Today I went to the hospital to get my yearly for-visa physical. It's always a hassle and this year was no exception. The clinic (hospital is a bit formal) only sees patients - foreign passport holders wanting residence in China and Chinese holders seeking visas to go abroad - from 8 - 10:30am. Crowded is an understatment.
9:28 - I arrive by taxi to long lines in the lobby. A nurse directs me to the 4th floor, where foriegners are handled. The line actually begins on the stairs of 2nd floor. I wait.
9:45 - I can see the 4th floor, and a nice Aussie woman saves my spot so I can grab a medical form and fill it out.
9:55 - I'm on the 4th floor. Only 14 people separate me from from the first clinic office. They told me not to eat before the test, so I skipped breakfast. Hunger sets in.
10:10 - Inside the clinic office now. It's more like a waiting room with the queue snaking around the walls. At least there are chairs to sit on. Tables to fill out forms are in the middle and one long table with computers posts up on the left wall. Here, 3 clerks assign everyone a sheet of labels to code our samples and to enter us into the computer network.
10:15 - Finally sitting down. Still 14 people to go before I actually make progress on my application. To the Aussie woman, I offer my condolences over her loss: Steve Irwin, Croc Hunter, dead at 44. I break it to her gently. Is that a tear? Wait, no, dust blown in through the open window got her eye. Clinics are clean here... right?
10:20 - Pounding at her keyboard and instructing me to look into the webcam, a nurse enters my information into her computer. She gives me 8 stickers with my name & serial number.
10:22 - Elapsed time with nurse: 2 min. Back in line. Standing. Now I pay for the services I haven't recieved yet. In China, you often pay for things and then get what you paid for. NOT like in the States where you recieve services and pay for what you get. Slight difference, but it's a big one...
10:30 - I've paid $43.45 for the service and have a reciept to prove it! Back in another line. Time spent with clerk: 1 min. Hunger = pain. Pain = frustration.
10:33 - See a hot Russian girl. Song, "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me" gets stuck in my head. I wish I had a girlfriend, and that she was hot, like the Russian girl. She sees I'm wearing my CCCP zip jacket. She smiles. Wait! She's got a sister, too! Wait! She's also got a really tall (bigger than me) boyfriend with her. Deuce!
10:40 - Still in line. Still have "hot like me..." repeating in my head. Her boyfriend would crush me. At least I'm already at the hospital.
10:45 - A nurse realizes that the lines are too long. Ya think?!? Pulling 14 of us aside, she directs us to parts 2,3,4 of the check-up. Things move quickly now.
10:50 - ECG. Four suction cups are strapped to my chest, looking at my guts and monitoring pulse. Know what she WON'T find in there? Food. I'm starving.
10:55 - At the general health room. Questionarre would be a better word for it than 'check up.' A doctor asks me if my vision is ok, what my height and weight are. He checks my blood pressure and my heart rate. He smiles and I'm done.
11:00 - The X Ray machine is like a bad ride at the MN State Fair. Standing on a platform, the nurse pulls a lead apron over my waist and fastens it to the otherside like a restraining belt. Whurring, the machine moves up and down and side to side pausing at each point for a quick 'click.' Thank you. I'm done!
11:05 - Back in line. Now I've got to turn the form in to the main office along with a photo. There are 14 people in front of me. A different group than before.
11:26 - I'm all done... well mostly. The results will take 2 days to process, so I've got to return back then. Next time, I'm bringing a breakfast AND lunch with me.
Being that this is the only clinic in Beijing to do this kind of work, you'd think they'd try to streamline the process. Unfortunatly, I didn't see a comment box. Then again, don't believe I've seen one anywhere in China...
Sorry if this long tale of bueracracy bored you. If it did, then perhaps my point was made. In all, the ordeal took me 2 hours - only about 15 of which was actually spent with a 'professional'. Next time you visit the doctor's office, while you sit in a clean room listening to Kenny G and reading Golfer's Digest, please think of me... and just how lucky you are.
peace. paul.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Road Work - Nan Luogu Xiang Hutong, Beijing
"Preserve the style of the ancient capital / everybody has responsibility"
Road work on the hutong streets... making them wider. Good - because now they'll be even and more astetically appealing. Bad - because that means more car traffic and slightly less character.
peace. paul.
Road work on the hutong streets... making them wider. Good - because now they'll be even and more astetically appealing. Bad - because that means more car traffic and slightly less character.
peace. paul.
Back to Blogging, Beijing style
Truly inspired by my good friend jeremy's voyage to Taiwan, I've decided that it's finally time to put down the China Daily and pick up with my blog. To that end, I'll give a quick update on my life and times here in the capital of China, Beijing.
My days have oscillated between relaxing and ridiculous since I've returned to China after a wonderful 3 week stay in the US. I've been waking up early and getting everything lined up for my student visa (my current one expires in 3 weeks, so no rush). However, every time that I make an inch of progress, they tell me I have another yard to go.
Yesterday I showed up at the Public Security Bureau. That's the police station. They handle visas and visa extensions. Interesting. With my passport and university invitations in hand, I thought everything was in line. I had no idea. As it would happen, I need these documents, plus a form from my local PSB as proof of residence, plus a medical form telling them I'm healthy and don't have leperacy, plus another sheet from my uni (which they can only give me after I've completed the afformentioned 2 steps). The plot thickens.
So, I ask the PSB clerk, "Where do I get the physical." (BTW: I've had one every year I've been in China... if only they worried about their own citizens' health as much as foreign immigrants'.) She tells me the clinic name, and the phone number to get directions. I turn to leave. "But," she said, "the clinic is only open from 8-10:30am, so you'll have to wait until Monday." Great, a brick wall. I'll wait until Monday. I call my landlord about the local PSB visit.
My landlord is a very fast talker. Mustering the best Chinese I can, I call her and explain the situation, "To live in China, I must get visa. For visa, you and me go to police to tell them I in Beijing live. You can help me when?" Then she starts talking really quickly in Chinese, "I can... but then... 7 day... maybe we can... ok?" What?!? Sheepishly, I say ok, thank her and hang up. No idea what it all means. It will take 7 days to process? In 7 days she can go with me? Totally lost.
My friend Jeff speaks Chinese very well. I ask him if he wants to get some lunch. A clever ploy... After lunch, I enlist Jeff to translate and figure out what she means. Apparantly, she said that she knows where the office is and that it will take 7 MINUTES, not days to complete. Relief sets in. We schedule a time this weekend when she can take me. One form pending, 2 more to go...
Seeing as I couldn't really do much more work on my visa, I sat down with 2 of the greatest movies of all time: Rocky III and Rocky IV. That's right, Clubber Lang AND Ivan Drago, back to back. Watching Rocky fight Drago and Soviet bureaucracy with his fists, I felt peaceful. It was a good ending to a frustrating day.
More to come... hopefully shorter posts too...
be well. peace. paul.
My days have oscillated between relaxing and ridiculous since I've returned to China after a wonderful 3 week stay in the US. I've been waking up early and getting everything lined up for my student visa (my current one expires in 3 weeks, so no rush). However, every time that I make an inch of progress, they tell me I have another yard to go.
Yesterday I showed up at the Public Security Bureau. That's the police station. They handle visas and visa extensions. Interesting. With my passport and university invitations in hand, I thought everything was in line. I had no idea. As it would happen, I need these documents, plus a form from my local PSB as proof of residence, plus a medical form telling them I'm healthy and don't have leperacy, plus another sheet from my uni (which they can only give me after I've completed the afformentioned 2 steps). The plot thickens.
So, I ask the PSB clerk, "Where do I get the physical." (BTW: I've had one every year I've been in China... if only they worried about their own citizens' health as much as foreign immigrants'.) She tells me the clinic name, and the phone number to get directions. I turn to leave. "But," she said, "the clinic is only open from 8-10:30am, so you'll have to wait until Monday." Great, a brick wall. I'll wait until Monday. I call my landlord about the local PSB visit.
My landlord is a very fast talker. Mustering the best Chinese I can, I call her and explain the situation, "To live in China, I must get visa. For visa, you and me go to police to tell them I in Beijing live. You can help me when?" Then she starts talking really quickly in Chinese, "I can... but then... 7 day... maybe we can... ok?" What?!? Sheepishly, I say ok, thank her and hang up. No idea what it all means. It will take 7 days to process? In 7 days she can go with me? Totally lost.
My friend Jeff speaks Chinese very well. I ask him if he wants to get some lunch. A clever ploy... After lunch, I enlist Jeff to translate and figure out what she means. Apparantly, she said that she knows where the office is and that it will take 7 MINUTES, not days to complete. Relief sets in. We schedule a time this weekend when she can take me. One form pending, 2 more to go...
Seeing as I couldn't really do much more work on my visa, I sat down with 2 of the greatest movies of all time: Rocky III and Rocky IV. That's right, Clubber Lang AND Ivan Drago, back to back. Watching Rocky fight Drago and Soviet bureaucracy with his fists, I felt peaceful. It was a good ending to a frustrating day.
More to come... hopefully shorter posts too...
be well. peace. paul.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Everyone's a Doctor
Last weekend, while playing in our final soccer match, I took a spill on the astroturf and roughed up my knee. It's nothing too serious. Most soccer players are accustomed to having rug burns or 'raspberries' on their legs or arms after a tough indoor match. Many of my soccer playing students also have these battle wounds so I feel less clumsy and less alone. What I've found in the treatment of my simple rug burn is that everyone in China is a doctor.
At the beginning of my classes this week, I've had every student gasp at my leg and wonder what happed. After my tall-taled conclusion (I always tell them that I got into a fight with a shark while swimming in the Pearl River... And you should see the shark!), the students often tell me what I need to do to make it heal faster. One sophomore student, Wing, approached me after class on Tuesday and gave me a note. It read, "Paul, Take care! To make your leg healing faster you must not eating these foods: goose, mushroom, egg, beef. Trust me, it works! Please, listen to me and take care!" Her concern was genuine and touching.
Chinese medicine is firm about abstaining from certain 'hot or cold' foods to bring a desired medical effect and to restore balance to one's Qi (often misspelled as "Chi")- the body's health force. Since Wing's note, I have drastically cut goose out of my meal (to be honest, I've eaten it only once in my 20 months here). To be sure, I have abstained from the other foods Wing mentioned as well, and have kept up with ibuprofin just to balance the Eastern philosophy with good old Western pharmaceuticals. Chinese medicine has been around for 5,000 years, why not give it a try?
Some have even prevented me from buying their 'hot' foods, in respect to my leg. As I approached my favorite fruit vendor, who sells amazing whole, cut pineapples for 1 RMB (US $0.12), she noticed my rug burn. I asked her for 2 fresh pineapples. She said, "No." No,? Why not? "Pineapple is a hot food and your leg will not feel better if you eat it. You cannot by pineapple," she firmly explained. But, I'm thirsty and I want pineapple! "No," she said, ending the debate. I conceded the point and decided instead to buy some fresh mangos at 2 RMB a piece. "No. Mangos are also hot. I will not sell you mangos," she firmly replied. Argh! You win! No citrus fruits! I asked her about green apples. Green apples aren't a hot food, are they? "Ok," she said, "I will sell you green apples." She plopped 3 in a bag for me. How much? "9 RMB, please," she said. I paid her and as I walked away, I was amazed at how firm she was in protecting me from buying pineapples and mango. Then, I did the quick math. Pineapples were 1 RMB. Mango were 2 RMB. She protected my health and sold me apples for 9 RMB. As she's been fair in the past, I'm sure her desire to see me fit outweighed her quest for profit.
Then, at the request of my students, I went to the campus clinic to see what the doctor would prescribe. The doctor first cleaned the exposed area with hydrochloric acid and rinsed it with a neutralizing liquid. He then painted my leg with 红药水 (red medicine water - it's honest technical name) to accelerate the scab and growth process. He also gave me some amoxicillin pills to ward off infection. To be distress of some purists, many modern doctors supplement Chinese medicine with western drugs. The 红药水 left a light red water-color stain on my skin for a day or so and made my wound look like it was bleeding profusely. My students were all the more terrified at the sight of it. Prompting them to tell me other things to cut out of my diet, like coffee (you're killing me here!), and to increase my intake of cold teas and turtle Jello (a herbal medicine in gelatin form made in part with turtle).
Slowly my leg is improving and with the help of my friends' common wisdom of Chinese traditional medicine I've been assured a speedy recovery. Now, when students ask me about it, I keep the facts positive, "Well, it's getting better everyday. I don't think they'll have to amputate it afterall." They smile and nod diffidently, not sure if I'm being serious or not, and then continue to write their list of what 'hot' foods I should avoid.
peace, love, and red medicine water. paul.
At the beginning of my classes this week, I've had every student gasp at my leg and wonder what happed. After my tall-taled conclusion (I always tell them that I got into a fight with a shark while swimming in the Pearl River... And you should see the shark!), the students often tell me what I need to do to make it heal faster. One sophomore student, Wing, approached me after class on Tuesday and gave me a note. It read, "Paul, Take care! To make your leg healing faster you must not eating these foods: goose, mushroom, egg, beef. Trust me, it works! Please, listen to me and take care!" Her concern was genuine and touching.
Chinese medicine is firm about abstaining from certain 'hot or cold' foods to bring a desired medical effect and to restore balance to one's Qi (often misspelled as "Chi")- the body's health force. Since Wing's note, I have drastically cut goose out of my meal (to be honest, I've eaten it only once in my 20 months here). To be sure, I have abstained from the other foods Wing mentioned as well, and have kept up with ibuprofin just to balance the Eastern philosophy with good old Western pharmaceuticals. Chinese medicine has been around for 5,000 years, why not give it a try?
Some have even prevented me from buying their 'hot' foods, in respect to my leg. As I approached my favorite fruit vendor, who sells amazing whole, cut pineapples for 1 RMB (US $0.12), she noticed my rug burn. I asked her for 2 fresh pineapples. She said, "No." No,? Why not? "Pineapple is a hot food and your leg will not feel better if you eat it. You cannot by pineapple," she firmly explained. But, I'm thirsty and I want pineapple! "No," she said, ending the debate. I conceded the point and decided instead to buy some fresh mangos at 2 RMB a piece. "No. Mangos are also hot. I will not sell you mangos," she firmly replied. Argh! You win! No citrus fruits! I asked her about green apples. Green apples aren't a hot food, are they? "Ok," she said, "I will sell you green apples." She plopped 3 in a bag for me. How much? "9 RMB, please," she said. I paid her and as I walked away, I was amazed at how firm she was in protecting me from buying pineapples and mango. Then, I did the quick math. Pineapples were 1 RMB. Mango were 2 RMB. She protected my health and sold me apples for 9 RMB. As she's been fair in the past, I'm sure her desire to see me fit outweighed her quest for profit.
Then, at the request of my students, I went to the campus clinic to see what the doctor would prescribe. The doctor first cleaned the exposed area with hydrochloric acid and rinsed it with a neutralizing liquid. He then painted my leg with 红药水 (red medicine water - it's honest technical name) to accelerate the scab and growth process. He also gave me some amoxicillin pills to ward off infection. To be distress of some purists, many modern doctors supplement Chinese medicine with western drugs. The 红药水 left a light red water-color stain on my skin for a day or so and made my wound look like it was bleeding profusely. My students were all the more terrified at the sight of it. Prompting them to tell me other things to cut out of my diet, like coffee (you're killing me here!), and to increase my intake of cold teas and turtle Jello (a herbal medicine in gelatin form made in part with turtle).
Slowly my leg is improving and with the help of my friends' common wisdom of Chinese traditional medicine I've been assured a speedy recovery. Now, when students ask me about it, I keep the facts positive, "Well, it's getting better everyday. I don't think they'll have to amputate it afterall." They smile and nod diffidently, not sure if I'm being serious or not, and then continue to write their list of what 'hot' foods I should avoid.
peace, love, and red medicine water. paul.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Podcast mania
Living in China has it's many perks, but I still really miss diverse, objective, and tenacious journalism and media... which is definitely not available here. Or is it?
For my daily fix of news, features, and general what not, I've become a podcast connoisseur. These TiVo'ed radio shows for your iPod provide me with more than enough to listen to (I don't have a video iPod... yet). At first, I was skeptical because I believed that it was only for techie nerds by techie nerds. Now, I'm realizing that it's the next generation of radio where HAMM broadcasters can fight for the same listeners and bandwidth as the major stations.
So much more than just news updates, today alone I was able to study Chinese. learn new grammar for the GRE and win Carl Cassell's voice on my home answering machine (the last one's only theoretically).
Yet, few major radio stations have made the jump to pure original programming sponsored specifically for the podcast listeners, there are still quite a few gems out there to keep me interested and informed about a wide range of topics during my walk to class in the am.
Some of my favorites:
Slate Magazine podcast. Daily one-story podcasts from Slate magazine reporters offer a brief and interesting view on topics from Bush's foreign policy to the 80s show Moonlighting. Under ten minutes, the clips are succinct and interesting. Their gabfest round table discussions are great too. www.slate.com
SciAm podcast. A weekly podcast from the Scientific American magazine offers a 20min look into that week in science. I don't know jack about science, but I'll listen to it to try to change that. If it's not that interesting, I just delete it. www.sciam.com
NPR: Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!. My favorite weekly show from Chicago public radio is now free to me online. This is how I spend my saturday mornings. Just like home. Yet, calling in would be a hassle, so I doubt Carl will do my answering machine message. Wait, I don't have an answering machine.
History Channel and Discovery Channel also put out their own podcasts, so they're interesting to listen to on a long train ride or a long walk to a coffee shop to study. Which brings me to GRE and Chinese study guides. I can learn Shanghainese AND improve my English language discourse with these programs.
I'm hooked. Most of the 'outside' world has probably already picked up on just how sweet podcasts are, but like China, I'm a little behind.
For my daily fix of news, features, and general what not, I've become a podcast connoisseur. These TiVo'ed radio shows for your iPod provide me with more than enough to listen to (I don't have a video iPod... yet). At first, I was skeptical because I believed that it was only for techie nerds by techie nerds. Now, I'm realizing that it's the next generation of radio where HAMM broadcasters can fight for the same listeners and bandwidth as the major stations.
So much more than just news updates, today alone I was able to study Chinese. learn new grammar for the GRE and win Carl Cassell's voice on my home answering machine (the last one's only theoretically).
Yet, few major radio stations have made the jump to pure original programming sponsored specifically for the podcast listeners, there are still quite a few gems out there to keep me interested and informed about a wide range of topics during my walk to class in the am.
Some of my favorites:
Slate Magazine podcast. Daily one-story podcasts from Slate magazine reporters offer a brief and interesting view on topics from Bush's foreign policy to the 80s show Moonlighting. Under ten minutes, the clips are succinct and interesting. Their gabfest round table discussions are great too. www.slate.com
SciAm podcast. A weekly podcast from the Scientific American magazine offers a 20min look into that week in science. I don't know jack about science, but I'll listen to it to try to change that. If it's not that interesting, I just delete it. www.sciam.com
NPR: Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!. My favorite weekly show from Chicago public radio is now free to me online. This is how I spend my saturday mornings. Just like home. Yet, calling in would be a hassle, so I doubt Carl will do my answering machine message. Wait, I don't have an answering machine.
History Channel and Discovery Channel also put out their own podcasts, so they're interesting to listen to on a long train ride or a long walk to a coffee shop to study. Which brings me to GRE and Chinese study guides. I can learn Shanghainese AND improve my English language discourse with these programs.
I'm hooked. Most of the 'outside' world has probably already picked up on just how sweet podcasts are, but like China, I'm a little behind.
Immigration to the U.S.
Just months before Hu Jin Tao's visit to Seattle and D.C., this is very interesting leader buried in the NY Times. A container was found to be 'too light' at the Seattle's Harbor Island port terminal. It's cargo: 18 Chinese men and 4 Chinese women. Oh yeah, and inside the container were also water bottles, food, blankets, and toilets. Some load!
The term for those who smuggle humans from Asia are called 'snakeheads', this of course is different than those from Central and South America called 'coyotes'. (There's a great book by Ted Conover by that name.)
The Seattle Times reported that these 'snakeheads' can make $30,000 to $60,000 per head. Not too cheap, especially when converted into RMB ~250,000 or 500,000. These were people with some money, equivelant to China's middle to upper middle class. The 22 individuals spent 15 DAYS in the container. Geez, I get restless after 15 HOURS in Northwest's coach class...
Regardless of money or method, they're in Seattle. Now what to do with them? Well, the Seattle Times article concludes: "The 22 stowaways have a few options regarding their future in this country. With stowaways, the government can invoke immediate removal.
The immigrants can also seek asylum, in which they would need to establish a credible fear of returning to their home country.
"If they have relatives in the U.S., then they [the relatives] can petition for them to remain here in the U.S.," Milne said. "They may also be held as material witnesses in a criminal human-smuggling operation."
After this hoopla, I'm guessing they have a credible fear of returning to China. In an interesting power-play, Bush could toy with giving them immunity. This, of course, would infuriate Hu before his visit, but may be productive to sway the release of the NYTimes journalist Zhao Yan who was imprisioned 6 mo. ago. This scenario would be tricky, with immigration and amnesty a firey topic in the Senate right now (Read LA Times article in their immigration coverage series). Yet it might underscore the hard rhetoric that Bush and Rice have been doling out about China's abhorrant human rights record.
***As it's been a while since I've posted, I've tried to add as many links as possible to this piece.
The term for those who smuggle humans from Asia are called 'snakeheads', this of course is different than those from Central and South America called 'coyotes'. (There's a great book by Ted Conover by that name.)
The Seattle Times reported that these 'snakeheads' can make $30,000 to $60,000 per head. Not too cheap, especially when converted into RMB ~250,000 or 500,000. These were people with some money, equivelant to China's middle to upper middle class. The 22 individuals spent 15 DAYS in the container. Geez, I get restless after 15 HOURS in Northwest's coach class...
Regardless of money or method, they're in Seattle. Now what to do with them? Well, the Seattle Times article concludes: "The 22 stowaways have a few options regarding their future in this country. With stowaways, the government can invoke immediate removal.
The immigrants can also seek asylum, in which they would need to establish a credible fear of returning to their home country.
"If they have relatives in the U.S., then they [the relatives] can petition for them to remain here in the U.S.," Milne said. "They may also be held as material witnesses in a criminal human-smuggling operation."
After this hoopla, I'm guessing they have a credible fear of returning to China. In an interesting power-play, Bush could toy with giving them immunity. This, of course, would infuriate Hu before his visit, but may be productive to sway the release of the NYTimes journalist Zhao Yan who was imprisioned 6 mo. ago. This scenario would be tricky, with immigration and amnesty a firey topic in the Senate right now (Read LA Times article in their immigration coverage series). Yet it might underscore the hard rhetoric that Bush and Rice have been doling out about China's abhorrant human rights record.
***As it's been a while since I've posted, I've tried to add as many links as possible to this piece.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
On the road again
For the last two weeks or so, some friends, fellow teachers, and I have trekked through Yunnan province in S.W. China, boardering Tibet, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. It has been amazing beyong words. First we hiked through the mountain region called the Tiger Leaping Gorge (China's Grand Canyon, often mentioned by Tom Friedman) and it was not for the faint of heart. At one point we were hiking at almost a 75% slope through crags and mountain rock. It was great! The map said that there were '28 bends' or turns on the trail, but they cruelly lied to us. It was more like '48 bends.' The sight at the top was as breathtaking as the hike, however, and it made the trip all the more worthwhile. That night we met some British guys (also teaching in China) who's path we seemed to cross at every stop. Good fun.
After that, we relaxed in the town of Kunming for a few days before heading south to the XiShuangBanNa region on the Chinese boarder with Lao and Myanmar.This invloved staying in minority villages tucked into the jungle. It was an amazing experience. We didn't have a map, so we had to reconfirm our path with every passer-by. That made it all the more exciting. By night, we were invited into a villager's home for a meal and a sleeping pad. Over dinner we spoke in (my) broken Chinese. If the individual words did not come across, at least the meaning did, as we were all fascinated with each other. I felt like I was on a National Geographic tour!
Village women painted their teeth black, which they believed made them more attractive, and wore traditional clothing. Most men joined a Buddist monestary for a year or two during their youth... much like my CCD except that St. Odelia didn't shave my head. Like us, religion and family play paramount roles in their lives. They had never seen a map before, so they had many questions about Chinese geography. They also had no concept of an int'l time difference. (Which I explained as: "Right now, we in China eat dinner meal, after, go to bed. Right now, my Dad in USA eat morning meal, after, go to work. Now, here, sun goes to sleep. Now, there, sun wake up.") Yet, they settled all of our differences in one easy question: "Are your stars the same as ours?" Instantly, the 5 year old came out in me and I thought of the cartoon American Tale, when Feivel looks at the stars and sings to his sister looking at the same stars. Sappy, I know, but it was a moment... In the morning they treated us to a simple meal of ramen, rice, eggs, and vegetables and gave us a warm send off.
Although both the Gorge and XiShuangBanNa are 'protected' as UN World Heritage sites, development will vastly change this area in the coming years. The Gorge is being surveyed for a dam (terrible idea) and XiShuangBanNa will soon become a commercial land passage to S.E. Asia, so the trail we were on will soon be a 2 lane paved highway. I'm just happy I was able to have seen these sites before the dynamite does...
more to come, more to be added later.
paul.
After that, we relaxed in the town of Kunming for a few days before heading south to the XiShuangBanNa region on the Chinese boarder with Lao and Myanmar.This invloved staying in minority villages tucked into the jungle. It was an amazing experience. We didn't have a map, so we had to reconfirm our path with every passer-by. That made it all the more exciting. By night, we were invited into a villager's home for a meal and a sleeping pad. Over dinner we spoke in (my) broken Chinese. If the individual words did not come across, at least the meaning did, as we were all fascinated with each other. I felt like I was on a National Geographic tour!
Village women painted their teeth black, which they believed made them more attractive, and wore traditional clothing. Most men joined a Buddist monestary for a year or two during their youth... much like my CCD except that St. Odelia didn't shave my head. Like us, religion and family play paramount roles in their lives. They had never seen a map before, so they had many questions about Chinese geography. They also had no concept of an int'l time difference. (Which I explained as: "Right now, we in China eat dinner meal, after, go to bed. Right now, my Dad in USA eat morning meal, after, go to work. Now, here, sun goes to sleep. Now, there, sun wake up.") Yet, they settled all of our differences in one easy question: "Are your stars the same as ours?" Instantly, the 5 year old came out in me and I thought of the cartoon American Tale, when Feivel looks at the stars and sings to his sister looking at the same stars. Sappy, I know, but it was a moment... In the morning they treated us to a simple meal of ramen, rice, eggs, and vegetables and gave us a warm send off.
Although both the Gorge and XiShuangBanNa are 'protected' as UN World Heritage sites, development will vastly change this area in the coming years. The Gorge is being surveyed for a dam (terrible idea) and XiShuangBanNa will soon become a commercial land passage to S.E. Asia, so the trail we were on will soon be a 2 lane paved highway. I'm just happy I was able to have seen these sites before the dynamite does...
more to come, more to be added later.
paul.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Trouble is afoot in the Middle Mountain
Zhongshan is the peaceful yet booming coast town in China's Guangdong province that I have called home for the past year and a half. In the past ten days, Zhongshan has been the tipping point for the struggle between rural peasents and their affluent neighbors. This has been a quiet, yet ongoing struggle in much of Guangdong and the highly developed eastern coast. I never thought it would hit so close to home.
Recently, two government officials were released for the way they've handled this growing unrest. Last Saturday, a 13 year old girl was killed - almost certainly by police forces trying to disperse group protesters - and many others were beaten.
Here is a premium story from the South China Morning Post (SCMP.com) detailing the dismissal...
Officials to pay price for teen's death
KRISTINE KWOK
Two party officials in Zhongshan, Guangdong, face dismissal and another is likely to be jailed over the death of a schoolgirl last week during a crackdown on protests over land seizures.
A source said he was told by officials that it was likely that Zhongshan city party secretary Cui Guochao and Sanjiao township party secretary Guan Jianxiang would be sacked over the handling of the unrest.
Protesters blocked a section of the Nansan highway 10 days ago in protest against inadequate compensation for farmland that was forcibly seized a decade ago in a number of villages.
The crowd swelled to about 3,000 last Saturday, when police used stun batons and tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Feng Meiying , 15, was said to have been beaten to death and up to 100 protesters injured.
Word of the possible official shake-up came after Guangdong party secretary Zhang Dejiang repeated his warning to officials on Thursday to acquire land through proper procedures or face investigation and dismissal.
Hu Dahai , party secretary of Panlong village, where most of the protesters were from, was also expected to be jailed.
"He was arrested a few days ago," the source said.
But a Panlong government worker denied the arrest.
Recently, two government officials were released for the way they've handled this growing unrest. Last Saturday, a 13 year old girl was killed - almost certainly by police forces trying to disperse group protesters - and many others were beaten.
Here is a premium story from the South China Morning Post (SCMP.com) detailing the dismissal...
Officials to pay price for teen's death
KRISTINE KWOK
Two party officials in Zhongshan, Guangdong, face dismissal and another is likely to be jailed over the death of a schoolgirl last week during a crackdown on protests over land seizures.
A source said he was told by officials that it was likely that Zhongshan city party secretary Cui Guochao and Sanjiao township party secretary Guan Jianxiang would be sacked over the handling of the unrest.
Protesters blocked a section of the Nansan highway 10 days ago in protest against inadequate compensation for farmland that was forcibly seized a decade ago in a number of villages.
The crowd swelled to about 3,000 last Saturday, when police used stun batons and tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Feng Meiying , 15, was said to have been beaten to death and up to 100 protesters injured.
Word of the possible official shake-up came after Guangdong party secretary Zhang Dejiang repeated his warning to officials on Thursday to acquire land through proper procedures or face investigation and dismissal.
Hu Dahai , party secretary of Panlong village, where most of the protesters were from, was also expected to be jailed.
"He was arrested a few days ago," the source said.
But a Panlong government worker denied the arrest.
Friday, December 30, 2005
For Better or Worse, Vol. II
A top student's final essay on the topic of China's development: For Better or Worse... (See Vol. I for a full description.)
For better or worse
Time and tide wait for no man. Everyday I wake up from bed; nothing seems to have changed around me. In fact, everything is changing without my awareness. With the days go by, I am growing up. And then, with the days go by, I am to be aging. With the days go by, my hometown is growing rapidly and so is my motherland, China.
Walk down the lane of my neighborhood, everything has changed a lot. The original school has been modernized. It is well equipped and the playground became more beautiful. The old ancestral has been rebuilt into a new monument a year ago. My neighborhood became more beautiful than it was before.
On the other hand, the people changed too, which I do not think it to be better. To them, everyone is dangerous except their family. If they meet a stranger who just wants to ask the way, they will just answer they don't know because they think the strangers are cheaters. What would you feel if you were treated as a cheater when you just want to know the way? In the past, the adults used to talk with the neighbors when their children were playing after supper in the summer outside of the house. After the neighbors changed into some new ones in recent years, the happy sight no longer exists. Everyone is protecting himself or herself from danger because crime commitment is on a high level. Suspicion is everywhere even at the corner of the road. The whole society is one that is full of suspicion and scarce.
The phenomenon is not only in my own village, but reflects the whole country! With the development of economic nowadays, our country is becoming richer and stronger. Convenient transportation takes people to where they want. Modern equipment makes life easier. Beautiful parks are built to provide people relax places. At the same time, modern homes are equipping whatever they could do in case that burglars break in. People are always paying attention to the people around them, in the eyes full of suspicion and hidden scarce.
Everything is changing, for better or for worse. I don't know what will happen in the future. Perhaps ten years later, the whole society would be modernized highly. The transportation would be more convenient. The cities would become more beautiful. More beautiful parks would be build for relaxing under the protection of the government. But would the safety of society, there would not be so many suspicions among people. Why are there so many crimes? Maybe it due to the unequal of poverty! If everyone were rich, who would like to be a burglar? If everyone is rich is rich, would would be afraid of each other? Unless everyone of the country is rich, there would be no burglarproof bars on the balcony. The houses of we Chinese would not be like bird's cages. If in ten years time, we can change the situation now, the society would be one full of kindness.
As a citizen of China, I have the responsibility to make contribution to the society. But what can I do? It's not a problem I can solve by myself, but depends on the hardworking of the whole nation. I would love to devote myself to the whole nation.
When would the day that everyone treats each other sincerely without suspicion come? I don't know! Who ever knows?
####
和平。paul.
For better or worse
Time and tide wait for no man. Everyday I wake up from bed; nothing seems to have changed around me. In fact, everything is changing without my awareness. With the days go by, I am growing up. And then, with the days go by, I am to be aging. With the days go by, my hometown is growing rapidly and so is my motherland, China.
Walk down the lane of my neighborhood, everything has changed a lot. The original school has been modernized. It is well equipped and the playground became more beautiful. The old ancestral has been rebuilt into a new monument a year ago. My neighborhood became more beautiful than it was before.
On the other hand, the people changed too, which I do not think it to be better. To them, everyone is dangerous except their family. If they meet a stranger who just wants to ask the way, they will just answer they don't know because they think the strangers are cheaters. What would you feel if you were treated as a cheater when you just want to know the way? In the past, the adults used to talk with the neighbors when their children were playing after supper in the summer outside of the house. After the neighbors changed into some new ones in recent years, the happy sight no longer exists. Everyone is protecting himself or herself from danger because crime commitment is on a high level. Suspicion is everywhere even at the corner of the road. The whole society is one that is full of suspicion and scarce.
The phenomenon is not only in my own village, but reflects the whole country! With the development of economic nowadays, our country is becoming richer and stronger. Convenient transportation takes people to where they want. Modern equipment makes life easier. Beautiful parks are built to provide people relax places. At the same time, modern homes are equipping whatever they could do in case that burglars break in. People are always paying attention to the people around them, in the eyes full of suspicion and hidden scarce.
Everything is changing, for better or for worse. I don't know what will happen in the future. Perhaps ten years later, the whole society would be modernized highly. The transportation would be more convenient. The cities would become more beautiful. More beautiful parks would be build for relaxing under the protection of the government. But would the safety of society, there would not be so many suspicions among people. Why are there so many crimes? Maybe it due to the unequal of poverty! If everyone were rich, who would like to be a burglar? If everyone is rich is rich, would would be afraid of each other? Unless everyone of the country is rich, there would be no burglarproof bars on the balcony. The houses of we Chinese would not be like bird's cages. If in ten years time, we can change the situation now, the society would be one full of kindness.
As a citizen of China, I have the responsibility to make contribution to the society. But what can I do? It's not a problem I can solve by myself, but depends on the hardworking of the whole nation. I would love to devote myself to the whole nation.
When would the day that everyone treats each other sincerely without suspicion come? I don't know! Who ever knows?
####
和平。paul.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
For Better or Worse, Vol. I
For my English Writing course, I gave my sophomore students a composition consisting of 3 parts:
A) Talk about the changes in your hometown during the past 10 years. New buildings have been built and the face of your hometown has changed, what about the views of the people? How have they changed? Are these changes for better or for worse?
B) Imagine your hometown 10 years from now. What has changed? Will these changes be for better or worse? Why?
C) Today's students are tomorrow's leaders. What CAN you do to make sure the changes are for better, rather than for worse? WILL you?
Here is a top essay from my one of my writing students. I'll post more later, without my comments or corrections to let them speak for themselves.
To See and Feel the Change - My View to the Development of China
In past 50 years, China has performed great achievement. Especially in the last two decades of reform and opening, its economy has developed as fast as other foriegn countries. The Chinese government system devotes its finance and energy to coping with the natural disasters, problems to modernization, urbanization, communication, transportation, education and science technology and makes tremendous success. To everyone's joy, the standard of people's life is improved and qualified. We can deeply see and feel this change day by day as things in china are moving at a speec it may be proud of. However, at the beginning of the new China's initiating, people still lived a hard life and how to deal with the domestic finance was the main difficulty. Take my parents for instance, they had to do the hard labor work to maintain the big families when they were teenagers. Because of the severe political situation in our country, most of the people, including my parents, lost the chance to recieve the futher education and were forced to work in some demote countryside. Their fates were totoally altered and accordingly they were assign to work in the factories. They have been worked for almost thirty years but they work hard to support not only my education but aslo the family. In spite of this, we lived together in harmony and happily. Compared to htme, I am very fortunate because I, with more and more young people, can fulfill the "college dreams" to recieve the higher education owing to the current education transform wich attributes to the our countries' development.
In my pinion, the development of my hometown is influenced by the economic progress of our country which is made by every Chinese. My hometown Panyu District, Guangzhou, centers on the tertiary industry and plays an important role in economic growth. Since the tertiary industry is the fundamental economic resource in local place, I think our hometown will keep on developming this major industry. Nevertheless, there is not to say everthing is perfect.
With the development of our country, the moral value is collapsed; the corruption of the government leaders is serious; the poverty-stricken areas are still poor and thus the children there cannot attend the school; the population is still increased while the birth control policy has been constituted for many years; the resolution to the pollution is far from easy at the cost of development
I believe it can be done, and I think the government is trying to solve these problems. For a developing country, these won't be corrected a day or a night but I see the future of my hometown and our country optimistically. Meanwhile, I hope that one day I can master English and other knowledge accomlishedly to present China to the Western world and let them know more about our country to show my sincere love and respect to her.
####
(Sorry if these posts are long, but I think it best to preserve their inte-gritty.)
A) Talk about the changes in your hometown during the past 10 years. New buildings have been built and the face of your hometown has changed, what about the views of the people? How have they changed? Are these changes for better or for worse?
B) Imagine your hometown 10 years from now. What has changed? Will these changes be for better or worse? Why?
C) Today's students are tomorrow's leaders. What CAN you do to make sure the changes are for better, rather than for worse? WILL you?
Here is a top essay from my one of my writing students. I'll post more later, without my comments or corrections to let them speak for themselves.
To See and Feel the Change - My View to the Development of China
In past 50 years, China has performed great achievement. Especially in the last two decades of reform and opening, its economy has developed as fast as other foriegn countries. The Chinese government system devotes its finance and energy to coping with the natural disasters, problems to modernization, urbanization, communication, transportation, education and science technology and makes tremendous success. To everyone's joy, the standard of people's life is improved and qualified. We can deeply see and feel this change day by day as things in china are moving at a speec it may be proud of. However, at the beginning of the new China's initiating, people still lived a hard life and how to deal with the domestic finance was the main difficulty. Take my parents for instance, they had to do the hard labor work to maintain the big families when they were teenagers. Because of the severe political situation in our country, most of the people, including my parents, lost the chance to recieve the futher education and were forced to work in some demote countryside. Their fates were totoally altered and accordingly they were assign to work in the factories. They have been worked for almost thirty years but they work hard to support not only my education but aslo the family. In spite of this, we lived together in harmony and happily. Compared to htme, I am very fortunate because I, with more and more young people, can fulfill the "college dreams" to recieve the higher education owing to the current education transform wich attributes to the our countries' development.
In my pinion, the development of my hometown is influenced by the economic progress of our country which is made by every Chinese. My hometown Panyu District, Guangzhou, centers on the tertiary industry and plays an important role in economic growth. Since the tertiary industry is the fundamental economic resource in local place, I think our hometown will keep on developming this major industry. Nevertheless, there is not to say everthing is perfect.
With the development of our country, the moral value is collapsed; the corruption of the government leaders is serious; the poverty-stricken areas are still poor and thus the children there cannot attend the school; the population is still increased while the birth control policy has been constituted for many years; the resolution to the pollution is far from easy at the cost of development
I believe it can be done, and I think the government is trying to solve these problems. For a developing country, these won't be corrected a day or a night but I see the future of my hometown and our country optimistically. Meanwhile, I hope that one day I can master English and other knowledge accomlishedly to present China to the Western world and let them know more about our country to show my sincere love and respect to her.
####
(Sorry if these posts are long, but I think it best to preserve their inte-gritty.)
Interesting Translation...
To Kevin:
Today, while I was in a coffee shop chatting with some Chinese friends, one asked me, "When will you return to America next?" My answer, in the direct English translation is below:
I to go I 's hometown bright year 5 month because I 's best friend to give he 's girlfriend finger ring. I to go hometown, because, he 's girlfriend finger ring to give, after, she is not girlfriend.... But wife.... I very like to see this thing. That place is I 's friend 's special and to me interest - not right - I think and also special. Friend s is friend s. To see friend 's girlfriend to be Mrs. I 's friend. This place is special.
(Note, there are a few key words that I don't know in Chinese, so I tried my best to use what I know.)
爱。paul.
Today, while I was in a coffee shop chatting with some Chinese friends, one asked me, "When will you return to America next?" My answer, in the direct English translation is below:
I to go I 's hometown bright year 5 month because I 's best friend to give he 's girlfriend finger ring. I to go hometown, because, he 's girlfriend finger ring to give, after, she is not girlfriend.... But wife.... I very like to see this thing. That place is I 's friend 's special and to me interest - not right - I think and also special. Friend s is friend s. To see friend 's girlfriend to be Mrs. I 's friend. This place is special.
(Note, there are a few key words that I don't know in Chinese, so I tried my best to use what I know.)
爱。paul.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Between the lines...
Maybe some of you remember a post from last spring where I quoted an article from Mpls's free 'zine The Rake about the censorship of the film 'Sideways' for airline in-flight movies. No? Well, the gist of it was that they replaced a dirty word for a jerk with the word 'Ashcroft' and inserted it over the original word in the movie. With this said, I found something else online today.
That is, the list of the year's most used politically correct words - from English language papers around the world. The group, Global Language Monitor, compiled the list which was topped by "Misguided Criminals" as a euphamism for terrorists and "Thought shower/word shower" to replace brainstorm (which may be offensive to those with brain conditions such as epilepsy). The list is quite interesting and quite funny.
Being an English teacher and full time wonk - perhaps this is just the sort of stuff that makes me laugh these days, but I thought the list to be pretty interesting. Language can dictate the way we perceive an issue or problem and, as I learned, those who control the language, control the conversation.
Another cool site, if you have time to waste, is Behindthename.com which tracks names in the English language, their roots and translations into different languages.
In all, these are interesting for those who believe that language is important.
Oh yeah, and in the word X-Mas, the Greek letter 'Chi' represented by the Roman X actually stands for the first two letters of the name Christ. So, think you're PC and wish someone a merry 'X-Mas'! Sucka!
和平。保罗。peace. paul.
That is, the list of the year's most used politically correct words - from English language papers around the world. The group, Global Language Monitor, compiled the list which was topped by "Misguided Criminals" as a euphamism for terrorists and "Thought shower/word shower" to replace brainstorm (which may be offensive to those with brain conditions such as epilepsy). The list is quite interesting and quite funny.
Being an English teacher and full time wonk - perhaps this is just the sort of stuff that makes me laugh these days, but I thought the list to be pretty interesting. Language can dictate the way we perceive an issue or problem and, as I learned, those who control the language, control the conversation.
Another cool site, if you have time to waste, is Behindthename.com which tracks names in the English language, their roots and translations into different languages.
In all, these are interesting for those who believe that language is important.
Oh yeah, and in the word X-Mas, the Greek letter 'Chi' represented by the Roman X actually stands for the first two letters of the name Christ. So, think you're PC and wish someone a merry 'X-Mas'! Sucka!
和平。保罗。peace. paul.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
The 'One Child or Else' Policy
Since 1979, the Chinese government has administered their One Child Policy to cap the exponentially growing population of China. Before, it was seen as patriotic and desireable to have a large family because that meant more hands to work in the fields. Today, those who have a second child are faced with grim penalties and even more grim options.
Under Chinese law, the following will happen if a woman has a second child: a fine of no less than 300,000 rmb ($37,500 USD), the revocation of business or teaching or any other such license, stoppage of water AND power to the household. And, if this isn't bad enough, if the second child is discovered by the government they will kill the child or force an abortion for the woman.
What options are then left for a person from Zhongshan who is pregnant with her second child? None are very pleasent and none are very legal.
The woman could: illegally enter Hong Kong or Macao or try to find an international flight to Guam (US soil) or LA (v. difficult) and overstay her visa to have the baby illegally in the US. Other options include: going to a distant province, moving frequently as not to stir questions, having the baby and handing it over to relatives or, gulp, not having the baby at all. Any way, it's pretty grim.
This policy has helped to control a population surge in the world's most populus country, but a what cost?
Under Chinese law, the following will happen if a woman has a second child: a fine of no less than 300,000 rmb ($37,500 USD), the revocation of business or teaching or any other such license, stoppage of water AND power to the household. And, if this isn't bad enough, if the second child is discovered by the government they will kill the child or force an abortion for the woman.
What options are then left for a person from Zhongshan who is pregnant with her second child? None are very pleasent and none are very legal.
The woman could: illegally enter Hong Kong or Macao or try to find an international flight to Guam (US soil) or LA (v. difficult) and overstay her visa to have the baby illegally in the US. Other options include: going to a distant province, moving frequently as not to stir questions, having the baby and handing it over to relatives or, gulp, not having the baby at all. Any way, it's pretty grim.
This policy has helped to control a population surge in the world's most populus country, but a what cost?
There's no such thing as a free accupuncture session.
I started working out about a month ago and my body doesn't seem to like it as much as I'd hoped. Sure, I've seen results: increased energy, deeper sleep, biceps the size of SPAM cans... well, that's an exaggeration, but a healthier life is better a life.
After the second week in my 4 day a week workout rotation, I noticed a strain in my neck. A dull muscle strain, nothing serious, just a sign that I should easy up and stretch better. At a dinner later that week, I told a friend who is a doctor at the campus clinic about the soreness and she said that she had a rememdy. Feeling adventurous, I wanted to give it a shot.
So, bright and early on a Sunday (11:00am usually is bright and early on a Sunday morning for me) I awoke and went to the clinic. Sitting before Su Min were packages of 12 individually sealed needles, a set of small baby food jars, an oil lamp, cotton swabs, surgical tweezers, and rubbing alcohol. What does she have in mind?
In Chinese she asked me where the pain was and I motioned to my neck and said, "Right side." She used some icy-hot type medicine to loosen the muscle and then began to massage my neck. This traditional medicine is great! I thought. After 10 minutes or so, she started to unpack the needles.
With a gentle, dart throwing motion, she pushed the needle into my neck. The muscle tensed up, but it felt good, like a deep muscle massage. She placed 10 more on various pressure points on my neck, one in each elbow, one near the pinky tendon (the thing that prevents one from giving someone the 'ring finger' without the pinky rising to attention as well), and one into the meat between the thumb and index finger of both my hands.
I was immoble. I could not raise my head to make eye contact with her and my hands were beginning a strange numbness - like they were falling asleep, but the pins and needle feelings were real. It was not painful, just a dull soreness.
With a heat lamp warming the needles, thus warming the blood, thus opening the veins for increased flow, they stayed in for about 20 minutes. Su Min was making small talk with me and trying to practice her English. I understood about 60% of what she was saying in basic CHinese, but I guess the thrill for her was not the procedure, but a captive audience.
I sat there, like a enert pincushion. Then, a group of female nurses arrived to witness this spectacle. Suddenly, this became like a show, or a zoo, I'm not sure which. I heard hushed mumbling and the word "wai guo ren" (foreigner) a few times so I knew they were talking about me. They asked Su Min questions about me and then turned to the specimen for live responses.
"Ah. Ah? Where? Ah. Where? Ah. Where do you come-a from-a?" asked a brave nurse. Frustrated at the scenario, I replyed a gruff, "USA." My tone did nothing to sway them.
"Ah. What. What. Ah? What? What is you-a name?" she persisted. "Paul. Hai shi, Wei Bao Luo." I said, hoping that they would take my feeble Chinese as a sign that they could continue the inquisition in their native tounge - which I was more like to understand than slow English.
"Yes. I can use chopsticks." I said in response. ... ... "Yes, Chinese women are very beautiful." ... ... ... "No, I'm not married."
Don't get me wrong, I am a patient person who wished to help them practice English. I've had to coax more questions out of shy speakers than I'd care to remember, but this time... I was really frustrated and thought about freaking out, falling asleep, or getting up and running out of the room. Oh...wait. I've got needles in my neck.
This continued for about 10 minutes. Su Min was happy because after I stopped answering the nurses English questions, she was able to play translator for me to them. I was happy because I could see Su Min when she talked to me, unlike the hoarde that had assembled behind my back.
Moral of the story: There's no such thing as a free accupuncture session.
Moral of the story #2: When in Asia, make a shirt with: your country of origin, two basic emotions (good/bad) and yes/no. This way you can point to your shirt in moments of frustration. Oh... wait. I've got needles in my hands, too.
After the second week in my 4 day a week workout rotation, I noticed a strain in my neck. A dull muscle strain, nothing serious, just a sign that I should easy up and stretch better. At a dinner later that week, I told a friend who is a doctor at the campus clinic about the soreness and she said that she had a rememdy. Feeling adventurous, I wanted to give it a shot.
So, bright and early on a Sunday (11:00am usually is bright and early on a Sunday morning for me) I awoke and went to the clinic. Sitting before Su Min were packages of 12 individually sealed needles, a set of small baby food jars, an oil lamp, cotton swabs, surgical tweezers, and rubbing alcohol. What does she have in mind?
In Chinese she asked me where the pain was and I motioned to my neck and said, "Right side." She used some icy-hot type medicine to loosen the muscle and then began to massage my neck. This traditional medicine is great! I thought. After 10 minutes or so, she started to unpack the needles.
With a gentle, dart throwing motion, she pushed the needle into my neck. The muscle tensed up, but it felt good, like a deep muscle massage. She placed 10 more on various pressure points on my neck, one in each elbow, one near the pinky tendon (the thing that prevents one from giving someone the 'ring finger' without the pinky rising to attention as well), and one into the meat between the thumb and index finger of both my hands.
I was immoble. I could not raise my head to make eye contact with her and my hands were beginning a strange numbness - like they were falling asleep, but the pins and needle feelings were real. It was not painful, just a dull soreness.
With a heat lamp warming the needles, thus warming the blood, thus opening the veins for increased flow, they stayed in for about 20 minutes. Su Min was making small talk with me and trying to practice her English. I understood about 60% of what she was saying in basic CHinese, but I guess the thrill for her was not the procedure, but a captive audience.
I sat there, like a enert pincushion. Then, a group of female nurses arrived to witness this spectacle. Suddenly, this became like a show, or a zoo, I'm not sure which. I heard hushed mumbling and the word "wai guo ren" (foreigner) a few times so I knew they were talking about me. They asked Su Min questions about me and then turned to the specimen for live responses.
"Ah. Ah? Where? Ah. Where? Ah. Where do you come-a from-a?" asked a brave nurse. Frustrated at the scenario, I replyed a gruff, "USA." My tone did nothing to sway them.
"Ah. What. What. Ah? What? What is you-a name?" she persisted. "Paul. Hai shi, Wei Bao Luo." I said, hoping that they would take my feeble Chinese as a sign that they could continue the inquisition in their native tounge - which I was more like to understand than slow English.
"Yes. I can use chopsticks." I said in response. ... ... "Yes, Chinese women are very beautiful." ... ... ... "No, I'm not married."
Don't get me wrong, I am a patient person who wished to help them practice English. I've had to coax more questions out of shy speakers than I'd care to remember, but this time... I was really frustrated and thought about freaking out, falling asleep, or getting up and running out of the room. Oh...wait. I've got needles in my neck.
This continued for about 10 minutes. Su Min was happy because after I stopped answering the nurses English questions, she was able to play translator for me to them. I was happy because I could see Su Min when she talked to me, unlike the hoarde that had assembled behind my back.
Moral of the story: There's no such thing as a free accupuncture session.
Moral of the story #2: When in Asia, make a shirt with: your country of origin, two basic emotions (good/bad) and yes/no. This way you can point to your shirt in moments of frustration. Oh... wait. I've got needles in my hands, too.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The Good Doctor Su Min - Zhongshan
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Su Min.
Su Min, meet Ladies and Gentlemen.
Su Min, meet Ladies and Gentlemen.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
I am a member of the trout family.
Well well well. It's been awhile since I've posted something to my blog. Things have been going well here.
Today I got a call from my friend Mark. He asked me if I could do some voice-over work for him, as we foreigners are a hot commodity. So, he picked me up and brought me to his studio and handed me the script. I read it and said, "What the deuce?" They laughed and said that it was pretty rediculous but that it was what they were given and that we shouldn't change it.
Here is the script:
"I am unyieldingly bound for my original home, across rivers and oceans through my life. I am a member of the trout family.
As I grow up, the love hidden in my heart breaks out. It rekindles memories about life and love, which flowed along with rivers and oceans and were left in an age I almost forgot.
I follow my friends who also seek their original place, facing billows and starting this far and long journey.
Bourbon town, experience the noble free, individual-style of life.
Bourbon whiskey presents you with a full-bodied, mellow taste. It is a good partner when you enjoy a royal ballet, share a warm moment with you over or celebrate your successes with you friends.
With bourbon whiskey, I feel happy on my trip. However, I am still a trout bound for my home. I want to remember its beauty in my heart because my wish for love never ends, till I find her in Bourbon town. "
It really reminded me of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. "For a relaxing time, make it Sannatori time." Except for me it was, "Bourbon is the perfect partner at the ballet, or if you are a trout bound for my home."
peace. paul.
Today I got a call from my friend Mark. He asked me if I could do some voice-over work for him, as we foreigners are a hot commodity. So, he picked me up and brought me to his studio and handed me the script. I read it and said, "What the deuce?" They laughed and said that it was pretty rediculous but that it was what they were given and that we shouldn't change it.
Here is the script:
"I am unyieldingly bound for my original home, across rivers and oceans through my life. I am a member of the trout family.
As I grow up, the love hidden in my heart breaks out. It rekindles memories about life and love, which flowed along with rivers and oceans and were left in an age I almost forgot.
I follow my friends who also seek their original place, facing billows and starting this far and long journey.
Bourbon town, experience the noble free, individual-style of life.
Bourbon whiskey presents you with a full-bodied, mellow taste. It is a good partner when you enjoy a royal ballet, share a warm moment with you over or celebrate your successes with you friends.
With bourbon whiskey, I feel happy on my trip. However, I am still a trout bound for my home. I want to remember its beauty in my heart because my wish for love never ends, till I find her in Bourbon town. "
It really reminded me of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. "For a relaxing time, make it Sannatori time." Except for me it was, "Bourbon is the perfect partner at the ballet, or if you are a trout bound for my home."
peace. paul.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
State of the Secrets
An interesting article in the NYT talks about the increasing transparancy of China's National Administration of State Secrets (interesting name!) in providing death tolls of natural disasters. The full article is here for those who are interested.
What will prove to be most fascinating will be what exactly they define as a 'natural disaster.' The article restricts the definition to "earthquakes, hurricanes and typhoons", but leaves it open to interpretation (ex. a flood from a broken 3 Gorges Dam).
I mention this because of the high mortality rate in China's coal mines - where hundreds die each month. Just yesterday in the South China Morning Post (www.SCMP.com) headlines read of 27 miners missing after a flood and a fire. News like this breaks almost weekly. The good news is that we informed readers actually get a hard number. The bad news (as well as the loss of life) is that it's unclear how many of these cave-ins are not accurately reported - if reported at all.
"China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with thousands of workers dying each year in floods, fires and explosions caused by lack of proper equipment and lax enforcement of safety rules." - 9.12.05 SCMP.com
peace. paul.
What will prove to be most fascinating will be what exactly they define as a 'natural disaster.' The article restricts the definition to "earthquakes, hurricanes and typhoons", but leaves it open to interpretation (ex. a flood from a broken 3 Gorges Dam).
I mention this because of the high mortality rate in China's coal mines - where hundreds die each month. Just yesterday in the South China Morning Post (www.SCMP.com) headlines read of 27 miners missing after a flood and a fire. News like this breaks almost weekly. The good news is that we informed readers actually get a hard number. The bad news (as well as the loss of life) is that it's unclear how many of these cave-ins are not accurately reported - if reported at all.
"China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with thousands of workers dying each year in floods, fires and explosions caused by lack of proper equipment and lax enforcement of safety rules." - 9.12.05 SCMP.com
peace. paul.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Going around, coming around
Well. Touche GRE. Touche. Yesterday I blogged about how rampant cheating is inside the Chinese classroom. Today, it came to my surprise that these antics would annoy me outside of the classroom as well.
Due to cheating, it seems that the GRE has decided to administer a 'split-test' format in China (+ Hong Kong), Korea and Taiwan. So, the anlytical writing section will take place this October and the verbal and quantitative sections will be administered JUNE 10, 2006. Yup, that's a 7 month gap, sports fans. Oh yeah, it's also $35 more.
Apparently they switched the format because students in this region "to restore the validity of scores for students in these regions. The paper-based Verbal and Quantitative sections that are administered will be retired from use after each administration, thereby removing the unfair advantage some past students gained by memorizing questions in advance of the test." Click here for the skinny.
Leave it to China to gain an unfair advantage through cheating, it's pratically a college major.
So, what this means is that I'll have to either A) report scores twice to schools and hold off on applying or B) hold off on taking the test AND applying until I can take it in the US of A where people don't memorize the test (at least I missed that class at SJU). Either way, it looks like I'll have to wait until 2007 before starting a program.
Xie Xie Zhongguo!
peace. paul.
Due to cheating, it seems that the GRE has decided to administer a 'split-test' format in China (+ Hong Kong), Korea and Taiwan. So, the anlytical writing section will take place this October and the verbal and quantitative sections will be administered JUNE 10, 2006. Yup, that's a 7 month gap, sports fans. Oh yeah, it's also $35 more.
Apparently they switched the format because students in this region "to restore the validity of scores for students in these regions. The paper-based Verbal and Quantitative sections that are administered will be retired from use after each administration, thereby removing the unfair advantage some past students gained by memorizing questions in advance of the test." Click here for the skinny.
Leave it to China to gain an unfair advantage through cheating, it's pratically a college major.
So, what this means is that I'll have to either A) report scores twice to schools and hold off on applying or B) hold off on taking the test AND applying until I can take it in the US of A where people don't memorize the test (at least I missed that class at SJU). Either way, it looks like I'll have to wait until 2007 before starting a program.
Xie Xie Zhongguo!
peace. paul.
My roof
We recently discovered how to access the roof of our building, only to find some pretty strange stuff. I suppose a roof is a normal place to place a used bathroom sink, right? I mean, seriously, who DOESN'T have a sink on their roof?
More pictures to come. Just a-waiting on a sunny (i.e. not smoggy) day.
peace. paul.
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