Ride with me on the Shanghai Maglev - CNET Asia Blogs: Little Red Blog by Rick Martin, China

Ride with me on the Shanghai Maglev - CNET Asia Blogs: Little Red Blog by Rick Martin, China

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Condé Nast Traveler

Condé Nast Traveler

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Remote Access: Leaving Shanghai...

Remote Access: Leaving Shanghai...

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Remote Access: Shanghai - Early Impressions

Remote Access: Shanghai - Early Impressions

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Molly's Mammogram

Molly and I spent Saturday morning going to the Foreign Persons Disease Control Center. Not because we are diseased, but because it is one of the prerequisites to getting a resident visa.

Once registered and payments made, they ushered us down a long hall and our first stop after disrobing and being issued gowns was mammography. I thought poor Molly was going to have a heart attack on the spot. Given our exams cost 700RMB (about $100 USD) and the long litany of tests listed, I thought it was a pretty good deal, especially if they were throwing in a mammogram. She was neither amused nor on board once she saw the Mammography sign and I explained what a gynecological exam (also listed) entailed.

About that time a nice little nurse ushered us elsewhere and she was spared the mammogram at fifteen. We had chest xrays, ekg's and ultrasounds performed in addition to blood work, vision tests and check ups with an ENT and then an MD, neither of which spoke any English.

Apparently we passed the gauntlet per the little red chop marks carefully noted in each department and we on our way in what I considered pretty good time given the vast number of foreigners making their way through the process. Garreth gets to make the same journey next week with several hundred classmates.

Odds and Ends....

It's the middle of Monday afternoon and I'm at the new apartment "overseeing" the cleanup crew that are supposed to be cleaning. Western style cleaning is clearly a foreign concept and I'd be better served doing it myself. Kevin, David's driver, spent some time here this morning trying to explain to them what needed to be done and HOW I wanted it done. I don't know if they just don't get it, or just don't care, but we aren't making much headway.

Everything thus far is operating on China time. Considering this is the 8th of September and we were supposed to be in before Molly and I arrived August 26th, you get the idea of what China time is like...

They are sorely testing my good nature.

On a lighter note, Garreth had quite the adventure last Friday when he went to school. It is a 25 minute ride to the subway and then 30 minutes on the subway and then another 15-20 walking time. He left the apartment around 5:30am and made good time to school. After classes everything went south.

During the morning it began to rain. The all day soaking rain that we so desperately need at home in North Carolina, but not the kind G needed on his first day commuting WITHOUT any sort of rain gear.

Suffice it to say, he got lost. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but you must understand that Shanghai is a city roughly the size of Rhode Island with 24 million inhabitants. You can ride in the driving rain for a very long time and never regain your bearings.

After multiple phone calls and frustrated attempts at finding his way back to Pudong, DGF and Kevin (L&P's driver) went in search of Garreth. When they finally tracked him down he was one soaked and miserable pup. He spent nearly 5 hours "trying" to get home in the driving rain. I was pleased that he took responsibility for losing track of his landmarks and realized it was his own "doing" that was his "undoing."

I'm happy to report that his commute today went off without a hitch.

Lessons Learned

Today was spent dropping Molly at her first day at her new school and getting David Garreth registered at East China Normal University. I was astounded by the hundreds of students from all around the world that have come to study Mandarin. I think it will be an outstanding, albeit demanding, opportunity for Garreth and he is very excited even though it is a LONG commute via bike, bus and subway to get to campus.

I had a most enjoyable chat with another mom, Esther, from the Philippines. We had around 6 hours of waiting while the students went through the various stages of registration. And it got me to thinking......

I have always been fortunate to have good experiences abroad and encountered so many kind people, save Bari, Italy where we were truly frightened. But I haven't always been as kind when the tables are turned. Living in Japan many years ago, there was no shortage of people that assisted and befriended me. During each of our visits to China there have been folks that have gone far out of their ways to be gracious hosts and guides.

I think of the exchange students I encountered during high school and college. Always pleasant and polite, I was much too self absorbed to extend myself beyond that. I regret that and I am truly sorry. It is my loss.

I hope I have taught my children better and they will reap the joys of international friendships begun on foreign soil or at home. This old world grows smaller all the time and it would serve us all well to just be a little kinder.

Molly's first day of school abroad

Visit to East China Normal University

The best laid plans...

It has been a trying day. The weather delayed us getting into ATL and then we missed the good direct flight with excellent seats I had us booked. We had to reroute through Korea and add 7 hours to our journey. Plus I got stuck in the middle seat on a full flight. Talk about miserable........

I didn't think it could be done, but Molly managed to cry the entire 18 hours of the first flight, leaving us both worn out and cranky. Oh, to be young again....but NOT 15. I kept thinking she'd finally cry herself to sleep, but no such luck. She's persistent if nothing else.

A couple more hours in Seoul and then it is another 2 hour flight to Shanghai, before a few hours sleep and a full day of orientation at her new school beginning at 8am.