Premature ovarian failure is defined as a condition of which the ovarian is no longer responded to the brain in production of follicle before the age of 40, leading to high levels of FSH in the bloodstream and menopause hormonal symptoms. It is caused by either the accelerated loss of eggs or follicles are become less responsive to hormone stimulation from the pituitary gland. It has been estimated that POF affects 1% of the population. While conventional medicine uses synthesis medication to stimulate the ovarian response and artificial insemination with only 5% success rate accompanying with a high medical cost, it drives many women to seek help from traditional medicine, including the traditional Chinese medicine.

Traditional Chinese medicine views POF as an excess and deficiency pattern caused by emptiness of the penetrating and conception meridians and treatments are totally depended to her unique diagnosis, there is no one treatment for all.

I. Diagnosis

Most women with POF have some of following symptoms

1. irritability, a rapid pulse and a red tongue

2. Pale or normal tongue

3. Weak pulse

4. Weakness

5. Lethargy Pale,

6. Shallow breathing , soft voice Little desire to speak

7. Poor appetite

8. Fatigue

9. Loose stools

10. Indigestion

11. Bloating and gas

12. Reddish tongue with little or no coating

13. Dry mouth, especially at night

14. Dark, scanty urination

15. Night sweats

16. Thirst

17. Dizziness

18. Heat flushes

19. Constipation

20. Palpitations

21. Forgetfulness

22. Constipation Pale complexion

23. Pale and dry, cracked lips

24. Anxiety

25. Numbness or tingling in limbs

26. Light menses

27.Difficulty urinating, and

28. Edema

29. Cold limbs,

30. Lack of energy

31. Low sexual desire

Since each woman is diagnosed as her own entity, some symptoms may be found in some women, but not in the other, depending to the diagnosis.

I. Causes of POF in TCM perspective

A. Excessive yang

Caused by an excessive loss of vital essence and nutrient fluid, leading to dryness of skin, chapped lips, nose bleed, mouth sore, urinary burning, etc. and interfering with the kidney function in hormonal regulation, resulting in ovarian abnormal function in responding to the hormone secretion from pituitary gland.

B. Spleen qi deficiency

1. Liver

Liver has directed influentially in spleen function, without strong liver there is no treatment for spleen blockade and deficiency.

2. Diet and occupation

Since spleen prefer warm and hot foods, prolong period working in col environment and eating cold foods will effect the spleen function in synthesizing carbohydrate synthesizing, disrupting the processes in nutrients absorption, obstructing the blood flow to the abdominal region and effecting the luteal phrase, resulting in infertility

3. Life style and weakened liver

Spleen is view as the organ of digestion ( nutrients distribution ) and elimination ( eliminating the body waste ). Spleen qi deficiency is normal caused by irregular dietary habits and excessive use of mind in studying and working. Weakened liver may also increases the risk of toxins accumulation and liver qi stagnation in the body, effecting the spleen function and obstructing implantation of egg in the uterine lining.

C. Kidney yin deficiency

a) Unhealthy diet

As oppose to yang deficiency, It is caused by men who love to hot and spicy food leading to heat accumulation in the body causing yin deficiency.

b) External factor

Working in the hot environment causes the depletion of fluids in the body including the kidney leading abundant yang qi production.

c) Low sexual activity

Frequent sexual activity increases the risk of yang deficiency, low sexual activity causes energy overly accumulation in the reproductive organ, leading to yin deficiency.

D. Blood deficiency

Tradition Chinese medicine view blood deficiency is caused by weakened spleen organ, thereby, reducing the spleen function in blood formation, leading to causes not enough blood to distribute to the body such as absence of (no blood for) menstruation. Blood deficiency leads to abnormal function of reproductive system in regulating menstrual cycle, disrupting the production of egg or produces poor quality egg and makes uterine mucus hostile to sperm.

F. Kidney yang deficiency

1 Unhealthy diet

As we known, we live in the society, where everything we drink are mostly cold including milk. It has a danger effect in both female and male body as it depletes of the yang qi which is needed to counter the the cold effects of abundant yin, leading to kidney yang deficiency. If one day, our yang qi production from the kidney jing is no longer working well, it will cause symptoms of infertility

2. External factors

a) Working in the cold environment such as fish, poultry and meat processing plants may deplete the kidney yang as our body require to produce yang qi constantly to counter the external cold.

b) People stay in the cold place for prolong period of time may also have the same effect as people working in cold environment.

b) Frequent sexual activity

According to traditional medical medicine, sexual intercourse helps to improve blood circulation and production of certain hormones which are necessary for our health. It also helps to balance the kidney yin qi but frequent sexual activity depletes the kidney jing which is vital for hormone and sperm production, leading to low sperm count or semen with no sperm as well as kidney diseases.

II. Treatments

1. Diet modification

a). Since most women with POF are diagnosed with excessive yang in the west caused by the typical American diet as resulting of the body evokes the response from the ovaries, it is advised that spicy and hot foods are eliminated from the diet until excessive yang can be neutralized.

b) What to avoid

i) Simple sugar and refine starches

Simple sugar and refine starches have a very high reading in the GI index list as they cause sharp rise and drop of blood sugar in the bloodstream.

ii) Hormone imbalance

As the levels of insulin produced by the pancreas have to increase traumatically when the blood sugar levels rise and stop when the blood sugar drop. The imbalance of levels of sugar also cause the over production of cortisol hormone by the adrenal gland that interferes with production of sex hormone, causing infertility.

iii) Vitamins

Over production of cortisol caused by intake of sugar and refine starches also increases the risk of nutrients deficiency as resulting of vitamins and minerals depletion including B vitamin and magnesium.

iv) Weakened immune system

Study show that intake a teaspoon of simple sugar can weaken the immune system up to 4 hours as resulting of weakening protein functions in body defence.

v) Saturated fat and trans fat

Saturated fat and trans fat interferes the liver function in essential fatty acid metabolism, leading to over production of certain hormones in the prostaglandins family, causing menstrual camps and pain, nervous tensions as well as irregular menstrual cycle, thereby increasing the risk of infertility.

vi) Coffee

Intake of large amount of coffee daily to fight off stress may have a negative effect in the reproductive system. As study show that women who consume 300 mg or more of caffeine take longer to conceive than women who do not or take less.

vii) Drug and alcohol

Drugs and alcohol can influence an imbalance of reproductive hormones. As drug increases the tension of the nervous system leading to hormone imbalance, excessive alcohol drinking can cause liver damage, which abnormal function of liver in all kinds of metabolism, causing blood and qi stagnation in the liver and effecting a couple’s reproductive abilities. Alcohol also causes nervous tension, leading to over production of certain hormones, thereby, increasing the risk of infertility.

viii) Carbonate Soda

Carbonate soda contains high amount of sweetener, caffeine and phosphate which can interfere with calcium absorption as well as stimulating the over production of certain hormone including cortisol, leading to fatigue, stress and anxiety.

ix) Most animal and dairy products

Because most animal and diary products are considered acidic which can distort the balance of pH levels in the body, making cervical mucus hostile to sperm invasion as well as preventing the implantation of egg.

2. Chinese herbs

a) Herbs for Blood Deficiency

i. He shou wu (fleeceflower root)

He shou wu is a liver tonic herb, it promotes liver function in blood formation and increase the kidney qi in assisting the liver in transporting blood to the heart for circulation, thereby reducing the blood stagnation causes of deficiency. It also improves the kidney in urinary secretion, thus decreasing the risk of blood stagnation caused by fluid retention.

ii. Shu Di Huang (Chinese foxglove root)

Sdu di huang is a blood tonic herb. Besides improving the liver in blood formation, it also increases the lives qi, by boosting the circulatory system in transport oxygen and nutrient to the body cell thus reducing the risks of symptom of dizziness, pallid complexion, palpitations and scanty menstruation.

iii. E Jiao (Donkey-Hide Glue)

E jiao is important herb in improving the liver in blood formation and liver qi in regulating the blood circulation in the body, thereby, reducing the symptoms of dizziness, sallow complexion, palpitations caused by blood deficiency.

iv. Dang gui (Chinese angelica root)

Besides best known for improving the liver function in blood formation and regulating function of the reproductive organs, it also harmonizes the production of hormones during menstrual cycle, leading to reducing cramps and pain caused blood deficiency and stagnation.

v. Bai shao (white peony root)

Bai shao besides plays an important role in nourishing the blood and regulates menstrual problems due to blood deficiency, it also harmonizes the liver and spleen to prevent the rising of blood heat causes of headache and dizziness.

There are many more Chinese herbs helping to treat blood deficiency, you make sure to work with your Chinese practitioner to find the underlining causes and treat them effectively.

b) Herbs for Kidney yin deficiency

i. Shu di huang (rehmannia glutinosa)

Shu di huang is considered as yin tonic herb with warm in nature. It has an influence in the heart-kidney-liver channels by increasing the liver blood formation and heart blood circulation as well as enriching the kidney (jing) essence, thereby decreasing the symptoms caused by kidney yin deficiency.

ii. Nu zhen zi (ligustrum lucidum)

Nu zhen zi is a kidney and liver yin tonic herb with neutral in nature. By increasing the qi flow in the channels of kidney – liver, it reduces the qi and blood stagnation caused by excessive yang in the kidney.

iii. Sang shen (morus albus)

Sang shen not only has been used in Chinese for cooking to increase the kidney function in moistening the body fluid, but also used to nourishes the kidney yin and increases liver in blood storing and formation.

iv. Bai shao (white peony root )

Bai shao plays an important role in nourishing the blood and regulates menstrual problems due to blood and qi deficiency caused by excessive yang in the kidney.

v. Shan yao (ioscorea opposita)

Shan yao is also known Chinese yam in China, it is a kidney balancing herbs and neutral in nature. Besides as an important herb in increasing the yin of Spleen and lung, it also improves the kidney function by raising the kidney yin when it is deficient and reduces it when it is excessive.

In Some cases, there may be kidney yang deficiency instead of yin deficiency

c) Herbs for kidney yang deficiency

i. Lu rong

Lu rong is also known as deer antler, deer antler velvet. Besides tt is best known in enhancing the sexual activity in men, it also is a great herb that reduces the blockage of the meridian liver and kidney. Since yang qi deficiency is also caused blood deficiency, improving the body yang by strengthening the liver’s function in blood formation and kidney’s function in fluid distribution, it reduces the yang deficiency in the body.

ii. Du Zhong

It is also known ecommia bark, it is one the most used herb to enhance the function of meridian kidney-liver by promoting the qi and blood formation. Since the liver is a organ in charge of blood storing and blood formation and kidney is in charge of fluid regulation, it increases blood flow to the entire body and reduces fluid accumulated in the body, thus enhancing yang.

iii. Ba Ji Tian

Ba ji tian is also known as Chinese morinda root and sweet and warm in nature. It is also one the herbs used to strengthen the liver and kidney qi and blood yang by enhancing the liver in blood formation and kidney in urinary secretion, thus reducing the yang deficiency causes of abdominal distention, including cramps and pain during menstrual cycle.

iv Rou Chong Rong

Rou Chong Rong used in traditional Chinese medicine for reducing the blockage of kidney-large intestine meridian, thereby increasing the kidney function in bring blood to warm the uterus and urinary secretion and digestive system in moving waste, resulting in lessening the fluid retention and dysmenorrhea.

v. Bu Gu Zhi

Bu gu zhi is also known as psoralea fruit and used in traditional Chinese medicine in treating blockage of meridian kidney-Spleen. It notifies the yang qi by increasing the kidney function in assisting the function of lung qi and the function of Spleen in qi distribution.

d) Herbs for qi deficiency

While deficiency of blood and qi are defined as a condition of liver abnormal function in blood formation and blood transportation due to qi deficiency or the inability of qi in moving blood caused by spleen qi and lung deficiency. Therefore, by treating the stagnation of spleen and lung qi, it will improve the blood deficiency.

Herbs enhancing the qi movement include

i. Ren shen (Ginseng)

Ren shen is considered as one of most powerful herbs in strengthening the original qi in the body. * In spleen, it improves the spleen function in qi absorption, thus reducing the symptoms of distended chest and abdomen cramps and pain.

** In lung, it enhances the lung qi by moistening the channels, thus reducing the symptoms of asthma and dry cough and prevent the rebellion qi causes of menstrual cramps and pain.

ii. Xi yang shen (American ginseng)

Xi yang shen is yin in nature, besides promoting the lung and spleen qi, it also increases the digestive system in absorbing vital energy that is vital for women during menstrual cycle.

It also reduces the heat causes of qi stagnation by moistening the all qi transportation channels, especially for qi stagnation caused by deficiency of yin.

iii. Dang shen (pilose asiabell root)

Dang shen is a Spleen and lung tonic herbs. It improves the lung function in moving qi smoothly through its channels and spleen function in absorbing qi after foods entering the stomach. It also helps to restore the qi which is damaged by heat caused by infection, inflammation or heat generated due to excessive fluids accumulation.

iv. Tai zi shen (pseudostellaria root)

Beside helping to increase the spleen and lung qi, it also improve the blood transportation and spleen and stomach in absorbing vital energy for our body cells and generates fluids to prevent the heat causes of qi stagnation.

v. Huang qi (astragalus root)

It is one of the herb which helps to increase the function of liver in generating more blood formation and liver qi in blood transportation due to excessive blood during menstruation.

3. Acupuncture

a) To clean heat and relieve the stagnation of blood

Stimulating Gongsun(SP4), Neiguan Pc6, LiequeLu 7 and Qi HaiQi6

b) To supplement yin and blood

stimulating Taixi Ki3, Sanyinjiao(SP6) and Zusanli St36

c) To calm heat

Shenmen Ht7 and yintang

d) To Rectify the liver qi and heat

Xingjian Lv2, Taichong Lv3, Ququan Lv8 and Qimen Lv 14

” All women can conceive sometimes during their child bearing age, before menopause”. If you are diagnosis with infertility caused by POFs, my heart goes to you. When comes to treat POFs, the traditional Chinese medicine is one of the best according to unconfirmed statistics. Please make sure you find a doctor who has both conventional medicine and TCM knowledge. Best luck to get pregnant soon Kyle J. Norton

Eczema can make life a misery for children as well as adults with red, dry, thick and scaly skin that is constantly itching. For many people, eczema is triggered off by an allergic reaction to specific foods and avoiding these foods can relieve the symptoms. Chinese dietary therapy is a holistic system of treatment, part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which looks at diet in a completely different way from our western diets. Here I will give you my Seven Chinese Foods secrets that will help your eczema and change your life.

1. Avoid cow’s milk

Often eczema can be triggered off by cow’s milk which is a common food fed to children. Cow’s milk is very damp in nature and if your child’s digestive system is compromised can cause itchy skin, rashes and oozing and weeping lesions. Milk is not a common ingredient in a Chinese diet and is used sparingly. However, in the West we tend to over consume milk which is why more and more people are experiencing an allergic reaction to it. If your baby is suffering with eczema then you really should look for an alternative. Possible replacements are soy or goat’s milk which are less damp forming.

2. Avoid damp forming foods

Not only is cow’s milk damp forming, but other foods can be extremely damp forming as well. Interestingly, some of these foods are common triggers for eczema such as wheat and peanuts. Other damp forming foods include orange juice, bananas, sugar, cheese and other dairy products.

3. Stop the greasy food

Fried, greasy foods are extremely damp forming and warm in nature. Eczema is Yang (warm) in nature which means that if there is an excess of heat in the body it will cause symptoms such as redness, inflammation and thirst. Cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, baking, deep frying, stir frying and sautéing are all yang cooking methods. It’s preferable to boil, simmer, stew, braise or steam your food as these cooking methods are more yin in nature. Foods cooked in this way are cooler in nature and more nourishing to the body and skin.

4. Eat more cooling and nourishing foods

To treat eczema, you need to reduce redness, inflammation and itching of the skin by clearing heat. As well you should moisten dryness and strengthen the qi (vital energy) and blood. Cooling and moistening foods include grapefruit, lettuce, seaweed, watermelon, cucumber, celery, barley, beancurd (tofu), pears, strawberry, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and tomatoes.

Excellent foods to strengthen qi and blood are dark, leafy green vegetables, dark red fruits and vegetables such as beetroot, kidney, aduki beans and blueberries. Meats such as liver, kidneys and chicken are all qi and blood strengtheners. A fantastic start to the day would be to have a bowl of oat porridge sprinkled with a few dates.

5. Avoid raw and ice cold foods

Too many raw and chilled foods (as opposed to cooling foods) can damage the digestive system. The digestive system requires warmth or digestive fire to function and a prolonged and excessive use of raw or ice-cold foods will eventually weaken this digestive fire. You may have noticed that the Chinese do not eat many raw or ice-cold foods for this reason.

6. Balance your flavors

We have often heard that too much of one thing is bad for you and this is true in a Chinese diet. In most Chinese recipes you will find a balance of flavors – salty, sour, bitter, sweet and pungent. For example, salty foods (seaweed, pork, fish) regulate moisture balance, drain excess moisture and stimulate digestion. Too much salt, however, will dehydrate the body and cause dryness. Sweet foods (sugar, bananas, milk), mildly stimulate the circulation of qi and blood, moistening and benefiting dryness. However, eating an excess of sweet foods will lead to the formation of damp and heat which can cause eczema. Therefore, a balanced diet including all the flavors is beneficial. You can increase or decrease a particular flavor according to your needs.

7. Chew slowly and enjoy your food

Quite often eczema is caused by emotional stress. When we are stressed we tend overeat, under-eat or not enjoy what we are eating. Do not eat when angry because this affects the movement of qi and can cause it to stagnate. Qi stagnation over time can cause a build up of heat which can manifest as skin rashes and inflammation.

The Chinese know the benefit of chewing slowly and with concentration, so forget the television or reading while you’re eating – just focus on your food. Every mouthful should be chewed thoroughly since this helps our digestive system to work more efficiently.

Chinese language is not that difficult to learn. It is same as learning any new language such as English or Latin and even when for the first time you start to learn with the basics of piano or guitar. For these languages, people start with only the first few chords of music. In Chinese language as well, a learner should start with the basic words used for communicating thoughts and ideas.

In Chinese language there are 3500 commonly used characters. People communicate their ideas with use of words meaning more or less the thoughts that they want to correspond. The general focus lies on developing the competence of communicating in Chinese before learning to write or read proper Chinese.

Spoken Chinese is in reality fairly accessible and approachable. First one should start with a general idea of the use of words, which corresponds some simple thoughts such as ‘I go’, ‘I eat’, ‘I buy’, etc. Unless one learns the basic use of some of the chords, they may not be able to learn the whole music, similarly is the case for learning a new language such as English, Latin or even Chinese.

Common approaches of learning the language and the Chinese characters:

Radical approach: When teaching Chinese characters, most often the focus is drawn towards the radicals of each of the characters and how it is structured. When learning the strokes it is important to learn the strokes with proper illustration. If there are common pictures or symbols that learners can associate with Chinese ones, then people would be able to identify and remember them better. Learning to pronounce the characters is important for foreign learners.

Systematic Approach: When learning the characters one should emphasize on pronunciation and then stroke. This is a far systematic approach to the whole idea. There are free lessons of learning the language present online. Even if the approach is systematic, it is difficult to learn the language, this way because Chinese characters are ideographic. The meaning and pronunciation of the character is integrated within the system. Simple characters should be learnt first, and then be followed by compound characters.

However compared to learning the characters for writing and reading purpose, it is better if someone emphasizes on the spoken words for the Chinese language that are used. Blog content are present online with English sentences and complete translation of the sentences in Chinese. This type of approach of learning the language accelerates ones learning curve several folds than learning how to read and write.

While learning, it is best one should put special focus on listening, visualising observing and articulating as one goes. Catching specific phrases will help someone develop a clear idea on how they can use it in some other sentences they construct later on. Learners would master use phrases within no time, if the keep on using them time and again and also if they try and understand the use of Chinese language as they learn about them.

Traditional Chinese medicine is an alternative to contemporary medicine. The treatment method corrects imbalances in the body and works in different ways that include:

• Addressing the environment and the external factors of the patient.
• Helping the patients relate to the internal emotions in a healthier way.
• Improving the lifestyle of the patients. This includes promoting better diet and exercise.

The traditional Chinese medicine affects different areas of the body but it focuses on only a few of these areas. The areas include: large intestine, gallbladder, small intestine, lung, liver, spleen, kidneys, and heart.

Benefits of traditional Chinese medicine

The treatment option comes with many advantages that include:

Reduced inflammation: The herbs and mushrooms used in the treatment have antioxidant, antiapoptotic, autophagic, and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. When you take the herbs, you have reduced levels of oxidative stress and inflammation thus you protect the body cells, tissues, and organs from developing diseases.

Reduction of chronic pain and headache: The use of acupuncture and acupressure plays a vital role in managing pain brought about by arthritis and other medical conditions. Experts have also found that treatment methods such as eating a healthy diet and tai chi aid in reducing chronic tension headaches.

Hormonal balance: Research studies show that the herbs used in the treatment contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidants that improve the functions within the endocrine and central nervous system. This aids in improving the healing abilities of the body and balances the hormones such as insulin, estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone.

Improvement of the health of the liver: Since traditional Chinese medicine advocates that you take a healthy diet, the diet aids in improving the health of the liver. Some of the best foods that you should take to improve the health of your liver include: sweet potatoes, healthy fats, spices rich in ginger and garlic, and herbs. You should avoid fried foods, sugary drinks, and snacks, refined oils, alcohol, and processed carbohydrates.

Tips to consider when engaging in traditional Chinese medicine

For you to have a great experience with the treatment method, you need to consider a number of tips. Before you settle on a given practitioner, always take your time to research him/her and ensure that he/she is reputable. Experts recommend that you visit a number of facilities and take a look at the displayed certifications. If there are no certifications, you should stay away from the practitioner.

While the herbs are natural, you should take them under maximum supervision. You shouldn’t take them if suffering from a medical condition or when pregnant. You should avoid medications from an unknown company as they might be containing dangerous additives, lead, cadmium, mercury, and traces of other heavy metals.

To get the most from the treatment method, you should incorporate different lifestyle and preventative habits such as exercising, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and taking beneficial supplements.

Conclusion

This is what you need to know about traditional Chinese medicine. You should remember that the medications are recommended as complementary treatment methods; therefore, you should try them together with the complementary medications. To avoid complications always follow the doctor’s advice.

Just about everyone adores Chinese dishes; there is something very unique about the mix of sauces and veggies!

One is sure to adore Chinese food, the kind they serve at restaurants, maybe even street food.

But have you ever considered making Chinese food at home?

One might be wary at times, simply because the recipes are different from normal Indian meals. It might be difficult, as such, to guess how they cook the food.

But it’s really not that difficult.

With the recipe for rice noodles khowsuey, you’d come to realize that the noodles are delicious, nutritious, and the kind you’d like to try when you call guests over.

Alternately, this makes up for the perfect evening snack.

Let’s run through the recipe for Rice Noodle Khowsuey

COOKING UNDER 10 Minutes

RICE NOODLES KHOWSUEY

Preparation Time: 3 minutes

Cooking Time: 9 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

FOR THE NOODLES

1/2 cup rice noodles

FOR THE KHOWSUEY SAUCE

2 tbsp roasted chana

Bengal gram

1 small onion sliced

4 cloves garlic

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

3 red chillies

12 mm (1/2″) piece ginger

1 cup coconut milk

a pinch sugar 1 tbsp

oil

salt to taste

FOR THE GARNISH

2 spring onions, chopped

Lemon wedges (optional)

Let’s check out the recipe for ‘Rice Noodles Chopsey’. Its ingredients would be oil, sugar, salt, sliced onions, lemon wedges, noodles, coconut milk.

And the ingredients for making the sauce for the chopsuey are red chillies, roasted Bengal gram, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic and ginger.

Firstly, let’s see how to make the chopsuey sauce.

Take a mixer jar.

Mix in the dry ingredients that are needed for the chopsuey sauce.

Once it is blended, add onion and water in the chopsuey paste and blend again.

Our thick chopsuey paste is now ready.

Now we have to cook this paste in oil.

Take 1 tbsp oil in a pan

We will cook the paste that we had made, in this oil, for 1 or 1 and a 1/2 minutes.

Add water to thin the paste.

Add a little salt, and coconut milk in the end.

Our chopsuey sauce would then be ready.

Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 5 minutes. So these would be cooked.

Drain the noodles.

Now pour the chopsuey sauce over the noodles. And garnish this with lemon wedges.

Rice Noodles Khowsuey is now ready to be served. Serve hot.

Chinese Characters have a complex beauty as well as individual meanings. People who get Chinese Character tattoos are often drawn to this. Unfortunately, the flip-side is that there are a lot of Chinese tattoo Mistakes. I have personally seen such elementary mistakes as Chinese Characters being tattooed backward and meant something else other than intended. My goal is to help people explore the beauty and complexity of Chinese Characters safe in the knowledge that they are dealing with the professional.

The typical mistakes of Chinese Character tattoos as below :

• 1 Missing Strokes and Poor Script

  Western tattoo artists always add their own artistic flair, which is fine with English letters, but their script would deface Chinese Characters and make them meaningless. Missing strokes are common mistakes and thus making the tattoos meaningless, and the poor handwriting defaces the Chinese characters and makes Chinese Character tattoos look ugly. Wearing meaningless Chinese Character tattoos is embarrassing.

• 2 Chinese Characters Being Tattooed Backwards

  A much more common mistake is that the Chinese characters are flipped horizontally or vertically and thus is a mirror image of what it should be. I think this might be the problem when people use temporary tattoos or work from those because after a while they might get confused as to which side is the correct one. To have a Chinese Character tattooed on you backwards is also embarrassing.

• 3 Mistranslation of Chinese

  Chinese are complex and can easily be mean something other than intended. Get the wrong one and your new Chinese character tattoo will be a permanent source of embarrassment to you! A lady has told me her Chinese character tattoos experiences: After deciding to ink a Chinese character tattoo, She went to Chinese restaurant and pull over a Chinese waiter and asked him to write out the word “free” in Chinese characters for her, free has two meaning in English dictionary, the first one is free of charge and the second meaning is freedom which was the lady wanted, the waiter wrote down the first meaning in Chinese for the lady. The lady ended up with the sign “free of charge” on her skin and then later it was wind up with spending US$900 to remove the tattoos.

• 4 Do not Know the Meaning of Chinese character tattoos

  I have come across many western people who do not know the meaning of their Chinese character tattoos .Tattoo is a way of self expression. if anyone curiously ask you the meaning of Chinese character tattoos, answering them either do not know or make up the meaning is quite awkward.

• 5. Choosing Kanji from Tattoo Parlors.

  Some Tattoo parlors present some dozens of Kanji either on the wall or on the binders for their customers to choose, Most of these Kanji are either missing strokes or being mistranslated, you would make mistake from the right beginning if you choose them from Tattoo parlors. Moreover, do you think you can pick up your dream tattoos which would express who you are from a handful of kanji.

Here are the advice when planning to get Chinese Character tattoos:

• 1. Getting Chinese Character tattoos right at the first time

  Your tattoo will be with you for the rest of your life, please make sure you get a right character tattoo at the first time. Yes, you can remove it later on, but it is extremely painful and very, very expensive. A $100 tattoo “mistake” can cost several thousand dollars to remove.

• 2. Do not Pick up Kanji From Tattoo Parlors

  Many people have gotten what they thought were Chinese Character tattoos only to find later that the characters were drawn wrong, or in one case, the mirror image of the character was tattooed. You would make the mistakes mentioned above if choosing them from tattoo parlors.

• 3. Do You Own Research

  Before you run off to the tattoo parlor to get one done you should do your own research. Selecting Chinese Characters deserve careful study and attention.

• 4. Consulting With a Chinese

  Many words in English can be translated in several different Chinese characters. Each of these may have a slightly different meaning in Chinese. Consulting with a native Chinese to get a exactly CORRECT characters for your intended meaning.

• 5.Choosing Meaningful Words

  Tattoos are forever. If you’re planning to get a Chinese Character tattoo soon, be sure to choose the right and meaningful characters. It is important to choose something of lasting appeal not something faddish, and it also needs to be a cool design you’ll love tomorrow just as much as you love it today.

• 6.Getting Them Look Right

  Western tattoo artists’ script usually defaces Chinese Characters and makes them meaningless. Again, take the time to do some research and find someone good at Chinese calligraphy to write out your design. Chinese calligraphy is a classic ancient art. The brush strokes must have a certain shape. Each part of a character must be in precise relation to the others. Chinese Characters can be written in a wide variety of calligraphy styles.

• 7. Getting a stencil Outline of the Proposed Design.

  Every tattoo design has a matching “stencil”. It is an exact copy of the tattoo design, but without any color or shading — just the black line work that makes up the design. Your tattooist will transfer stencil directly to your skin prior to beginning the tattoo process, thus the tattooist will ink the tattoo which is exactly the same as the proposed design.

There’s reason to be concerned about China – at least, its robotic revolution.

We’re facing an ever-evolving world that’s spitting out innovative technological breakthroughs with the torrid pace of a tennis ball launcher on uppers. Pew: Self-driving cars. Pew: Agricultural drones. Pew: Wearable translators.

Each day, the innovations leap forward – and while it’s exciting to be living during these revolutionary tech times, there’s an important question we have to ask ourselves…

Are we ready for this?

It’s something that comes to mind when I hear reports of Asia producing more robots than the rest of the world combined. China, in particular, is adding robots at an average pace of about 20% annually. To put that into perspective, about 650,000 new robots are expected to be installed there by 2020.

Each week, I read new examples of that statistic at play.

For one, Shentong Express, a Chinese shipping company, recently cut its labor costs in half by adding a fleet of tiny, orange, Roomba-esque robots.

And in February, the Changying Precision Technology (which produces mobile phones) made a similar jump into the shiny new world of automation. The factory was previously run by 650 employees – but now just 60 people are required to get the job done, and that’s expected to drop to 20 in the future.

That’s a whopping 90% drop in the human workforce thanks to robotics. And, yes, it’s proving useful: Ever since the transition, production has jumped by 250% and defects have dropped by 80%.

Again, that’s exciting and makes my internal sci-fi nerd psyched about the possibilities. But there’s a film of fear that tempers that excitement.

What happens to those displaced? How will they earn a source of income – and how will this play through our economies?

Chinese workers are dealing with that concern – in fact, it’s no surprise that they fear being replaced by machines more than any other group. About 80% of Chinese workers polled by the ADP Research Institute earlier this year believed that tech would replace jobs requiring repetitive work. That handily beat the 12 other countries where polling took place.

Clearly people are worried, and there’s a valid reason.

Economists expect between 9% and 47% of workers in the West to lose jobs to automation over the next two decades. And as much as 40% of Fortune 500 companies could disappear within just one decade. Meanwhile, between 25% and 69% of jobs could disappear in China and India.

So again, the question comes back to: Are we ready for this?

I don’t pretend to know the full scope of the changes headed our way, but I, for one, want to ensure I’m prepared for both sides of the equation – the good and the bad.

That’s why I’m looking to benefit from companies focused on the Internet of Things, robotics and other innovations. We’re experiencing a momentous period within history – and that’s sure to bring momentous opportunities.

At the same time, I want to be equipped for any short-term economic backlashes that happen in the meantime as displaced workers try to refind their places in the world.

After all, isn’t it prudent to be ready for whatever comes our way?

Chinese Dwarf Hamsters, with their long, hairless tails, look more like a mouse than a hamster. They belong to a different hamster family than the Russian Dwarf Hamsters and are not technically dwarves. However, they are called dwarf hamsters because of their tiny size – about 3 to 4 inches long.

These hamsters were often used in research before being displaced by rats and mice. Very timid by nature, they are not socialized as easily as other species of hamster but, once tame, are mild mannered and even tempered. They are not known to nip and bite the way other hamsters are.

One thing that Chinese Dwarf Hamsters have in common with Russian Dwarf Hamsters is their ability to escape from traditional cages, whose bars they can easily squeeze through. It is important to place them in a secure habitat, such as a cage intended for a mouse, or an aquarium retrofitted with a special top that cannot be gnawed through.

In the wild, Chinese Dwarf Hamsters are grey-brown with a black dorsal stripe — a stripe down their backs – and an ivory colored belly. A common color variation seen in captive Chinese Dwarf Hamsters is called “Dominant Spot.” These hamsters are completely grey-white, except for the darker dorsal stripe. A very rare color variant is the black-eyed white, which is an all-white hamster with black eyes. Only a handful of the rare black-eyed whites exist, and are owned exclusively by professional hamster enthusiasts.

They are nocturnal, but are active during the day in short bursts of activity. As with all hamsters, it is important to approach them gradually and carefully when they are asleep. A startled hamster will assume it is being attacked and will respond accordingly.

Like the Syrian Hamster, the dwarf Chinese hamster is best kept separate from each other since they may become violent, engaging in battles that end in the death of one of the hamsters. Most of these hamsters that are kept as pets are female. The males are used primarily for breeding and laboratory research. Pairing a male and female in a cage together will usually end up in the death of the male.

As with all hamsters, it is important to provide the appropriate bedding. Hay, paper or aspen bedding will not cause allergies or other complications. Avoid pine or cedar bedding, which is toxic to hamsters and cat litter, which can be laden with chemicals. They will appreciate having a clean and tidy home. A weekly cleaning of the cage and change of bedding is standard practice.

They may be fed a mouse or rat mix, or lab blocks complemented by healthy snacks, such as fruits and vegetables. Never feed a hamster junk food, salted food, chocolates or other sweets. Vitamins, such as Nutri-Cal, are appropriate supplements. Pregnant Chinese Dwarf Hamsters will require additional calcium. Water should be provided in bottles to minimize spillage. Stoneware is recommended for food, as plastic can leach toxins.

These hamsters are difficult to find, since keeping them as pets is restricted in much of the United States. While some states classify the hamster as an exotic pet, requiring a special license, California has declared these hamsters an outright pest as it is viewed as a threat to the agricultural industry.

Non-indigenous animals should never be set free outdoors, in case they out-compete the native wildlife. Since there seems to be alarm over these rare hamsters, it is important to be a responsible owner. Please remember that many environmental disasters were caused by the casual release of exotic animals. Gypsy moths and Starlings are two dramatic examples of destructive introduced species in the continental United States, as are mongoose in Hawaii and rabbits in Australia.

The best choice of pet for the casual hamster owner might not be the Chinese Dwarf Hamster.

During the Chinese New Year, young people who greet their elders with a happy and abundant new year are handed lucky red envelopes by the elders. These envelopes are really good luck for a youngster because these have money inside. The lucky red envelopes are called “hong bao” in Mandarin, or “lai see” in Cantonese.

Symbolism of the Lucky Envelope

Giving money during Chinese New Year is considered lucky for both the giver and the receiver. Those who give will also invite the flow of money in during the entire year. Giving these envelopes also symbolize that the family luck is also passed on to the children and the unmarried teens/ adults.

Red as usual is the luckiest color, as it symbolizes life, so it’s appropriate that Chinese New Year items are colored red. Hong paos have assorted designs, such as that of happy children, Chinese characters for abundance and greetings, animals of the zodiac, etc. The Chinese word for red (“hong”) also sound like “plenty”. Thus it is believed that money wrapped in red will make money multiply.

The money inside the hong bao is called Ya Sui Qian. Ya mean suppress; Sui sounds somehow like evil spirit. Qian means money. Therefore, Ya Sui Qian means money that can suppress evil spirits. It is believed that this lucky money can also help kids be safe and healthy for the year.

Giving the Hong Bao/ Lai See

Money in even amounts, except for 4, is considered lucky. 4 is not a good amount to put into the lucky envelopes because the Chinese word for “four” sounds similar to the sound of “death”. A good way to gauge the amount to put into a hong bao is roughly the same amount as a candy bar. An adult can give 1 envelope, while married couples usually give 2 envelopes. It is said that in some parts of China, only mothers give away the hong bao.

The young people accept these lucky envelopes graciously on Chinese New Year with a sincere thank you (that’s “xie xie” in Mandarin or “doi jeh” in Cantonese.) They often give thanks while kneel-bowing 3 times.

For good manners sake, the hong bao should not be opened in the presence of the giver. The receiver may only do so after leaving the giver.

The lucky money inside the hong bao is recommended to be kept and not spent immediately. Young people are encouraged to save their money. And besides, it is believed that this money brings luck and wellness so might as well keep it.

When President Xi visited India, he signed an agreement to produce 3 joint films. This is the first of these films. The film stars Jackie Chan with an ensemble of Indian stars led by a Sonu Sood and Disha Patni. The film is, however, a Jackie Chan vehicle and his successor 63 years carries himself and the film with aplomb.

The film is a box office bonanza in China grossing over $ 900 million. It was not much of a hit in India where Jackie is not the superhero. The film features two Indian stars in Disha Patni and Sonu Sood. This is a big break and Sonu who plays the villain is pretty good. Disha will do Indians proud with a lovely midriff and for a voyeur. She can also be seen in a bikini.

The story is simple. A Chinese archaeologist on the search for an ancient relic. The villain Sonu also wants it. The search takes the duo to Tibet, India, and Dubai. In Dubai, the star is a lion a pet of a grand sheik. There is plenty of action and some lovely shots of Dubai. The Jumeirah beach resort is the setting and this is where Disha dons the bikini.

There are plenty of action scenes with a hair-raising scene with Jackals. Jackie is a great Kungfu star and he clearly shows his wares. But there is very little romance in the movie and that is the reason the film did not click in India. In addition stereotype scenes of elephants and snake charmer are not the best way forward.

The film does have slick editing and direction. The shots in Dubai are well executed. It's a terrific advertisement for Dubai and shows camel races and car chases, with a lion in the back seat.

The ending is pretty bizarre as the villain Sonu Sood and Disha as well as Jackie get into a classical dance. Hats off to Jackie for doing the dance so well. The relic remains in a temple and the story is over. The finance is from China and thus the film will appeal more there. The success of the film is due to Jackie and that means he is the largest star of the east.

Two more films will be made and we hear one of the girls Priyanka Chopra or Deepika Padukone will star. In this film, the role was offered to Amir Khan but one supposes he will not play second fiddle to Jackie. Overall a passable film, which could have entertained more.