We began the process to acquire our residency certificates in China today. This is a process that will take about two weeks to complete. Although probably not the most difficult step, I truly believe phase one (today) will prove to be the most memorable. I purposefully do not have pictures of this experience because I'm hoping that my descriptions will speak for themselves.
We met one of our relocation representatives, Faith, at the Sichuan International Travel and Health Center first thing this morning. At 8:00 the place was already full of people registering. As Joe and I waited for Faith to complete some of our forms (they are of course in Chinese), we sat and just took in what was going on around us.
Across from us was the Xray room. We watched as a gentleman in a lab coat mopped the floor of the room, moving any loose debris out into the hallway where we were waiting. Within a few minutes people began lining up at the Xray room for their xrays. No talking to anyone, just going through the line and getting the xray done, very regimented, very methodical. I'm sure by the end of the day most of the debris would up tracked back into that little room.
We finally got our paperwork filled out, paid and joined others in the process. Our first stop was the third floor where we were to get a small plastic cup for a sample. I experienced another first with this process by getting acquainted with the squat toilet. I'll leave that for another entry; I'm not quite ready to tackle that subject yet. From there we went to stand in a line, holding our sample, to hand it over to someone who would take the sample and check that step off our list. Here again, no one talking, just collecting. I'm not sure if you can find comfort in the fact that your sample sits, with no lid, on a tray with at least fifty or more specimens for God knows how long before being processed.
Our next stop was to stand in a line for a blood sample. The area for the blood sample was a station with a glass enclosure and cutouts for you to stick your arm through. The technicians taking the blood sample were on the other side of the glass. You sat down on a stool, put your arm through the opening in the glass and gave your blood. No privacy, no talking, no band aid (just a couple of couple swabs on long wooden sticks to staunch the blood), no nothing. I will admit that is was virtually pain free and the tech very good. From there we went to the second floor to the station where we stood in another line and they checked our eyes, ears, nose and throat.
Next we went to the line where they were to check our weight, height, blood pressure, etc. It was a very long line, mostly women, which concerned Joe because he couldn't figure out where all the men were at this point. I actually had some fun with Joe and told him this was the line for pelvic and breast exams. I don't think he saw the humor. While waiting in this line, Faith checked on the lines for some of the other stations on the the first floor we were to go to. It seems that some of them were shorter lines so she came back to get Joe and I one at a time to go the shorter ones. I ended up in the xray line, ahead of several people (Faith had somehow saved me a place in line). The xray was taken standing facing a gray board, literally plastered from head to toe against it for what I can only guess is a full body picture.
Then on to the line for a sonogram (Faith had also somehow gotten me a place in that line too). The station for the sonogram was a small room with people standing in the doorway waiting their turn. No door is closed, you just go in, lie on a cot and a technician does the sonogram and gives you some towels to dry off your stomach when she's done. All the while people are just standing in the doorway looking in. I was able to draw a curtain part way to give myself some privacy.
Our next stop was back on the second floor to the longest line and the longest wait of the whole process. It took us about 30 minutes to get through this station. It was the same set up, small room, people standing in line in the doorway, no privacy. At this point, they took blood pressure, height, weight, and you had to lie on a cot for a simple exam of your abdominal area and an EKG. I later told Joe that it was the lowest my blood pressure had been in a very long time. Accuracy or fluke, go figure!
With this done, the process was finished. We now wait two days to find out if we are indeed healthy enough to live in China for the next 2-4 years! Wish us luck. There is quite a bit of paperwork involved in this process, including providing copies of our passports, business papers, marriage certificate and diplomas. Thanks to Faith for helping with the process, you certainly could not do this without someone who speaks, reads and writes Chinese.
I promise to never complain about having to wait past my appointment time in the waiting room of my doctor's office again. Anything would be worth the privacy of that little room and actually talking with my nurse and my doctor. I also take great pride in knowing that we have wonderful, compassionate professionals like Sarah and Ashley in the family. I kept wondering what their take on our experience would have been experienced first hand.
What surprised me even more was the Chinese people themselves. They take it all in stride, seem to wait very patiently and don't appear to complain or seem bothered by the conditions. I guess it's all in what you are used to. Faith asked me if the process was similar to what we would have gone through in the US. I immediately said no, but in hindsight, I haven't been through the immigration process in our own country so I probably wouldn't know. Who knows what our own medical facilities look like that incoming new residents go to in the States? I do believe that the dress of the professionals and technicians in the States is probably a little more uniform and professional looking. Here everyone wears some type of lab coat over street clothes with the shoe apparel ranging from flip flops to sneakers to high-heeled strappy silver sandals. As far as sanitary, Joe saw bugs crawling on the floor during our long wait for examination and there were cotton swabs thrown on the floor from people who had gotten blood drawn. I'm sure by the end of a long day someone's sample ended up on the floor somewhere.
But hey, there again, TIC.
Love to all!
We met one of our relocation representatives, Faith, at the Sichuan International Travel and Health Center first thing this morning. At 8:00 the place was already full of people registering. As Joe and I waited for Faith to complete some of our forms (they are of course in Chinese), we sat and just took in what was going on around us.
Across from us was the Xray room. We watched as a gentleman in a lab coat mopped the floor of the room, moving any loose debris out into the hallway where we were waiting. Within a few minutes people began lining up at the Xray room for their xrays. No talking to anyone, just going through the line and getting the xray done, very regimented, very methodical. I'm sure by the end of the day most of the debris would up tracked back into that little room.
We finally got our paperwork filled out, paid and joined others in the process. Our first stop was the third floor where we were to get a small plastic cup for a sample. I experienced another first with this process by getting acquainted with the squat toilet. I'll leave that for another entry; I'm not quite ready to tackle that subject yet. From there we went to stand in a line, holding our sample, to hand it over to someone who would take the sample and check that step off our list. Here again, no one talking, just collecting. I'm not sure if you can find comfort in the fact that your sample sits, with no lid, on a tray with at least fifty or more specimens for God knows how long before being processed.
Our next stop was to stand in a line for a blood sample. The area for the blood sample was a station with a glass enclosure and cutouts for you to stick your arm through. The technicians taking the blood sample were on the other side of the glass. You sat down on a stool, put your arm through the opening in the glass and gave your blood. No privacy, no talking, no band aid (just a couple of couple swabs on long wooden sticks to staunch the blood), no nothing. I will admit that is was virtually pain free and the tech very good. From there we went to the second floor to the station where we stood in another line and they checked our eyes, ears, nose and throat.
Next we went to the line where they were to check our weight, height, blood pressure, etc. It was a very long line, mostly women, which concerned Joe because he couldn't figure out where all the men were at this point. I actually had some fun with Joe and told him this was the line for pelvic and breast exams. I don't think he saw the humor. While waiting in this line, Faith checked on the lines for some of the other stations on the the first floor we were to go to. It seems that some of them were shorter lines so she came back to get Joe and I one at a time to go the shorter ones. I ended up in the xray line, ahead of several people (Faith had somehow saved me a place in line). The xray was taken standing facing a gray board, literally plastered from head to toe against it for what I can only guess is a full body picture.
Then on to the line for a sonogram (Faith had also somehow gotten me a place in that line too). The station for the sonogram was a small room with people standing in the doorway waiting their turn. No door is closed, you just go in, lie on a cot and a technician does the sonogram and gives you some towels to dry off your stomach when she's done. All the while people are just standing in the doorway looking in. I was able to draw a curtain part way to give myself some privacy.
Our next stop was back on the second floor to the longest line and the longest wait of the whole process. It took us about 30 minutes to get through this station. It was the same set up, small room, people standing in line in the doorway, no privacy. At this point, they took blood pressure, height, weight, and you had to lie on a cot for a simple exam of your abdominal area and an EKG. I later told Joe that it was the lowest my blood pressure had been in a very long time. Accuracy or fluke, go figure!
With this done, the process was finished. We now wait two days to find out if we are indeed healthy enough to live in China for the next 2-4 years! Wish us luck. There is quite a bit of paperwork involved in this process, including providing copies of our passports, business papers, marriage certificate and diplomas. Thanks to Faith for helping with the process, you certainly could not do this without someone who speaks, reads and writes Chinese.
I promise to never complain about having to wait past my appointment time in the waiting room of my doctor's office again. Anything would be worth the privacy of that little room and actually talking with my nurse and my doctor. I also take great pride in knowing that we have wonderful, compassionate professionals like Sarah and Ashley in the family. I kept wondering what their take on our experience would have been experienced first hand.
What surprised me even more was the Chinese people themselves. They take it all in stride, seem to wait very patiently and don't appear to complain or seem bothered by the conditions. I guess it's all in what you are used to. Faith asked me if the process was similar to what we would have gone through in the US. I immediately said no, but in hindsight, I haven't been through the immigration process in our own country so I probably wouldn't know. Who knows what our own medical facilities look like that incoming new residents go to in the States? I do believe that the dress of the professionals and technicians in the States is probably a little more uniform and professional looking. Here everyone wears some type of lab coat over street clothes with the shoe apparel ranging from flip flops to sneakers to high-heeled strappy silver sandals. As far as sanitary, Joe saw bugs crawling on the floor during our long wait for examination and there were cotton swabs thrown on the floor from people who had gotten blood drawn. I'm sure by the end of a long day someone's sample ended up on the floor somewhere.
But hey, there again, TIC.
Love to all!
4 comments:
WOW.. what an experience. I couldn't imagine having to go through that myself! So many "rules" were broken just in one day! I would have walked around to every station saying.. you are violating my rights! haha!
ps. what exactly happens if you aren't "healthy enough" to live in China?
that sounds like some kind of camp to me...like a concentration camp!
Are you sure yall are ok?
Oh my - that sounds like quite an ordeal. :( I guess that they are just trying to serve a lot of people as quickly as possible. It does seem that they could have been a little more sanitary and given you some privacy, though. Hang in there, Kimi! We love you!
Hey there Kim and Joe,
Sounds a little like Parkland! What an experience. I've been enjoying your posts. Hopefully I will run into you on Skype some evening.
Love and miss ya,
Donna Gaffney
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