Interesting experiences and observations thus far

I can’t believe I have been in China for almost two weeks. As you may have guessed, I am not too great at this regular blogging thing. I’d like to say that I’ll get better, but I’d rather not make promises I doubt I can keep. :) But I will say that I’ll blog more than I have this week. That’s something at least. And just to let you all know as well, I cannot access the comments made on the entries. So if you leave me a note, which I would love btw, I won’t be able to read it until I get back to the states! I saw that there are a couple of comments already, and I unable to read them. Sorry. I just wanted you all to be aware of this.

On to business…here is the website of the Tianjin CDC (TJCDC) where I am interning. http://www.cdctj.gov.cn/main_en/index.php There are a couple of interesting stories and some great pictures. Check it out. You can see the office I share with the two boys and other parts of the CDC. They have a very nice website and a lot of information about the partnership between the TJCDC and the Office of Public Health Practice at UM SPH.

Even though I have only been in China for 11 days, I have had many interesting experiences and observations thus far. Not to say that the work I’ve been doing at the CDC is not fascinating and quite exciting, I just thought some of this stuff would be more entertaining for now.

1. I don’t eat much meat in the US, but here in China I eat just about anything food put in front of me. Most of the time I don’t know what the food is, so I just eat it. I’ve eaten more meat in the past 11 days that I have in about 2 years back home.

2. I get quite a few stares around here…okay, more than a few. Even when I am with Jeff and Keith, I get the most stares. I like to think it is my stunning good looks, but it really just because I am a foreigner and white.

3. I have been told that I should become the president of the US and that I should be an actress; the latter is probably because I am white.

4. Traffic here is an experience, both driving and trying to cross the street. Crossing the street is kind of terrifying. I always hold someone’s hand while I cross the street, yes I have reverted back to elementary school. But at least if I hold someone’s hand, I won’t be the only person hit by oncoming traffic. Think about the old school game frogger. They don’t really wear seatbelts here. Sorry Mom. It makes me nervous. But now I have grown more accustom to it. I don’t flinch as much anymore.

5. The Walmart here is a lot the same. Jeff, Keith and I spend quite a bit of time there. I never shop there in the US, but it is nice to go somewhere kind of familiar.

6. Back in the states, I never eat fast food. I really cannot remember the last time I had fast food. But here in China, I’ve already had fast food a couple of times. KFC and Dairy Queen to be specific. Again, it is nice to have something somewhat familiar. Both of these places are not too far from the CDC. Both KFC and DQ workers speak English pretty well. I mean we can’t have complete conversations, but we don’t have to point at the pictures. I think we’ll be at both of these places much more throughout the summer.