Blogs from China, Asia

May 25, 2012 (Chengdu) Just a quick update after a bit of silence on the blog. The silence had to do with lack of internet access or time to update the blog. Lots happened in the last few days which I'll summarize quickly, but then detail later. We completed negotiations with the hospital and were successful at coming to an agreement after some challenges. This is seen as an historic event in SPPH's history. We have some strong supporters in administration and the Department of Ophthalmology. We have also done our Blindness Prevention Program overnight trip to Jianyang, returned to Chengdu for a final "hot pot" dinner with the SPPH team. And we even had an outdoor karaoke last night. Heading back to the USA tomorrow: Chengdu to OKC via Hong Kong and SFO! Some of ... read more

shanghai at night was as to be expected.. the same as shanghai by day except darker with flashing lights. We were hoping to climb up the 87 floor Jinmao tower- not the way frenchmen Alain Robert did on the outside only to be arrested as soon as he got to the bottom again, but by the stairs... unfortunatly this is Shanghai and alot more modern than Devon so we had to take the lift... up 87 floors in just 45 seconds! The tower had views all across shanghai- very tall, big and grey. The flight to Chengdu was 3 hours.... we had to fly rather than a 30 hour train otherwise we wouldnt have time to do anything on arrival the Chengdu before going to Xi'an. I slept most the flight.. Justine nearly had to wake ... read more

New hostel! I love it! It is right in, literally in, Wulan square :). It is also conveniently located just about a 8 minute walk to my favorite vegetarian restaurant in town :)! I slept like a rock last night (for the first time in over a week) and got up around 9 am. Even though the weather forecast said it was going to reach 90 degrees today, I was still set on going to the botanical gardens. I made sure to apply lots of sunscreen and packed my bags full for the day. I left around 10 and found a coffee shop around the corner that had a sign in the window saying "best coffee in hangzhou!" So i decided to give it a try. There is no such thing as drip coffee in China. ... read more

May 23, 2013 (Chengdu) Thanks to all of you that helped me with data that we've been asking for about surgery center and clinic floor plans, equipment lists and vendors. We've made faster progress in some areas than we thought possible, so we're being pushed in negotiations to begin compiling these lists for procurement and budget purposes - a good problem, but tough to deliver the way I'd like to. I appreciate all the feedback from colleagues, friends and alumni!... read more

I finished my paper today =) Perri Rae Davis05/22/13Business and Culture Along the Silk Roads 2013 Prefix:I took a journey half way across the world in hopes of building my awareness and to discover all of the possibilities in changing our world. With my classmates, teachers, and new friends, I explored a new culture and gained a different view on the opportunities that are presented in front of me. Through exploring new foods, religions, and cultural customs, I have been exposed to new ways of thinking and views of the way our world works, and why and how our relationships are built. I did my best to explain my experiences in words that mirror the amount of change that has happened inside of me. My paper is a summery of events that has happened over the ... read more

I suppose that this message is overdue, but it’s very difficult to put observations into writing, especially when you’re still in the process of acclimating. But I’ve been in China for almost two months now, so I suppose it’s time to give it a shot. I got into the Shanghai airport fairly late at night and my plans to meet my friend that I’d be staying with were “meet on the subway platform”. This was mildly stressful. I had been to the Shanghai airport before, but I had only passed through and I had a valid plane ticket out of the country. This time I had a fake ticket in case it was necessary, but not much beside that. Luckily, it worked out and I passed through customs without incident. Once I got my luggage I ... read more

Hey Friends and Family, I thought I would start a blog to update you guys on all the happenings in China while I am there for three and a half weeks! I will try super hard to keep this updated during my free time. Since there is no facebook in China I will post the site now and maybe you can bookmark the site and just check it occasionally to see if there are any updates. I am headed out tomorrow! For the past couple of days I have been staying at a fellow design student Jenny's house in Sheboygan Wisconsin. It has been nice to come and see a different part of Wisconsin and it has almost been a second vacation for me! Tomorrow we have to get up super early and drive down to ... read more

May 23, 2013 (Chengdu) We have taken some time off from blogging in respect for the disasterous events in Oklahoma - our "moment of silence." We have heard the dramatic and tragic stories from friends and family and are all thinking of and praying for those affected. Our time here has been busy - we've been in many planning and negotiation sessions to advance the plans for the Sichuan Provincial Eye facility here in Chengdu. These sessions can be marathons. First, especially early on in the meetings, we have a certain amount of formality that we need to get through. Next, we have to present some concepts of planning, management and accounting that aren't always familiar to our hosts. Likewise, we have to try and understand their perspective on the impact of the project to the ... read more