That place with the guy named after a cat sound

 That was probably one of the more awkward blog post titles I have ever written.  I can't promise it though.  Oooh, wouldn't that be a fun game?  We could all look through old posts, and list off all of our favorite titles with links to the post.  It's like a "greatest hits" only more funny and awkward.

We aren't here to talk about that today.  We're here to talk about what the above awkward title hints at.  Do you guys know that supremely awesome Helene girl??? She's the mastermind behind Travel Tuesdays.

Helene is one of those really interesting people who has perfected the art of traveling, and so each week she asks everyone else to share their journeys.  It's a pretty fun thing, you get to live vicariously through bloggers as they travel the world.  Amazing Race, computer nerd style.

Today I'm talking about the great nation of China.  They had a chairman.  His name was Mao.  If you look on pinterest or google, you might accidentally come up with Chairman Meow.

 I traveled to China in the summer of 2007 with a program called the International Scholar's Laureate Program on a Medical Delegation.  We were all interested in different occupations within the medical profession, and the subject of our particular trip was the understanding of how Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine can work alongside one another.  While it's something the US really struggles with, the Chinese have become very skillful at weaving the disciplines together.

We got lots of hands on demonstrations, like this one that illustrated cupping and moxibustion.

And sometimes they just held up handy instructional aids while still demonstrating everything on their own body parts.  Because that makes sense.

We visited herb markets and got unbelievable headaches from sniffing everything.

Drank so much tea we thought we would float away...

But we also made time to take in the touristy pursuits.  I know far more about the Great Wall of China, for instance, than you would care for me to relay to you here.

It was one of the most spectacular, fun, and delightful trips I have ever taken, and I am so glad I did it.  If you ever get the chance to visit China, I would encourage you to do so.  They are such a warm, friendly group of people, and so welcoming.

Also, try Acupuncture, and Chinese style foot soaks.  Life changing stuff for sure.