Chinese Herbs
A stranger called on me for I am a Chinese. With his charming smile, he asked me if I want to buy a fresh "gall bladder".
"What should I use a gall bladder for?" I was wondering about his offer.
"It is a very good material to use as Chinese medicine.” He said.
"No, I am sorry, I am a Chinese businessman but not a Chinese traditional herbalist," I said.
He insisted I have to take a look for it was "real good for health". I reminded him for most Chinese medicines were dried materials, even the gall bladder should not be used a fresh one. Sometimes people may swallow a fresh gall bladder of a snake with Chinese rice wine but to use a big gall bladder from animal was incredible. Although I was not interested, he still took out a fresh gall bladder from an ice-box, I saw the open of the gall bladder was fastened by a nylon string.
"Can you tell me how to use it?"
"Well,,,just cook the whole set of gall bladder!"
"What? Just cook it! As you have said it is good for health, how about I cook it and you drink it? If it is good for Chinese, so it does the same for Pinoy (Filipino)." My temper was getting hot.
"......" he was quiet.
"Do you know the bile of it is toxic?" (Actually, I don't know about the toxic exactly.) In fact, he was selling something that he knew nothing about.
When I found my speaking was too strict to listen, I than calmed down and lower my tone to avoid scaring the man,” I don't want it; but can you tell me what kind of gall bladder is it?" I asked.
"Horse." he said.
"I have never heard about using a gall bladder of horse as Chinese medicine. Actually, Chinese use dried bile of bear's gall bladder and gallstone from ox to be medicine, but just a very little quantity per dose"
"So....." he was disappointed.
"I mean it is worthlessness to me!"
His smile was gone; but in seconds, his eyes were filled with hope again. "Oh, one more thing, I have brought you a Korean ginseng for your health." he opened his bag and pulled out a bottle, in which a Chinese white ginseng was soaked with liquid. Hundreds of different usages of ginseng were told by him easily and he emphasized that I should have already learned about the mystical power of ginseng, which is the most marvelous Chinese herb.
"Let me tell you something. Dried ginsengs are used as medicine, while fresh ginsengs are only used to cook Chinese soup, they were sold in most supermarkets in Hong Kong for about 35 HK dollars, they are just cheap and common, just like the one you are holding now."
This poor man was fooled by someone who sold him a cheap Chinese white ginseng as a Korean ginseng; furthermore, I was sorry for I have broken his dream twice.
2006年2月25日星期六
2006年2月11日星期六
My Grandson
My Grandson
There is “Like father like son”, and so there is “like grandfather like grandson” too.
Last Sunday, I met my grandson after he has his hair cut in a barber shop; he pointed at me and put his little hand on his shaven head, means we both look alike. Couldn’t explain to him that his grandfather is going bald but he was just has his hair shaved. He is just fourteen months old.
From the time he was born, my wife and I would go to visit him on every Sunday. Sometimes my wife even asked me to spend the weekend with our first grandson till Monday morning. I met with him weekly and never expected he would treat me as a stranger when he was about four months old, the period of all babies started recognizing who is familiar and who is a stranger.
As usual, we visit our grandson on a Sunday morning; he started to cry when he saw me, and refused me to carry him. I was unhappy the whole day for I didn’t have a chance to step close to the baby. He cried every time when I try to approach him.
The other weekend when I saw him, surprisingly, this wonderful baby had had a deep inhale and held his breath for seconds, seems he was petrified by something horrible. When he came back to himself; he started to have a strong endless cry. Immediately, I realized that could be I am so ugly to shock him and so I make myself disappeared. Day after day, I was already accustomed staying away from my grandson, in fact, I needed to hide from his sight to avoid making him cry.
For me, that was a special Sunday. When my daughter opened the door for me, she was carrying her baby. My grandson had seen me; amazingly he didn’t hold his breath but smile to me this time. Thus I was too happy and could not hold my tears running from my eyes. My daughter told me that she showed her son with my picture everyday and kept saying to him, “this is kung kung (grandfather).” I was so glad that her method was succeeded and it fastens the relationship between her son and me.
Incidentally, there was a big dancing competition held by a TV station when I was in China last October. There were some children participants showing their talents of dancing. One of my relatives was so exciting to watch them dance. For his curious, he asked me if children in the Philippines could dance as good as them. He was disappointed when I told him that children in the Philippines could dance much better for they could perform their body language much naturally. He doubt for he didn’t believe Pinoy children could dance much better than the Chinese. I told him, my grandson who was just able to stand by himself; however, he already knew how to swing his hip when he heard music plays. Exaggeratedly I stressed, my grandson is not a particular one but all babies being born in the Philippine are dancing genius to be.
Soon after the baby smiled to me, we are friends. Although I have to drive far from our place to Manila; for him, hours of traffic are worth to spend for and visiting him would be a joyful trip to me. I love him and he shows how he loves me by he knew how to say his first word, not “papa” or “mama” but “KUNG KUNG (grandfather)”.
There is “Like father like son”, and so there is “like grandfather like grandson” too.
Last Sunday, I met my grandson after he has his hair cut in a barber shop; he pointed at me and put his little hand on his shaven head, means we both look alike. Couldn’t explain to him that his grandfather is going bald but he was just has his hair shaved. He is just fourteen months old.
From the time he was born, my wife and I would go to visit him on every Sunday. Sometimes my wife even asked me to spend the weekend with our first grandson till Monday morning. I met with him weekly and never expected he would treat me as a stranger when he was about four months old, the period of all babies started recognizing who is familiar and who is a stranger.
As usual, we visit our grandson on a Sunday morning; he started to cry when he saw me, and refused me to carry him. I was unhappy the whole day for I didn’t have a chance to step close to the baby. He cried every time when I try to approach him.
The other weekend when I saw him, surprisingly, this wonderful baby had had a deep inhale and held his breath for seconds, seems he was petrified by something horrible. When he came back to himself; he started to have a strong endless cry. Immediately, I realized that could be I am so ugly to shock him and so I make myself disappeared. Day after day, I was already accustomed staying away from my grandson, in fact, I needed to hide from his sight to avoid making him cry.
For me, that was a special Sunday. When my daughter opened the door for me, she was carrying her baby. My grandson had seen me; amazingly he didn’t hold his breath but smile to me this time. Thus I was too happy and could not hold my tears running from my eyes. My daughter told me that she showed her son with my picture everyday and kept saying to him, “this is kung kung (grandfather).” I was so glad that her method was succeeded and it fastens the relationship between her son and me.
Incidentally, there was a big dancing competition held by a TV station when I was in China last October. There were some children participants showing their talents of dancing. One of my relatives was so exciting to watch them dance. For his curious, he asked me if children in the Philippines could dance as good as them. He was disappointed when I told him that children in the Philippines could dance much better for they could perform their body language much naturally. He doubt for he didn’t believe Pinoy children could dance much better than the Chinese. I told him, my grandson who was just able to stand by himself; however, he already knew how to swing his hip when he heard music plays. Exaggeratedly I stressed, my grandson is not a particular one but all babies being born in the Philippine are dancing genius to be.
Soon after the baby smiled to me, we are friends. Although I have to drive far from our place to Manila; for him, hours of traffic are worth to spend for and visiting him would be a joyful trip to me. I love him and he shows how he loves me by he knew how to say his first word, not “papa” or “mama” but “KUNG KUNG (grandfather)”.
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