This will not apply to most people who read this blog, but I need a place to remember the comments I hear about AIDS since I will have to compile them into a paper at the end of the summer:
1) Crystal told us they call AIDS "Ides" (spelling?) because it's the "love disease"
2) Jackie told me that many people in China know how you get AIDS but not how you can't get it (i.e. kissing someone with AIDS)
3) Jackie told me that there is a lot of discrimination against people with AIDS
4) I was asked a question about whether it was more important to study AIDS from a biological perspective or from a public health perspective
5) We watched a Canadian lecture about AIDS and the students had never heard of circumcision and had some interesting questions about that
6) Apparently certain provinces have more AIDS because of IV drug users
7) We heard about a village in the Aluhi(?) province that was practically wiped out from AIDS because of blood transfusions (people selling their blood)
Last night Janell and I found a coffee shop where I had the most beautiful ice cream EVER. I'd post pictures but Janell's camera cord doesn't fit mine...I must figure out something to do about that because I really want to show my photos so far!
I successfully bought shoes last night with no Chinese student help. I have been having a lot of pain in my right ankle and I think it's because we walk SOOOO much every day and I have been walking in flip flops or not very supportive shoes. Hopefully these will help some? We are trying to learn numbers and the saleswoman told Janell her Chinese was very good, hahaha...they are so incredibly nice to us!
We have American TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, kind of. The grad students took us to buy DVD's yesterday of American TV shows (I will discuss this process more upon my return ;)). I got seasons 1-6 of the Sopranos, Seasons 1-2 of Weeds, the entire last season of 24, and the first season of Prison Break for 36 yuan (less than 5 dollars?). If anyone wants any TV shows, please let me know and I'll bring them back for you (or movies). Just don't expect high quality, but they're definitely watchable.
We are still getting really tired during the afternoon but today I slept until 8:30 and only woke up once in the middle of the night- that's definitely my best night so far! We have spoken to 2 undergraduate courses about the American healthcare system and that has been my favorite thing so far, especially to hear the questions they ask. We also ask them to tell us about the Chinese healthcare system, but many of them are not confident enough in their English to answer, even though we think their English is very good and are just thrilled that they know enough that we can communicate.
Not too much to say today or too much time to do so. I think I'm going to copy/paste my other emails into this so that I'll have them all in one place. Oh, and I don't know if you can leave comments on here (as I know you can on some blogs) but if you can, I won't be able to read them since I can't view my own blog.... ;)
