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.