When Michael from Global From Asia wanted to chat to me for his show, how could I possibly refuse? An American who's kicking butt in Shenzhen, married to a Chinese lady, together they are giving others the knowledge and tools to take their business from Asia and make it 'global!' Pop over to his website to listen to the podcast. It's about 35 minutes and we chat about everything from culture shock to finding friends in China and learning how to navigate the Middle Earth that is China. So grab a coffee or stick those head phones in and carry on, carrying on. https://www.globalfromasia.com/to-china-and-back/ … [Read more...]
When Two Worlds Collide — Your Perception is Your Reality!
At the start of my Chinese class each week, my tutor asks me if I have any questions. Usually I have a bunch of things I want to say and need to know the best way to go about it. This week at the top of my list was the word “disgusting.” I immediately feel bad when I ask her. My eyes dart sheepishly to the floor. “Of course I don’t want to use it, not really,” I say…back pedalling faster than a fox in a lion’s den. “I just want to know if there’s a word for it, you know, just in case," I stammer. I can almost feel her heavy sigh…reverberating through my own body. Living in China, I am forced to constantly remind myself that what often seems inappropriate in my culture is certainly not in others. Of course, on this particular occasion, I’m thinking about my recent flight south to Guangzhou, which is when I found myself mentally searching for the Chinese equivalent of “disgusting.” On the trip down, a lady next to me proceeded to spit at random intervals into a paper bag, pulled from the seat pocket. She made no moves to disguise what she was doing and I guess I should be thankful she used a bag! And of course, no one but me batted an eyelid. Why would they? Spitting has been a 'thing' the world over since the dark ages and in China today, a good hoick (that's Aussie slang for spit) is largely par for the course. On my flight home, to Xi’an, a man next to me continuously made that loud, (to my untrained ears) cringe-worthy, hacking sound with this throat, you know, that guttural sound that signifies the build up of bodily fluids. I was tempted to reach over and pull out his paper bag! I desperately wanted to tell him to stop, because, well… it sounded “disgusting.” I didn’t though, mainly because I didn’t know the words — but mostly because I know to him it’s nothing of the sorts….and I was pretty sure I was also completely outnumbered in my disgust, as the only westerner on the plane! It begs the question about whether the belief that “it’s better out than in” is warranted. Given the amount of polluted air I’ve no doubt inhaled in the last few weeks as winter descends rapidly upon us, while I can’t quite bring myself to ‘flob’ on the ground, in a paper bag (or the floating candles in the hotel lobby for that matter - yes that's happened!) I am inclined to agree somewhat with the theory. Unfortunately, while the jury is still out, most evidence points to the fact that spitting does spread airborne diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia and bronchitis. My tutor does agree that spitting on the footpath is “not so nice” but says it’s hard to educate the older generations. In many ways, she's right. I used to frown and shake my head profusely when I would see an elderly person or just for the record, a middle aged and often young person, spit directly in my line of sight…. suddenly causing me to veer sharply off my path to avoid colliding with said spittle. Now I realise it’s probably futile…locals have no idea why the strange, white woman is screwing up her face like a donkey’s ass, gesturing madly. Is she having conniptions? Does she need the toilet herself? "Spitting, my friends, is a sign of healthy lungs!" They proudly say. For me, living in China, it's often a case of two worlds colliding -- sometimes the clashing of my moral high ground with reality rumbles a little louder. The glamorous lady teetering on high heels up the main drag, so busy staring at my small person and I - with a cigarette swinging frantically in her pursed lips, as she shouts “Piaoliang!” (Beautiful) through her clenched teeth at my little blondie — all the while seemingly oblivious to the fact her own child is up against a tree, relieving himself in full view of a swarm of motorists and passersby on a busy tourist stretch. Or the car stopped outside the hotel, doors flung open, traffic banking up behind, daddy holding little Daisy over the gutter. “When you’ve gotta go….” Or how about the motorbike that ‘had to be seen to be believed’ this morning, it’s baskets front and back, piled high with dead chooks, feathers floating into the air. Disgusting right? Only to me, the lone foreigner traversing the morning traffic. And the toilets and their often obscene state which had my conference colleagues recoiling in horror. To my tutor’s credit, she immediately turns the conversation onto us unyielding foreigners. Do we really blow our nose, loudly in public? She questions! I have to think about that. Yes, well….um — she cuts in, crinkles up her nose and tells me about a time at the dinner table in Australia, when a man took out a tissue and makes a jolly old show, raucously relieving the contents of his nose like a foghorn into a tissue! And then put it back into his pocket! Disgusting right? Errr well…. I suppose it is. I nod meekly. After all your perception is your reality. And every culture is different. This is China. … [Read more...]
Two Years in China: What I Know Now….
I’ve really struggled to write this post. I’ve procrastinated. Oh how I’ve procrastinated…sometimes choosing washing and window-cleaning over writing! Yes. I know. :roll: It’s just that - how do you sum up two years in this place? How do I describe my feelings without giving you the usual spiel about crazy drivers, squat toilets and constant fireworks erupting into the morning sky? Whilst there probably hasn’t been a day go by in these last two years where I haven’t thought, “What the heck are we doing here?!” - the ancient city of Xi'an, for all its complexities and challenges has become my home away from home, tucked in the middle of the world’s most populous country. This ‘experience’ that we’ve had (and survived) has been beyond even my wildest imagination. I often see pretty, no - make that ‘stunning’ pictures of my old, beloved home towns, Sydney and Hong Kong - on social media - and yearn for their beauty and comfort. But for all their pull, I still wouldn’t swap this journey for all the tea in China. (I know, I’ve used that line before, ironically as the title for my first blog post and two year anniversary in Hong Kong! Want to read it? Here it is.) Of course, the daily obstacles are at best, annoying! At worst, ‘crazy pulling hair out’ inducing! The necessity to stock up, when I’m out of town, with enough medication for any medical emergency that may crop up is constantly exasperating. (Thank goodness for friends who happily share their drugs when you forget an essential item!) The inability to use anything remotely technical (like a computer) with the simple push of a button, torments me. The fortnightly bouts of nausea from food, water, lack of hygiene, or whatever it may be - drains me. The impossibility to find a hairdresser who colours blonde hair or someone to wax my unruly eyebrows and so forth in a city of 9 million frustrates me. My incapability to decipher a full conversation in mandarin after studying the language consistently for two years pains me, as it does the hotelier (and many other expat workers) along with their daily frustrations at managing businesses conducted in a way that is generally foreign to us. The layers of bureaucracy for something as simple as buying groceries or getting a visa both amuse and perplex me. My lack of independence at being unable to drive bothers me and the mental muscle that’s required just to go for a coffee can be exhausting. Winter’s harsh pollution can get you down… and the constant flow of expat friends trailing out of our lives saddens us. Yet for all of these challenges, I have found myself richer in the knowledge and experience of a culture that is far removed from my own. (Not to mention given my sense of humour an incredible work out!) ;) China is a country that is evolving like no other country on the planet. No nation has ever risen as quickly or modernised as rapidly in human history as the Middle Kingdom, that is China. I know we're witnessing a truly fascinating time in history. For all of its economic glory, constant progression and seemingly infallible growth, Zhong Guo (China) is still a developing country. As I try to capture this moment in time for my upcoming book and speak to many locals and expats on the ground, I’m learning so much about these people who are known by many in the western world for little more than their uncouth behaviour when travelling overseas and a soaring economy that is currently only second behind the United States. But it is a country that until just a little over 30 years ago was utterly entrenched in poverty, having endured decades of chaos. While most people had a job, they had little money and basic commodities were scarce. In the late seventies a sign of wealth was having the so called “four big things” - a bike, a radio, a sewing machine and a watch. The People’s Republic of China is run by the Communist Party of China and has been for more than 60 years and while there's been unprecedented change, tradition runs deep. There is still an authoritarian rule from above that commands its people under a banner of glowing media headlines that constantly sing China’s praises. Most people have an overly-inflated view of their home country, which is possibly not a bad thing because the country appears united in its love for ZhongGuo. Most are oblivious to the perils of the Great Fire Wall and insist they are happy to have one party in power. Anything more and there’s a grave fear the country will fall into chaos and disunity. With a 5000 year history firmly etched in their minds, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who can’t recite a famous line from one of China's ancient dynasties or rattle off a centuries old poem and you’ll be just as hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t believe in the powers of warm water. Chairman Mao who infamously ruled China from 1949 to 1978 is generally hailed a hero, despite the atrocities during his reign. His face appears on China’s currency and pictures and statues are easily identifiable around the country. His legend lives on. Education is the lifeblood of Chinese. This nation’s children live and breathe it from the moment they are born until they finish university. In a country of 1.4 billion, it’s considered the only way to get ahead. Despite being the factory floor of the world and churning out almost every product known to mankind, China’s own shop floor is lacking in goods. All is not lost though because almost every one is a mad ‘Taobao’ shopper. An online eBay equivalent, where you can order almost anything you could dream of and at a fraction of the cost. Little Tuk Tuks race all over the city, piled high with parcels to deliver! Despite having more universities than you can count, many who train medical students from all over the world and develop groundbreaking medical practices, the standard of healthcare outside the first tier cities is questionable by western expectations. Some doctors still smoke in hospital corridors, hygiene is debatable and most women have little knowledge about life saving procedures like pap smears. The one child policy has recently been relaxed but abortions at very late stages are still taking place, legally. Busses proudly display large signs advertising the best place to get one. “Don’t feel bad if you are pregnant by accident. Easy to solve if you choose wisely.” The gay and lesbian community is largely underground….(at least in most cities outside the capital). It was only in 2001 when homosexuality was removed from the official list of mental illnesses in China. And political correctness isn’t really a ‘thing’ yet, (as you may have noticed on a recent China Air travel magazine doing the rounds on social media). The gap between the rich and poor is ever increasing…. there is an elite group of Rolls Royce driving, cigar smoking, designer bag-wielding patriots who rule the masses, but overall most of China’s people are still living below the poverty line. But, there’s a but… in their minds they are rich. What they all have now compared to just a few decades ago, when most people could not eat much more than scraps is insurmountable. And it shows. These people are fiercely proud. Family is everything….oh and food! Chinese don’t greet you with how are you? If anything it’s “Chi le ma?” Have you eaten? When they are younger, grandparents take care of their grandchildren full-time, while parents work - often having them live with them. That is a given. The very elderly are automatically taken care of by their children, usually living under the same roof and that is also non negotiable. Society still believes that women should be married by the age of 27 or they’ll be tarnished as ‘leftover’ women. Thankfully, despite the ongoing pressure, most of the young women I know aren’t buying into this anymore! China's other relationship is with ‘Guanxi’ (which translates as ‘relationship or connections’) and is otherwise known as giving money and gifts to solve everything and anything. Guanxi is ingrained in society from the bottom up, in almost every aspect of life. Currently, health and Safety is largely an after thought. Whilst many thousands of years ago this country built things to last for many thousands of years — today they live only for tomorrow. China has admittedly for all intents and purposes been so busy building itself from scratch to become a viable country, it’s only now that it seems they have time to turn around and reflect. Time to start educating the masses on etiquette, hygiene and manners and time to start caring for the environment. You can appreciate, it’s a mammoth task. How do you educate over a billion people? For all of its discrepancies, China is a country where it’s (mostly) safe to walk down the streets at night, people are always happy to help you (unless you are injured and they will steer clear for fear of being held liable) and are often as friendly (and curious) as a new puppy. As much as they admittedly talk in circles and it’s often hard to know what they’re really thinking, we’ve been lucky enough to witness their kindheartedness firsthand and make some special friends. From acupuncturists who make me lunch, to hairdressers who take me for coffee, waitresses who look after my small person and locals who’ve brought me soup when I’ve been sick. To locals who've translated for doctors when my child’s been sick, translated for me many times, at all hours of the day and night and given us gifts beyond their means. People who've basically helped us adjust to life in a foreign country. There is an enduring innocence, in a place where Tai Chi, Calligraphy and Mahjong are still the hobbies of the day. Most have never travelled overseas (only six per cent have a passport) but as the country grows along with people's individual wealth, they are now starting to embrace their newfound wings. This is nation of people who are emerging like butterflies from a cocoon, ready to fly…. But you can rest assured, they will always come back to their nest. Two years in, this is what I know now. This is China. … [Read more...]
Traditional Chinese Medicine: That Time I Tried Acupuncture in China….Alone!
In hindsight, I probably should’ve known better than to attempt to go to a local medical establishment in Xi an, on my own! And by that I mean without my walking, talking dictionary in my back pocket - also known as 'a dear Chinese speaking friend' to ease my fears and translate for me. Clearly, sleep-deprived and a little delirious, I’ve obviously forgotten where I actually am! "Ahh hello, Nicole, you don’t speak Chinese, remember?" Well, not well enough for this sort of encounter! But, here I was, hurtling along the freeway with a non English speaking driver, off to see the Acupuncturist or 'Zhen Jiu' as I soon discover it is in Chinese. Everyone has said to me, if you do anything health wise in China, acupuncture it is! And given it's been practiced for thousands of years here, it's hard to disagree. Trivial fact: There is evidence of acupuncture around 100 BC. That said, about half way there, I realise I don’t actually know where the place is. All I have is an address in Chinese characters. Last time I was with said driver, going anywhere other than school, he got us totally lost, despite having the address and several people explaining to him in Chinese. I frantically text the address to Ava's Chinese babysitter….asking her if it has any street numbers in it. I already know it doesn’t…but I’m naively hoping she will miraculously give me some clue to where I’m going. All I know, is that it's near the coffee shop I’ve frequented a few times. It dawns on me, there are a gazillion shops in this area and even more concerning, how the heck am I going to know which one says "Acupuncturist?!" Our babysitter manages to find me a picture of the shop front, but she may as well be sending me a picture of a random door in Timbuktu… it’s a door with gold Chinese characters above it, like oh so many of the shop entrances. By now we are driving around in circles, peering at random buildings that all look similar. The driver eventually gets out and asks an elderly man on a bike. I'm doubtful he'll know so I call the Chinese lady who recommended the place to my foreign friends in the first place and she explains to the driver, but alas, it's to no avail….we keep driving, back and forth. It’s times like this I muse why we don’t have a Sat Nav, but in China everyone likes to give directions referring to the compass. North, East, South or West. For someone who is 'directionally challenged', this is about as helpful as telling me to fly myself to the North Pole. The driver is now muttering under his breath in Chinese and I keep shoving my phone at him with someone different to talk to in Chinese, realising it’s probably futile. By now we’ve done so many circles I couldn’t tell you which way is up, down, north, south, east or west. I’m about to give up and call it a day, with the stark realisation, I should’ve known better than to attempt this mission alone. I give it one last shot and call the hotel concierge with some directions from my friend in the UK, who (thankfully) has jet lag and is awake when I text her. We come to a halt outside a building that looks absolutely nothing like the picture I've been sent, which immediately makes me dubious. Where am I being dropped? I shake my head, but tell the driver to wait (also known as gesturing wildly) while I step gingerly inside to see if it looks remotely like what I expect an acupuncturist to look like. It’s a hot mid summer’s day and the temperature gauge is nudging 36 degrees. My anxiety hasn’t helped my inner thermometer and I feel myself literally fall through the door in a ball of sweat, gazing questioningly around the room. I can see what looks to be traditional medicine and a man says “Hello” in English pointing for me to go upstairs….as if he instantly knows who I am and why I'm here. I have no appointment - none is needed I’m told but I am filled with dread that I could be anywhere….my imagination running away with me and I worry it's some evil medical laboratory that may be about to harvest my organs! I scan my phone trying to find the address I have and thrust it under his nose. He looks amused and nods, yes this is it! I guess this is where I just take a calculated risk and believe it's going to be ok. I run outside to the car and give the driver the thumbs up (although they don’t really use this gesture much in China but I assume he knows what I mean). It soon becomes evident the English speaking male’s vocabulary doesn’t extend past “hello”. Typically, in the height of my angst, my Chinese is all but lost. I mumble about being told someone spoke English here and he simply smiles and shakes his head, ushering me upstairs, where I'm told (I think) to sit down in a row of lounge chairs… The air is stifling and I realise there’s no air conditioning. About now it dawns on me that I need to call someone to explain to the practitioners why I’m here and what I need. I decide the hotelier's PA is probably my best bet, seeing as she called them yesterday for me. I ask the English-non-English speaking man to wait while I anxiously swipe through my phone. With everyone on We Chat in China, finding their actual phone number constantly eludes me. Finally I just message her saying, call me, and much to my relief she does. I put her on to the doctor and then ask where the toilet is. Back downstairs, I seriously consider whether I should just make a run for it….leave and pretend this never happened. But I dust myself off from the squat toilet and tip toe back upstairs, inhaling deeply. This time I am told to remove my shoes and get up onto one of the beds. I eyeball the room for evidence of hygiene standards. It looks pristinely clean, although I note the white doctor’s coat is smeared with dirt. He tries in vain to speak to me but I’m lost….his sidekick, a woman, speaks more slowly and her gentle demeanour calms me. I hope they can’t see that I'm shaking, just a little. Both of them immediately feel my hands and feet and then in unison, gasp in horror. I hear them saying the words for cool and derive they think I am too cold. (Which is kind of ludicrous given the current climate but I understand in Chinese medical terms, it's a possibility). Then they ask me to stick out my tongue and almost recoil in horror with a lot of back and forth glances. The male doctor takes my pulse and then says something to me again. Clearly he’s not giving up. I think he’s asking me if I drink cold water and eat ice-cream. All I can respond with is "sometimes". I know how much this is a mortal sin in Chinese culture, so much so, I can honestly say, hand on heart, I rarely have cold water these days. Mind you, today of all days, I think, I’m sure I could be forgiven for indulging in a little bin xi lin (Ice cream)! Next thing the needles are out. I am relieved to see they come from a closed packet…having heard a few horror stories of needles being reused in China. I recall having acupuncture many years ago in Sydney….apart from the needles, so far, this is not quite how I remember it. There are two in each foot, one in each hand and one in my du zi! Stomach. I note that when it’s time for the one in my stomach, the male doctor promptly leaves the room so the woman can place a towel over my lower half. The needles hurt, more than I remember! I grimace but it’s bearable. To warm me up a little more, I then have two heat lamps placed over me.. One at my feet and one at my stomach…. I feel like a pig on a spit! The male doctor tries his Chinese again and I manage to apologise and say I only speak a little Chinese. …The lovely sidekick, says "Mei Guanxi." No problem. Next thing, she explains, because I’m so cold, she would like to use something else and holds up a lighter and what looks like a solid toilet roll. I nod with caution… I’m a desperate woman and I’ll try anything but still… I’m a little scared. Is she going to brand me with this poker stick? I mentally recall the story I read about the Chinese man who had so much cupping his back was infected with a mass of black gangrenous holes. She lights the end of it and then lets it burn and smoulder slowly like a giant cigar. She spends the next thirty minutes wafting it over my hands, feet and stomach. Thankfully it doesn’t touch my skin but I think she really is literally cooking me now and I try desperately not to choke on the smoke which is filling the enclosed room. Later when I relay this to my Australian naturopath, she relieves my concerns by telling me this concept is actually called 'Moxibustion' and is even used in the Western world…..I Google it and discover it’s an ancient Chinese medicine therapy using moxa made from dried mugwort to among many other things, stimulate circulation through the pressure points and induce a smoother flow of blood and qi. Beads of sweat dripping down me ….clammy and sweaty….I close my eyes and try to relax. I hear the faint click of the doctor’s phone and can see him out of the corner of my eye at the back of the room. I suspiciously think he’s taking photos of the strange white woman on their bed. Finally in what feels like forever, it’s over. The heat lamps are off and the needles come out, painlessly. The doctor says something I don’t get and walks out, closing the door behind me. I’m not sure whether to stay lying there or it’s finished. In the end it’s clear no one is coming back, so I get up put my shoes on and walk out. They are both standing there, waiting for me, big smiles on their faces. I ask them if I need to come back and they point to what looks like a tub with a foot massager in the bottom and say “tomorrow?” I tell them not tomorrow, but maybe next week. My earlier suspicions are confirmed, when, as if it’s mandatory after every doctor’s appointment in China, the obligatory photo opportunity is presented. I try not to look visibly amused and smile politely. I'm glowing with a fine layer of sweat but of course! First with the male doctor then the female. “Piaoliang!” beautiful, he says.…..and then we exchange pleasantries and I remember I need to pay. They usher me downstairs to the man with English, but no English. It’s a grand total that is equivalent to $15 Australian dollars. Then they ask for my phone number which is kind of funny given they have no clue who I am. Any appointment in the West and they would have all of your details before you set foot in the door. After such an up close and personal visit I realise they don’t even know my name. "Wo jiao Nicole", I say and write it for them on the scrap piece of paper, they give me. We say "Zai jian" Goodbye.... and I tell them I’ll see them next week. No need to give them a time or appointment, I guess like today, I’ll just turn up. I tell them my friend will call them to see what they have to say about my 'condition'. Later she rings them and as suspected they tell her about my cold feet and hands and the tongue! Apparently they can see exactly what my problem is from these three things. I’ll need to go five times and tonight my sleep will be just fine, they say. I don’t know about that, but even though I smell like I’ve been roasting marsh mellows over a bonfire, I feel relaxed! 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...]