18/8. August. 2010. E-mail. Admissions Office.

They said yes.

I´m buying more text-books than I already have on the shelves. Asking advice from friends who are skilled acupuncturists about which books they recommend; hanging out on Amazon looking for new ones, used ones. Cheaper. I start reading through the books I already have, and begin to check through my previous 20 years of training in qigong and daoist meditation from the slightly different viewpoint unique to acupuncture.

Trying to set up accomodation. Not sure if it´s OK yet. Shop around for other ones, worrying that I might have to rent an apartment. In a small store at the end of a London bus-route this spring I found notes about student accomodation; central living, 6-700 pounds a month. No clue what the places look like. Too much money for me and my place back home in Sweden at the same time anyway. Staying in a student dorm is probably not a good solution if you 1) want to sleep, 2) want to sleep, and 3) be rested enough to actually learn anything during the courses. Not 19 anymore. Want to be able to focus on life in London, and on learning stuff. The stuff I´m coming here for for the next four years.

Don´t really feel like fighting over who owns which carton of milk either.

Summer 2010 I´m talking with a friend over what I´m going to do next. He says, ”Hey, why don´t you retrain as an acupuncturist? You have twenty years of training in the field already. Wouldn´t that be good?”
  I try to sidestep on automatic. ”Well, maybe, but I don´t really think that – hang on. Hmmmm.” And I went silent, and thought.
  Then I started asking questions. Another friend who is a very good acupuncturist recommended Westminster. London. Masters-course at university, something that doesn´t exist in Sweden.
  I read up on their website and liked the intent they had. ”Our focus is the education of competent scholar practitioners of the CM tradition, who have the skills of critical thinking combined with mindfulness, and can participate in the current debates on science and tradition that have an impact on the living tradition.” It went on: ”Extensive practice in our on-site training clinic develops the clinical skills to perform as self-reflective, autonomous, inquisitive and caring practitioners who can develop effective professional relationships with patients and colleagues.” Big words. I wondered if they would prove true in reality. But it sounded good for the level of professionalism I was looking for.
  I applied. Late. In for Clearing.
  I got accepted.

Booked my flight on Easyjet. 18th of September. Saturday. 2010. On Monday, the Introduction begins at the university. Then it´s time for the overview of what the courses and program will offer. Part-time, me. Will fill the days with trying to apprentice at other clinics. Have some ideas.

It will cost me a lot of money, not just in the shape of more student loans but also of my own to get this quality. It feels worth it...and slowly there is an excitement in going away for this adventure, to study acupuncture in the early years of the second millenium in one of the most alive and hectic cities of the world: London.

I´m listening to Jeffrey Yuan´s talks on CD. He goes through the different uses of using stainless steel needles, silver needles or gold. The huge difference the right choice might make in effect for the patient. He discusses classical chinese medicine, the really old one, the one that is dying out both in China and in the West, slowly, by small cuts. Wonder how many who still knows it.

Get an e-mail from the course leader today. Hep B vaccination. You don´t have to get one, but you have to be informed that you´re making the choice. Think I might be already. Have to check it out.