Arrived Thursday about 2:30 pm China time after 24+ hours of travel from Syracuse. Now it's 3:40 am China time, and I am wide awake and ready for the day. Yesterday evening, after settling in to the Fudan Yanyuan Hotel, Bill and went out in search of dinner and some bottled water. We chose a street vendor of noodle and rice dishes, and managed to communicate what we wanted (include hot oil and friend egg: wo yao). As I sat at a tiny table on a blue plastic stool, a gentleman stopped to speak with me. He knew no English, I know no Chinese, but he was able to communicate to me that this place where we were eating was "not clean." That took both me and Bill aback. We knew that our son had survived for several months on food from street vendors, and we had been told by people who know that food they prepare in front of you, that is hot and fresh, is even more likely to be safe than food from some restaurants. We decided that the dishes our food was served in were the most likely risk, as they were probably washed in local, unboiled water. Maybe even without soap? We made a mental note to accept the take-out containers in the future. We had packaged chopsticks at hand, and we decided to eat all but about the last quarter-inch of the food -- the part most likely to be contaminated by the plate. And we're both fine. And it was delicious. And we had spent about $2 each.
So having gone to bed about 7:30, of course I'm wide awake now and hungry. What to eat? Of course: the sandwich I bought in O'Hare thousands of miles and maybe 30 hours ago. It's been sitting (well-wrapped, of course) without refrigeration in my carry-on luggage ever since. It's delicious. If I get sick, was it the nice, hot, prepared in front of me fried rice with lots of goodies in it? Or the ham and cheese on a roll (no mayo, though -- I do have some sense)? I've got my Pepto Bismol in any case.
And I'm drinking tap water, which I have boiled in the electric tea kettle kindly provided with our room. (What use would a coffee maker be if you have to boil water?) The water is perfectly clear, does not look or smell like deceased swine. It tastes fine, too.
On the way through the Shanghai airport yesterday, I thought again of how both Peter and then Fiona (2 months or more later) made this trek completely alone, and navigated everything just fine: the plane, the customs, changing money, getting a cab or on a train, etc.) I am so proud of them both and humbled by their gumption. I would not have done this without Bill.
And I'm thinking of what I get to do today: see Peter and Fiona, and deliver the 30 pounds of stuff we brought for them: Peter's Go board and stones (TSA had to take a look at those - they showed up as just black in the scanner), chocolate, cocoa, chocolate chips, yeast, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, some of Fiona's favorite books, a camera and batteries for it, razor refills, Pepperige Farm goldfish crackers -- and some other things I can't remember right now. Just some of the items they've found they really do not like living without. Plus a couple of items they didn't ask for: Easter basket grass, an egg dying kit, some Peeps. It will be like bringing them Christmas and Easter all at once!
So having gone to bed about 7:30, of course I'm wide awake now and hungry. What to eat? Of course: the sandwich I bought in O'Hare thousands of miles and maybe 30 hours ago. It's been sitting (well-wrapped, of course) without refrigeration in my carry-on luggage ever since. It's delicious. If I get sick, was it the nice, hot, prepared in front of me fried rice with lots of goodies in it? Or the ham and cheese on a roll (no mayo, though -- I do have some sense)? I've got my Pepto Bismol in any case.
And I'm drinking tap water, which I have boiled in the electric tea kettle kindly provided with our room. (What use would a coffee maker be if you have to boil water?) The water is perfectly clear, does not look or smell like deceased swine. It tastes fine, too.
On the way through the Shanghai airport yesterday, I thought again of how both Peter and then Fiona (2 months or more later) made this trek completely alone, and navigated everything just fine: the plane, the customs, changing money, getting a cab or on a train, etc.) I am so proud of them both and humbled by their gumption. I would not have done this without Bill.
And I'm thinking of what I get to do today: see Peter and Fiona, and deliver the 30 pounds of stuff we brought for them: Peter's Go board and stones (TSA had to take a look at those - they showed up as just black in the scanner), chocolate, cocoa, chocolate chips, yeast, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, some of Fiona's favorite books, a camera and batteries for it, razor refills, Pepperige Farm goldfish crackers -- and some other things I can't remember right now. Just some of the items they've found they really do not like living without. Plus a couple of items they didn't ask for: Easter basket grass, an egg dying kit, some Peeps. It will be like bringing them Christmas and Easter all at once!