 years an have had schooling in other health sciences. One a massage therapists. One who who have studied other modalities of acupuncture but did not finish and so is starting a new program. One ex-military guy, and former police man who wants to find more direct ways of helping people. An individual who come from apprenticeship in chiropracty. One an international student who lived in Japan, while teaching English for two years and who brings with him much experience in Qi Gong meditation. All are dotted around the island with some living as far as Hilo while most live within 20 minutes of the school around Honoka'a and Waipio, and some in town.

While we got all of our questions answered - at least those we were able to think of - it became apparent that some things are just not to be known until the program starts, and the nature of the coursework reveals itself.

The school is indeed small. Presently it has 37 students in total. Our class is 11. There are 3 classrooms, 3 treatment rooms, the herbal dispensary, and an office. The administrative staff are really great people. We met with the president, the academic dean, head of operations, and the registrar/office manager. The physical presence of our teachers is quite remarkable. They exude a sense of confidence, and quiet peaceful power supported by years of experience in practicing these sciences and arts. Additionally several instructors came and went to briefly visit with us and see our faces.

Seitai Shimpo...

One major point of discussion amongst the students is whether they wish to take the 4 year Seitai Shinpo elective - a specialized form of Japanese acupuncture which deals with the structural realignment of the spine and pelvis so as to bring the body into proper alignment, thus alleviating the constriction on blood and Qi supply to all of the 5 major organs which in turn relieves conditions associated with imbalances of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. In addition to structural realignment, Sentai Shimpo leaves one with the most startling and measurable physical and physiological results even after one treatment. Its needling technique is usually deep, and occasionally quite painful, where the needle is never left in the body, but upon insertion is immediately removed. Where most Traditional Chinese Acupuncture forms rely heavily of semi-deep subcutaneous needle insertion, and prolonged stimulation, as well as supplementation with herbology, Seitai Shinpo relies primarily on moxibustion, deep tissue needling, and no herbology.

While the elective is tremendously appealing, the apprenticeship style of this elective requires a commitment to the practice of this single form of acupuncture for a 10 year period by the sensei - a direct lineage holder of only 5 people who were taught by the master and originator of this technique back in Japan. The master comes to Hawaii to teach for a week intensive class every July based on his latest research and experience. Our sensei herself is 72 years old. She is fierce, demands commitment, and is direct like a laser beam at any questions. With her age, you apparently can understand her urgency in wanting to pass this knowledge on to future generations of students who can further this technique around the world.

In respect to the lineage, graduates of the programs are to keep faith with their one sensei and are not to learn, or participate in learning of any other forms of acupuncture from other senseis for a 10 year period until sufficient mastery has been attained to where one is released from the obligation for the single concentration.

Such questions arise as - if we're learning Seitai Shinpo and cannot practice anything else for 10 years, then why are we learning TCM? Also - if you can get a certification from Sensei Sorimachi - the founder of this discipline - in a 3 day certification program which takes place at various places around the world (something I discovered through googling) - then why is it that we have to study this for 4 years, and practice for 6 additional years for a total of 10? Also - to borrow a phrase from Corinne - does one not become a one trick pony? Lastly - if a patient comes in to you with one set of symptoms which would be best served by another modality, would one have to turn them away?

No doubt commitment has to do with mastery. One is free to study other modalities after the tenure is over. The sensei describes this course of study as 'digging one well'; students normally dabble in many modalities - they dig many wells which yield access to shallow pools of sandy water - whereas, were one to dig one well, one reaches the clear pool of pristine water of knowledge that all the other wells also individually dig to find. It speaks to dedication and mastership of following one course of study to the end, rather than the spreading oneself too thing. In one way its appealing, in another it occurs as terribly constraining.

It appeals conceptually on so many levels - where one knows that if you study T'ai Chi, you must study one single T'ai Chi form for many many years in order to attain 'mastery'. And even so - mastery is an elusive concept.

This is, in some ways not different than committing to a Reiki mastership which comes with responsibilities of life practice, but not of closure to other modalities of Reiki - as the art is building of intuitive toolkits of energetic healing through integration of additional Reiki forms and techniques.

Regardless, our first class is in October - an all day class on a Thursday. After the class we decide on our commitment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Sometimes referred to as Traditional Communist Medicine - many schools of thought have been standardized for common practice in China where acupuncture is mostly used for musculoskeletal disorders, trauma, and various pain complaints, while about 80% of patients electing to have TCM invariably go to an herbalist rather than an acupuncturist. In such standardization, TCM is documented to be more accomplished in its use of herbology. Many acupuncturists are schooled in the 5 element theory, while few apply it. I'm glad that TCMCH seems to aspire to a more well rounded education, while it was evident that Tai Sophia institute in Maryland was certainly more concerned with ensuring acupuncturists were well educated in the 5 element theory and not reliant upon herbology as a supplement. If students wished to learn herbology - the additional line of study was a 2 year elective after the completion of a 3 year acupuncture program.

What's interesting with TCMCH is that it begins to introduce and teach about 300 herbs in the first year, and clinical observation starts at the end of the first year as well while the program runs for a totality of 4 years.

Japanese Acupuncture / Meridian Therapy

There are so many other modalities of acupuncture at our disposal. Among them the Japanese Traditional Acupuncture technique - most commonly referred to as Meridian Therapy - a form of acupuncture so refined and finessed that it deals primarily with 5 element balance through insertion techniques that do not penetrate more than 2 mm below the skin surface. One interesting article compares Japanese Acupuncture to Chinese Acupuncture with the analogy of Sushi v.s. Stir-fry:

"I can compare Japanese and Chinese styles by referring to cooking, looking at Japanese sushi versus a Chinese stir-fried rice dish. Both are very nutritious; both are delicious. But sushi is exquisite in its design, execution, and taste. It is delicate, thoughtful, and subtle. Stir-fry is tasty and satisfying, but it lacks finesse and sophistication. Ingredients are cut quickly, tossed without much thought, and served efficiently. If one is to pursue acupuncture as an art, one that requires a lifetime of study, practice, and effort, one should apply oneself to the more refined Japanese style. In this way, one will move beyond medical application, towards a cultivation of feeling, sensing, and affecting the patient’s energetic network. The ultimate achievement is not only enhanced health for the patient, but as important, personal development through self cultivation of a very ancient and spiritual art."

There is one teacher at TCMCH who performs Meridian Therapy and who is being encouraged by many students to consider teaching Meridian Therapy as an elective. My roommate Corinne experienced her technique and was extremely impressed. As of this time, there are no firm plans on adding this modality to the curriculum, but we will no doubt be asking many questions.

Post-orientation Field-trip...

After the orientation, which was accompanied by a full spread of potluck food brought by teachers and administration, most students dispersed to their lives and only the three of us and Dan, a student from England were left without plans and a desire to do something together. We ended up coming back to our place, making some sandwiches and driving to Waipio valley - as noone other than myself had been there yet, and its a place I feel very peaceful and grounded in. Jake had the roof, windows and door stripped off, and the drive over and back was very cold. With us wrapped in towels we made the trek back home, while Dan was hugging the hot air vents in the front.

The valley was bristling with magic, and after covering the back roads of the valley and fording streams we made our way to the ocean side. We waded through the fast moving currents of the river as it exited into the ocean - each of us equipped with good shoes which prevented slippage on the rocks under the rushing water. We walked and talked the half mile crescent and touched the sides of the mountain bordering the other side of the valley. The sunset was spectacular and a rainbow glistened over the ocean as it fell in to the fiery flames of the crests of the red waves. Fording the stream and returning home for hot chocolate and a hot meal made up of food accessories we found in the fridge, we went to bed exhausted.

Hawi Town & Local Shenanigans...

The following pictures are taken from a trip from last weekend to Hawi, and to the end of Akoni Pule Hwy.



Included are pictures of my roommates Corinne, Randy, and Corinne's mom who's visiting until the start of school.







The End of Akoni Pule Hwy...

You can see Maui from across the sound in all its glory as its peak tumbles into the ocean.


Though the trail to this valley is well warn and available, much of the trails inside are closed due to earthquake damage.




The evening brought with it a light show like none other...

The Cloud Demons

The warm winds howl today, seeking to chase out the cloud demons that traverse the sky prowling to engulfing their languid pray - the mountains which darken and cower before the wrath of the rains that seek to break down their resistant up-turned bellies. The cows quietly lay down to await the assault.

Once the drops start to fall the mountains languish a while to examine the nature of the threat, and upon discovering its hidden plenty, bristle their grassy coverings - blades stretching out their arms in a chorus of thankful joy to the life-giving grace bestowed by the mountain shepherds.

As the soils soak up the restitution the cows arise in to once again resume the tending of their pastures' complexion.

The winds finally succeed and chase the cloud demons away. For a while they lose their way in the seas and wander unsure of themselves until the cool of the night conceals their colluding for a repeated assault on the mountains in the next day to come.

These elementals observe not the meanderings of my little life, with its small errands while the sun laughs jubilantly at the entire spectacle.

Like a Gecko on the wire...

When coming back into the house this evening, I noticed a gecko walking a phone line swaying in the wind - slowly and measuredly he made each wary new step towards his goal - a branch 10 feet away. Oh brave gecko - aren't you just the best metaphor for life at times?

I've not blogged for a while. Mostly due to work, and an acute toothache that had me in misery for most of the weekend. After spending Sunday morning at the ER, most of the day drugged up, and root canal on Monday, I feel I'm slowly returning to myself today. Preoccupation with the pain has left me very unproductive and unresponsive to life. Friend's offers to come over with pliers, or tying a string to my tooth and the holding the other end while pushing me off during cliff diving kept me fairly reassured that waiting for the Dentist's appointment was a good thing.

My classmate's comments about her noticing of a common theme amongst new comers forced her to conclude the existence of the "Earn Your Spot on the Islands Test".

Quoting Whitney:

"I don't mention it to people before they start having difficulties, in order not to create a self-fulfilling prophesy. So what I've noticed is that everyone seems to undergo a testing phase when they move here. I don't know why... if it is just a culture shock thing, or a Pele's moods thing, or what... but everyone has a story. We are talking "car broken into - all my stuff stolen" (I know of three of those), to "just bought a car, and the engine just exploded (two of those), "lost my ID or wedding ring at the beach" (three of those), "went skinny dipping and someone took all my clothes/hat/belt/wallet/Ipod", "got into a car wreck" (two of those), "can't find a job to save my soul", "broke my toe", "broke my collar bone", "my first place is insect infested," "my car got stuck in the sugarcane field and lost one shoe trying to get it out," "customs won't let my seizure medication come through from my mom in Canada, and I'm having seizures," I've been living in a tent in the jungle and now I have a body-wide fungus." You also aren't the first dental emergency I've heard about. My friend Naya (who lives upstairs), had her front tooth break in half, and couldn't get in to see a dentist for TWO WEEKS...she just kept supergluing it back on.

The good news is, it doesn't last forever. Smooth sailing does set in after a bit. And then the islands even start looking after you."

Thank you for your encouraging words, Whitney :)

I can add to that list from Chris' experience. After he moved to his new plot of land, he had the generator stolen. He has now been living by candle light for several weeks and doesn't seem to miss the electricity. He drives into town to eat, and charge his cell phone at the grocery store.

First Day of Productivity after Several Days down...

Through the weekend, I did manage to finish my Chemistry coursework. I'm so thankful this class is over. I take my final on Thursday. Still despite some residual pain, today I did a lot of work today, and also managed to trim the hedges, edge the lawn, drive the trash to the solid waste transfer station, water the garden, and sweep the garage.

Neighbours...

To quote the theme of my favorite Australian Soap Opera with former stars such as Natalie Imbruglia, and Kylie Minogue..

"Neeeeeeeighbours, Everybody needs good neeeeeeeighbours
With a little understaaaaaaanding
You can find the perfect bleeeeeeeeeeeeend
Neeeeeeighbours...should be there for one anooooother
That's when good neeeighbours becoooome goooood frieeeeends
Ooh Neeeeeighbours, should be there for one anoooooother
That's when good neeeighbours becoooome goooood frieeeeends."

While outside I met a kid who stopped by to ask if I was the new tenant. After introducing myself and telling him about myself and my roommates he said that his mom's a teacher at TCMCH and that they live in a green house two houses up the road. He then proceeded to tell me about the names of all the other neighbors on the street since he was surprised I hadn't met them yet :)

One of my roommates arrived in Kona today. She's staying at a hotel with her mom, as they had rented a place before they knew we had a place. My other roommate arrives tomorrow afternoon. All three of them will drive up to the house tomorrow afternoon. It will be great to finally meet everyone :)

Arrival at Home with Handle's Suites for Keyboard

This evening, I relax to my first night at my new home. What is missing is some candle light, but that may be fixed prior to the evening concluding.

I'm exhausted. I went to bed last night at 10 and was wide awake from 3 to 6:30. I had all sorts of things running through my head - surprisingly my Biology final was not one of them. I packed my things, cleaned up the place, signed the guest book and left. I arrived at my new place at 11:30. I made a few calls to transfer over utilities, did some last minute cramming - which turned out to be of no use, and walked to the library.

It turned out that the multiple choice questions were harder than my four essay questions. I finished in just over an hour and a half, and headed out - pleased with myself that the class is over - not so much by the potential grade. Fate and belief in a good grade will decide.

I put up the only decoration of my own I brought with me - a 3 x 8 ft scroll of bamboo. I can't wait for my houseware boxes to arrive so that I can make this place feel a little more like my home.

For now I've unpacked in the master bedroom, set up my wireless router, bought two recycle bins, and watered the garden. Tomorrow I must work. In the evening I'll spend some more time doing an inventory of the house, and making a list of anything else I need. The landlady left a fridge full of food. There are small flotsam and jetsam of daily life throughout the house, and random school supplies like rulers and protractors - from her daughter's days no doubt. She planted several small bushes before she left. She plans to retire here after her work concludes in Boston. The home is immaculate.

Tomorrow night I'm attending an a capella concert of medieval, renaissance, and baroque music at 7:00 pm at performed by the Waimea Consort (http://waimeaconsort.org/) - a group of 12 (though their picture belies the roster which seems to be several years old). The performance is also walking distance from the house.

I found out about them by reading the notices on the library cork board. They are fairly heavily loaded with altos per their roster, so I'm not sure whether adding my counter-tenor voice would throw off of the balance - but if time, schedule, and their recruitment permits, I will consider joining them.

Oddly enough, the director of the Consort is also the Director of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope - the headquarters of which held the last meeting of West Hawaii Astronomy Club which I attended this week.

I also received a small brochure of local community classes in town. They range from T'ai Chi, to Yoga, professional photography, automotive, Hula, and Hawaiian language and culture courses. This small community seems to offer a vast array of services. I heart was warmed by reading about all the community possibilities.

Thank you Handel for your evening serenade.