My adventure in China part 1 more than what ever it was before

Most adventures have plot twists that make the story more interesting. Unfortunately, what is more interesting for the viewer/reader is not always more interesting for the protagonist (like in the sixth sense when Bruce Willis finds out he's actually dead. What a bummer.) Anyway, it just so happens that my adventure in China also had an interesting plot twist. Most of you probably know the short version but now I will tell you the whole story.

So before I begin, let me give a brief note for context. China has been screwed over lately by some pretty nasty epidemics i.e. avian flu, SARS etc. So understandably, when this whole swine flu thing broke out, the Chinese government freaked out and over reacted. Everyday, you could expect the top headline of the news to report the latest tallies of infected patients around the world. Anyway, at the time China didn't have any cases of H1N1 flu so if I had been living there for more than a week, it would have been all right. It just so happened that I was in China for the seventh day, that I had come from a country with numerous reported infections and my mom was a nurse who worked in a hospital with collegues who had just returned from Mexico on vacation. The evidence for infection were pretty convincing now that I think about it but hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

So anyway, I got a fever. No other symptoms except the fever. My parents (rightlyfully on edge) took me to the local hospital where they had just established a fever ward and where doctors had recently had a meeting on the new H1N1 flu. At first they laughed at us when we went in but after we told our story, they gave us face masks and went in the back room. When they came back out they were dressed in blue hazmat suits with face masks and many layers of latex. You wouldn't understand how many times we had to answer basic questions like our names, where we were from etc. but I suppose it was important to be thorough. When an ambulance came to take us to an infectious diseases hospital, we went out of the small room and were greeted by a throng of hospital employees, reporters and cameras. This was probably the closest I would ever come to feeling like a celebrity. Sad, isn't it.

My first ride in an ambulance wasn't particularily eventful although I did get real accustomed to the rhythm of the siren (it was a long ride). I'm not sure if it was the ambulance or the roads but the ride was also very bumpy (bumpy enough to send you flying an inch off your seat). My mom noted that if you didn't have a broken bone before you got to the hospital, you probably would have one by the time you got there.

It turns out the infectious disease hospital was in a very secluded area (makes sense). They treated many types of patients, most worse off than me, but the place seemed very empty for some reason. Anyway, once we got to our isolation rooms, we were asked the same questions as before but by a different group of people. There was a bed, concrete floors, a tv with really bad reception (it was secluded) and a washroom in complete disrepair (apparently, the isolation units hadn't been used in a long time). That night, I was given an IV of something that roughly translates to poison reducer but who was I to argue with their methods. That night, I couldn't get much sleep. This was a result of 2 things. First, while I was in a locked room no where near the outside, some mosquitos got in and feasted on my arms. I suppose they honed in one the heat I was radiating. Besides the discomfort, it is also disconcerting to realize that I was in an infectious disease hospital with HIV and tuberculosis patients, some of whom could have easily been the mosquito's previous meal. Second, it was necessary to report my temperature every four hours. When the time was right, I was awakened with a bell that play Fur Elise. As you know, classical music is very calming.

Now, if I had know I would be alive and well in Canada today blogging from my computer, then I would have asked my parents to get our camera so I could get some establishing shots of the hospital/room. I did, however, have the common sense to record my wounds before they were completely healed and forgotten. The top picture is of some of the mosquito bites I got. The second is a picture of the puncture marks left by the IV needles inserted daily into my hand. Looks like I got bitten by a snake doesn't it?

So anyway, long story short (well, it's already a long story so just bare with me a couple more sentences) we stayed at the hospital for a few more days out of precaution. They supplied us with three meals a day and any other reasonable accomadations (and it was all free too. Can you believe it? Well, about as free as a person can be in China. Ha, communist joke!). Blood and saliva tests confirmed that I only had a regular influenza strain. Thinking back on that time, it probably would have been pretty cool to be the first person in a whole country to get infected. That would be big news, especially in China. Imagine getting transported back to Canada in a special plane for treatment. Now that would be something to blog about. Anyway, there's always next time.

My adventure in China part whatever it is now

I will now give you an introduction to the places I went while travelling in China. For the majority of our stay, we were in Kunming a city situated in Yunnan province in Southwestern China. Suprisingly, the infrastructure was quite advanced for a city in China not named Beijing or Shanghai. I suppose this is partly due to the large tourist industry from both within and outside China. Now for some random thoughts about Kunming:

• It was hot
• It was really hot!
• For some reason, Wentworth Miller (the actor who plays Michael Scofield on Prison Break) is some kind of model extraordinare in Kunming. I saw him on billboards all over the city promoting some sort of new housing development(I`m guessing). I didn`t get a picture of this but suffice to say he wore a purple shirt, carried a man purse and had CGI water splash all over him.
• There were tropical plants all over the place (because it was hot)
• The soil there was red due to Iron deposits
• Taxis were all tagged with a sticker that had a cute cartoon animal and a number. The sign on the sticker read: ``Do you think I am cute? If you do , please remember me.`` Apparently this was some way of protecting foreign visitors from being ripped off by local cab drivers
• Buses all had bus lanes and almost never merged with other traffic
• People there don`t follow traffic reguations (I`m not fully aware of the traffic reguations but I don`t need to know them to know they weren`t being followed)
• On street corners of big intersections, there were police alarms shaped like robocop. If you were in trouble, you could just press the button and get help.
• Speaking of police officers, I saw some patroling the streets on Segways (advanced indeed)
• Did I mention it was hot?

Now on to some actual specific attractions...

World Botanical Expo site in Kunming: Apparently, Kunming was host to some worldwide botanical expo. Every country set up a garden to display the special fauna and culture of their region. I didn`t see the Canada display but let's just say maple trees probably wouldn't have survived down there (because it was hot).



The Stone Forest: A pile of prehistoric rocks have never been so exciting. This practically named attraction used to be the sea floor when dinosaurs roamed the Earth but was brought up to the surface due to some tectonic movement. The park was very large and we had to use a golf cart so see all the major attractions. Along the way, the tour guide mentioned that some of the rock formations looked like people or things. I will let you decide:



The Wild Elephant Valley: Apparently, this was a triple A attraction according to the official bureau of tourism in China. Also apparently, the Chinese government grade their attractions like we grade out beef. Anyway, this was the only place you were ever going to see wild elephants in China. There were elephant performances, bird performances, and the highlight of the park is a 40 min tram ride over pristine (as pristine as an attraction can be in China) tropical rainforest.



The Birds Nest Stadium and the Watercube: Probably now one of the most popular attractions in all of China. These buildings truly are the result of some great designs and even better engineering. However, I must say that the whole experience was a little underwhelming for me because the Olympics were long over and you had to buy tickets to get inside (and there is nothing inside. Believe me, I was there). Another thing occurs to me just now. You still haven`t seen a picture of me in any of my so called adventures. For all you know, I could have made this whole trip up, taking pictures off the ever fruitful internet. However, I also want to keep this blog and my identity (what identity, ha!) private, at least to those people who don`t already know who I actually am (which is probably nobody but it`s good to keep some things mysterious like the location of Springfield). As a compromise, I will post a couple pictures with me and the Olympic stadiums blurred out enough so that those who know me will recognize me and those who don`t won`t. (All editing was done with Picasa as I was too lazy to use better software).

My Adventure in China part 3

The great thing about travelling to another country where English is not the first language but is required for the tourist industry is the lost in translation messages and signs you find. My parents didn't understand my fascination with photographing all these English signs (I guess they didn't understand the humour) but I had a great time taking them.


This isn't so much a translation error as it is a stencilling error. I understand China's becoming more progressive but I don't think they are quite there yet.


Technically, there is nothing wrong with this translation if you live in the 1960s. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of memorizing vocabulary instead of learning the language through immersion is that you might find yourself communicating awkwardly.


There is nothing wrong with this translation either Although I can't help thinking some subtle elegance was lost in the name of this ancient artifact.


Here, some of the Chinese artistry in communication is demonstrated. Instead of "Keep off grass" you have the use of personification in an explanation/plea as to why you should keep off the grass.


It may seem obvious that someone mistook a "d" for a "p" but isn't it also possible that what they were going for was the past tense of holding(maybe not)


I was actually quite surprised to find this butchering of the English language at a national park where thousands of foreign tourists come every year. I guess that's what happens when the person carving the sign doesn't know a word of English.


You got my attentions!!(I actually checked on Google to make sure attentions wasn't a word. It isn't in English but it is in French. If these endangered elephants go extinct, it's all your fault France/Quebec/parts of Atlantic Canada/parts of Africa/parts of the Caribbean/Maillardeville especially Maillardeville.)


I have a hard time believing 2 things about this shirt. 1: How did Nestle let this thing out of the factory (joke). 2: Someone had to have done this on purpose right?


The Chinese are really raising the bar on these "keep off the grass signs". This one was found beside the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing. And believe me, if the grass was smiling at me when I took this picture, I was smiling right back.

Besides the hours of chuckles I got from taking and reviewing these pictures, a serious and possibly awesome idea came into my head. What if instead of making fun of these signs, like you or me, someone actually suggested appropriate changes. I'm sure the people at the attractions would be very thankful. Maybe word gets around and the Chinese government hires you to make sure all English signs in China are error free (sort of like an editor for a whole country except you would only need basic English to do it). Another bonus is that you don't even need to know Chinese to do this, not really. I also don't see why you couldn't do this in any other country where English isn't the official language. So there, another idea on how to travel the world without breaking the bank.

My Adventure in China part 2

In the last post, I introduced some of the plants and ecosystems that we encountered on our trip back to China. Now I will show you some of the animals we saw along the way (most were wild).


The above picture is of a peacock we saw in an amusement park. I actually felt bad for it because it was tied down to the bamboo post and couldn't fly away.


The above is a fresh water crab I found while walking in the tropical rainforest.


As you can see, the rarest sight in all of nature, the wild elephant butt. As you know, these pachyderms are very self conscious animals.(seriously, that was the best photo I could get)


First, no that isn't a fifth leg or some freaky mutation. Second, if you consider relative volume instead of absolute... nevermind. Third, elephants only let it hang out when they are about to go to the washroom (as I found out immediately after taking this picture)


One of several wild monkeys I saw in the rainforest. This one actually was climbing and jumping from branch to branch right above my head.

My Chinese Adventure volume 1 (or there and back again)

China may be known for its large population, cheap labor and lackluster human rights record, but one thing most people forget is that it is one of the largest and most diverse (ecosystem wise) countries in the world. One of these diverse biomes happened to be a tropical rainforest in Yunnan province in south western China. Let me start with a little photo gallery of the flora we encountered there (I'll spare the landscaped gardens as you could probably find those everywhere. Also, if you notice some pictures not focused properly, you can blame that one me as I didn't read the manual on our new camera before taking it on this trip.)


The above image is of a flower commonly found in Kunming (the capital city of Yunnan province I think)


The above image is of some very thick bamboo bushes. Notice the Asian carvings found on them. By the way, this picture was taken at a buddist monestary. Note to God: I haven't converted.


The above picture is of a papuya tree. There were many plantations in the area including mango, banana, pineapple and even rubber.


The above is a picture of a tree that looks like an elephant's head. The ever practical Chinese call it "the tree that looks like an elepant's head".


The above image is a funky looking tree. No explanation needed.


The above is one of numerous photos I took while taking a gondola ride over the rainforest. We were supposed to see wild elephants. We didn't there but we did eventually see one. Stay tuned for the picture.

Well, that's about it for the flora pictures. I will have some fauna pictures up tomorrow. If you would like to see more, I will probably post more pictures on my facebook page. If you don't know my facebook page, then I probably wouldn't want you looking at my facebook page now would I (creep.)

The pharmacy interview process

You know that part in the last post where I said you'd have to wait a few more days for the next post? Well I was wrong. I guess once you start blogging you don't go jogging (sorry, best I could you on short notice). This next part goes out to all those who are applying for pharmacy in 2010: Nice try. When you googled for information you might have found this link promising. Let me tell you, it is not IF your intentions are to get example questions. You can find plenty of those elsewhere. You may however find this helpful if you are not aware of the atmosphere or experience.

Now back to the pharmacy interview experience. First of all, it was pointless and futile to be nervous. Nevertheless, the feeling of tension in the room was palpable. Everyone basically sat in a circle staring off into the distance. When two sets of eyes met, there was an awkward moment and then resumption of the staring into the distance. When ever one of the administrators made a joke to calm us down, everyone laughed but it was clear that most of them were forced (like the laugh you make in really stressful situations just to release the tension). An interesting part of the pre interview process was the fitting of white lab coats. I suppose it was most practical to do it there but it seemed to me like a taunt at those who didn't get in but were oh so close.

The second thing I noticed was what other people wore to the interview. The interview invitation was quite cryptic in appropriate clothing so most people overdressed including myself (in my opinion. There will be no "imo" on my blog.) After the experience I think a nice dress shirt, tie, dress pants and dress shoes would have been fine. After all, it's what the interviewers wore. I shall make no such recommendations for the ladies because I won't even feign knowledge of female formal dress.

Third, the actual inteview itself was a letdown. For starters, the room was very cramped and it felt like I was financing a mortgage rather than doing an interview. For taller individuals, you may find yourself quite claustrophopic. You may also find your feet (if you are rather long limbed) knocking into the feet of the interviewer. Let's not even discuss one's emotions when this happens. Also, the interviewers seemed to lack excitement during the questioning period. I suppose this is understandable considering I was interviewed on the last day (that means over 200 people were interviewed before me. I guess they were just tired.) The one thing I will mention about questions is that they are straight forward. Nothing totally out of the blue. Aside for the questions and answers, there wasn't much interaction between myself and the interviewers. Part of that probably falls on my social awkwardness, the other part on the rigidness of the questions. The last thing I will assure you is that the 30 min or so you are in there will not feel like 30 min unless it goes really bad (I hope it doesn't). It certainly did not for me.

Lastly, onto something of interest (finally, right?). The week of my interview many famous people died. Earlier in the week, Ed Mcmahon. On the morning of my interview, Farah Fawcett. And finally, after my interview, I found out that Michael Jackson had died. This was the biggest shock to me as the first two celebrities were either old or sick but MJ might very well have been sick and we just didn't know about it. Anyway, on the way back from the interview location this didn't seem like a very good omen. Well, so much for omens as I was just accepted into pharmacy school. So I guess the most important thing for you to realize is that in the end you should just try your best and forget about the other stuff. (For those of you who like me figured their best wasn't good enough, remember that grades and extracurriculars still count for a lot.)

I'm Baaack!

It's been quite a hiatus from blogging. Part of this is due to my trip to China (where internet access was limited). Part of this was due to my working most of the time now (hooray for summer availability change!). Part of this was due (more recently) to my interview and anticipation of acceptance to the faculty of pharamcy at UBC. Well since the last reason is now officially gone (I was accepted) I can get back to what I have enjoyed doing for so long. Anticipate in the coming days a review (with pictures) of my trip to China, the pharmacy interview process from my perspective and anything else that pops into my head. Hey, I guess since I haven't blogged for so long it won't seem like anything really to have to wait a few more days right?