No. I'm an Italian American. There are TCM colleges in the USA. I studied at one of these before starting my work as a TCM doctor. Also, I worked in a tea import company when I was younger.

Actually, I always shower in the evening and never drink ice water. I drink hot green tea all summer, and 普洱茶 all winter. The Chinese are correct regarding these things.

I've had many great teachers. I'm very fortunate. :)

I am a TCM doctor.

Indeed, I'm accustomed to all sorts of fun grammatical constructions and words like 子，乎，者 and 也. My Classical Chinese is much better than my Modern Chinese, since I'm only self-taught in Modern Chinese. Anyway, I tend to read philosophy, poetry, and medical texts, e.g, 莊子，詩經，and 難經, though I've read broadly in other areas. Long-form literature hasn't been my main interest, though, so I've not read the Four Classics in Chinese, and have read only two of them in English (Journey to the West and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms). Have you read much in English?

No, I've never been to China. I earned a Master's degree in Classical Chinese (in the USA) before studying acupuncture. I've known many Chinese people over the years - professors, patients, a girlfriend, to name a few. My impression of the Chinese people is positive.

I always prefer how Ancient Chinese feels in my brain, even as a native English speaker. Seems like you're doing fairly well with your English. 加油！

Freedom

In general, I think it is important to assess success and failure regularly in the context of short-term manageable goals, and build the larger vision (and benchmarks for success and failure for that vision) based on the practical results of these short-term goals. Each interation - whether a success or failure - provides new information to the process, and helps provide better direction for future goal-setting.

If there is a particular aspect of the project that is a failure consistently, it becomes important to rethink the vision of the project such it incorporates the truth of that repeated failure.

One specific problem which I myself consistently encounter is that over-commitment to a goal leads to excessive self-sacrifice. While I'm generally happy to suffer on the crosses of my ideals, there does come a point when enough is enough...

Such a mind-opening story. I appreciate it! :)

Thank you for sharing all those poems last year. Hope to read more sometime. Cheers.

As above, so below...