well things seem to have changed for the better in my little (big??) world over here...i now have a helper/com- panion to be with me part time...it's an 8 hour shift in the afternoons/evenings...i lucked out with a good one!... he's been watching what my tuina doctor does with me in our daily sessions and he's been giving me an evening treatment in addition to going with me to the gym in the afternoon and helping me with ranging my arm (the thing i am so not motivated to do by myself!)...he helps me with walking exercises in the hall... backwards, sideways, walking one foot in front of the other, marching lifting and bending my knee on my left leg (the other thing i'm frankly very unmotivated to do on my own!)...he saves me from maddening boredom...and he can go to the store for me, etc...he speakes no english...so i'm quite motivated now to learn mandarin...i'm happily learning the language with a new teacher who has teaching skills so i feel i'm getting somewhere...something tells me mandarin will soon be a very useful language to know...i'll guess that the 21st century will be china's turn to, once again, take the center stage on the planet...i'm sure i'll remain here but i'm still glad i know of another tcm clinic in china...hey i'm from new york...you won't catch me without a 'plan B'...lol...i'll keep posting my progress...best, richxxx