Despite a 5am wake up call to take the four hour bus journey, the day ran fairly smoothly. Apparently it's one of the most polluted cities in China (yay!) but the day we were there it was exceptionally clear so even our boss accompanying us was acting like a tourist, staring out the bus window and pointing out things she hadn't noticed before!
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| Thankfully it was nothing like this on the day, we might have told them to forget the medical and got on the next flight home! |
Having been told in the UK that the medical exam would have cost £110, required a month and a half wait to get the test done at my local GP, a further 4 weeks to get the results and an additional two weeks on top of that to get a letter confirming there was nothing wrong, I was slightly skeptical about how the Chinese medical centre would be run and whether or not there'd be numerous 8 hour round trips to complete the exam. I'd also read numerous horror stories online whilst researching the medical exam before moving to China, from dirty needles to being asked to undress in rooms full of people. So nothing could have prepared me for how smoothly the process was. We arrived in the morning, was taken to an exceptionally clean hospital at 9am and the whole thing was completed (chest X-rays, eye and ear examinations, ECGs and a letter detailing results in both Chinese and English) by 3pm. And even better news, neither Andrew or I have HIV, tuberculosis, STDs, other infectious diseases or mental illnesses. Hurrah!
The only downside, the lack of plasters. In the UK, if they take blood they usually give you a little cotton wool ball and some tape and tell you not to remove it for at least 6 hours. You even get a plaster when they prick your finger to test your iron levels before you give blood. In China, you get a Q-tip to press on the withdrawal site. However there is no indication of how you are supposed to hold said Q-tip, pick up your huge winter coat and handbag and all the forms they've given you whilst moving to the next stand whilst a huge queue of Chinese people jostle behind you and try and practically sit on your lap to get to the counter. The result? Splattering blood everywhere and trying to look after a very green looking Mr Jones whilst feeling a little queasy myself! It would appear the majority of Chinese people had mastered this skill though and I received many disapproving looks as the nurse attempted to clean the floor with half a dozen or so of the unused q-tips, not the most effective cleaning method I have to say!
For the rest of the day we were ferried to several other different offices to have what felt like 101 different forms stamped with our boss knowing at least one person in every office. In China it is definitely a case of not what but who you know if you want to get things done quickly, or at all. Our boss had paid someone she knew for a personal taxi to get us from place to place which, whilst it was convenient (and cheap! - £15 for a taxi to drive you wherever you want for the entire day anyone?!), it also meant we were exposed to our first Chinese car crash, although thankfully not serious. Having being rear ended by another car, the taxi driver simply got out, checked the bumper, spoke with the lady behind us and drive off having been given 100 yuan by the other driver, the equivalent of about £10. Oh how I wish it could be that simple and inexpensive in the UK!
As it drew closer to 12 noon, we started to see more and more people fast asleep in their chairs at the government offices which only meant one thing... lunch time! As it was only our second week in China, and our first time in Shijiazhuang, our boss wanted to treat us to some of the province's 'special dishes', including horrendously spicy pork soup and China's infamous chicken feet.
For the rest of the day we were ferried to several other different offices to have what felt like 101 different forms stamped with our boss knowing at least one person in every office. In China it is definitely a case of not what but who you know if you want to get things done quickly, or at all. Our boss had paid someone she knew for a personal taxi to get us from place to place which, whilst it was convenient (and cheap! - £15 for a taxi to drive you wherever you want for the entire day anyone?!), it also meant we were exposed to our first Chinese car crash, although thankfully not serious. Having being rear ended by another car, the taxi driver simply got out, checked the bumper, spoke with the lady behind us and drive off having been given 100 yuan by the other driver, the equivalent of about £10. Oh how I wish it could be that simple and inexpensive in the UK!
As it drew closer to 12 noon, we started to see more and more people fast asleep in their chairs at the government offices which only meant one thing... lunch time! As it was only our second week in China, and our first time in Shijiazhuang, our boss wanted to treat us to some of the province's 'special dishes', including horrendously spicy pork soup and China's infamous chicken feet.
Given that is supposedly an honour to be presented with the chicken's foot and the fact that I have come to China to experience different things... I went for it. Apparently you're supposed to nibble on the knuckle and suck all the meat off, although it was more of a case of what meat? There is nothing but bone and tendons here? Chinese delicacy it may be, but it's one that I think I will be honouring someone else with next time!
Here's to more delicious Chinese dishes in the future.
Ems x
