China is a country steeped in traditional values that have endured for many generations. To the westerner many of these traditions are respectable and mysterious and at times mystifying. Others seem to be just plain silly and simple minded.

Generations upon generations of Chinese descendants have had time to implement certain rites and ways of life to the point that they have become as much a part of life as breathing. In the area of medicine, especially, the Chinese continue to cling to complicated potions made up of hard to gather herbs and exotic animal parts aimed at healing all kinds of ailments: low sex drive, acne, cancer, and baldness are just some of the things Chinese hypothecaries claim to have power over.

One of my favorite cures however flies right in the face of traditional Chinese medicine yet makes up the most commonly used prescription: Boiling hot water.

I first encountered Chinese people's dependence on hot water while living in the south western province of Sichuan. I had arrived in late winter when the air had a little chill to it. When I would arrive at someone's home or at my office a glass of steaming hot water would be provided by the host or a fellow teacher. It struck me as the Chinese version of hot chocolate; a beverage to curb the cold weather and warm you up. As the weather began to turn warm, hot water, still seemed to be the beverage of choice. After a long walk to school or to a friend's house I'd be thirsty and what I'd get was a glass of steaming hot water when all I really wanted was a nice cold glass of ice water I could take big gulps of. Instead I had to sip the scalding water and slowly assuage my thirst.

That summer I developed a slight cold and had the sniffles. My collegues informed me that I should drink hot water as a cure. It was close to 35 degrees celsius (90-95f) that summer and drinking hot water seemed ridiculous to me. Hot water in the summer? I slowly realized that nice satisfying glasses of cold refreshing water were rare and requests for it were met with questioning looks.

Another hot water incident occured after a night of drinking. I had a hangover the next morning and didn't look too great. My Chinese friends informed me that I should drink none other than some hot water. At restaurants, in the searing summer, cups of hot water were poured. Ice water please! What? You want ice water? I'd wager the Chinese secretly thought I was weird.

A student of mine was sick. I was quite worried and thought he might want to seek the help of a doctor. He was seriously ill with influenza it turned out. His teacher instructed him to rest and drink hot water. When SARS was rampaging around Beijing and Hong Kong I was instructed to, "drink plenty of hot water! It'll help keep you healthy!"

"Yeah right," I thought.

Western medicine is not widely used. It's availible in the bigger cities but the average Chinese person would rather stick with the traditional herbs and various roots and animal parts that have kept their parents so healthy for such a long time.

In addition to traditional Chinese medicine, which I don't completely trust, a steady regimen of hot water is contantly being used to ward off any impending illnesses. From the common cold to pneumonia. The flu to diaherria.

Part of the 'hot water thing' may have something to do with the fact that it's not advised to drink water directly from the tap as it may be contaminated. Boiling it is a good way to kill anything that may be harmful floating around. I buy bottled water and throw it in the fridge. There's nothing like a glass of hot water on an even hotter summer day when you're thirsty to keep one's health in check.