The Chinese government blocks many Western sites, for reasons of which there are probably many. As a result, I could not actually access my blog over the last week and a half while away. Many travellers and some Chinese people obtain VPNs to have access, and I had one on my phone to stay in touch, but it wouldn’t work on my computer. The following is my ongoing reflections on the last 11 days.
July 4 – Au Chine
And I’m off! I’m not entirely sure how where the time went, but it’s here, off to China and New Zealand for the next nearly 3 weeks.
It’s going to be interesting. I’m nervous, more nervous than I can recall being for travel in the last little while. Maybe it’s because I don’t speak or understand any language spoken in Beijing (with exception of English, though I’ve heard that even that is not as common as I originally thought). Maybe it’s because I’ve never been to any country in Asia. Maybe because, even though I think I dotted every “i” and crossed every “t”, I’ve been losing my mind and not actually checking to make sure I did things correctly the last 10 months, in “getting shit done” mode, as my program requires. Maybe it’s because I’m really, really tired and there is a part of me that kind of just wants to stay home and sleep. Maybe it’s all of those things combined, and things I haven’t even realized.
It’ll be an experience. I may or may not be able to post while in China (firewalls for most western sites), but will write up my (mis)adventures and upload them all when I arrive to Australia or New Zealand.
July 6 – 24-hour (and a bit) impressions
It’s different here.
(Right. It’s China. Captain obvious).
Yes, it’s different– a totally different culture, in almost every way, from Canada, different language, different societal set-up, almost everything down to the bones of it. But there’s more than just the outside appearance. It feels different.
I arrived yesterday on a 4pm flight, and after being first held in what felt like a pen for no apparent reason, I made it to the hotel by 6pm. The trip by taxi was fast, and it was certainly not the most scared I’ve felt in a taxi yet (winner of that race is Turkey!). I spend the evening in the hotel pool, trying to stay awake long enough to not wake up at 3am.
This morning, I walked. This afternoon, I walked. This evening, I walked. (I walked a lot) I first walked the Lama Temple, a beautiful temple of Buddist monks, still in function. There were no less than 10 different buildings/pavilions, each housing at least one, often multiple statues of Buddha. There are no other words but calm to describe it. The walk took just under 2 hours to get there, so I made a bit of a meander on my way home, as the weather got hot through the day, and spent time in the Jingzhang gardens, a large beautiful garden surrounding 5 buddhist pavilions on top of a large hill. This evening, I walked back toward the Goutou* district, 30 minutes away from the Lama Temple, for what I thought would be a beer and dinner at a brewery; in actuality, while they did have beer, I had to get my dinner elsewhere, and made use of the street-side noodle shops around the corner (3 hours, no GI issues; probiotics are working!).
The architecture of the old temples and buildings is in what my untrained eye considers classical Chinese design; I’m sure that there a are varied nuances from each dynasty, but I don’t know enough. It moves beyond the large historical or official buildings, as well; even along the alleyways, or Hutongs, where Beijingers live, their doors are sometimes built with intricate carvings, or with large dragon-head knockers.
One thing that’s surprised me is the lack of people I was expecting to see. For a country and city as large as this, I was expecting to see people absolutely everywhere, and I have not! I also tried to stay a bit off the beaten path for usual tourist destinations, so that may have helped.
Also: Bing is the search engine allowed for anglo “aliens” like me.
July 7 – 0400…
I’m awake. I went to bed exhausted, but didn’t want to take a sleeping pill, as I’d had two beers, and was worried I’d be too out.
I slept SO WELL Thursday night. DAMN YOU JET LAG!!! To be fair, there was also some weird high-pitched noise coming out of the air conditioner that woke me up. It’s the jet lag that is keeping me awake.
July 8 – Departures (Part 1)
Friday was a good day. I appreciated it at the time, but don’t think I communicated it so wonderfully.
I had the opportunity to stop, take moments to try and “be” throughout the day. I had the opportunity and privilege to do so. Often, I am the only western/white person in an area, and attract a fair bit of attention, as well as a lot of questionable requests (“Take photo?” No, not will you take a photo of me or my family and I, but can I take a photo of you). I stand out a lot, almost every moment, but it’s also a bit freeing, if that makes sense? I was watched, but I don’t think I was scrutinized, something that seems the opposite of at home, where I feel at times scrutinized, but not watched, in an open, observing sense.
I was essentially alone in a city of millions of people. There is overall little English spoke and understood here; it reminded me of Turkey, where I was among throngs of people, but was an island unto myself. It meant that, while I was watched, I could also watch. I could wander the Hutongs in which people live and just look. I could sit and watch people at the various sites I visited, those at the Lama temple praying to Buddha, people on the subway (also – I took the subway!!!! I survived, and actually did well!), people in the brewery I visited, on the streets. I could observe, and see.
I wasn’t as alone as I expected, though. While sitting in the hotel hot tub after my looooooong as walk on Friday evening, before going out for dinner, this little 10-year-old Chinese girl turned to me and started a conversation about where I am from and why I am here in some of the most perfect English I have heard, including in Canada! It was a lovely interaction. Later that night, while getting ready to eat my street noodles (honestly, the best damn noodles I’ve ever eaten in my life, and I ate them with chopsticks and everything!) in this amazing brewery I found in the Dongchen neighbourhood (Great Leap Brewery – highly, highly, highly recommended if you happen to be in Beijing), I was invited to join a table of some expats, including one from Paris, one from the UK, and one from Quebec! I even got an opportunity to practice my French (though, as usual, as soon as I struggled, the Parisian and Quebequois immediately switched to full English. But practice is how I learn!). I finished my noodles, and my second beer, and then meandered home.
Today, I am heading to Jinan for the course. I’m excited; I’m excited to begin the course, the whole reason I’m here (in all honestly, China was never on my list of places I wanted to visit; I’m sure more on that later). I’m also excited to be with other people. Though I do like travelling alone, for the privacy, the experience, the time to collect myself and my thoughts (and after the last 10 months of school and life, there are MANY), I’m lonely. It will also help with navigating this place where the only words I know are “hello” and “thank you” and the knowledge of English is overall rare.
July 8 2018
A friend of mine has said that the things you’re worried about are never the things that go wrong.
I was worried about the train to Jinan (actually, I’m REALLY worried about the train to Beijing and the transfer to the airport, but that’s a story for another day). I was able to get some sleep yesterday night (two sleeping pills and a meditation session later), made it to the gym, checked out of the hotel, and made it to the station with a whole lotta time to spare. The train was NOT the problem.
I arrived to Jinan and was ready to relax. Not quite the case, as the wait for a taxi was (inexplicably) an hour. Once I got into the taxi, despite providing the address of (at least) the nursing building of the university in Chinese, I was dropped off in front of the hospital. I attempted to ask if this was the correct place, and I think I was told yes, or ultimately just get tf out of my cab. Wondering if, perhaps as in older days where there is a dormitory for some medical staff on site, I went into the hospital, and attempted to ask a security guard where I was. No avail, or at least he couldn’t communicate to me where to go. The thing I’ve realized (and perhaps it’s an aspect of privilege that I have never thought of, not being able to understand someone even remotely, or being in a place where English is so barely spoken, having a conversation is a rarity), despite doing what I thought is the international shrug of “I don’t speak your language”, people here continue to talk at me, only louder and faster; at times, despite my clear inability to speak Chinese, they point at something (in Chinese) as if to say, here this will obviously clear up any questions you have. It’s comical in good times, and, as this was not a good time, as I was feeling completely lost, confused, and tired, upsetting. I definitely took my phone back from this security guard and walked away holding back tears, but he kindly walked after me, with someone who spoke some English to try and was able to explain to me that the university was across the street. So, I made it to the campus. Now where was the building? Hey, I’ll call the director of the program, she’ll help me. Yeah, not so much; she told me to find someone on the campus walking along and give my phone to them, so THEY could explain to me where to go (WTF?!), and still, we had great problems. And that was just GETTING to the international dorms… which were … pretty not okay. There was no mattress. There was a large crack along the side of the wall that was covered with packing tape. I thought, for a few moments, that, okay, I can do this, it’s free. And then I turned on my data to check our group whatsapp, as there was something about “Your friends saw the place and went somewhere to live”; the other girls had found an air bnb after seeing the situation. DONE! There was a moment of “You know, things have been worked out, there have been arrangements made, it would be rude to leave right now.” There was also a moment of “I cannot sleep here for a WEEK”.
The travel to get to the air bnb was another challenge, but before I move onto that, once I arrived, we (the other U of T students and I) were discussing the privilege of our coming from an area of the world where, yes, those conditions ARE bad. To some people, including those who are staying there now, they are not bad conditions; there is air conditioning, there is sanitation (albeit not overly sanitized…), there is safety. These are things that I take for granted, and that is a privilege. I feel a bit awkward, and a bit guilty stating that I don’t want to live in this kind of situation, and I don’t have anything else to say to contradict that.
So, the getting TO the new air bnb. Lindsey texted me the address IN CHINESE, yet 5 different people, 3 taxi drivers, 1 security guard (the SAME one), and one random old woman STILL had no idea where I was going! Finally, one (younger) taxi driver nodded, which I took for “yep I know this area”. GREAT! Not quite so much. The ride itself was 13 yuan, but there was an additional 16 yuan in the driver going little bits and then running out of the car to talk to people. TF?!? HOW is one a taxi driver and does not know where they are going? He finally got stuck, and then (and then?!?!) looked up the address on his phone gps (WHY did he not do this in the first place?!?!), it would have been easier to walk, and so I did. I wandered, and wandered through these streets, and finally found my people (hilariously, I realized it was them because they were trying to call me and I heard my own voicemail!). FINALLY!!!!
Things were alright again. The area we’re staying, the Lixia district, is ADORABLE. And about a 30-minute walk from the school, so not too far at all, a little more than a walk to work. It’s cozy, and by cozy I mean there are 5 women in a place with 2 double beds and a couch, but it’s better than the alternative.
So, we shall see how the rest of the week goes. At the very least, it will make for a story…
July 12, 2018 – 4 days
I’m not entirely sure how I got from arrival to now; 4 days have flown by in what has seemed like the blink of an eye. Our days have been filled with the course, which has taken up 8-9 hours (sometimes more) each day starting at 0730-0800, plus travelling time, both to the school from our air bnb and then to the respective hospitals. Our evenings have been often spent wandering the night market, which is basically a stone’s throw away from the apartment. We have been treated like honoured guests in every University building, every hospital department and clinic, and every home we’ve entered. It’s been interesting, this moving from the feeling that there is a lack of consideration and rudeness, to the realization that these people are actually some of the most welcoming, generous, and hospitable people I have ever encountered, but who move in the world so incredibly differently than I am used to. That particular realization has been … eye opening.
There are still challenges with language – some are of the sweet side (when an older Chinese woman walks up to you in the middle of the park and basically carries on a conversation with you in Chinese, not seeming to mind that you don’t actually speak Chinese!) to the (still) frustrating and/or shocking (being yelled at in and then kicked out of a cab, after 4 drive by you) to the anxiety-provoking (being lost and realizing that there are few people who can actually help you). This trip has also made me feel very small in the world, both in terms of being the visible minority (at least obvious visible minority) for the first time in my life to being stared at openly or having complete strangers take photos of me/us, or ask to take photos with them or their children, because seeing a white person is just so odd. It’s been an experience, to say the least, and I am so happy to say that it’s turned into a really, really good one.
July 13 2018 – The Healthcare
The whole reason that I came to China was for an international exchange program. There was not a lot of information that came across; this is the first year for the program in this iteration, thus the relatively lose structure, but the basic premise has been to expose international nurses and nursing students to Chinese healthcare and culture. As we learned on our first day, the school is in the later stages of developing a connection with the University of Texas, for a graduate-level global healthcare course, and the initial stages of re-initiating a connection with U of T… so it’s us 5 Canadians and a LOT of Texans (15). Makes for an interesting mix!
Our first day was an introduction to Shandong University, followed by two days in the hospital (Cheeloo Hospital and Shandong Provincial Hospital), a morning in a community health centre in a less resourced area of Jinan, a day at Shandong Museum, and finally a full day at the Shandong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Throughout the week, I have been almost overwhelmed with the degree of hospitality offered by those we encounter in each unit. We have been fed until stuffed, given candy, water, engaged in heartfelt and open discussions about their hospital and our own. We have been afforded opportunity to experience things like I’d never even imagine I could see at home – we were walked through a cath lab for a PCI procedure, allowed to observe and then experience Chinese medical treatments (I had acupressure beans, cupping, AND acupuncture), and were even brought on a home visit. One concern I had was that those involved would be more “voluntold” that they are having us in their procedure, their home, but more than anything else, we have been welcomed more than I could imagine. Yesterday, while participating in a home visit for (as we were told to call them) Ms Chan and Grandfather Lo, we were greeted with literal open arm, and they had set out bananas, peaches, chestnuts, and peanuts for us, and kept making us tea. More than offering hospitality, they were ecstatic we were there. The hospital staff provide us with information on their site (each unit, even!), and share the accolades they have received. They offer us information on their staffing model, their positive outcomes, and their unit structure. What comes across so interestingly is how proud they are of their work and employer; it’s not arrogance (“we’re the best, obvi!”) but genuine pride. The distinction may be small, but is clear.
Another striking realization is how the medical system has begun to blend western and traditional Chinese medicine. While I don’t discount TCM or other more traditional practices (of many origins), I still place most of my trust in Western style medicine; or, maybe better stated, I believe more traditional practices have a place separate from western medicine. While I don’t believe I would throw off Western medicine, the last few days have been a huge eye opener. One TCM doctor was able to tell immediately that I suffer from insomnia and don’t eat lunch (how did he know?!?!?!); and today, by application of acupressure “beans”, the chronic pain in my shoulder decreased by the most I can think of in the last 7 years and many western physical therapy practitioners.
July 15 – The People
Part 1 – People of China
I think I have said a lot about my experiences with the people of China, and the somewhat interesting realizations I have made about their culture, interactions, values. It’s different – than I’m used to and from what I’ve seen in my travels overall. I will also somewhat embarrassingly admit that I knew relatively little of the country’s history before coming (but I can tell you SO MUCH about the acute abdomen in a sexually active adolescent female and the relation of the social determinants of health, particularly housing, to one’s health and offer some individual and policy-level suggestions for action).
Some things are frustrating – there is no proverbial wiggle room, a seemingly cultural low tolerance for doing things differently. There is this magical app, WeChat, that literally everyone uses for almost everything. It’s a combination of messaging (FB or Whatsapp), pictures (Instagram), ApplePay or some other mobile payment service, and I don’t even know what else, all in one. And there is very, VERY little use of non-Chinese credit cards. You pay by WeChat (which appears to only link with Chinese accounts) or cash (IF they accept it where you are going), or you’re screwed. There is no other option, by and large. Moreover, it’s almost as if the people of China don’t actually understand that we cannot use WeChat! I got the response of “How do you pay for things??” more than once. This does, however, make more sense when you consider that a number of Chinese people don’t actually leave China. Almost as though they don’t realize that there is a different world outside their borders (which makes even MORE sense when one considers that it has been only a century since the country was open to foreigners and that many western sites are blocked in China).
Also, squatting toilets, no TP (however, I got mah squats in!!!).
Some things are gross – spitting (HOARKING) all the damn time. Pee splash gosh darn everywhere in the washrooms (squatting toilets), and no soap. Many infants and toddlers do not wear diapers so they are taught to literally piss and shit in the street, or are held over garbage cans (HOW people know when a baby needs to pee/poo does however amaze me). And the fa-cking HEAT. We all sweat through our everythings on a daily basis.
Some things are humbling – there is a hospitality, a generosity, I have never known. We were welcomed with open arms to Shandong University (… once we found the place), each healthcare centre we visited, and in the community in which we stayed. On Friday evening, we went into a tea shop because a woman was creating Chinese calligraphy scrolls and ended up staying for 2 and a half hours, as the owner and shop keep wanted to welcome us, offered us a short but free calligraphy lesson as we were going to be out of town on Saturday, when they hold the classes, offered us tea and food, created some beautiful scrolls for some of the girls and then insisted we not pay, and encouraged us to try on some dresses and take photos (photos, in general, are a THING here!). Just yesterday morning, when heading out for some shopping, we somehow ended up in a seven-tea ceremony in a local art and tea store!! When and where does that even happen?!?!
Also, the limited English is humbling. It can certainly be frustrating, especially when I’m feeling utterly stranded (which has happened more than once), but it’s a reminder that I came unprepared. People get very angry when those coming to Canada, either to live or sometimes to travel, don’t understand English. Well, I came to China knowing only two words – hello and thank you. Each time I have somehow found a way to converse with someone (what did we do before translating apps??), I have felt more and more grateful that they didn’t dismiss me, as I fear some people do in Canada. Each person we encountered who spoke English was often so embarrassed by their skills – and yet, their skills were far from limited and were significantly better than mine.
In an even bigger way, I feel humbled by my luck and privilege for having the ability and opportunity to come, to see this part of the world. Some of the other students did not realize what an amazing opportunity they, both as individuals and as a free people, had in having this opportunity to come and see this part of the world, to experience an entirely new culture and LEARN from it. Certainly not all, there were a number of my delegate colleagues who did, or at least were on the way to realizing it, but the ones who did not, or who would dismiss something important in the Chinese culture because it didn’t make sense to them, became frustrating and disheartening. Not only do we as North Americans have the freedom to be welcomed here, we have the financial ability, even if it may stress the finances to some degree. I realize that I am privileged, so much more than so many other people in the world.
Some things are funny… see below (“#tshirtsofchina).
Part 2 – My U of T colleagues (alternative subtitle: 5 girls 1 bathroom)
The U of T delegation came as 5 separate women, and left as friends (aaaaawwwwwww).
I departed knowing 1 other person reasonably well (a work colleague in the NICU), 1 other person okay (a NP colleague in my pediatrics section); the other 2 I did not know (and the fifth was ME!). We all met on Sunday, at the new place (or, for Cheri, on the street by a restaurant) and begun our adventure of being together almost every moment of every day. We were 5 women in a 2 bedroom apartment with one bathroom (and one shower), dealing with jetlag, lack of sleep, waking daily at 5 or 5:30am. Our shower leaked and our toilet clogged (but only AFTER 3 people had left, leaving Lindsay and I to deal with the literal mess… you jerks 😉). And somehow, we survived. Not only survived, but had a truly wonderful time. We shared the honour in being welcomed to the units, the exhaustion and difficulty of staying awake during our third presentation of the day on 4 or 5 hours of sleep, and more laughs than I can count, the hangries, the tangries, and the general small annoyances of being around the same people and their quirks for nearly a week straight. We were women who perhaps would never have met or come together otherwise, but I am truly so thankful that we have.
Next time, though, two bathrooms (at least).
July 15, 2018 – #tshirtsofchina
I began to note them on arrival into Beijing. It’s a STYLE – english words/phrases on t-shirts, sometimes with pictures, sometimes without, sometimes with appropriate translations…. Sometimes not so much. Some of the gems are below.
“God save the “ (… that’s it. God save the what????)
“Therapy” with a VERY poorly placed space (making it The rapey)
“Wednesday” (on a Friday)
“Beat it creep”
“Everyone should be feminist” (TWICE!! Yes. However, one of the shirts read “shoulO”. So close!)
“Just young life”
“Sunday” (on a Tuesday)
“Life is & cemetery full”
“The 1950”
“There is no one alive who is youer than you” (I like the sentiment, though)
“Don’t hurt your “ (Don’t hurt your what?!?!?!?! Stop leaving me hanging!!!)
“Butter”
“Reanut Butter” (ALL the butters, including the reanuts)
“What happen?”
“Reach for the moon the door opens into a smaller room”
“You contrct your own life”
“So elegant all be beautiful”
“Things” (Just things)
“Five more minutes” (with a cartoon of an egg under a strip of bacon for a blanket!)
“Favorite Bestaurants in London” (They’re the best, so they’re bestaurants)
“Just can’t” (with an upside down Nike swish under it)
“Less stress More sex” (on a CHILD!!!!)
“My ex died”
“I don’t want your body but I’m picturing your body with “ (I’m starting to feel like they just don’t want to finish these sentences. Leave me in suspence)
“I wish you a happy with me”
“Surive”
“Looking for not common”
And finally,
“Saturday” on Sunday. (So close!!!!)
July 16 – Transit. It makes for a good story, eventually.
Sunday evening (anticipating problems) – Wanted to change my train to an earlier time, to avoid running through Beijing airport. Train station doesn’t take cash, just Chinese credit cards and WeChat. Train stations minds boggled that I could buy a ticket, as I don’t have a Chinese credit card (literally was asked, “How did you do that?”). Cancelled my ticket, who knows if I will ever see the refund.
Chinese uber (Didi) didn’t work when coming home from train on Sunday. Wondered if it was blocked in high-taxi areas (i.e., train stations, airports, etc), so to not take business away. Took taxi.
Attempted to book in the cab en route back to the apartment. Was blocked. Feeling as though I should start looking at apartments in Jinan instead, because apparently I am never leaving.
Got home, and within the 40-minute cab ride, my cancellation went through, and I was able to rebook, though only first class tickets available. Desperate times.
Met Lindsey for our last night of night market and duck burrito. All was right in the world, for that moment.
Monday – woke up STUPIDLY early (0425). Linds woke up with an eye issue that needed to be dealt with immediately, so got her sorted to go to ER (she made her flight out thank HEAVENS). Left the apartment at 0510, Didi STILL not working (WTF?!?!). Thinking again I should just live here, because the forces are clearly conspiring against me to leave. Somehow managed to explain my issue to the shopkeeps of the little market that I’ve been getting breakfast from the last few days (they don’t speak English, I don’t speak Chinese. There was lots of pointing.) and one used her Didi app to order a taxi for me (it worked for ALL the other girls, except me, because of course). Arrived to the train station, got my ticket, found the gate, got on the train (very comfy seats, and better snacks than in economy class). MADE IT to Beijing.
Made it to their airport with a shuttle bus that went RIGHT by my hotel (would have been amazing to know about before, but the only way I knew about it was a Chinese man who took 20 yuan from me to show me (I decided not to care, because it was $4 CAD and I would NOT have found it otherwise. I’m calling it a shower’s fee, like a finders fee, but he was showing me). I had to ask no less than 5 people how to find the check in desks, went through security (I kid you not) 3 times to get there, before realizing that the airport is NOT at all set up like Pearson (or almost any other airport I’ve ever been in, with exception of the CDG airport in Paris), and everything is OUTSIDE security. Luckily, I and some of the other passengers from my flight (Aussies) were able to sneak back out to eat food after having checked our bags, and were not stuck in the security area for 4 hours (or so we thought!) without food.
Ate my last China noodles (sad-face), got a water, a coke zero, and a chocolate bar (it’s okay, I’m on vacation now!), and went back to sit by the gate with what I thought was an hour’s wait til departure.
We were delayed by 6 hours. For rain.
Okay, it was intermittent heavy rains, so it’s not like it was a little sunshower, and the rains were apparently quite bad south of Beijing, right across our flight path. But, rain. There was nowhere to buy food, but there was a bathroom and a few filtered water stations; at hour 4, the ground staff also brought in dinner for us, but had no idea when we would actually be able to board. Maybe I should call the Shandong University Nursing school deputy dean, I’m sure she’d hire me for something, because apparently I am NEVER leaving.
We boarded at just past 8:15 or so. Two hours to Nanjing, where everyone had to get off, and those continuing on to Australia had go through “I’m leaving China” customs (what even is that??), and then get back on the plane, this time with a number of people who were new to our flight.
Most of the entire time, I was counting the hours, with the hope that I’d still make my connecting flight to NZ. I had originally planned a luxurious few hours in one of the lounges, where I’d shower and eat (and drink!) all the things; now I was just praying we’d leave before 2300, so I could actually MAKE my flight. We must have made up time on the way, because we arrived only 4 or so hours after we should have, despite departing 6 hours late.
The part that bugs me is this: the travelling out of the country put a sour note on what became a lovely cultural experience. It seems as if the Chinese people are so welcoming, so helpful, so friendly, except when it comes to thing A, B, or C (of which one is traveling, both in/out of the country and around the country, and likely a few other things); for these things, there is so much rigidity, and little acceptance or consideration of outsiders (i.e., foreigners, travellers). It’s conform or sorry-not sorry. It was enough, as I was repacking my carry on for the third time yesterday, to question if I would ever come back here. There are also things that don’t make sense! I went through a bag XR going to get my ticket (and again after I snuck out); I went through the usual pull all my things out, frisky-frisk getting to the gate. There is nothing IN the gate except water. And yet, leaving the country, I had to do it all over again! Where, I ask you China, between gate 90, after you’ve scanned me, and the plane, could I have picked up something ilicit, other than the bottle of water that we were given for dinner, that was over 100mL? It’s not rational, it seems to me… though, when I arrived here in Sydney, I had to go through the transfer security again, so who even knows (…Bryan. Bryan knows).
And now, I’m awaiting my next flight to see Jen, Tom, and the kids in NZ. I made it. I had tons of time, enough to buy a big water bottle, eat some lunch, buy some lozenges for my head cold that I somehow picked up (likely when we finally relaxed on Sunday, after a long week, and, before that, a long 10 months). I can talk to people without an excessive level of gesticulation (just my normal amount of gesticulation). I can READ PACKAGES! I’m just hoping that the NZ folks don’t take my TCM package I was given by the Shandong TCM hospital that I completely forgot about (it’s for health and safety, two things that I could totally use right now and in general). It’s not fruit! I also got a fair sleep on the plane (around 6.5-7 hours, not the deepest sleep, but a good amount), have already picked up some Tam Tams, and had a cider, along with special cookies from Vivi and Jen awaiting me in NZ. Now that the trials of my travel out of China are over, I’m just left with the story and my own reflections on it all.
The Travels of Mz Dalbss 