Having studied Politics and Law at Beloit, I have a real appreciate for one's rights, freedom, and responsibility in society. Three days upon arrival, I encountered blatant censorship. I was watching BBC World in our temporary apartment while feeding Ty some veggies when a news article on the baby policy here came on. All of the sudden, blip, the channel went dead. Concerned, I changed channels they all seemed to be working fine. I switched back to BBC World and after 2 minutes (and a new story) the channel was active again. Apparently this is not unusual. Websites get blocked, channels go fuzzy, and news articles are screened and in some cases enhanced.
Please do not take your freedom for granted. The right to free speech is a precious gift. You have the responsibility to safeguard and protect it everyday. It is an eery feeling when you do not have the freedom to hear, say or see anything you wish.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Joys of Immigration
As a condition of our gaining resident/immigrant status, we must undergo a serious of tests to ensure that we will not bring any communicable diseases to China. Or something like that :) Having gone through this in February while the boys and I stayed in the US, Peter knew what to expect. Peter sure is a smart guy. He waited until Truffle was safely in this part of the world before he subjected me to the horror that is the Health Check. Knowing what I'd would endure now, having Peter communte cross-continent is not such a bad idea. Before I scare the visitors off, you only need to do this if you will be living here.
Peter, Tyler, and I, along with our PWC Intrepretor/Facilitator Victoria, embarked on this fun afternoon the day after Truf arrived. Victoria and I filled out the necessary forms while Peter and Ty strolled the outdoor gardens. The government facility looks nice from the outside and the waiting room. Sparse, but clean. Looks can be deceiving! I encountered a number of tests including: weight vs. height analysis, Chest X Ray, Blood Draw --with their needles--YIKES!, ultrasound, a nice inspection for scars and various marks, eye exam, ear test and for the fun one a very primitive EKG. Now let me tell you this is a huge departure from the Clinique in Lausanne. Two ends of the spectrum. Upon seeing the old school EKG machine I really thought that I may be ending my life--seriously! They had my lie down on a bed that had large wet marks from the alcohol that they swabbed each patient with. After swabbing me, they clamped (think car battery jump start) me with the cables and attached wires to my chest. If that does not get your heart rate up, I do not know what will. Thinking back on this, I wonder if they ever noticed that the foreigners' heart rate is well above the average when doing this?? Having been stripped down, poked, prodded and basicly humiliated, this health check had better be a one time deal or I am outta here!
Luckily, we found out that I did not have TB, HIV, was not overweight, or harboring anything else that may cause a burden on China's state of the art health care system. Whew! I was so concerned! Thank goodness Tyler does not have to do this or Peter would be hanging out with Truf sans us. Again, nice timing Pete! Truffle saves you once again.
Having endured this I am curious if US Immigrants have to go through this kind of screening. I have been an immigrant in The Netherlands and Switzerland and never encounted such an experience...hopefully never will have to again. Ahh the joys of living abroad.
Peter, Tyler, and I, along with our PWC Intrepretor/Facilitator Victoria, embarked on this fun afternoon the day after Truf arrived. Victoria and I filled out the necessary forms while Peter and Ty strolled the outdoor gardens. The government facility looks nice from the outside and the waiting room. Sparse, but clean. Looks can be deceiving! I encountered a number of tests including: weight vs. height analysis, Chest X Ray, Blood Draw --with their needles--YIKES!, ultrasound, a nice inspection for scars and various marks, eye exam, ear test and for the fun one a very primitive EKG. Now let me tell you this is a huge departure from the Clinique in Lausanne. Two ends of the spectrum. Upon seeing the old school EKG machine I really thought that I may be ending my life--seriously! They had my lie down on a bed that had large wet marks from the alcohol that they swabbed each patient with. After swabbing me, they clamped (think car battery jump start) me with the cables and attached wires to my chest. If that does not get your heart rate up, I do not know what will. Thinking back on this, I wonder if they ever noticed that the foreigners' heart rate is well above the average when doing this?? Having been stripped down, poked, prodded and basicly humiliated, this health check had better be a one time deal or I am outta here!
Luckily, we found out that I did not have TB, HIV, was not overweight, or harboring anything else that may cause a burden on China's state of the art health care system. Whew! I was so concerned! Thank goodness Tyler does not have to do this or Peter would be hanging out with Truf sans us. Again, nice timing Pete! Truffle saves you once again.
Having endured this I am curious if US Immigrants have to go through this kind of screening. I have been an immigrant in The Netherlands and Switzerland and never encounted such an experience...hopefully never will have to again. Ahh the joys of living abroad.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Truffle's Adventure
Having left Truffle in the loving care of his Grandpa and Grandma Hansen (THANK YOU), we knew Truf was enjoying his vacation. The three Klugs in Shanghai were counting the days until our favorite furball would arrive. Truffle departed Chicago on the evening of Monday, March 19th via KLM to Amsterdam Schiphol where he would have a 7 hour layover, be fed, walked, and loved a bit before his next leg of his journey. Truffle remained with KLM for his flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival in Hong Kong he became a China dog and was transported via van and an additional flight to Shanghai.
In anticipation of Truffle's delivery, we "moved" into our new house in the Westernmost suburb of Shanghai. Truffle arrived at 8:30 pm on Wednesday, March 21st healthy, happy and tail wagging. I was relieved at his safe arrival, but I would imagine Peter was more relieved than anyone. Truf did not skip a beat and immediately settled in for a nice nap. The Klug Family was finally home.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Our New Adventure
Our latest adventure began March 13th, 2007 with our departure from the US and arrival in our new host country, China. Peter, Tyler, and I traveled 20+ hours and finally arrived in Shanghai with all of our luggage (Whew!) the evening of March 14th. Our temporary residence was the serviced apartments at Shanghai Centre. The flights went well and Tyler traveled like a seasoned pro...I guess he may already qualify for that since he has been on 9 planes already. We arrived tired, but full of excitement for what lay ahead.
Peter started work right away the next day while Ty and I had the opportunity to hang out and enjoy Tyler's jetlag. Rather than try our normal jetlag strategy of adopting our new time zone immediately, I chose to convert to Tyler Time. The early morning play sessions on the 18th floor of a downtown Shanghai apartment are lots of fun and further energized by a city that is active 24/7 --at least construction wise. The lights of the neighboring skyscrapers provided a nice backdrop from 1 am to 7 am. We anxiously waited for Peter to wake up as well as for Element Fresh downstairs to open at 7 am. I am in love with Element Fresh! They have wonderful pancakes that I have been craving for the last 3 years. They also feature yummy sandwiches, salads, fresh squeezed juices and soups. All with healthfulness and freshness in mind.
Peter started work right away the next day while Ty and I had the opportunity to hang out and enjoy Tyler's jetlag. Rather than try our normal jetlag strategy of adopting our new time zone immediately, I chose to convert to Tyler Time. The early morning play sessions on the 18th floor of a downtown Shanghai apartment are lots of fun and further energized by a city that is active 24/7 --at least construction wise. The lights of the neighboring skyscrapers provided a nice backdrop from 1 am to 7 am. We anxiously waited for Peter to wake up as well as for Element Fresh downstairs to open at 7 am. I am in love with Element Fresh! They have wonderful pancakes that I have been craving for the last 3 years. They also feature yummy sandwiches, salads, fresh squeezed juices and soups. All with healthfulness and freshness in mind.
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