Medical Schmedical....

Today we went for our foreigner’s medical checkup. Our Chinese student guides agreed to meet us in the morning in front of the foreign student dorms and then take us to the hospital. We had tried to finish this procedure a few days ago, but were told we each had to bring passport photos in order to process the paperwork.

We arrived ready to see if we could make it through Chinese bureaucracy and into an actual medical exam. The students took the lead and quickly explained how to fill out the relevant paperwork. We then were separated into a boys group and a girls group.

Our first stop was in a small office on the ground floor. A man who was dressed in hospital scrubs motioned me to come in and sit down. He handed me a spoon and told me to put it over one eye and read an eye chart. The eye chart was unlike any I had ever seen before. Instead of letters, the chart contained a series of symbols that looked like an upper-case letter ‘E’. Each of the ‘E’ shapes was facing a different direction. At a loss as for what to do (I don’t really have a name for these symbols), I held three fingers in the air and mimicked the shapes.

Next we were taken to another room for x-rays. (Why?) My American classmate and I were taken to a room that looked like a bank vault. After handing the doctor(?) the paperwork, my classmate walked through the vault door. I could hear the muffled sounds of the doctor giving her instructions, and the next thing I knew she was taking off her shirt for him. Suddenly the doctor’s instructions became louder, and she quickly ran behind a curtain and put on a dirty bathrobe. When he placed her in the proper position for the x-ray, he ran back towards us and slammed the vault door. The x-rays were taken, and after a minute he spoke into a microphone and told her she was finished.

Our next stop was the DMV of hospitals. This was the room the hospital uses for drawing blood. Sitting behind glass windows sat several people dressed in scrubs. Patients were ordered to stand in line until one of the windows was open. Then we had to shove our arms through the glass opening near the countertop. Fortunately, the draw was quick and painless.
After everyone was finished with the blood draw, I asked the students where we should go next.

“Surgery.”

We were taken to another room where we were asked to lie down on a table while the doctor attached suction cups to our chests, and clamps to our ankles and wrists. Everything was attached to scary looking wires. The doctor pushed some buttons on a machine nearby, and soon she had a paper readout. I raised my eyebrows and looked at her.

“Normal.”

Our last stop was on the ground floor. I was taken by the doctor to a table behind a curtain and was ordered to pull my shirt up. She then gave me an ultrasound. I asked my classmates the reason for this particular procedure.

“Your liver.”

Ahh. Now why didn't I think of that?

Chengdu!!!

Yep, my new program to by pass the Great Firewall of internet censorship seems to be working! Blogger.com is a banned website in China, but as you can see I'm still able to blog.
Just wanted to let you all know that I made it to Chengdu in one piece. After passing through airport security, I ran into another classmate of mine at the terminal. It turns out that five of us were taking the same flight path to Beijing. From there we were to be on separate flights to Chengdu. The flight to San Francisco was uneventful as was the flight to Beijing. Unfortunately, I was squished in a middle seat on all three of the flights. For the long flight I sat next to a Chinese man who spoke no English except for the word “Heineken”, and I’m not even sure that’s English. The flight from San Francisco to Beijing took twelve hours. We ended up flying north over the Bering Strait and Siberia rather than just straight across the ocean.
After arriving in Beijing the five of us had to locate our luggage, take it through customs and recheck it on the other side. As anyone who saw me packing knows, my bags weighed a ton. When I got to the counter to re-check my baggage, I was dripping with sweat. Myself and another student were set to take a 9:00 flight. We ended up changing the flight to arrive earlier with the rest of the students from my class. The flight to Chengdu was quick, and I slept most of the way. Someone was at the airport waiting to pick us up when we arrived. They took us straight to the dorms where I’m sharing a room with two other girls. They have provided us with towels, teacups, remote-controlled AC, tea, a thermos, a television, and blankets. We have our own bathroom; yet the shower is cold and there are bugs.
All in all everything is good. I'm completely exhausted, but with a good night's rest I'll be fine.

Liftoff...

Today is liftoff. I'll be in the air or sitting in airports for the next twenty-four hours. I'm feeling optimistic; today is a new day and everything is going to be all right. I'll blog again from the other side of the pacific. Until then, Zaijian!

1...

Today was my last day in Seattle. My family hosted a going-away party, and everything was great. I'm heading out early in the morning, though I doubt I'll sleep much tonight. My church prayed over me in the morning, and my family prayed over me in the evening. I'm nervous, but I'm sure everything will turn out all right.

2...

This blogger really needs to work out. She packed her bags, hauled her packs on, and was tipped. Like a cow.

3...

Another bad driver.

4...

I'm still feeling a bit embarrassed about my little fender bender on Monday, so I've included these stories from a few bad drivers.
There's also this horrifying piece of
news. Why am I going to China?

5...

Finally somebody is taking this seriously!

6...

In honor of day six, I'm posting a series of articles that make me feel warm and fuzzy. You can read them by clicking the scintallating quotes below.

"...contained a chemical, diglycol, that can cause kidney failure, which a vendor had passed off as a normal ingredient."


"Officials have set up 15 animation centers to nurture the industry, invoking communist guerrilla vocabulary by dubbing them 'production bases.'"

..."people infected by the disease live in rural areas on the flood plains of the Yellow River, where sanitation is poor and mosquitos breed easily."

"It's small, it's fast, and it's bizarre-looking."

"Though I am retired, I got very excited to learn that Jiang Zemin is publishing his selected works."

"Last year, villagers in one coastal region were so angered by contamination from nearby chemical plants they said were killing their crops and sickening their children that they rioted and clashed with police, overturning and smashing cars."

So there you go, folks. Happy reading!

7...

My first day as an unemployed person made me want to go back to work. When I am working, I don't have the free time to sit around and worry. Although I have a million things to keep my mind occupied, work seems to be the easiest and most available.

I spent my afternoon eating lunch with a coworker of mine. We're not particularly close, but we made small talk and generally enjoyed ourselves. On our way home (I was driving), I rear-ended somebody. I was exiting the freeway, not paying attention, and rammed into the car that was sitting at the stop sign. I said loudly, "Shit!" And my coworker continued to sit in silence. Luckily no one was hurt, and the guy I hit was very kind to me. He shook my hand, laughed at the situation, took my information, and apologized that we had to meet under those circumstances. I was praising the Lord that I didn't wet my pants.

Overall, most of the damage was done to my pride. It's embarassing when you hit another person, even more so when you have a passenger. Had the accident happened with a family member or even a good friend, it would have just been a funny story. As it is, it's just embarassing.

8...

Today was my last day at work. Walking into the kitchen I noticed a chair shoved into the corner. It was covered with brightly colored envelopes, and a large paper bag decorated with balloon stickers. I noticed my name on one of the cards and smiled. Just then, one of my coworkers came into the room. She grinned and handed me the paper bag, insisting that I open it right away. I couldn't help but laugh with her as I reached into the bag and pulled out a freshly baked pumpkin pie. I thanked her, and set the pie down to start opening the cards. I found fifty dollars in a card given to me by a customer I didn't particularly like. I feel really blessed to have such good friends and acquaintances.

Leaving work was harder than I thought it would be. I walked out the door, and for a brief second felt fear at the prospect of being unemployed. I work hard, and it's scary to think of all the time I now have. It's also scary to think that I am now without an income.

I'm letting you all know early-

So you can buy me this for Christmas.

9...

I've been spending my tips on last minute purchases that I just can't live without. Today I bought five different lip glosses, several pairs of panties, a new jump drive (you can never have too many), hand lotion and a hair cut. My shopping is pretty much done; I just need to pack and select an outfit for the airplane.

On principal, I do not buy clothing that has a label. I won't buy anything that has a saying across the chest or a word across the rear. So it was with great surprise that upon arriving home I found one of my new pairs of panties has the phrase "Prestigious & Priveliged" written across the booty. How could I miss something like this? I hand selected each pair, and this cute phrase is written in HUGE block letters! Then I started thinking, I'm a capitalist. I like Wal-Mart. I believe in Ebay. My coffee isn't fair traded. These panties fit my bourgeoisie life. And really, I'm going to a communist country; these panties will be my little protest against the man. Take that, China!!

Hah!

These images I posted are from Google Earth. Both pictures are of Chengdu. I believe the stadium on the bottom left of the second picture is a part of the Sichuan University campus. I'll let you all know for sure when I get there.

10...

There's only ten days left until lift off. I haven't written in quite some time due to a heavy work and school load. I'm not taking any classes this summer, but have spent a lot of time on research. I won't post the entire research background here as it's a bit long and kinda boring. To summarize the plan: I'll be arriving in China on the night of the 22nd. On the 23rd I'll be taking care of the necessities (cell phone, bicycle, toilet paper, etc.) with a former exchange student as my guide. On the 24th, I'll (hopefully) be making my first visit to the school for the deaf. I am no longer looking into doing research on deaf education but rather, want to find out about the status of deaf adults in China. What do deaf people do when they graduate from school? Where are they? Do they gather in community groups? Are they isolated?
I'll be spending fall semester visiting the Chengdu School for the Deaf. The visits will help me familiarize myself with the sign language. I will also use this opportunity to seek out interpreters. I am going to interview the educators at the school to find out where their former students are. I'll be asking them where deaf adults work, if they continue on into higher education, and where they gather.
Spring semester will be spent interviewing deaf adults. I hope to make a trip to Tianjin University of Technology, which has a deaf student track. There I will interview deaf students. I want to ask them about standardization of Chinese Sign Language. I also want to speak to them about their hopes for the deaf community.
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be sure to post again tomorrow, and I promise to make it a bit more interesting...

Attention, people of the world:

I just bought my first piece of propaganda!!! When I'm done with school, I'll be blogging longer, more thoughtful things. Right now this research project, work and school has me swamped. Go to another blog if you want to read something interesting. Or Ebay. Ebay always has something interesting.

And we're back online...

This blog has been out of commission for nearly a week, and blogging will continue to be light until this blogger finishes her final exams. Also, it has come to my attention that blogger.com is banned in China. There are ways around internet censorship, but just in case something doesn't work right, I'll be setting up a continuation of the blog on Livejournal or something similar. I'll continue to post here until just before I leave the US. At that time, I'll post a link to the new blog. If I find that I can still use blogger in China, I'll let you all know ASAP. I don't want to change anything if I don't have to...

I'm going to go to bed now. I'm sick; really, really, really sick. I just wanted to post this little note before I forgot or puked up my brains. This will explain everything.

It's Saturday!

This blogger spent all morning at a study abroad orientation with her school. There was probably 500 people at the orientation, with about thirty going to China. Of the thirty, I was the only one going to Chengdu. The other people I will be traveling with are all attending a later orientation. I was hoping they would all attend this morning, so we could go out to breakfast and get to know each other a little better, but no such luck. There is one student that I have been chatting with a lot. She and I seem to have much in common. We both like languages, we both secretely want to be spies, we both love to travel, and we both have an interest in sign languages. We've been discussing different places we would like to see while we are in China. My fantasy trip would be to take the Trans-Siberian railroad into Moscow at the end of the school year. I'll be buying two one-way airline tickets anyway, why couldn't one of them be from somewhere in Europe? I checked the ticket prices for the railroad; it's not too expensive if you buy them yourself. I'll have to see if I can convince her of how cool this trip would be.

The above link will take you to a website about the railroad.

Dude, that is like sooo totally gross...

It's been a few days since posting. I'm busy and stressed. Anyway, I mentioned a few weeks ago a new "friend" that I made at the bus stop. I'm not sure, but I think he may be following me. I spent all of today at school, and after finishing some homework, I decided to walk to a nearby drugstore and pick up soda and candy. I searched the aisles until I found what I was looking for, and joined the line at the counter. Behind the counter were two cashiers. I didn't bother to look up as I greeted the woman ringing up my stuff. Suddenly, the second cashier started shuffling stuff around on the counter. I glanced up. His name tag read 'My Name is Alex.' I looked at his face- it was my friend from the bus stop! He had taken a sudden interest in lining up the rolls of breathmints. I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes, and bolted from the store. A coincidence? I'm not so sure.

Research (again!!)

Woohoo!! I just received a reply from one of my random emailings. The reply was from a woman who works at the school for the blind in Chengdu. She will be putting me in touch with a teacher at the school for the deaf. Needless to say, I am so totally excited!!!

I have found out what vaccinations I will need before taking off to China. I had to make a phone appointment with a travel nurse, who described in horrible detail all the diseases I don't want to get. She told me, and I quote, "you'll need to go to the Injection Room to get these shots."

I said, "the Injection Room? Isn't that a horror movie?"

I'll be making the appointment for my vaccinations sometime soon. I've been really busy with work and school and planning and research and friends and family and blogging and everything else. If I don't return from my visit to the Injection Room within a reasonable period of time, please send someone in to find me. And bring guns. Lots of guns.

Research

Another research update!

-I just finished sending several emails to people who are involved in deafness, sign language, and/or deaf education in China. I'll let everyone in blogland know the results of this effort as soon as I hear back.

-I have a large stack of books that I have gathered from various libraries about sign language. I just finished the first one, a book about the development of a deaf community and sign language in Nicaragua. Judy Kegl, a researcher involved in Nicaraguan Sign Language has made the assertion that NSL developed in a school for the deaf from nothing within a very short period of time. Laura Polich, the author of the book I just finished reading, challenges that view. She claims that the emergence of NSL was in fact a very long process, starting in the 1940's when the first school for the deaf was established in Nicaragua. Polich claims that a system of gestures and home signs developed at that school and was passed down to the present. She also claims that the influence of outside sign languages (ASL, Swedish Sign Language) may have played a role in the development of NSL. Why exactly NSL developed from a system of gestures to a full blown sign language in such a rapid period of time (late 1980's to early 1990's) and not before, she cannot answer.

-I finally received my copy of the book "Deaf Children in China." I'll be reading it soon.

-Several professors who are involved in my study abroad program came to my home university to meet with my class. I was unable to make the meeting, so I sent an email detailing what I will be researching. The purpose of the meeting was to allow us (the students going to China) to discuss our research topics. Upon return to China, the professors will take the information and help us find advisors and research contacts. I have pasted the email below:

"I tried to trade Thursday for Friday, but no can do. Let me know if we will have class on Friday.

Here's a short summary of what I would like to do as a research project.

Communities of deaf and hard of hearing people are found in many parts of the world. In the United States, there is a large deaf/hard of hearing community that uses American Sign Language as their primary mode of communication. Members of this community often see themselves as part of a Deaf Culture; having their own language, stories, and traditions. While studying in Chengdu, I would like to conduct a research project focusing on the prevailing view of deafness in China, and how this is reflected in deaf education. With this as my research topic, I will be looking into deaf identity (how deaf children and adults view themselves and their place within society), language and culture.

I have already contacted a consultant with the Hilton/Perkins Program, an organization that establishes and runs schools for the blind. Their website lists the Chengdu School for the Deaf and Blind as one of their model school programs. I was given the email address of a preschool teacher who teaches in the school for the blind (the school for the deaf and the school for the blind are on the same campus). I will be emailing her to find out who the best person to contact is at the school for the deaf.

I have also found a website for the Chengdu Children's Welfare Institution. It appears that the Institution's main focus is to work with mentally retarded children and orphans in need of special education. The website also has a gallery of photos, one showing a deaf child receiving speech training. I'm not sure how helpful this lead will be, but will be looking into it. On their website they list an address for the Institution in Chengdu. The website is here:

For some more background on this topic, I've provided a link to an article in the current issue of "American Annals of the Deaf." You will need to access this article from a UW linked computer, or sign in first.

Alison Callaway has written a book titled "Deaf Children in China." I will be receiving my copy in the mail soon.

There are several other people I have yet to contact, including Yang Jun Hui, a researcher involved in Chinese Sign Language. Her website is here:

I've attached the bulk of this email as a Word document. Let me know if I can provide anything else. I hope this gives the faculty from Sichuan some good background information."

I realize my research updates aren't very interesting. Sorry.