70 - A Grain of Truth
Hey there, !
From when I was little, I was brought up with a need to know…well, EVERYTHING. I was great at optimising for learning facts and figures, trivia, and Kumon (the classic asian tutoring program). I loved learning, and understanding everything I could about everything. I watched science programs, followed space launches and developments, I tried to understand wtf String Theory was all about - legit, nerdy topics.
It made me insufferable. I was that kid who would be as critical as possible, finding the flaws in other peoples arguments, because, well, I knew better. And occasionally, I did! I had all the facts, I had all the logic, I had it all laid out and the Best Scientists In The World had told me that this was true.
However…
One thing I could never win was any arguments with my mum about Chinese Medicine. I had hyperthyroidism, and from when I got diagnosed, Mum pushed all these natural remedies on me.’
We tried acupuncture, chinese soups and chinese medicine from the local chinese doctor. Funnily enough, the strongest sense I remember of going into his office was lingering, pungent, assaulting aroma of the rows and rows of shelves that held myriad chinese herbs and plants. Everything was dried, or dehydrated, and packed in small little rectangular shelves, labelled and organised as meticulously as a museum.
In my infinite wisdom and Western belief in the glory of science, I tried many times to dissuade Mum about how Chinese medicine didn’t work and wasn’t proven to be helpful at all. There was no link in the science! If it was so good, why wasn’t everyone else doing it?!
…I still went though. I’m an asian kid - we listen to our parents.
How could I tell if it had worked, though? I had the right Western medicine (Carbimazole) to alleviate my symptoms, but all the other stuff I took, well…to be honest it’s hard to tell what the effect was. I was taking both the Western and Chinese medicines (little round herb-y balls of some type), and for a while I clung to the belief that it was just the Carbmizole that was helping my thyroid. West is Best.
But I can’t deny that the Chinese medicine did have some effect.
The acupuncture did actually help activate the muscles where I needed them to (my eyes), the chinese medicine pills that I took helped to boost my immune system (touchwood - I haven’t had many sicknesses in the intervening years), and the soups - oh, the soups!
Mum’s soups always did what they said they would, even though there was no ‘hard science’ to back it up. Soups that helped to get rid of coughs - nashi pear, or pei pa guo. Soups that helped to increase our ‘blood energy’. Soups that would counteract the ‘yeet hai’ and therefore have less pimples (though this was more of a tea).
Chinese soups are like a potion you get in a game - but REAL.
As the years have passed, I argue a lot less with Mum about it. The experience that I’ve gone through kinda…proves it, for myself at least. Mum said ‘it’ll do this’ and then it did it.
Maybe not everything has to be proven by science…some of it just works.
(I secretly hope that everything she says only applies to Asian bodies, and is thus the reason why white scientists can’t replicate the effects)
What I concluded was that the only way people have learnt is through that type of trial and error, and even if there isn’t a particular relationship that is known right now about the relationship, it might be uncovered somewhere in the future.
Outright rejecting something that you only have a tenuous knowledge of is too presumptive.
And thus, another reason to keep an open mind! Who knows. Maybe all these weird things have a grain of truth that is yet to be discovered.
Chat soon :)
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Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls - by David Sedaris; another wryly humorous collection of essays covering everything from his adventures nearly purchasing a pygmy head a taxidermist, to his first colonoscopy, to his newfound love of picking up rubbish off the road in his local area. Fascinating, as always!
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SOI38 - a boat noodles place in the city; WOW. I’d heard a lot about it, but hadn’t been before - it’s nestled between Little Collins and Bourke, underneath a Wilsons Carpark (a perfect home for street food). DELICIOUS NOODZ, and a great atmosphere / vibe. The noodle soups might not get to top 5, but they’re pretty close. The Tom Yum soup was my favourite broth of the lot, and the pork balls are incredibly well textured. Try it out if you’re in the city! They only serve lunch though - get in while you can :D
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