(Sponsored Video) The other day, my gorgeous little niece in Australia asked for some information to give her teacher about Chinese New Year. He wanted to talk to the class about it. Much to my surprise, my Hong Kong-born Small Person rattled off a list of things she has come to know and clearly love about CNY. The lettuce that hangs from every door-way seemed to be a prominent feature in her mind. Called Cai Qing or "plucking of the greens" - the lion feverishly dances his way to the front of every business, every shop front and every office, dangling the green leafy veg, tied with a red envelope of money and gobbles it up before spitting the lettuce back out (but not the money) -- all in the name of good fortune! It's no surprise this features as one of her more notable memories. Every year in China and particularly Hong Kong, you can hear the sound of the Lion coming. As he gets closer and closer....the cymbals clanging, the drums banging louder and louder with a sense of urgency and excitement! Of course it got me thinking about how having never lived out of Asia, to my now five year old, these age-old yearly traditions will be ingrained in her childhood memory bank. If you live in China it's hard to miss (chūnjié, 春节) otherwise known as Spring Festival or to the average Westerner, 'Chinese New Year' - which begins every February on the first day of the Lunar New Year (Nong Li). To my Small Person, eating 饺子 Jiǎozi over Chinese New Year is probably more natural than throwing a sausage on the barbie for Australia Day. Jiǎozi are of course, dumplings and while these tasty morsels are a year 'round staple in these parts - during Spring Festival they are particularly auspicious. Their crescent moon shape similar to China's gold ingots used in the Ming Dynasty, symbolising prosperity for the year ahead. And who can forget the fire crackers! The Small Person's eyes light up at the thought of these loud explosions livening up the streets! Come midnight, "Bian Pao" are launched in a cacophony of ear splitting eruptions, to scare off evil spirits (or just to make noise -- sleeping is optional) and in northern China, this continues for much of the two week holiday, in backyards on footpaths and in any un-used space, day and night! It's a fire cracker frenzy! It seems the monster Nián is to blame.... if you've been to school in China, you've no doubt heard about this legendary fella! My Small Person tells me he "flies through the sky when he hears firecrackers." She's not too far off the mark. As legend goes, every Spring, during New Years Eve, Nián would come out to eat villagers, destroy their homes and farms. One such story tells of the villagers and their plan to use drums, plates and empty bowls to make as much noise as possible, they wore red robes and threw firecrackers to intimidate the monster! According to myth, it worked and Nian never appeared in the village again. Of course in the lead up to the Spring Festival, it's all about "Out with the old, in with the new!" Houses are frantically cleaned before the big holiday (cleaning after is simply a big no no). New clothes are purchased - preferably red (undies and all!) and the decorations go up! The ubiquitous red lanterns dangle in the breeze, down every laneway, along every street, in every tree; the red paper cut-outs visible on windows and the customary well-wishing red banners are draped around the doorways! And of course for the little ones it wouldn't be Chinese New Year without the songs! Across China and much of Asia, for the last week, concerts rang out with small people dressed in Chinese traditional costumes, singing to their heart's content. The big people don't miss out either, including the hotelier who, this year, heaven forbid, was dressed as a beautiful(?) Chinese woman for his staff CNY concert! So, while (clearly) us foreigners (big and small) like to get into the spirit and enjoy the celebrations that come with this ancient Chinese festival, for the locals it's undeniably bigger than big! With the government advocating a seven day holiday, you may have seen my earlier post about 100 million locals taking to the streets...all in the name of travel, rushing to get home for the big family reunion. In China, family is the backbone of society. Trivial Fact: The character for family “家” is made up of two key elements: an upper part that represents a roof and a lower part which represents a pig - which if you look sideways you might just get. ;) Thousands of years ago pigs were domesticated and lived inside! Thus if there's a pig inside, it indicates people live in the house. With grandparents everywhere often tasked with the role of primary carer for the children, many parents our of town for work purposes Spring Festival is often the one time of the year the whole family can get together. There's even a popular Chinese saying: “falling leaves returning to the root of the tree that sired them.” On the family dinner table, a plethora of 'lucky' food is served, including Apples because the Chinese name for apple is 苹果; píngguǒ and Ping also means peace; fish which is known as 鱼 Yú which sounds like another word for abundance, to dumplings and spring rolls 春卷 Chūnjuǎn, which seemingly look like gold bars so symbolise wealth, not to mention 汤圆 Tāngyuán — Sweet Rice Balls -- the pronunciation and round shape of tangyuan associated with reunion and being together. After the dinner, the whole family usually sit down to watch China's national television. Almost every single channel shows the same Spring Festival party of entertainment. A bit like western New Year's Eve, everyone will stay up to see the New Year in. Probably one of the most exciting things for children across China, is receiving the lucky red envelopes! Of which they are the prime recipients! The Red envelopes for children are called Yāsuìqián which means "suppressing age money" or keeping them young and suppressing the ghosts and warding off evil spirits. The envelopes themselves hold more meaning than the actual money inside them (although perhaps not for the kids)! ;) They're called Lai See down south and Hongbao up north, but the concept is the same. Those who receive a red packet are wished a year of 'good health, safety and peace'. Dating back to the Qing Dynasty, the elderly would thread coins with a red string and put them under their children's pillows when they fell asleep on New Year's Eve -- today, while the tradition has been replaced with red envelopes, parents (including us) still put Hongbao under their children's pillows! It's also customary to give these lucky packets to any children close to you, that you come into contact with over the Spring Festival. And in the past, children had to give their red packets to their parents for safe keeping, today......it's a little bit like Christmas! Oh and it's also bad luck for the family if a child cries during Spring Festival, so cheeky kids will probably get off more lightly than usual! ;) Even more fun! %CODE02% And finally, on the fifteenth day -- the Lantern Festival signals the end of Chinese New Year. As the first night of the full moon, children go out at night to temples carrying red paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns. The delicate paper lamps are lit and sent sailing skyward.... paving the way for a smooth year ahead. From me to you, in Mandarin it's a big Gong Xi Fa Cai or in Cantonese it's Kung Hei Fat Choi! Wishing you a joyful and prosperous year! Happy New Year of the Monkey! The above video has been provided by Lego, but all thoughts and fun facts are my own and in my humble opinion well worth telling you about! :lol: Pssst.... here's a list of other articles I've written on Chinese New Year..... Monkey Business: Swinging into the Chinese New Year with a Bang Chinese New Year in Xi’an: IN VIDEO Bask in the Glow: Chinese New Year in Pictures Lai See: Lucky Money or Tradition Gone Mad Out with the Old, in With the New … [Read more...]
EXPAT WOMEN: Don’t Call Us Trailing Spouses — We’re Trailblazers!
When talk of the ‘hotelier’ taking a job on China's Mainland first came up and we were living in Hong Kong (a hop, skip and a jump from China...aka, a 2.5 hour flight) a lot of people joked, ”Oh you can stay here in Hong Kong and he can come home every weekend — easy!” Now, admittedly (just between you and me) a teeny, tiny part of me tried to imagine what that might look like…. I had a great community, work, friends, and everything was extremely convenient….if you could do it anywhere, you could do it in Hong Kong! CUT! (picture fades to black!) Clearly a fanciful idea, at best — and for both of us, simply not an option. A) We couldn’t afford to run two lifestyles, especially when one is in one of the world’s most expensive cities. B) I’m not saying we're Romeo and Juliet but, why would I want to live away from my husband? …….. Ahhh many good reasons you may jest….think of all the guilt-free shopping! Jokes aside, ironically when we ALL did move to the middle of China, many of the hotelier’s colleagues would see me around the place and say “Oh how long is Nicole in town for?” “Um what? No, she lives here…..with me!” My slightly taken aback husband would say. Then the shocked response…”Really? She lives here, in Xi’an? (Lots of thoughtful nodding ensues..) Wow!" Call me crazy (and for the first six months and many times since I’ve concluded, I must be a little bit crazy!) but we kinda like hanging out together. And then…..”How about your little girl? Can she go to school here?” Why, yes! Yes she can! Xi’an for all intents and purposes is a city with eight million people and therefore has a pretty reasonable level of infrastructure going on. (It may all be falling apart underneath but it’s there!) (She mocks!) In all reality though, these colleagues’ questions are not so far fetched. A lot of spouses choose to stay put, in bigger (dare I say, more civilised) cities - those with a 1st tier ranking.….Shanghai or Beijing or in other cities nearby like Hong Kong and Taiwan, where heaven forbid, they can communicate. For us though - it’s one in, all in! But I’m not hear to blow wind up my own a@#! (For non-Aussie readers, basically that means I’m not here to talk about how fabulous I am for moving to the middle of China (ok, maybe just a little bit!) ;-) ) In all reality, I’ve got it pretty darn good. I get to live in a hotel bubble! I cannot complain (much). (Even if I did find myself curled up in the foetal position in my heavenly bed the first week we arrived, while the hotelier had to exit Xi’an for a three-night visa run. Alone, stranded in China!) There’s no denying, no matter which country you’re in and what sort of place you get to call home — when you open your eyes that very first morning in a foreign city, where you know not a single soul and even more terrifying, can’t speak a word of the language and everything outside looks about as close to life as you know it on Mars — AND it’s ”home” for the foreseeable future - it is a pretty daunting place to be, even for the hardiest of us. (If you're new to the game and need survival tips, check this post out!) What I really want to say though - despite those initial feelings of complete and utter loneliness and an immense desire to stay horizontal, covers over your head — the expat women that I know and often read about - are definitely not Trailing Spouses! If you haven’t heard the term, it’s a nice fancy one they give women who find themselves in a foreign country with their husband or partner who is usually contracted to work in that country. The term “Trailing Spouse” was coined in 1981 by The Wall Street Journal’s Mary Bralove to capture the concept of sacrificing your career plans to follow your partner. And admittedly, there are many sacrifices to be made for all involved with such a decision to move half way around the world. Careers are lost…friends and family are farewelled and every ounce of normality ceases to exist…..but at the same time, these things are also made. (Much to our initial disbelief.) And the majority of expat women I know will probably tell you, they find that term a little offensive (no disrespect Mary Bralove). Usually, we haven’t been dragged kicking and screaming across the globe, trailing behind as we struggle to keep up with our Commanding Partners in Chief! For the most part, the majority of expats (working or not) have a desire to see something different, experience a different way of life — and heck....Go. On. An. Adventure!! In many cases, it’s the women pushing for the move, making the final decision to take the new job and deciding where it will be and for how long. In our case, (and to many people’s surprise) I was the one who said, “Let’s go to China!” Even if it did seem mildly crazy, when places like Bali and Melbourne were on the radar. Bottom line: most of the expat women I speak with are here because ultimately (“I hate China days” and all) we choose to be. As expat partners not working, we are the ones forced to take a giant leap out of our comfort zone, making new lives for both ourselves and families. The one with the job — while challenging in different ways — can often assume ‘position normal’…. He (or she) goes to his job, each morning, just like he always has. As the spouse in a new country, there’s the unenviable job of finding a place to live; a school for the kids; a supermarket, a hair dresser, a doctor (should there be such things available). Or on the flip side, you’re the one left back home to pick up the pieces or finish off the deal — sell the house, the cars, the furniture — pack up…organise the shipping, clean the house to inspection standards! More often than not, when you and your partner agree to the big role, companies will want you there ASAP. You basically swig back that coffee gin as you hear the words “Yes, let’s do it” come out of your mouth… and the plane ticket is booked. Locked in. "Hello new life!" The first move we made, I was pregnant, working night shift and the hotelier had to take the new job within three weeks. I stayed behind to finalise the deal…I won’t say it was a walk in the park. (Thanks mum!) One fellow expat arrived into town with two kids in tow, her already working husband had hoped to be there for the first two weeks to help everyone “settle in” but was called away the very next day. There she was in a city of millions, not a soul known and not a skerrick of Chinese spoken. Good Morning Xi’an! Those first few weeks, even months can be long and lonely. Naturally the working partner’s job is intense….it’s new…there is work to be done and hours to be put in. Living in a place like Xi’an or anywhere in Asia for that matter, means there can be more travel involved than ever before. Spouses are left to fend for themselves for days on end. The routine of old is a distant memory…..as is the identity of old. (I wrote an article a few years back on making expat relationships work, here.) As women on the expat journey we propel ourselves into the arms of exotically wild foreign lands at full throttle. We struggle try to learn new languages or simply learn new ways of communicating - we become masters at charades; we force ourselves to make random new friends from all walks of life; we eat food that leaves our taste buds recoiling in shock; we visit hospitals and doctors in desperate times, with methods far removed from those we know and often we just don’t know what is being administered! We ride taxis and busses along streets filled with the unfamiliar and uncomfortable. We wake up on more days than we like, to a sky thick with pollution, we can’t see across the road — to days with no power, no water or both… We go on endless searches for our necessities that simply don’t exist. We suffer culture shock and cultural misunderstandings….. We listen endlessly and support our other half who is often immersed in a role that sometimes deals cards beyond anything you could’ve comprehended in a previous life. We say goodbye to people we care about more often than we should. We deal with tough situations without our families close by. Sometimes we just want to call it a day and go home, to a place we’re understood. But we stand our ground, knowing tomorrow is another day. Many of us have left our own burgeoning careers and while we may be the one comfortably organising the move….the reality of leaving a career behind and suddenly seeing your name on the visa application as ‘house wife’ can be pretty soul destroying (you eventually get used to it)! (Let alone being called Mr James). :roll: I went from TV News Reader to expat mum up to my ears in diapers and chopsticks, in a matter of months! You can read about that interesting period here! But I’ve seen a myriad of expat women rise up against the tide of trailing spouse stereotypes to redefine themselves and their working life….In Hong Kong alone there is an untold number of small but thriving businesses erupting across the city, all founded by expat women. But what about places like mainland China where the visa regulations don’t really allow you to work or you need to find a role that sponsors you as well, which can be nigh on impossible? Many previously working women are suddenly placed in an environment where they really have no choice but to be the home maker. This is where your expat tribe comes in and a much needed sense of adventure. Once you meet other expats in similar situations, the bond is built quickly and negotiating foreign life is infinitely easier, not to mention empowering. We develop lifelong friendships with global citizens, we see the world in a way we could never have imagined, we travel, we experience once in a lifetime moments and we grow and learn about ourselves and other cultures, beyond anything we believed possible. We are expat women — we don’t trail behind, we blaze a path ahead! Pssst, The definition of Trailblazer: A person who makes a new track through wild country! Proud to share this one with Seychelles Mama's #MyExpatFamily … [Read more...]
Monkey Business! Swinging into Chinese New Year with a Bang!
Good news! If you're born in the Year of Monkey you are generally smart, clever and intelligent! (Did I mention charming?) And don't worry if you're not a monkey, I'm a pig (in the nicest possible way!) the year ahead also means anything associated with the water element will bring good luck. Industries like shipping, banking, spas, and tourism are set to be extremely successful. So with that in mind, there's no surprise that as the Year of the Monkey swings into action……so too will about 100-million Chinese nationals. Yes, I kid you not. That's 100-MILLION Chinese who will travel over the Spring Festival - making it officially the busiest travel season in the world! And with just six per cent of the 1.3 billion population holding a passport, you can only imagine as more and more Chinese get their hands on that small but necessary travel document, that number is only set to increase! Experts predict there will be around 234 million Chinese travelling during CNY within the next few years. Traditionally, in China, CNY, Spring Festival (or ‘Chun Jie’ as it’s known ‘round these parts) is all about family — celebrating a year of hard work, having a rest, reuniting and relaxing with loved ones. With China’s rapid urbanisation from the country’s rural areas into the cities, there’s a colossal number of people clambering to get back to their hometowns for the festive season. From the giant, first tier employment hubs of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, all roads lead to Rome home with hundreds of rural villages in China, literally springing to life! Red lanterns rule the sky, swinging brightly above towns and cities. You'll witness everything from lettuce-eating lions to dynamic dancing dragons, not to mention the continual sound of fireworks crackling in the night (and day) air! Naturally, there are plenty of customs that go hand in hand with CNY….you can make sure you’re up with those here (and be sure to wear your red underwear)! As you can imagine, on the roads it’s absolute chaos and planes and trains are jam packed with hoards of workers and university students scrambling to book tickets and catch flights. It's that time of the year when locals will often do whatever it takes to get home, even if that means taking a 20 hour train ride, standing! (FYI, on China’s trains you can purchase Hard Sleeper tickets, Soft Sleeper tickets, soft and hard seats and standing tickets.) But for many, these days, the Spring Festival is not all about returning home. There are some who simply don’t want to go home for fear of being 'hen-pecked' about everything from job status to marital status not to mention how they're doing on the ladder of wealth accumulation. Generally, if you’re over 27 and still single, you’re under pressure to "get hitched", particularly if you’re one of China’s Sheng Nu or "leftover women." There’s also the small but pressing issue of Hong Bao! Also known as Lai See, these red and gold envelopes contain 'lucky cash' and if you've never been on the giving or receiving end, there are a few rules one needs to follow! Don't be like me and get caught out! Read those here: In the last couple of years, technology in China has given new meaning to sending Hong Bao! We Chat, China’s largest social media app (a cross between What’s App/Facebook/Twitter/PayPal) has introduced a Hong Bao 'Lucky Money" icon where you can send your friends and family a red envelope with the simple touch of a button! Family issues aside, with China’s newly-wealthy middle class on the rise, there are many Chinese now choosing to go on holiday elsewhere! This coupled with visa restrictions being eased for many countries and many more flight options available from China, has opened up a plethora of new travelling opportunities right around the globe. This year domestic and international airlines will begin more than 200 new overseas routes out of China. Oh and China also plans to build 66 new airports in its next five year plan. China's largest travel operator CTrip says - more than 60 percent of Chinese tourists will spend Spring Festival overseas. The farthest destination is the Antarctic. FYI: These are the top destinations: 1. Thailand 2. Japan 3. South Korea 4. Taiwan 5. Singapore 6. Hong Kong 7. United States 8. Indonesia 9. Malaysia 10. Australia World tourism destinations expect to see nearly 6 million visits by Chinese tourists, possibly the highest number on record, this Spring Festival. The Chinese Government has again reiterated the need for travellers to be on their best behaviour! (No monkeying around!) Australia's Sydney Morning Herald also reports that the number of Chinese visitors to Australia within 12 months surpassed a million for the first time. The University of Queensland and the Queensland Police Service have even joined forces to develop a safety brochure for tourists travelling to North Queensland. Printed in English and Chinese it highlights the need for water safety, accommodation security and personal safety. And it seems, despite China's slowing economy and unexpected dip in the value of Chinese currency, Chinese tourists, are still keen to open their wallets and spend on overseas trips. So what do Chinese tourists want? What's on their bucket list? According to the experts, luxury shopping is at the top of the list, Chinese language services, good food (including plenty of noodles and congee) and great experiences follow closely. About one-third of luxury purchases worldwide are made by Chinese consumers. Every man and his dog is racing the clock to cater to these new travellers on the block! Emirates Airline, capitalised on these retail-crazy Chinese travellers by simply boosting their baggage allowance. Hotels have added congee to the menu and slippers by your bedside. Such is the demand for Japanese goods these days, Bakugai, the Japanese word for “explosive buying by Chinese tourists” has been declared the country’s 'buzz' word of the year. What about foreigners travelling to China? Inbound tourism is also thriving, China ranking 4th globally in terms of international arrivals. In 2014, over 55 million international travellers visited China. And while Chinese New Year is not exactly the ideal time to travel through China, some of the bigger cities will be thinned out with locals well and truly out of town! Now's a good time to head up to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or even Xi'an! (Stop by and say hi!) Your best bet is to choose high speed trains, which are much more comfortable and slightly less crowded. The number of standing tickets is limited to 7% of the total seated capacity. And need I tell you, be sure to book way in advance! Here's a list of what you need to bring! It's the Year of the Monkey and 2016 is said to be the perfect time to create change. What are you waiting for....jump on board the travel train! This is China! … [Read more...]
Calling SOS: An Expat in China’s Worst Nightmare
“Ummm….you want her to do what, where?!” “On an A4 piece of paper, no less?!” The doctor’s office, Xi’an circa 2015. Ask any expat in Xi’an, what their worst fear is, living in China….and usually at the top of the list (next to pollution) is: getting sick! Or even worse, your kids getting sick. I’m not gonna lie, healthcare in China, well, second-tier China at least, is not as we know it. The inevitable language barrier only adding to what can range from a rather amusing experience (you can read all about a couple of such trips to the local doctor we had here, including our visa medical) to a downright terrifying one! Rewind this time 12 months ago and my ‘Small Person’ got sick with gastro. A bug that literally debilitated her for about five days…and then of course went through most of the family including our visitors (an expat’s second worst nightmare)! With no sign of improvement it was time to get our three year old to a local doctor, which in China usually means the hospital. With me down and out, wavering in and out of any coherent ability to function, the hotelier had the unenviable task of dragging her out of bed and taking her to the one and only English speaking doctor in the city. On cue she was asked to give a number two sample. All relatively straightforward, I guess…except for the small fact that she hadn’t eaten for days, so this was about as likely to happen as a China winter with no pollution! Alas, this small but pertinent issue aside….she was encouraged to produce it there and then, IN the doctor’s room, ON the doctor’s floor, ON a piece of A4 paper (actually, make that half a piece of A4). What I would give to see the look on the hotelier's face! ;) Thankfully that and the time we had to take Small Person with croup in to the hospital to use their nebuliser (we’ve since invested in our own to save on the trauma) means our hospital experiences have been limited. For other expats, it seems lessons have been learned. A recent Facebook status by a fellow expat says it all: “My boy fell and split his head open, we opted to try and fix it ourselves to avoid the trauma of a Chinese hospital.” Expats who live here for any length of time become masters at diagnosing and treating themselves with a host of medical supplies they’ve stocked up on from back home. I’ve even heard the story of one woman who’s been here for eight years and literally lanced and sterilised her child’s infected toe, herself! The trauma of this far less than the ordeal of visiting a local hospital. Another friend went to the doctor about a small gastro problem (unfortunately more common than us Wai Guo ren (foreigners) would like) and was promptly admitted to hospital, indefinitely. In what could be the worst situation to be sans toilet paper, his bathroom was devoid of all manner of toilet accessories! (BYO?). And to top if off, his only option for dinner, extremely spicy, pickled food. Not so soothing for the Du zi (tummy). Needless to say, he checked himself out, pronto! A girlfriend’s little girl contracted pneumonia, which here in China means a daily trip in to the hospital to be treated with intravenous antibiotics. Oral antibiotics aren’t given out and there is only one type of broad spectrum antibiotic used for all of the potentially different strains. After three days of sitting in a chair lined up with a bunch of other sick children, her little hand taped to cardboard and the IV inserted, they insisted she be admitted to hospital. (FYI children under the age of two have the IV drip administered in their forehead! Not the most comfortable or comforting sight!) My friend had the good fortune of being in a private hospital, which of course, like anywhere in the world is more often than not a step up from the public hospital. Even better at 600RMB a night, it was the VIP room. Still, no food was supplied….and it was BYO towels, soap....and Dettol. While you might be expecting hygiene in a hospital (of all places) to be up to scratch…let’s just say, here, in China, it’s not exactly an environment awash with disinfectant. My friend was partially relieved to see a mop present, but that relief was short-lived when she realised it was used (usually minus cleaning supplies) about as regularly as the sheets were changed….weekly! Another friend has regular medication she needs to go into hospital, to get, weekly (because they won't administer any more than a week's dose). There is one dosage administered for ALL patients regardless of the patient’s individual requirements. (Is it just me, or does this have disaster written all over it?!) And I'm guessing it's not a good sign when the doctor asks you 'which' medication you think you might need?! "Wait, what I have the flu and you want to give me an injection?" In China one such medical thought process is that an injection is far more beneficial because it enters the bloodstream quicker than oral antibiotics. In all reality, if someone is seriously ill, most expats won’t hesitate to fly themselves or their children out to a major city like Hong Kong for treatment. Thankfully there is a medical helpline called International SOS, whom most foreign companies are affiliated with. You can call up and speak English to professional doctors and send x-rays and test results to them to garner a second opinion, anytime you need to. They’ll also arrange for you to fly out. (Note: make sure you have international health insurance because without it, anything like this costs a small fortune and local health plans generally won’t cover evacuation or repatriation coverage)!! For anyone, it’s a frightening thought to be stuck in a foreign hospital, let alone one where you don’t speak the language and don’t understand the process…. health insurance is an expat's best friend the world over, here in China, it's a necessity - especially with international medical insurers offering direct settlement at expat-friendly hospitals like United Family Hospital and Parkway Hospital in first tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Handy to know, if you don't want to fly out in a non-emergency event. Despite these glaring anomalies that exist between the Eastern and Western medical worlds, healthcare in China has come a long way. The Chinese government recently declared the pursuit of “Healthy China 2020,” a program to provide universal healthcare access and treatment for all of China by the year 2020. As of now 95 per cent of Chinese have some form of health cover but as encouraging as that is, bringing a population of 1.3 billion people out of the third world and into the 21st Century is not without it’s challenges. While it means more locals than ever before now have access to major healthcare centres and hospitals - these centres are still playing catch up -- the number of properly trained doctors and nurses are struggling to keep pace with demand for care. In China, it's unusual to get a formal appointment, mostly its about lining up and that can mean standing in an overcrowded room for hours on end to register yourself and then pre-pay your account. Often, no matter how sick you might be, if there is no signature or no money, treatment is put on hold! Note: A) This is potentially a little tricky if you can’t read the forms and B) a little dangerous if it’s a life and death situation. Medical professors coming to Xi’an have declared the city 30 years behind in modern medical techniques. Unfortunately being a doctor in China is not all it's cracked up to be. It's not considered as prestigious a role as it is in the Western world and GPs are chronically underpaid. While the government caps the prices of common medicines, other prescriptions come with kickbacks for the doctor leading to overprescription of expensive drugs, imaging tests and unnecessary and lengthy hospital stays. (Have gastro, don't expect a quick exit!!) For many Chinese families, an emergency medical procedure means going into debt. There is still a widespread perception that to get top quality care you need to show doctors Guan xi (relationship) or hong bao — red envelopes stuffed with cash. A Chinese friend who had her baby in Xi’an a few years ago, had to do just this to make sure she could have her baby in what was deemed one of the city’s better hospitals. Hospitals in China are categorized through a system of numbers and letters, with the highest quality hospitals in the country being allocated the number 3 and the letter A. A 3B hospital will be slightly lower quality and 3C even lower still. Husband’s are still generally not allowed into the delivery room for the baby's birth….and the protocol is often on the patients to fend for themselves. My friend’s delivery was by no means straightforward and happened quickly. She had to hoist herself from the waiting bed to the delivery bed with no help whatsoever (mid labour)! (In China, most doctors won’t lift you for fear of being held liable, if something goes wrong.) The same happened when the hotelier was visiting a sick colleague in hospital (with a head injury, I might add) and he had to be lifted from one bed to another. His parents and my husband had the honours. During the delivery of my friend’s baby, the nurse refused to do a much-needed episiotomy unless she signed the papers, right then and there, during the height of labour!! No pen? What! Just reach for that handbag above your head! While you’re at it, be ready to write down the time, weight and date of birth yourself! (What do you think this is, a hospital!!??!) Perhaps as an expat, the best option is to stick with TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine! Most hospitals also have a TCM section where you can have a consultation and purchase your remedies there and then. It is after all, considered China's national treasure. Proven over thousands of years, how can you go wrong? As they say....when in Rome..... This is China! Psst.. a new expat and (after i've scared the c--p out of you) need to look at health insurance plans?....This might help. … [Read more...]
Dressed for Success, at Face Value – China Style.
It all started with the frock. I was informed the theme for the event I would be hosting was “Hollywood”….. and yes, I realise Xi’an is about as far removed from the bright lights of tinsel town as you can possibly imagine, but who am I to shun a red carpet! Sequins and a long dress were the order of the day, both of which my closet sadly no longer possesses (bar that lone dress hiding in the back that quite possibly won’t do up any more...sshhh!) So, the quest was on to find a red carpet-worthy gown in downtown Xi’an. It quickly became apparent that it wasn’t going to be an easy task. Turns out (surprise, surprise) shops selling ‘ball gowns’ are few and far between. I’m told, ’Rent a dress’ is how it’s done. So, mad school drop off done, one smoggy morning; with my gorgeous Chinese friend in tow, we hit the city … A towering, rather majestic looking building is our first stop. Step inside and it’s like stepping into a chic palace, swathed in velvet…chandeliers glisten above lush carpets and more attendants than you might see on a first class flight, are hovering - fairy godmothers ready to turn you into Cinderella with a swoosh of their wands. Ushered upstairs, it is quite possibly every girl’s dream. Beautiful gowns in every shape, size and colour drape themselves exquisitely around the plush room. As we excitedly flick through the decadent options, it’s like being a kid in a candy store. There are plenty of “Oooohhs and aaahhhs, look at this! How about this?” First up, as all sensible girls do, we check the price…no - make that double check and triple check! This is China, after all - where misunderstandings rule the world. Now my Chinese is clearly not good enough to carry on a conversation as detailed as this, so with the help of my friend, we establish it is to be 300 yuan…full stop! Thats to try the dress on and take it home for the week. And, even if we don’t rent one, it’s still 300 yuan. Got it? Got it! That all seems fairly reasonable to me at around US$50, if not a little on the cheap side. But again this is Xi'an...for the most part, things are not expensive. So we get busy choosing possible candidates fit for a glamorous affair. The process not unlike trying on wedding dresses! Behind the velvet curtains, the shop assistant helps me into each dress…(wait did she just hoist my boobs up/ I think she did!…Reassure myself this is all part of her daily job). Dress on, some diamonte heels thrust at me, I’m told to stand on a boxed platform and voila the curtains are whisked open for me to display er… myself. Retails assistants snap away, jabbering excitedly in Mandarin. We try on about six dresses for size - why stop at one?!… Of course we are strictly told we are not allowed to take photos but my trusty sidekick snaps a few blurred shots for good measure. The assistant is clearly enjoying this as much as we are and starts bringing in crowns and jewels to wear… of which I politely tell her there will be no need for a crown. The service is second to none…they even tell us they will hem the dress to my requirements….we smile, chuffed with our find. Dress chosen, smugly happy with ourselves, we get organised and I reach for my purse. Suddenly I see my friend out of the corner of my eye looking slightly more animated, her previously relaxed poise stiffening …. I spot the calculator. (Here in China, many shops and stalls, no matter how big or small (unless they’re a global brand name with fixed prices) have a calculator close to hand - usually for bargaining). However knowing we’ve set our price at 300, when I hear the numbers 3500 I try not to let my eyes boggle, right out of my head. Remain calm I whisper under my breath. Just a deposit perhaps?? Extremely hefty.. but I guess….. it’s possible. They are nice frocks. But nope this is no deposit, there’s been a “misunderstanding!” As soon as I hear this, I know it’s time to throw in the towel. Misunderstanding is possibly the most frequently used word in China. Both in English and Mandarin! There are MANY many misunderstandings…constant misunderstandings on every level (just ask the hotelier whose days are filled with misunderstandings). I am still to work out if this is cultural or simply the fact that Mandarin as a language is open to much interpretation. In this case, it seems, the lovely retail assistant has (conveniently?!) failed to mention that each dress has a specific price, all ranging in the thousands on TOP of the 300! To 'buy' I question? Surely! No. This is not to buy. With a lucky discount of 20 per cent we may hire our chosen dress for 3400yuan. That’s more than US$500. Now clearly that obviously seems a little ludicrous… when you don’t get to keep that beauty in your closet and wear it again and again….and again. By now, my Chinese friend has raised her voice several decibels and is on the verge of tears, while the manager is brought in to appease us. But she nonchalantly points to the price on the price tag which is clearly no help to us…… All I can do is stand there with my hands on my hips and try to show my extremely forlorn, disappointed face. The fact that I am a Waigouren (White face) and therefore automatically deemed loaded is perhaps my downfall here. As we huff and puff and woefully get up to leave….dismayed and annoyed at half the day wasted….the banter continues between my friend and the sheepish assistant. I manage a ‘Bu Gaoxing’ (Not Happy) at her as we walk towards the door. One foot over the threshold and a calculator is again whipped out and suddenly thrust in our faces. It seems I am now allowed the dress for….wait for it…. 800yuan!! But I am only allowed it for 24 hours. Hmmm, ok, I nod…. well it’s still expensive and probably almost as much as what I’m being paid for the tinsel town gig, but with only a few days until the event, I decide it’s a much better option than turning up naked… and dam! I really like that dress! So, it seems the bitter sweet saga is over and the deal is done. We leave with our receipt and many apologies from the retail assistant. Unclear on what my friend said to get them to dramatically reduce the price, she tells me she mentioned something about them not paying tax and calling the bureau(?) and that clearly had them running for cover (or more importantly my dress). Clearly these prices are not fixed at all. Some research later tells me, they call this place the 'Dream Factory' in China. It's the place many young 'brides to be' come for their dream photo shoot. You can read more about how that works in this post here. Deep breaths, we leave and I quietly hope they have the dress ready for me on Saturday morning as promised and don’t decide they’ll pay the difficult white lady back for being so picky with the price and tell me it’s not available! A week passes and I arrive (nervously) to get my dress… all is ok but I’m told it needs to be taken downstairs for 15 minutes to be hemmed up. (Ahh you don’t think you could’ve done this before I picked it up.) I can’t say this in Mandarin, so I wait, fidgeting. Finally my dress is presented to me….not hanging gracefully as you might expect in such a glamorous shop for such an extravagant price, but rolled up, in a creased ball, in the bottom of a bag. Now if you don’t live in China you probably just think well, that’s a bit rude or unprofessional, or maybe they just think “$#*@ you lady!” Which is highly possible…. but in actual fact it is a small but very representative symbol of China itself. On the outside things often look extremely impressive, together….polished. But lurking beneath the surface it’s more often than not, a case of quantity not quality. It’s all about that little thing called “Face” which is probably the single most important thing in China. We all know 'first impressions' count, but China takes it to a whole new level. What comes after doesn't matter (so much). The event I MC for that night is not too different…. A beautiful grand ball room in a 5-Star hotel is presented to an excited crowd. Four (yes four - which is rather customary in China) glamorous (if I do say so myself, at this point!) Master of Ceremonies of different nationalities take to the stage…. Two of us are blonde with little Mandarin up our sleeves and it's about now I (rather naively) realise we are (whilst at an 'expat' event) standing in front of a largely Chinese audience. But this clearly does not matter because we are here for show! I'm told, Western faces automatically give every event that added ‘face value’ if you like. A small red carpet peeling off the floor the only evidence we are in Hollywood….but determined to embrace the glitz, I teeter up it in my shiny heels (secretly waiting for Channing Tatum to make his appearance, but alas, we are in China….he’s not coming.) A program listing stellar performances promises an entertaining evening, but I watch on in horror as the lectern nearly wobbles off the stage…..performers lug their own gear on stage and the agenda is hastily thrown out the window. Acts don’t turn up, some turn up twice. Wait, where’s the organiser? MIA. The audience doesn’t seem to mind the ‘Shamozal’ that ensues…. they swarm the buffet like it is possibly the last meal on earth and glug the jugs of red wine. Santa makes it into town and is literally crushed as the local kids pounce on him, almost swiping his sack from underneath him! My meek calls for them to line up sensibly, rather futile. The table is set but within the first hour looks like a mini tornado has swept through it (did I really just see a small child offered wine)?! I guess I fit in well… I have the fancy frock, but who knows I am only wearing one contact lens! My designated MC partner (who’s an English teacher and never MC’d before) is politely both astounded and amused. I tell him, “Don’t worry, it’s all about Face!” This is China. … [Read more...]
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