Some fruit for you

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Today's topic was Rural to Urban Migration.

I've actually met quite a few of rural migrants who are going to bigger cities for work since I've been in Tianjin. They're the most curious individuals of all. They love to ask me questions, and I love the chance to practice Chinese. "How much money do you make? Where do you work? How long ago did you move away from China? How much does your house cost? What kind of work do you do? How much does your car cost? Do American dishes really look like the ones on TV? Is there Chinese food in America? How many hours a week do you work? How about your parents? Where do they live?" And I struggle to answer.

I love how people here have so much patience for my garbled Mandarin.

In the afternoon we went to visit the Office for Social Safety Net programs in Tianjin fora presentation. In the middle of the meeting we asked what type of health care benefits a single mother would receive. Then the room turned beet red and started giggling. Apparently abortion benefits are provided for single unwed mothers. But they knew that Americans were sensitive to the topic.

So they were too embarrassed to answer.

Being the ever curious public health students we are, we continued down the route. "Say a single unwed woman chooses not to have an abortion. Will the child receive health care benefits?"

Then the room turned beet red and started giggling again. This does not happen in China. The social pressures for a woman to be married prior to giving birth are far too great. But nobody wanted to tell the sensitive Americans this.

Our professor finally spoke up and explained it.

You want a good public health example? Here it is:

The meetings here serve fruit, tea, and water.



Instead of chocolate donuts.



I began my career in worksite wellness. Imagine my excitement when I realized that China has caught onto the concept!





I met this British man today. And he spoke perfect Chinese. With a British accent. We were all fascinated. The world was upside down. Black was white. And White was Black. And I am the Chinese girl who can't speak Chinese. Meanwhile the Brit pulled it off with perfect fluency.

Then my mind exploded.

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