A nice article to share

      We Received this article couple days ago, and I did a rough translation from the original Chinese text. This is a short article contains many aspects that I believe we can all somewhat relate to in today's life, so I feel it's worthy sharing.
      
      Like water becomes the shape of the container, I will simply "pour" this into your "cup". Hope you can enjoy, and get your own shape out of it.


" 'Someday', maybe not"
by Yue Sun
Translated by Cedric Q. Sun


Today, our house is getting bigger, but family is getting smaller;
Life is getting more convenient, but we have less and less time;
We earn higher degree, but lose more common sense;
We have more knowledge, but worse judgement;
There are more experts, and more problems;

We have more medicine, but worse health;
We spend more, enjoy less;
We drive faster, get angry faster;

We go to bed later, but read less, too much TV, less prayer;
We own more properties, but less value;
Too much talking, less caring, and more lies;
We learnt how to make a living, but didn't establish a life;
We add time to our life, but don't add life to our time;
Our building gets taller and taller, our EQ gets lower and lower;
Roads are wider, views are narrower;
We buy more, own less;
We purchase more, enjoy less;
We can go to the moon, but cannot visit the neighbor next door;
We can conquer the outer space, but cannot manage our inner mind;
We can fission nuclear, but cannot dissolve prejudice;
We do more writing, but less study;
More plan, less accomplishment;
We learnt to be busy, bot not to wait;
Our income increases,but morals decreases;
We produce more computers, control more information, make more copies, but lose our communications;
Our quantity increases, but quality decreases.
This is the era when fast food causes indigestion;
Superior body coexists with inferior character;
More leisure but less happiness;
More food but less nutrient;
More double income family, and more divorces;
More luxury mansions, and more broken families.
I suggest, in a era like now, do not reserve yourself for special occasions only, as every day is a special occasion for you.
Read more, pursue knowledge,enjoy the view from your porch，don't be indulged in fulfilling your desires.
Spend more time with your family and friends, enjoy good food, and visit places you like.
Life is not only to survive, but a chain of enjoyments.
Take your goblet out, don't save your best perfume, use it whenever you want.
Remove "someday", "one day" from your vocabulary.
Go write the letter that you thought you would write "someday", now.
Tell our family and friends how much we love them, now.
Don't pull off anything that brings happiness and joy, do it, now.
Everyday, every hour, every minute is special, and you never know if that may be your last moment.
If you are too busy to share this article with your loved ones, you tell yourself, I will do that "someday".
Trust me, "someday" you may not have the chance anymore.

The following is the original Chinese text:


"等到有一天" 你或許沒有機會
 - 作者：孫越


在今天，我們的房子越來越大，但是家庭越來越小。
生活越來越方便，但是時間卻越來越少。
我們的學位越來越高，常識卻越來越少。
知識越來越多，判斷力卻越來越差。
我們有更多的專家，但是也有更多的問題。
醫藥越來越好，但健康越來越少。
我們花費太多，歡笑太少。
車開得太快，火氣上來也更快。
睡得太晚，閱讀太少，電視看得太多，而且禱告太少。
我們所擁有的資產倍增，但是價值卻遞減。
我們學習如何經營生活，但沒有建造生命。
我們在生命中加增歲月，卻沒有在歲月中增長生命。
我們有越來越高的建築，但也有越來越低的EQ。
有更寬廣的高速公路，但有更狹窄的視野。
我們花費得更多，但擁有的更少。
我們買得更多，但享受得更少。
我們可以登陸月球回來。但是卻無法拜訪對街的鄰居。
我們可以征服外太空。但是卻無法掌控內心世界。
我們可以分裂原子核，但是卻無法挪去心中的偏見。
我們更多書寫，卻更少學習。
更多計畫，卻更少成就。
我們學會忙碌，但學不會等候。
我們的收入更高了，但道德更低了。
我們生產更多電腦，掌握更多資訊，複製更多拷貝，但我們的溝通卻更貧乏。
我們的數量提高了，品質卻降低了
這是快速食品充斥卻消化不良的時代。
高大的身軀與低劣的性格並存的時代。
更多休閒卻更少歡樂。
更多食物卻更少營養。
更多雙收入家庭，但更高的離婚率。
更多千萬豪宅，但卻更多破碎的家庭。
我建議，在今天這樣的世代，你不要保留任何事情到特殊的場合才做，因為你活著的每一天都是特殊場合。
勤加閱讀，追求知識，坐在你家的前廊上欣賞自然美景，無需汲汲營營於生活需要。
多花時間與家人及好友在一起，享受喜歡的食物，到你喜愛的地方去遊覽。
生命不只是為了存活，而是一連串愉快事件組成的的鏈條。
將你的水晶高腳杯拿出來，不要將妳最好的香水存起來，任何時候你想要用的時候就用它吧。
把「有一天」「將來的某一天」，從你的字典中刪除。
現在就去寫那一封，你曾經想過要等到「有一天」才來寫的信。
讓我們現在就告訴我們的家人我們多愛他們。
不要將會帶給你歡笑及喜樂的任何事情拖延到未來。
每一天，每一小時，每一分鐘都是特別的，而且你不知道那是否是你的最後一刻。
如果你太忙，以致於無法將這封信傳給你所愛的人，你告訴自己說，「等到有一天」我再傳。
那請你相信我 "等到有一天" 你或許沒有機會傳了。

October 24th, 2011, "Hoar Frost", the 6th/last small Autumn season arrives

      In 2011, the season of "Hoar Frost" is arriving on October 24th. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

      Here are some additional information:


      In this small season, people who have or had asthma need to be extra cautious. According TCM theory, asthma usually started from the cold-wind or hot-wind damage, if the patient was not treated correctly or in time, there will be cold left and hide inside of the body, and that is considered as the root of asthma. When temperature drops in this season, the cold air can “trigger” the asthma easily. Naturally, to prevent cold from harming the body energy is a must. For asthma patients, the major area to be protected is the upper back (lower neck and shoulder blades area). Make sure to adjust the clothes according to the weather so you don’t catch cold either. Meanwhile, to fully treat asthma, you also need to work on removing the internal cold from the body. So eat less or no cold food or drink, make sure drink more warm water. The lungs, spleen and kidney are the three organs that related to asthma, Chinese Yam, walnut and chestnut are the three major foods that nourish these three organs. Chinese yam can be steamed just like other vegetable and I’m sure you know how to eat walnut and chestnut. 

      Asthma is not the only issue that is caused by cold, so are many other common symptoms. I have mentioned in the past season that to “challenge” the cold in early fall is a good way to prepare yourself for the winter, this theory has expired in this season. If you have done that in the past seasons you have already done you job, if you have not then you need to be extra careful on add enough clothes. Also:

1.  Train and improve your immunity system by doing proper exercise such as walking, Tai Chi, yoga; 
2. Keep the internal warm by taking warm drink and food; 
3. Know the “vulnerable” body parts, which include feet, shoulders, belly, neck and knees, and keep them warm.

      Regarding food remedy, peanut is one of the great choices on warming up the stomach energy, when being used as remedy, they are better to be eaten with the red skin as it nourishes the blood and hair. But peanut is NOT recommend for people who

1. gets bruise and blood spots easy,
2. had partial or full gall bladder removal,
3. gets allergy from it.

      In traditional Chinese culture, autumn and winter are considered as seasons to “nourish” or “add”, meaning to eat nourishing food to store energy. “Hoar frost” is considered as one of the best small season to do so. People believe doing nourishing in this season is like building a strong foundation for winter nourishing, only if we have a solid foundation, can we do winter- nourishing and energy storing effectively. There are many foods we can choose from (see the linked article), but no matter what we choose, we must have a strong and healthy digestive system to process them. Again, back to the stomach-spleen system, there are many food remedies for the stomach-spleen system such as millet, barley, Chinese Yam, dates, string bean and beef. For this particular season, we also highly recommend Gordon Euryale Seed, as I mentioned earlier that we are in a transitional season between late autumn (stomach) and winter (kidney), and Gordon Euryale Seed nourishes both the stomach-spleen and the kidney system. Simply cook it as you do with oatmeal, but make sure to cook it long enough to make it “well done”. And as usual, even it is a good remedy for now, do NOT over eat, we recommend less than 50 gram per serve. Also, because it is somewhat puckery and has strong force of withdrawing, it is NOT recommended for people who is constipated and woman who just gave birth.

October 8th, 2011, "Cold Dew", the 5th small Autumn season arrives

      In 2011, the season of "cold dew" is arriving on the same day as last year. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

      Here are some additional information:

      From this season, the cold energy often enters our body system from our feet. Therefore to keep the feet warm and healthy become important. One activity we can start to do from this season on is the foot bath. There are many benefits from the method include:

1. Remove the cold, warm up the entire body 
2. Increase body blood circulation, allay the tiredness. Especially after long time standing or walking, use this method can help the body to recover rapidly 
3. If you do morning exercise, use this method after your exercise
4. Do it before you go to bed will improve the quality of your sleep 
5. Helps with healing of tinea pedis (athlete’s foot) 

      Although foot bath is great, here is also something else you need to know:

1. Find a good length for yourself. Usually 5-10 minute each time with one time hot water refill is suitable for almost everyone. You can do more refill and stay longer if you like, but do not exceed 30 minutes. As the blood circulation increase, the heart rate increases too and this may add too much work to the heart. Also as much more blood runs towards the lower body, it may decrease the blood amount in the brain, and this may cause dizziness or nauseous. If any of these symptoms occur, stop the foot bath immediately and rest in bed.
2. After dinner wait at least one hour before the food bath. Our blood needs to run to the digestion system after meals. If you do the foot bath too soon, the blood will run to the lower body instead. In a long run this will affect our digestion and absorption
3. The temperature of the water should not exceed 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit). 

       Another simple way to exercise the feet is walking. Wear a pair of comfortable shoes and walk in the nice weather till you feel warm. If possible this is also the best time of the year to hike. Hiking will not only provide exercise for your feet, it also helps you to eliminate the “autumn sadness” because it will cleanse the lungs energy in general. But make sure protect your knees as they are the vulnerable parts in these kinds of activities.

      Also, Eat more “soft and moisturizing” food such as sesame, sticky rice, honey, chicken, duck, beef, pork liver, fish, dates, yam and some dairy product. Meanwhile eat less dry and hot foods such as hot pepper, raw ginger root, garlic and scallion.