牛年（09）展望 Ox Year (2009) New Year Resolutions

元宵过了，新的一年正式开始。哈哈，人人的新年在阳历一月一日就开始了, 我的现在才开始。没办法啦，我这人总是慢半拍！

写了08回顾后，我拿了去年定下的新年愿望来看看，很惊讶也很高兴, 原来自己还真完成了好几项(除了第五项） 。虽不是每项都做足一百分，不过总算很努力。

今年的愿望和去年的很相似。

• 第一 , 安康快乐。吃要吃得健康，继续煲汤，喝茶，学煮一手好菜给Ed (当然也给自己啦）。

• 第二，修心养性，少发小姐脾气。

• 第三，要更努力学好中医。回马时，继续向爸爸学习。希望今年好好研读《黄帝内经》和专注妇产科。

• 第四，部落搬家。突然觉得这里的文章有点散乱，想搬家和整理一下。搬家时会通知大家。

• 第五，这个嘛，要看我在哪个国家。基于种种原因，我正考虑着回澳十个月左右。如决定留在加拿大，要继续考药剂牌，还有好几张试卷。如回澳洲，要回大学读针灸学。这也是我一直想取得的学位。

五个够啦，不可太贪心。至于，去年没完成的第五项　（开一个中医知识部落格），再看吧。

Finally, the traditional 15-day long Chinese New Year is officially finished a few days ago. So, my ‘new year’ is officially started. Well, I know most people’s new years have started from 1st January.   But for me, who studied so hard for exam, I allow myself to start the new year later. Heehee…

To start a new year, I normally begin with a few new year determinations. Looking back at my 2007 new year resolutions, I am quite surprised and a little overwhelmed that I DID achieve most of them (except no.5) ! Although I can’t say I have achieved them 100% (those goals require continuous effort anyway), at least,  I have tried my best. For example, for someone so fussy like Ed, complimented on my cooking, I think I am doing ok 😉  .

To keep up with the flow and the continuity, this year resolutions are similar to last year.

1. Oh happiness and health !  Continue my effort in becoming a better cook, eat more at home, drink more teas and boil more soups. All for Ed, of course, for myself too 😉
2. Just wanna be a better person, so will start with whine less to my hubby !
3. Continue to improve and deepen my knowledge and experiences in Chinese Medicine. It is my greatest treasure to have a dad who has more than 30 years of experience in Chinese Medicine, so learning from him is a must this year. Hope to focus my studies in Gynaecology and the thousands year-old classic <Yellow Emperor’s Canon Internal Medicine>.
4. Move this blog to a new domain. I suddenly realised how messy this blog is, moving will help me to do some cleaning up. Will keep everyone in loop if I move.
5. Ummm….this no.5 will depend on where I will be living this year. Due to a few reasons, I am considering moving back to Australia for 10 months. If I decide to stay in Canada, I will continue my journey to become a registered pharmacist here. If I go back to Australia, I may go back to university to pick another master degree. This time acupuncture, something I wish to do for a while.

Ok, five goals are enough. Don’t want to put too much on myself.

What about the no. 5 goal last year (start a new blog on Chinese Medicine) ? Ummm….shall see….

Read Full Post »

捐骨髓

今天在博客ah bob的部落读到他捐骨髓的经验很被感动。

以前, 常在报章上读到找适合骨髓的艰难。

即使找到了, 捐的人可能远在他方。

骨髓常需要’坐’ 特别班机马上送到等等的报道。

可是，没想到，捐的人也需要经过几天身心的痛楚。

那种勇气和真心很难得。

我这里不多说。有兴趣阅读ah bob 经验的，请点击这里。

有兴趣多了解有关捐骨髓的资料，请点击这里。

Read Full Post »

卖茶去啰！Selling Tea ? Yup !

最近，我好像很忙。没什么时间写部落。

忙什么呢？我这个‘空闲小姐’没事找事情做　－　想学人做生意。反正，我现在有空，不可以工作，又不好意思不断向老公伸手要钱，于是，想做做小本生意。

加上，Ed 的工作是国际性的，而我的药剂师职业则是区域性的。即是，每到另一个国家都要考牌。没牌就休想做药剂师，中医这行也开始往这种专业医药人士的方向走。以后，如果 Ed 要到其他国家工作的话，我又会变成量地官啰。这是我们之间最伤脑筋的问题。所以，要是我转行做一些国际性行业，不用考牌的，那就方便多了。

于是，我挖空脑袋想啊想的，做什么好呢？marketing? IT?　或者，卖什么好呢？最后，想起我一直想向洋人推广中医基本草药养生调养的概念。如，天气热时，喝凉茶。身体虚弱时，喝补药等。不过，在西方国家，如果没医学证明, 不可以乱‘吹嘘’，什么都有法律控制。很多中医经验暂时只被当成传统, 对他们来说是没医学证明的。加上他们对中医不了解，很难说明白。除非我有自己的中医馆时，不然现在还不是时候。

有趣的是，当我做市场调查时，发现喝茶最近很流行。洋人突然对茶，尤其是绿茶很有兴趣，主要是因为很多研究成果说绿茶有antioxidants, 对身体有益。于是，人人要喝茶，其他的种类的茶叶也变得热门起来。

多伦多一间以烹饪有名的学院　George Brown College 开办了 Tea Sommelier 的课程。Sommelier　多用在专业斟酒服务员上，即是对酒很有研究和受过训练的人。现在，茶这行业也开始需要受过训练的人。我觉得够特别，就去上课了。每堂课都要品赏不同的茶，很好玩的。

课上着上着，突然想到，倒不如就卖茶吧！没钱开茶馆，就开网上茶馆吧。也够国际性。只为兴趣，也为了提倡健康饮品。加上，身为华人，对茶还有点认识，应该不难。除了卖茶，也可以卖些花草茶，跟我的中医有关系，不错嘛。

I am quite busy recently. Well, a lady of leisure can be busy too 🙂

What am I busy with? To fill my days, I always try to come up with various ideas to keep myself busy. Lately, I am into learning how to start my own business. Still waiting for the visa application which is taking forever, and I can’t work but don’t want to keep asking money from my hubby, I figure that if I could own a small business, I will have more financial independence.

In addition to that, Ed’s job needs to travel when necessary, but mine is very restricted by the licencing of pharmacy profession of each country. It means I need to sit for exams whenever I go to a new country, like now in Canada. So, if Ed has job offer elsewhere, I will practically become jobless again, only if I pass all the required exams AGAIN in the new country. Being a Traditional Chinese herbalist will have the same problem too. This is a main issue for us. Either he changes his career or me. So, then I think, why not I try something completely different, something does not need licencing.

I think and think hard, what else can I do? Marketing? IT? or sell something? I then remember that I once had a vision, hoping to educate westerners about well-being maintenance by using some very mild Chinese herbs in everyday living. Most Chinese know how, it is built into our culture. For example, when the weather becomes very warm, we know we have to drink ‘cooling tea’ to help to balance heat. When we feel weak and tired, we know what herbs to cook to help nourish our bodies. However, due to the strict regulations in most developed countries, advertising these sort of ‘functions’ may fall into health claims which are not allowed, unless they are been proven clinically. Unfortunately, most Chinese herbal usage at home are not proven yet, and only remains as culture. Moreover, most westerners are still very new to Chinese medicine, some widely acceptable drink or soups Chinese use may take them some time to understand. So, I think, this idea does not work at this stage until I have my own Chinese medicine clinic.

Interestingly, when I was doing my market research, I noticed there is an increased trend of drinking tea, especially green tea in Canada. Mainly due to the many health benefits been proven in studies, especially the high content of antioxidants. More exposure to green tea, also promote more interests in other specialty tea.

Even George Brown College (which is famous for their culinary art courses) has started a Tea Sommelier Certificate course. Sommelier is more commonly used in hospitality staffs who are trained in wine knowledge and tasting, now obviously there is a need for such trained people in tea industry too. I found it fascinating, hence take the course and I love it ! 🙂

While attending the course, the idea of having my own tea business starts to come about. Well, I won’t have money to open my own tea shop, but I can start online, right? I don’t think I can earn any money, as Ed’s predicted, at least is for interest and for fun. I can easily throw in some special chinese herbal tea products, which is in line with my vision of promoting them eventually. Being a Chinese, I am exposed to tea since a very young age, so I hope it is not too hard for me. And, tea is seen as a healthy beverage also goes well with my profession. So, perfect !!

Read Full Post »

健康要紧

这次回马，有一个重要的原因 – 就是要跟爸爸学习中医。所以，这三个星期来，都坐在爸爸的诊所内旁听。

有个现象，我觉得很值得思考。我发现，有蛮多的病人是年轻人。即使是中年人，很多时候中年时病发，也是因为年轻时没照顾好身子。 生病已不再是老年人的专利。

很多身体上的毛病归根究地，多起因于学业或工作压力，或饮食不适，或情绪不稳定。

年轻人在长期学业，接着工作上的压力的压迫下，透不过气来。因压力，学习或工作时间就越长，天天开夜班至深夜。可能连发梦都会梦见工作。不但，没足够的时间休息，也没时间自己煮。在外头吃，尤其在马来西亚，辣的，炸的，煎的，味精多多的，吃个不亦乐乎，却不知病从口入。加上，精神长期紧张下，脾气就暴躁，或怎样都开心不起来。

还有，华人总是有一种爱比较的心理。不管是父母，或是对自己。什么都好，一比下去，一定有人比自己好。这种不健康的心理，造成更大的，无形的生活和社会压力。使人更不开心，更要拼了命。

这是个恶性循环。 在这种情况下，身体哪会健康？

我知道，生活艰困，不拼就被人抛在后头。我知道，要趁年轻，好好捞一把。我知道，不做好，会被人看不起。我只希望，我们也同样放心机在健康上。

希望大家需要休息时，就好好学习放松下来。也希望吃得健康些，多做运动。心理感情上多做调适。看开些，多在心灵上努力。该放慢脚步时，就走得慢些吧。一路风景很好。别人怎样看是别人的事。如为了别人嘴巴说的，弄垮了自己的身体，值得吗？钱即使赚多了，又怎样？到最后还不是拿出来交医药费。我看着这些年轻人，年纪轻轻就那么多病痛，以后年长了会怎么样。

健康要紧啊！

(Dear English readers, due to my busy study schedule, I may not have times to translate most of the posts for the next few weeks . My deep apology. Sorry. )

Read Full Post »

有害水瓶 Unsafe Water Bottle

(Dear English reader, please scroll down to find the ‘click’ for English translation)

今天看报看到加拿大大型的户外用品商家 Mountain Co-op 决定停止售卖所有polycarbonate塑胶做的盛皿器。当然，也包括那非常流行耀眼的Nalgene 水瓶。这是因为，一些最近新的科学研究成果认为塑胶内的一种化学成分，bisphenol A， 对人体有害。这 把我吓一跳，因为我是这种水瓶的忠实用者。

其实，很久以前已知道塑胶的害处。所以，我都会丢掉任何塑胶商品，绝不收起来用来装其他食物。或我会拒食任何装在塑胶内的烫热食物。我也决不会用塑胶盛皿放进微波炉内。 可是，倒是对Nalgene的水瓶情有独钟，因为还以为它是安全的，它是用不同於普通见的汽水瓶等的塑胶。怎知，防不胜防。

我和Ed都有几个这种水瓶。我出外露营，工作上课，天天带着。我以前有个粉红色的（如图），和我影形不离，药剂行的同事都叫我Pink Pharmacist了。Ed以前说可以装热水，我就放心装。现在，不知我吞食了多少化学物。虽然，以上研究有争议，因为有些研究说无害。真是不知相信谁好。但既然Mountain Co-op这个大型公司情愿放弃大笔收入，做出这种决定。我想，我还是将我心爱的水瓶打进冷宫较安全。

现代人的生活虽较有钱有闲, 可也真不容易。生活上的每一细节都有无数的化学品。我们可能要改食有机食物了，可是洗头水啦，肥皂啦，清洁剂啦，墙上的漆啦，街上的空气啦…..什么都有有害的化学品。真是防不胜防，避不可避。那些口口声声说是安全的物品，可能几年后又会被证实有害。真是没办法。我们苦苦挣钱，花一大笔钱消费，再花一大笔钱医自己。最终，无良厂家商家最划算, 医生药厂代代平安。

其实，担心也没用。最重要是做个明智的消费者。避得的避。避不得的话，就别去担心了。也希望商家们多用良心真心经商。

Ps: 有兴趣者，可以点击这里读此新闻。 以下是几个月前ABC电视台的新闻。

Read Full Post »