Today: Cultural Experiences Abound

Today we had an opportunity to become immersed in the Chinese history and culture. Our visit to the Great Wall took us from the urban Beijing into the rural countryside. We saw horses pulling carts, farmers working cooperatively in gardens, and elders being pushed through the streets in wheelchairs. We saw artists at work today, in areas that were quite tiny and that certainly would never pass OSHA standards! We heard about Sunny's (our coordinator's) family, and how the generations interact and get along--or don't--and the differences between those generations in terms of the modern changes that are occuring within the country.

Generations. It is impossible to imagine how the Great Wall was built or the fortitude and determination of those who built it. The immensity of it provides a scope for understanding the pride the Chinese have in their heritage and ancestors.Tomorrow we are received by the President of the National Committee on Aging and have a presentation on the government's policies and dilemmas related to aging. The juxtaposition of the Great Wall today and a look to the future tomorrow should provide quite a perspective.

Overview of China's Public Healthcare for the Elderly

Breakfast. Bus ride. Presentation. Tour. Lunch. Bus ride. Museum tour. Bus ride...now a break, soon another bus ride, and then the Peking Duck Banquet...there's sure a lot of eating!

Today, Dr. Chen Jianpeng, a research fellow at the Information Center of Chinese Ministry of Health, gave us an overview of health care in China. There are currently 149 million people age 60+ in China; that will increase by 20 million in 5 years. A challenge that he mentioned concerns the health conditions that come with an aging population. Another is the changing culture. More and more elders are living apart from their families, due to the younger generation leaving the rural areas. However, in China, they believe that it is the government's responsibility to oversee the public health of the elderly. To this end, they have developed a new framework that covers people in both urban and rural areas, and is too complex for this blog!

Perhaps one of the most interesting things that he shared today (and he shared quite a bit!) was that men tend to use health care services more frequently than women. The second was that the older you are (he used both 80 and 100 as age markers), the more health care services you are likely to receive (due to cultural norms). He even went so far as to say that government officials who do not treat their elderly family members well are not promoted...

Please note that our lecture took place in private facilities provided by the Landgent Group, a private company in real estate development, international and vocational education, and senior services--and they did link these together into a comprehensive strategy for us when they gave their part of the presentation today. The photo was taken in the wine cellar, which holds the collection of one man...more than 200,000 bottles of wine (you read that right), mostly from France. And yes, they did serve some at lunch. And no, I didn't have any (although Dad did!)

A Few Fun Facts For You

OK, it's 3:30 am and Dad's watching ESPN, and I thought of a few more things, now that I am somewhat not exhausted!
1. When you enter your hotel room, there's a slot that you have to put your room key into to turn on the lights. Dad and I spent 15 minutes trying to figure that one out. Then we broke down and asked!
2. There are 13 million (official count) to 18 million people (unofficial--includes students, foreigners, etc), 3 million cars, and 8 million bikes in Beijing.
3. It is unwise to drink the water, but a bottle of Nestle water costs about 40 cents.
4. I have seen lots and lots of young people, and not so many older adults--yet.

We're Here! May 25, 9:35 pm

We made it...and no, we didn't get two middles. We arrived at the SF airport at 10:30 AM on May 24. We were 9th in line for the Air China ticket counter. They were supposed to open at 11...no, 11:30...no, they finally opened at noonish. We ended up with an aisle and a middle in a 3-4-3 configuration. The flight left 30 minutes late. Neither Dad or I slept at all...we arrived at 5:45 PM on May 25. We met a few other people on the tour, met Sunny, our tour guide, at the gate, collected our luggage, cleared Customs, took an hour bus ride to the hotel! Phew! But Dad is endless in his quest for adventure, so we went out and walked a bit in the big city and had some dinner (Spring Pigeon soup--complete with a full leg in the broth!) and stir-fried vegetables. Now, here's the really interesting thing--I told Dad that I was going to Blog before bed, AND! the blog instructions are in Chinese! I had to remember by position and symbols how to get in, sign in, and create a new post, or we'd be quite empty on the information highway!

Arrival in San Francisco

The alarm went off at 4:30 AM as scheduled. I said my goodbyes to Jeb, and we drove to the airport in the rain, where I said my goodbyes to Hubby! The flight was uneventful, although as we were landing, all I could think about was that the length of that flight was only 25% of what we have to do to get to Beijing! After a little confusion about where to pick up the shuttle to the hotel, I walked into the lobby to see Dad waiting for me. (Yes, this is a father-daughter experience, although Dad is both blog & camera shy). We went to eat lunch (Mexican!), walked on the waterfront trail, caught up with one another and checked in on vaious members of the family. We still don't have seats for the 12 hour flight tomorrow, which is making both of us quite nervous (what if we get two middles?)

Preparing for Departure

Sounds a bit like a Disney ride, doesn't it..."please keep your hands and feet inside the ride. We are now preparing for departure from the gate..." Only, wow! How much better is this? The alarm is set for 4:30 AM, everything's packed except for my toothbrush, I have "away" messages on my phone and email, and peanut butter is stashed away securely in my luggage. I can't wait to learn more about older adults...and myself. Here goes!

It Can't Be Just Two Weeks Away!

Anticipation is a great thing. This is NOT it.

The future is now only two weeks away. Small details keep coming up, demanding attention...things like the need to break in a new pair of shoes, or finding out if peanut butter is allowed (travel snacks are a necessity!), or discovering the difference between an adapter and a converter (both are required, apparently). Then there's the big things, like making sure that my husband has a copy of my passport and knows when to pick me up at the airport! Am I missing something? Who knows? Do you? If you have any suggestions for this soon-to-be traveler, please post them!