Three weeks ago, a few other Rotaracters, Rotaract friends, and I visited an orphanage in Suzhou (a quaint city outside of Shanghai). The center is government-run, was established in 2005, and houses both the elderly and orphans. The elderly who live there either have no children to take care of them or their children cannot afford to do so. In terms of the orphans, there are approximately twelve; while a few are relatively healthy, most of them suffer from a mental disability or have cleft palates.
The facility's director gave us an introductory tour, from which I mainly learned:
1. During the daytime, there are three full-time staff members. At night, there are two.
2. The government reimburses all medical fees; however, we recently were told that, in order for the orphanage to receive reimbursement, the children must receive care at pre-approved hospitals.
3. The orphans are generally found in the streets. Recently, two infants were found frozen to death.
4. All the orphanages are government-run. The orphan must be sent to the orphanage that is located in the community in which he/she is found.
5. The orphans with cleft palates are generally adopted after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery. However, couples are willing to adopt them if the orphans already have surgeries approved. The staff kept commenting on how beautiful a recently adopted child has now become (after undergoing the surgery).
Based on the director's statements, it seemed like the children have everything they need. However, I still felt and feel that, although the basic needs of food and clothing are met, these children need more emotional and psychological support. Yes, the children with mental disabilities are limited in their everyday activities, but they certainly do not need to be confined to their beds. One girl, about 4 or 5 years old, cannot walk nor speak, but, from observing her facial expressions, I knew she could relate to what I was saying.
Each child needs more stimulation and individual attention. Thus, we hope to start a long-term project where at least one individual visits the orphanage every month. Another issue we hope to address regards a three-year-old girl who suffers from cerebral palsy. In addition to her mental condition, she also suffers from a digestive disorder that the doctors whom she has seen have been unable to diagnose. The main symptom she experiences is that her stomach literally bloats into a balloon whenever she eats (it does not matter the amount she consumes...the condition still materializes). No further action has been taken because the orphanage will not be reimbursed if she receives care from another hospital. Thus, we are working to learn the specifics and will hopefully come up with a collaborative solution.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Seed of the Oryza sativa
When it comes to eating rice, locals tell me that they need to eat it in order to feel full. Consequently, when I do not take rice (as I prefer bread or noodles) with my other dishes, they look at me with mortification. If my companions are able to recover from this mortification, one of the two scenarios, as elaborated below, materialize:
Scenario One
Companions: How can you be full without eating rice?!
Me: But I am eating potatoes. (At this point, I must then explain the starch benefits of potatoes) Potatoes are also filled with starch and can be a replacement for rice. (Then I think to myself, how do you think the Irish fulfilled their starch-nutrient needs?!)
Companions: No, potatoes are 菜 (here, 菜 is used to refer to vegetables).
Scenario Two
Companions: How can you be full without eating rice?!
Me: During college, I generally ate bread. At home, I always had the option of various breads and noodles.
Companions: Guess you're still not used to the food here. You are a *香蕉人 (directly translated, "banana").
*In the U.S., it highly discriminatory to call an individual of Asian descent a "banana" or "twinkie." These terms are generally directed at individuals of Asian descent who try to be and/or think they are white (whatever identifying as white encompasses). These individuals purposely become friends with white people only and may feel superior to other Asians. However, in China, I have discovered that the term banana does not necessarily encompass these qualities. Nonetheless, each time someone calls me this here, I am still (a bit) horrified. Instead, it is almost a colloquial version of the terms Chinese-American or Chinese-"X" citizenship from a country where the white population is/seems to be the majority. Here, "banana" is directed toward individuals, like myself, who are ethnically Chinese but were born and/or grew up in the U.S. for the majority of their lives. Thus, these individuals have the cultural habits of white people. These cultural habits, in terms of food (as mentioned previously), may include replacing rice with potatoes and preferring bread over rice.
Scenario One
Companions: How can you be full without eating rice?!
Me: But I am eating potatoes. (At this point, I must then explain the starch benefits of potatoes) Potatoes are also filled with starch and can be a replacement for rice. (Then I think to myself, how do you think the Irish fulfilled their starch-nutrient needs?!)
Companions: No, potatoes are 菜 (here, 菜 is used to refer to vegetables).
Scenario Two
Companions: How can you be full without eating rice?!
Me: During college, I generally ate bread. At home, I always had the option of various breads and noodles.
Companions: Guess you're still not used to the food here. You are a *香蕉人 (directly translated, "banana").
*In the U.S., it highly discriminatory to call an individual of Asian descent a "banana" or "twinkie." These terms are generally directed at individuals of Asian descent who try to be and/or think they are white (whatever identifying as white encompasses). These individuals purposely become friends with white people only and may feel superior to other Asians. However, in China, I have discovered that the term banana does not necessarily encompass these qualities. Nonetheless, each time someone calls me this here, I am still (a bit) horrified. Instead, it is almost a colloquial version of the terms Chinese-American or Chinese-"X" citizenship from a country where the white population is/seems to be the majority. Here, "banana" is directed toward individuals, like myself, who are ethnically Chinese but were born and/or grew up in the U.S. for the majority of their lives. Thus, these individuals have the cultural habits of white people. These cultural habits, in terms of food (as mentioned previously), may include replacing rice with potatoes and preferring bread over rice.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Research Observations
My research involves Shanghai female migrant workers' access to healthcare insurance. In my survey, I ask these females questions on their family background, contraceptive usage, and knowledge on their personal insurance status. I carry out my research in a community-based hospital in Changning District (长宁区). The clinic is open six days a week, but on Fridays and Saturdays, it is open from 8AM to 11:30AM. Furthermore, the siesta time is at least one-and-a-half hours Mondays through Thursdays. Usually, the hospital staff members take naps or...take naps?
Every few months, women come to this clinic to receive a contraceptive check-up. Their information is directly entered into a centralized web-based database. After the check-up, each woman receives a white slip, on which is a certification stamp and a head shot (which the woman provides herself). She must then send this back to her hometown - where she has hukou (permanent residential) status - before a certain deadline.
My survey is administered interview-style, in which I personally ask the patients questions. A number of these women are not able to read. However, they often note that their husbands have at least a middle-school education. The benefits of personally asking these women the questions is that they are not as embarrassed admitting that they cannot read and I can make sure that all the questions are addressed. However, the disadvantage is that some are not truthfully answering some of the questions. For example:
Question: How many abortions have you undergone?
Answer: 好像做了"X"次.
Translation: I think "X" number.
Secondly, perhaps because these women are not used to surveys and/or for cultural reasons, there are ambiguities when I think the question is straightforward. For example:
Question: How many abortions have you undergone?
Answer: 生第一个孩子以前算么?
Translation: Does it count if it was before delivery my first child?
Question (Part I): Do you have NCMS (the government-sponsored insurance for rural residents)?
Answer: 没有.
Translation: No.
Question (Part II): Do you have that insurance in your hometown where you pay 20RMB or more a year?
Answer: 哦, 你说哪个牙, 好像有. 家里人管这个, 所以我不太清楚.
Translation: Ah, you mean that one. Yes, I think I have it. My family members (usually the mother-in-law and/or father-in-law) take care of it, so I am not very clear about the situation.
Finally, one thing that I find a bit frustrating:
Question (Part I): How many years have you lived in Shanghai?
Answer: 好多年了.
Translation: Many years.
Question (Part II): How many years is "many years?"
Answer: 十几年了．
Translation: Over ten years.
Question (Part III): How many years is "over ten years?"
Answer: 好像 "X" 年.
Translation: I think "X" years.
Every few months, women come to this clinic to receive a contraceptive check-up. Their information is directly entered into a centralized web-based database. After the check-up, each woman receives a white slip, on which is a certification stamp and a head shot (which the woman provides herself). She must then send this back to her hometown - where she has hukou (permanent residential) status - before a certain deadline.
My survey is administered interview-style, in which I personally ask the patients questions. A number of these women are not able to read. However, they often note that their husbands have at least a middle-school education. The benefits of personally asking these women the questions is that they are not as embarrassed admitting that they cannot read and I can make sure that all the questions are addressed. However, the disadvantage is that some are not truthfully answering some of the questions. For example:
Question: How many abortions have you undergone?
Answer: 好像做了"X"次.
Translation: I think "X" number.
Secondly, perhaps because these women are not used to surveys and/or for cultural reasons, there are ambiguities when I think the question is straightforward. For example:
Question: How many abortions have you undergone?
Answer: 生第一个孩子以前算么?
Translation: Does it count if it was before delivery my first child?
Question (Part I): Do you have NCMS (the government-sponsored insurance for rural residents)?
Answer: 没有.
Translation: No.
Question (Part II): Do you have that insurance in your hometown where you pay 20RMB or more a year?
Answer: 哦, 你说哪个牙, 好像有. 家里人管这个, 所以我不太清楚.
Translation: Ah, you mean that one. Yes, I think I have it. My family members (usually the mother-in-law and/or father-in-law) take care of it, so I am not very clear about the situation.
Finally, one thing that I find a bit frustrating:
Question (Part I): How many years have you lived in Shanghai?
Answer: 好多年了.
Translation: Many years.
Question (Part II): How many years is "many years?"
Answer: 十几年了．
Translation: Over ten years.
Question (Part III): How many years is "over ten years?"
Answer: 好像 "X" 年.
Translation: I think "X" years.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Holiday Celebrations
On Christmas Eve, I had the pleasure of eating a fusion of delicous Western and Eastern cuisine. As you can see from the picture below, we basically had a feast! The feast included: deviled eggs, macaroni salad, Shanghai roast duck, dumplings, miniature spring rolls, pickles, a vegetable platter, a cheese platter with French bread, miniature donuts, rice krispies (my fav), gingerbread and shortbread cookies, and, of course, an assortment of wines.Today, a few of my colleagues decided to surprise me with a Christmas Day KTV outing. The KTV place we went to is a chain establishment called Party World; it's not as tacky as it sounds...quite elegant, actually. Once the singing commenced, I was "kindly encouraged" to sing James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," Backstreet Boys' "As Long As You Love Me," etc. Then, among the few Chinese songs that I know (i.e. 老鼠爱大米...the direct translation is "Mouse Loves Big Rice"), it didn't help that all the subtitles were in traditional characters. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful, wonderful time and am incredibly grateful for my friends!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
My First Blog Post in Chinese!
昨天，我给我们卫生经济研究室做了一个关于美国退伍军人健康部门的报告，也组织了一个圣诞节party。两个方面都很成功。
关于我们的party，我给同学和老师们介绍了一个交换礼物的游戏，叫做White Elephant。大家都没玩儿过，但是都觉得非常有意思。我买的礼物是一个非常可爱的大猪头（这礼物被抢了一次！）我得到的礼物是一盒子巧克力，正是我喜爱的东西！谁给我巧克力，谁就是我的好朋友！
学生们也带来了很多好吃的零食。教研室也提供了经费给我们买Christine面包店的巧克力蛋糕。我也给每个人买了圣诞老人的帽子...大家带上的样子都很可爱。
今年是我第一次不再家里过圣诞节和新年。虽然在上海过得很好，我还是有时会想念家，因为那里有我的家人和好朋友。特别是上海天气冰冷的时候我会想家！我也想我母亲做的菜！
最近，为了提高我的中文能力，我再看一个叫做“王贵与安娜”的联戏据。真的太搞笑了！我建议大家去看看。
关于我的研究，这方面都很顺利。我要特别的感谢我的导师，医生们，和同学们的支持。没有他们，我的研究肯定不会这么顺利。
因为这两个月无法在我这个博客写作，今天我写得比较杂。我想写的东西太多了！好的，现在我就写到这里。下次可能会用英文写了，哈哈。
祝贺，
小张
I will try to write in English next time! Happy Holidays! :)
关于我们的party，我给同学和老师们介绍了一个交换礼物的游戏，叫做White Elephant。大家都没玩儿过，但是都觉得非常有意思。我买的礼物是一个非常可爱的大猪头（这礼物被抢了一次！）我得到的礼物是一盒子巧克力，正是我喜爱的东西！谁给我巧克力，谁就是我的好朋友！
学生们也带来了很多好吃的零食。教研室也提供了经费给我们买Christine面包店的巧克力蛋糕。我也给每个人买了圣诞老人的帽子...大家带上的样子都很可爱。
今年是我第一次不再家里过圣诞节和新年。虽然在上海过得很好，我还是有时会想念家，因为那里有我的家人和好朋友。特别是上海天气冰冷的时候我会想家！我也想我母亲做的菜！
最近，为了提高我的中文能力，我再看一个叫做“王贵与安娜”的联戏据。真的太搞笑了！我建议大家去看看。
关于我的研究，这方面都很顺利。我要特别的感谢我的导师，医生们，和同学们的支持。没有他们，我的研究肯定不会这么顺利。
因为这两个月无法在我这个博客写作，今天我写得比较杂。我想写的东西太多了！好的，现在我就写到这里。下次可能会用英文写了，哈哈。
祝贺，
小张
I will try to write in English next time! Happy Holidays! :)
Monday, December 21, 2009
I'm back!
Wow, I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last post. But the good news is: I'm finally able to access my blogspot again!
I'm not even sure where to start, since so much has happened. These few days are quite busy, but I will be back - provided that I am still able to access this blogspot - with a post-holiday update.
Cheers!
Yilin
I'm not even sure where to start, since so much has happened. These few days are quite busy, but I will be back - provided that I am still able to access this blogspot - with a post-holiday update.
Cheers!
Yilin
Friday, October 23, 2009
Interesting Sites/Things
The very beautiful Heavenly Lake ("Tianchi") at Changbaishan. It is located on the China and DPRK border. Even in October, there was quite a bit of snow and ice. We were lucky in that the skies were clear! The one thing I must warn tourists about are the crazy jeep drivers who drive you up to the top, where this lake is located. Even after several requests that the driver go slower, we still felt like the jeep was going to tip over.
A local church...if you look closely, you will notice that "Adventist" is spelled incorrectly. Is is missing the "i." I was unable to attend the church services on Sunday because I got sick the second day, but from what my friends told me, it was quite interesting. I will be making a trip to the church in my area soon. Apparently, some services are only for foreigners and you must bring your passport as proof!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Who is American?
One of the things I have not touched upon in this blog (yet) is the confusion local Chinese have with regard to my American identity. In the past, it was frustrating (and still is to a certain extent), but I have found that this puts me in a position to experiment. This allows me to find out how people view me when they believe I do not speak a word of Chinese.
For example, on the train with my two American friends (for this purpose, I must mention that they are both Caucasian males), we pretended that I am originally from the Philippines and cannot speak Chinese because my great-grandparents migrated to the Philippines. For the locals, it was highly ironic that I had two white males translating for me.
When I had a conversation with a few Chinese youths, they said that they would not believe me if I were a stranger and said I am American. Their reasoning is, verbatim, “The blood flowing through your body is Chinese.” I’m still trying to figure out what this means exactly. Is it because this culture is very appearance-oriented, and, more importantly, that it only began its Open Door Policy (1978) not too many decades ago. To the Chinese locals, “American” equals “white.”
On the positive end, these encounters make me appreciate even more my home in the states and reaffirm my pride as an American citizen. For lack of better words, I have to constantly be vigilant about supporting my identity as an American.
Below are a few humorous anecdotes:
#1
While on a bus with my two Caucasian male friends and conversing in English, I heard the Chinese girl sitting next to me tell her boyfriend, “Oh, I used to want to be a translator! I should work harder to improve my English.” My friend subsequently told her in Chinese, “She is not our translator. She does not speak Chinese…she is from Manila. We translate for her.” It took her about a minute to absorb what had happened!
#2
While climbing a mountain with my two Caucasian friends, one Chinese boy exclaimed to his friends, “Look at those [my friends] foreigners! They’re probably from Russia (as Yanji is very close to Russia).” My friend turned to them and said in Chinese, “Where are the foreigners?” One of the boys who was about to gulp down water regurgitated it all. Then they quickly ran off giggling.
#3
While walking around with one of my friends in a village, we came upon a wedding ceremony. The villagers quickly gathered around us (as my friend may be the only foreign-looking individual in the entire area) and invited us to their dinner celebration. One elderly man asked me, “Since you live in the states, are you mixed?” Not giving me a chance to reply, a lady said, “Of course she’s not mixed! You can tell by just looking at her.” They ended that conversation by asking if my friend and I are a couple. In China, the language is tricky when it comes to introducing friends. For example, “friend” can mean “boyfriend/girlfriend.” Thus, it is safer to introduce friends as colleagues.
For example, on the train with my two American friends (for this purpose, I must mention that they are both Caucasian males), we pretended that I am originally from the Philippines and cannot speak Chinese because my great-grandparents migrated to the Philippines. For the locals, it was highly ironic that I had two white males translating for me.
When I had a conversation with a few Chinese youths, they said that they would not believe me if I were a stranger and said I am American. Their reasoning is, verbatim, “The blood flowing through your body is Chinese.” I’m still trying to figure out what this means exactly. Is it because this culture is very appearance-oriented, and, more importantly, that it only began its Open Door Policy (1978) not too many decades ago. To the Chinese locals, “American” equals “white.”
On the positive end, these encounters make me appreciate even more my home in the states and reaffirm my pride as an American citizen. For lack of better words, I have to constantly be vigilant about supporting my identity as an American.
Below are a few humorous anecdotes:
#1
While on a bus with my two Caucasian male friends and conversing in English, I heard the Chinese girl sitting next to me tell her boyfriend, “Oh, I used to want to be a translator! I should work harder to improve my English.” My friend subsequently told her in Chinese, “She is not our translator. She does not speak Chinese…she is from Manila. We translate for her.” It took her about a minute to absorb what had happened!
#2
While climbing a mountain with my two Caucasian friends, one Chinese boy exclaimed to his friends, “Look at those [my friends] foreigners! They’re probably from Russia (as Yanji is very close to Russia).” My friend turned to them and said in Chinese, “Where are the foreigners?” One of the boys who was about to gulp down water regurgitated it all. Then they quickly ran off giggling.
#3
While walking around with one of my friends in a village, we came upon a wedding ceremony. The villagers quickly gathered around us (as my friend may be the only foreign-looking individual in the entire area) and invited us to their dinner celebration. One elderly man asked me, “Since you live in the states, are you mixed?” Not giving me a chance to reply, a lady said, “Of course she’s not mixed! You can tell by just looking at her.” They ended that conversation by asking if my friend and I are a couple. In China, the language is tricky when it comes to introducing friends. For example, “friend” can mean “boyfriend/girlfriend.” Thus, it is safer to introduce friends as colleagues.
AIDS: the present and the future
In order to achieve health behavior change, there needs to be at least three things: knowledge, tools, and motivation. Although the government and private organizations have already done a varying amounts of work toward reducing HIV transmission and treating AIDS patients, many people still lack the motivation to change their health behavior.
During my AIDS in China course today, Director Humphrey Wou, who produces documentaries on the AIDS situation in China, noted the growing generation of apathetic individuals. Now that medication is more widely available and AIDS is not an immediate death sentence, people are developing the attitude that HIV/AIDS is simply a secondary issue.
A present and important problem for rural AIDS patients is the lack of nutrition. Most rural farmers consume noodles on a daily basis; although this is a rich source of energy, noodles alone lack the nutrition needed to elevate these individuals' CD4 counts. When asked why they do not purchase protein-rich foods, farmers say that they do not have enough money. The money that they have saved will be spent on brick purchases. These bricks (to them) are invaluable because they will be used to contruct houses that they will pass on to future generations. In some villages, you may see walls and walls of bricks, all waiting to be used for housing construction. Hence, they are unwilling to spend the 2RMB needed to purchase the protein-rich pound of tofu.
In his effort to empower community members and to establish sustainable projects, Director Wou helped fund a soymilk project in a rural village in Southern China. The villagers grow their own soybeans, make their own soymilk, and distribute it to those individuals with AIDS. Another example among his list of innovative projects is a sewing class for migrant female workers. In addition to teaching these females how to sew and make a living off of sewing, teachers distribute HIV/AIDS educational materials and educate them about the importance of protecting themselves and their families through public health knowledge. These females, furthermore, are able and willing to pass this information to their customers.
Even if you have no interest in HIV/AIDS, the key things to take from this entry is that, in undertaking any community project, one must first understand the community culture and varying plethora of perceptions. Secondly, community members should be empowered and a part of any project an outside group establishes right from the beginning. Finally, foresight, long-term planning, and sustainability should never be forgotten.
During my AIDS in China course today, Director Humphrey Wou, who produces documentaries on the AIDS situation in China, noted the growing generation of apathetic individuals. Now that medication is more widely available and AIDS is not an immediate death sentence, people are developing the attitude that HIV/AIDS is simply a secondary issue.
A present and important problem for rural AIDS patients is the lack of nutrition. Most rural farmers consume noodles on a daily basis; although this is a rich source of energy, noodles alone lack the nutrition needed to elevate these individuals' CD4 counts. When asked why they do not purchase protein-rich foods, farmers say that they do not have enough money. The money that they have saved will be spent on brick purchases. These bricks (to them) are invaluable because they will be used to contruct houses that they will pass on to future generations. In some villages, you may see walls and walls of bricks, all waiting to be used for housing construction. Hence, they are unwilling to spend the 2RMB needed to purchase the protein-rich pound of tofu.
In his effort to empower community members and to establish sustainable projects, Director Wou helped fund a soymilk project in a rural village in Southern China. The villagers grow their own soybeans, make their own soymilk, and distribute it to those individuals with AIDS. Another example among his list of innovative projects is a sewing class for migrant female workers. In addition to teaching these females how to sew and make a living off of sewing, teachers distribute HIV/AIDS educational materials and educate them about the importance of protecting themselves and their families through public health knowledge. These females, furthermore, are able and willing to pass this information to their customers.
Even if you have no interest in HIV/AIDS, the key things to take from this entry is that, in undertaking any community project, one must first understand the community culture and varying plethora of perceptions. Secondly, community members should be empowered and a part of any project an outside group establishes right from the beginning. Finally, foresight, long-term planning, and sustainability should never be forgotten.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Blogspot Access Open!
After trying to access this blogspot for almost two weeks, I am finally able to log on and write a post! Apparently, these stringent internet controls are due to the National Holiday.
I had a wonderful National Holiday vacation...but, unfortunately, I now have a cold and throat infection. Thankfully, it is nothing contagious. Over the break, I traveled to the northeastern ("Dongbei") parts of China. The weather is much, much colder than Shanghai! Before I get into the details of my trip, I am very excited to post food pictures. So, here it goes...
Delicious appetizers at a Korean restaurant
Sushi & nigiri
Street BBQ
Glutinous rice ovals filled with something sweet
Candied fruit kabobs
Fried bun with egg and bacon
Fried mushroom...tastes almost like fries!
Kimbap...Korean version of sushi
Hot corn noodles
Eggs, corn, and hotdogs boiling in hotsprings
Spicy Korean ricecakes with ramen noodles
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Migrant Females
Today I attended a Hopkins-Nanjing University event. The ironic thing is: I do not attend (nor have I ever attended) John Hopkins or Nanjing U. No, no, I didn't go just for the heck of it...went with a friend!
Anyways, I just finished reading an article about unmarried female migrant workers' contraceptive health knowledge. Although this article was written in the beginning of the twenty-first century, the basic message still rings true. Premarital sex is, in some areas, viewed with more leniency now; however, acknowledging to engaging in premarital sex (especially by unmarried females) is frowned upon. Even if unmarried women engage in premarital sex, they make sure to hide it from their parents so that their families do not "lose face."
Family planning centers are widely available, but, as the article states, these unmarried migrant females see these centers are places for married women. They are too embarrassed to seek out contraceptive knowledge and resources. Furthermore, they believe that it is sinful for unmarried women to even look inside contraceptive stores; it is not their place to do so. To emphasize this point, one professor told me that even when free condoms are placed in a public area, single females will send friends who have boyfriends/significant others to take some for them.
Maybe a small step toward removing the perception that only married women can and should access contraceptive methods is changing the title "family planning center" to "health for couples" or "relationship health?" These suggestions may not be very good, but hopefully they will stimulate better ideas.
Anyways, I just finished reading an article about unmarried female migrant workers' contraceptive health knowledge. Although this article was written in the beginning of the twenty-first century, the basic message still rings true. Premarital sex is, in some areas, viewed with more leniency now; however, acknowledging to engaging in premarital sex (especially by unmarried females) is frowned upon. Even if unmarried women engage in premarital sex, they make sure to hide it from their parents so that their families do not "lose face."
Family planning centers are widely available, but, as the article states, these unmarried migrant females see these centers are places for married women. They are too embarrassed to seek out contraceptive knowledge and resources. Furthermore, they believe that it is sinful for unmarried women to even look inside contraceptive stores; it is not their place to do so. To emphasize this point, one professor told me that even when free condoms are placed in a public area, single females will send friends who have boyfriends/significant others to take some for them.
Maybe a small step toward removing the perception that only married women can and should access contraceptive methods is changing the title "family planning center" to "health for couples" or "relationship health?" These suggestions may not be very good, but hopefully they will stimulate better ideas.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Awareness
This is my second post in a day...quite the record for me. However, this is something I think (and know) is an important and growing issue in China.
I just came out of a lecture on "Homesexuality in China." One of the questions asked is, "Should a homosexual male be responsible for telling his female heterosexual bride that he is a homosexual?" Many individuals in China mask their true sexual orientation, go against their genetic nature, and marry the opposite sex in order to fit into the social norm. Several females in the lecture voiced that this is wholly unfair to the female brides...how can these males be so selfish and ruin these women's lives? Even if these women were to get a divorce, the damage would already be complete (especially if there is a child involved). However, the response was (not verbatim), "All these problems are caused by society, society's expectations that we all fit into this keyhole of characteristics." Society creates the stigmatism that surrounds non-normative social identities. Hence, from a certain perspective, these homosexual males do not have a choice; they are forced to hide their true selves in order to live a "normal" life.
China's current situation is not much different from that experienced by the homosexual community in the U.S. several decades ago (for those of you who have not, please watch the "Milk" film). Even now in the U.S., there is a highly visible residue of these past negative attitudes (though, of course, in some areas more than others). I believe that people fear what they do not know; thus, awareness is the key to moving forward with others. The challenge lies in finding effective ways to getting people to listen.
I just came out of a lecture on "Homesexuality in China." One of the questions asked is, "Should a homosexual male be responsible for telling his female heterosexual bride that he is a homosexual?" Many individuals in China mask their true sexual orientation, go against their genetic nature, and marry the opposite sex in order to fit into the social norm. Several females in the lecture voiced that this is wholly unfair to the female brides...how can these males be so selfish and ruin these women's lives? Even if these women were to get a divorce, the damage would already be complete (especially if there is a child involved). However, the response was (not verbatim), "All these problems are caused by society, society's expectations that we all fit into this keyhole of characteristics." Society creates the stigmatism that surrounds non-normative social identities. Hence, from a certain perspective, these homosexual males do not have a choice; they are forced to hide their true selves in order to live a "normal" life.
China's current situation is not much different from that experienced by the homosexual community in the U.S. several decades ago (for those of you who have not, please watch the "Milk" film). Even now in the U.S., there is a highly visible residue of these past negative attitudes (though, of course, in some areas more than others). I believe that people fear what they do not know; thus, awareness is the key to moving forward with others. The challenge lies in finding effective ways to getting people to listen.
Food Catch-Up
So, yesterday I nearly went crazy asking for a room phone for the 300th time! Every time I went to ask, the person in charge would say something along the lines of, "Really? You don't have a phone? How can you not have a phone? Are you sure you don't have a phone?" I don't know about you, but I find this line of reasoning quite unreasonable. First of all, if I did have a phone, I don't know why I would be wasting my time asking for one. Secondly, the thought of stealing one of these antiquated pieces of plastic has never crossed my mind.
Okay, so now that that is off my chest, I realized that my blog is still lacking pictures of food. Those of you who have seen my food albums, know that I'm crazy about taking food pictures. However, recently I haven't been doing a good job of even taking pictures! Nonetheless, below are some pictures from a family-styled meal with friends.
Yummy Chinese pancake (above)
Stir-fried vermicelli noodlies with celery
Stir-fried eggplant with green peppers
Dumplings (cannot remember the filling)...better than mom's...?
Very popular cafe around here called 85 degrees
I have a sweet tooth!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Disease is not a Crime
Yesterday in my "AIDS in China" course, we watched the "Care and Love" 关爱之家 documentary by Director Ai Xiaoming. It provides an overview of the Xingtai Hospital situation, in which patients were given blood transfusions with infected blood. Because delivery can lead females to experience loss of blood, new mothers who delivered at the Xingtai Hospital became HIV positive and, subsequently, developed AIDS. However, because they were wholly unaware that they had become infected, they passed on the disease to their child(ren) through breastfeeding. The hospital denied that these patients had become infected through its services...it turns out that the then hospital director's relatives were government officials. In the end, some of these patients and their family members were compensated; the key word is some, NOT all.
I had previously watched this documentary at the University of Michigan, but it was good to watch it again after two years. Although those individuals with HIV/AIDS represents a small percentage of China's population, one must remember that China has over 1.3 billion people; even a small percentage translates into a growing issue.
One quote from the documentary that particularly struck me is, "AIDS is a disease, not a crime." The question is: are people willing to (are they ready to) increase their self-awareness and overcome the collective stigmatism surrounding AIDS?
I had previously watched this documentary at the University of Michigan, but it was good to watch it again after two years. Although those individuals with HIV/AIDS represents a small percentage of China's population, one must remember that China has over 1.3 billion people; even a small percentage translates into a growing issue.
One quote from the documentary that particularly struck me is, "AIDS is a disease, not a crime." The question is: are people willing to (are they ready to) increase their self-awareness and overcome the collective stigmatism surrounding AIDS?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Happy 100 RMBs!
Today I had the pleasure of attending my first Shanghai Rotary meeting. Although there is a standardized way in which meetings are conducted, it was quite interesting to see the cultural twists on familiar agenda items. For example, when we recited the Four-Way test at the beginning of the meeting, we also recited the lines in Mandarin Chinese! Secondly, instead of donating "Happy Bucks (or Dollars)," people donated "Happy (or sad) 100 RMBs!"
Midway through the dinner, I was asked to hold the money bucket. One of the club officers auctioned off 3 boxes of mooncakes and a cigarette ashtray (which, he claims you can use to hold nuts if you don't need it as an ashtray). The ashtray was sold for 900 RMB...although the bidder first offered 888 since eight is a lucky number in China.
Finally, we had an absolutely excellent guest speaker. Anthony Elvey, a Director at Cisco, spoke about the organization for the upcoming Shanghai World Expo. Apparently, all chicken products will be sold without the bones...as the organizers are afraid that it will cause more unhygienic conditions. Secondly, the organizers are most afraid about the toilet system that will be in place. Thirdly, you must go to the Expo with a plan on what you want to see and get out of it. It is simply impossible to see everything.
The dinner was excellent...as you will see from the below photos. The meeting took place at the elegant Shanghai Hilton near the Jing'an Si Metro stop. All the Rotarians and guests were/are incredibly friendly. I met one from Michigan (also a UM graduate), one from Kansas, and several from the UK, South Africa, etc. There was a group taking a tour across China; the first tour is ending and there will be another group coming soon.
For more information about the Rotary Club in Shanghai, you can go to http://www.rotaryshanghai.org/!
Monday, September 21, 2009
This past weekend, I attended the Shanghai Expat Show. Various companies/organizations from around Shanghai come to display what they do and to develop professional relationships.
I had the pleasure of sitting at the Rotaract (Rotary in Action) booth. Rotaracts are a group of young professionals ages 18-30 who seek to connect with the community at age through a dedication to service. The Shanghai Rotaract Club will be hosting a charity in November...more details soon!
I had the pleasure of sitting at the Rotaract (Rotary in Action) booth. Rotaracts are a group of young professionals ages 18-30 who seek to connect with the community at age through a dedication to service. The Shanghai Rotaract Club will be hosting a charity in November...more details soon!
Our booth was situated right next to the Shanghai Rotary Club's booth. At first, Rotary did not have a banner...so visitors thought that only Rotaract was present. Many people older than the age of 30 would ask us if they could join and we would just tell them to take two steps to the right. :)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
My Second Post!
So, I originally started a blog on another website, but then found it to be inconvenient for my readers. Plus, I can finally now acess Google blogspot...and Facebook! I finally feel complete, haha.
What have I been doing in these past few days? Well, classes began Sept 8. I'm taking a gym and English course for fun. Interestingly, even master's students are required to take gym! As for the English course, it is titled "Contemporary Medicine English." We regularly watch clips from 20/20 and other media news distributors. The other day, I invited one of my friends from the main Fudan campus (Handan) to my English class. When we walked in, everybody turned to stare at him (yes, he's Caucasian American). The entire situation was a bit hilarious. We watched Obama's speech promoting nationalized healthcare. The professor translated Obama's speech into Chinese and my friend and I were, like, that's not what he [Obama] said.
The other day, I had to go to the internet office to ask why I still do not have internet access in my room. The staff members told me I would receive a phone call. I thought that I had received a text, but since my cell phone currently cannot display Chinese characters, I only saw black blocks and some numbers. As the female staff members ate their lunch and watched a typical Chinese drama, I sat in the office (bit of an awkward situation). One lady then had the bright idea of me forwarding the text to her so that she can view the message. When I did, it turned out that the message was a commercial asking me to buy a computer. When the internet guy finally did call me, I was initially quite rude to him because I thought he was trying to sell me something. Oh dear. I've just heard so many horrer stories about telemarketers here trying to embezzle people's money. I've even heard that some pretend to have kidnapped your friends and/or family and somehow even know their names.
Change of subject: Just a few days ago, I attended a biochemistry conference. Of course, I barely understood anything, but tried my best to remember what I learned in high school AP Chemistry. The department is working on a new website and they would like me to help them translate it into English. I think it should be quite fun. After the conference, a few students and I had dinner with the professors. It was quite sumptious...two types of fish, crab, exotic-looking vegetables, duck meat, etc. I still can't get used to the ceaseless "gan bei" (cheers) that takes place throughout the meal. I mean, it's just too much standing up for a meal!
If you ever travel to China, you'll notice that many people have (what I consider to be) interesting names. For example, the ones I personally know are: Stone, Big Bear, Summer (for a guy). I've heard some are Celery, Sucky...
Finally, I'm taking an extremely interesting course called Sexual Health, AIDS, and Homosexuality in China. The professor is awesome and there are always guest speakers. Furthermore, students do field work outside of class. For the first class, we watched "Kinsey." I've already seen this, but it was quite interesting to witness students' reactions...several gasps. This past Friday, a professor from Nanjing University came to speak about the drug culture in China. Apparently heroin and something called K-powder is quite rampant...not much of a cocaine culture here.
More news to come...
What have I been doing in these past few days? Well, classes began Sept 8. I'm taking a gym and English course for fun. Interestingly, even master's students are required to take gym! As for the English course, it is titled "Contemporary Medicine English." We regularly watch clips from 20/20 and other media news distributors. The other day, I invited one of my friends from the main Fudan campus (Handan) to my English class. When we walked in, everybody turned to stare at him (yes, he's Caucasian American). The entire situation was a bit hilarious. We watched Obama's speech promoting nationalized healthcare. The professor translated Obama's speech into Chinese and my friend and I were, like, that's not what he [Obama] said.
The other day, I had to go to the internet office to ask why I still do not have internet access in my room. The staff members told me I would receive a phone call. I thought that I had received a text, but since my cell phone currently cannot display Chinese characters, I only saw black blocks and some numbers. As the female staff members ate their lunch and watched a typical Chinese drama, I sat in the office (bit of an awkward situation). One lady then had the bright idea of me forwarding the text to her so that she can view the message. When I did, it turned out that the message was a commercial asking me to buy a computer. When the internet guy finally did call me, I was initially quite rude to him because I thought he was trying to sell me something. Oh dear. I've just heard so many horrer stories about telemarketers here trying to embezzle people's money. I've even heard that some pretend to have kidnapped your friends and/or family and somehow even know their names.
Change of subject: Just a few days ago, I attended a biochemistry conference. Of course, I barely understood anything, but tried my best to remember what I learned in high school AP Chemistry. The department is working on a new website and they would like me to help them translate it into English. I think it should be quite fun. After the conference, a few students and I had dinner with the professors. It was quite sumptious...two types of fish, crab, exotic-looking vegetables, duck meat, etc. I still can't get used to the ceaseless "gan bei" (cheers) that takes place throughout the meal. I mean, it's just too much standing up for a meal!
If you ever travel to China, you'll notice that many people have (what I consider to be) interesting names. For example, the ones I personally know are: Stone, Big Bear, Summer (for a guy). I've heard some are Celery, Sucky...
Finally, I'm taking an extremely interesting course called Sexual Health, AIDS, and Homosexuality in China. The professor is awesome and there are always guest speakers. Furthermore, students do field work outside of class. For the first class, we watched "Kinsey." I've already seen this, but it was quite interesting to witness students' reactions...several gasps. This past Friday, a professor from Nanjing University came to speak about the drug culture in China. Apparently heroin and something called K-powder is quite rampant...not much of a cocaine culture here.
More news to come...
What it means to be in Shanghai
I arrived in Shanghai, China Tuesday, September 1, on a slightly foggy afternoon. Since then, I have met a myriad of individuals...from the dormitory's doorman who continues to ask me whether I am a guest or resident, to professors who lecture on the reproductive health challenges in developing countries.
This is my first official blog, so please bear with me if you find this entry difficult to follow; I tend to write by stream of conciousness. First off, I forgot to introduce myself and what I exactly I am doing in China! For the 2009-2010 academic year, I am studying at the Fudan University School of Public. As a Fulbright Research Fellow, I am conducting research on women's access to care issues and working to gain more knowledge about the health insurance distribution model in China. However, even in the few days I have been here, I have found so many interesting things that are worth investigating/researching. Now it seems that a year is such a limited amount of time!
Now, back to my first day in Shanghai. My advisor's student was kind enough to pick me up from the Pudong International Airport. From there, we took a bus to the university's campus, where I am currently staying at the Foreign Students' Dormitory. It is the only building here with an elevator. In future entries, you may sense this difference in treatment toward foreign students (versus that toward domestic students). Although this is obviously a form of inequality, all I can say is that I thank my lucky stars that I don't have to climb up the slippery white tiled stairs.
On the evening of the first, I tried Shanghai 小龙包 "xiao long bao" for dinner. It is a small bun filled with pork meat; it is famous for the soupy broth that spills out when you bit into it. Now, in my defense, although I claim to be a pescatarian (which means I do not eat meat except for seafood), there is a Shanghai saying that if you leave Shanghai without eating "xiao long bao," you might as well have not been in Shanghai. Thus, I got the meat eating over with the first day. Nonetheless, I must say that I am a hypocritical pescatarian.
In the days that ensued, I ran around like a chicken without its head making sure I had all the papers to file for a resident permit. In the more eventful moments, I had dinner with my advisor and his graduate students, visited the main campus "Handan," and discovered the oh-so-wonderful Walmart. The Walmart here is a behemoth compared to that in the U.S. With four huge levels, it is filled with furniture, clothing, house things (didn't care too much to pay attention), and food, FOOD, FOOD. Sometimes, just looking at the food can make you full because you simply do not know where to start buying (or, in my case, it makes you greedier and hungrier).
Finally, I attended a lecture on "Responding to Reproductive Health Challenges in Developing Countries." Written underneath this title on a poster was the slogan, "Everybody will enjoy their reproductive health by 2010." The lecture was specific to China. I learned many, many interesting facts and below I have provided a few (in no specific order):
A. One-fifth of pregnant woman have a miscarriage
B. 15% (some say up to 50%) of abortions are partial-abortions
C. HIV prevalence has increased more rapidly since 2001
D. Xinjiang, Wuhan, & Henan provinces have the highest HIV percentages
E. 13% sex workers die from unsafe abortions, and one-fifth of these deaths are among females ages 15-19.
The lecture provided alot of food for thought. The following week, I began to take courses with other graduate students. Thus far, the only class I can completely understand is my English class on medical terminology. Nonetheless, I am hopeful that my Chinese reading and writing will vastly improve in a few months.
I am sure the next few days, weeks, and months will bring many more exciting things. I look forward to my time here, but still think about and miss my family and friends at home!
DISCLAIMER: None of the views and/or opinions expressed in this blog are necessarily reflective of the views and/or opinions of the Fulbright Program.
This is my first official blog, so please bear with me if you find this entry difficult to follow; I tend to write by stream of conciousness. First off, I forgot to introduce myself and what I exactly I am doing in China! For the 2009-2010 academic year, I am studying at the Fudan University School of Public. As a Fulbright Research Fellow, I am conducting research on women's access to care issues and working to gain more knowledge about the health insurance distribution model in China. However, even in the few days I have been here, I have found so many interesting things that are worth investigating/researching. Now it seems that a year is such a limited amount of time!
Now, back to my first day in Shanghai. My advisor's student was kind enough to pick me up from the Pudong International Airport. From there, we took a bus to the university's campus, where I am currently staying at the Foreign Students' Dormitory. It is the only building here with an elevator. In future entries, you may sense this difference in treatment toward foreign students (versus that toward domestic students). Although this is obviously a form of inequality, all I can say is that I thank my lucky stars that I don't have to climb up the slippery white tiled stairs.
On the evening of the first, I tried Shanghai 小龙包 "xiao long bao" for dinner. It is a small bun filled with pork meat; it is famous for the soupy broth that spills out when you bit into it. Now, in my defense, although I claim to be a pescatarian (which means I do not eat meat except for seafood), there is a Shanghai saying that if you leave Shanghai without eating "xiao long bao," you might as well have not been in Shanghai. Thus, I got the meat eating over with the first day. Nonetheless, I must say that I am a hypocritical pescatarian.
In the days that ensued, I ran around like a chicken without its head making sure I had all the papers to file for a resident permit. In the more eventful moments, I had dinner with my advisor and his graduate students, visited the main campus "Handan," and discovered the oh-so-wonderful Walmart. The Walmart here is a behemoth compared to that in the U.S. With four huge levels, it is filled with furniture, clothing, house things (didn't care too much to pay attention), and food, FOOD, FOOD. Sometimes, just looking at the food can make you full because you simply do not know where to start buying (or, in my case, it makes you greedier and hungrier).
Finally, I attended a lecture on "Responding to Reproductive Health Challenges in Developing Countries." Written underneath this title on a poster was the slogan, "Everybody will enjoy their reproductive health by 2010." The lecture was specific to China. I learned many, many interesting facts and below I have provided a few (in no specific order):
A. One-fifth of pregnant woman have a miscarriage
B. 15% (some say up to 50%) of abortions are partial-abortions
C. HIV prevalence has increased more rapidly since 2001
D. Xinjiang, Wuhan, & Henan provinces have the highest HIV percentages
E. 13% sex workers die from unsafe abortions, and one-fifth of these deaths are among females ages 15-19.
The lecture provided alot of food for thought. The following week, I began to take courses with other graduate students. Thus far, the only class I can completely understand is my English class on medical terminology. Nonetheless, I am hopeful that my Chinese reading and writing will vastly improve in a few months.
I am sure the next few days, weeks, and months will bring many more exciting things. I look forward to my time here, but still think about and miss my family and friends at home!
DISCLAIMER: None of the views and/or opinions expressed in this blog are necessarily reflective of the views and/or opinions of the Fulbright Program.
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