Dear Friends,
We have been unable to use our blog for the past few months as the Chinese government decided to close down blog spot. We found a way around it with a VPN site but they closed that down but I heard it was working again and it really is. We have been well and had a good summer. Although Beijing is hot I didn't find it too bad and last week the government turned a switch on and we have lovely fall weather now. I have been very busy at work and plans are underway to build the first outpatient cancer treatment center in China. If all goes well we will start seeing patients there in January or February but many hoops to get through. My Oncology Executive Administrator started working this past week and that will be a big help.
Today Astri and I leave for Bangkok and on Monday will go on a 3 day bike trip. At the end of the week I am attending the 3rd Annual All Asia Lung Cancer Conference there. We will hope to post some information about the trip when we return.
We had a wonderful time with Sharon Hastings this summer and visited Shanghai and Suzhou with her. A few weeks ago Astri and I flew to Qingdao and had a lovely weekend with some time on the beach. Last weekend we took a day trip to Hebei Province and went to the Sino-French Vineyard. Riesling was good but the Cabernet bu hao.
We miss you all and hope you are all well.
Love, Philip and Astri
Friday, September 4, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Having a small refrigerator according to Western standard, I have
returned to the kind of shopping I grew up with, namely daily. Unless
I need a lot of produce, I normally hop on my bike with a back-pack .
If I want produce, I usually head to a small shop/stall about 5
minutes away. It is run by a couple and their teen-age children and
they are very welcoming, friendly and fair, last adverb meaning they
do not appear to have "Western prices" and "Chinese " prices.
Sometimes clearly being from "away", which I can not hide from, in
some stores translates into prices being a little high until they know
you. But this stall always throw in a little extra if I buy a lot, and
give me a good price (Very different from the fruit vendor next door)
Opening hours are about the same as my awake hours. I have shopped at
7 AM when they are receiving all the days vegetables. And when I walk
by in the dark around 10 PM, I am still able to get what I want. If I
start translating the prices into dollars, I realize it will be quite
a shock when I start shopping in the US again. So check out what I was
able to stuff in my back-pack after handing over the equivalent of
$1.10. last shopping trip:
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Blogging Once Again
Dear Friends,
The China Firewall closed down blog spot and we have not been able to post since early May. We have sent a few email entries. I have now learned of a way to get around the "Great Wall" and we are back on line.
Astri is presently in the US. We returned together about two weeks ago and visited Rebekka and Lee for one day and then we went to Orlando where I attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting and then returned to Beijing. Astri then spent a week with Rebekka and Lee and returned to Maine. I will be flying to Maine on June 17. We are looking forward to attending Jack Woodcock's wedding. It will be wonderful to have our entire family together and to spend a week in Maine.
It was great to have Geri and Lenny visit us in May and we also had our nephew, Erik Meistad, and his girlfriend, Tone visit us
We will post a new blog when we return from Maine.
Best to all.
Philip and Astri
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Botanical Garden and Clubs
The transition from Maine to the The Middle Kingdom, from Bangor area to The Beijing area was quite a change. The biggest challenge though was going from a comfortable home and a setting with close friends that could always be called upon to a city of 17 million, none of whom we really knew. And also the transition from busy days getting the house ready to sell, packing up a lifetime of things we had aquired and moving everything, all this meant long days leading up to the infamous moving day with a start at 6 AM and a finish at 3 AM.
And then : Waking up in China as a "trailing" spouse, with each day an empty canvas. I was therefor very happy when Janet (Brooks, her husband is a OB/GYN at the hospital
) asked if I wanted to come with her to "The British Club" and "The Newcomers club" Beijing has about 500.000 expatriots, and most accompaning spouses can not find work. Daytime clubs therefor flourish. They generally meet once or twice a month for coffee and a talk. Their main purpose seems to be to bring people together and also give some information.Most also do some fund raising for fosterhomes and orphanages,
The Newcomers Club really try to introduce people to Beijing. Tables are set up with information about schools,medical care,different civic groups etc. And the monthly talks are also helpful to new people. Last week the topic was vegetable/fruit markets in Beijing, plus the speaker had brought a table full of produce that might be new to
someone moving to China.
The British Club was probably originally for Brits, but now welcome anyone with a foreign passport. They have had talks about jade/what to look for, how the railway developed in China and how it changed the country, a trip to The British Embassy etc. Last week they arranged a trip to The Botanical Gardens which are close to The Summer Palace (One hour trip) Missing my garden, this was a must!! And what a feast for the eyes! As we entered we were met by a flower sculpture of a man plowing his ox. And then, suddenly we felt as if we were transported to Holland.Tulips in every color stretched out in front of us, it was really breath taking. Only the photos can try to do this sight some justice, so I refer to the slide show. (Some people have had trouble viewing some of the photos, please let us know if this is so)
As in every park here, people were milling about everywhere: preschoolers, elderly men and women, teenage boys- we even came upon a bride and groom.
Next we walked up a hillside, planted with 630 different species of peonies! The regular herbacious peonies were not quite out, but the tree peonies (or Japanese variety) were all in perfect bloom, a sight that cannot be described. (Again, see photos)
I walked around with Janet and Therese (Her husband works in financing at the hospital) We just could not move away from this sight, snapping photo after photo. The Botanical Garden covered a large area, but it would have been an injustice to the tulips and peonies to remove ourselves from this spectacular seasonal sight. So we opened our lunch bags among the peonies, watched the bees and the butterflies work, and returned to our bus four hours later, sated and satisfied. - Astri
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Visiting Hangzhoa
Dear All,
We are a little behind on updating our blog and have a few in the works.
Lots going on. Geri and Lenny visited us in Beijing and we had a great time. Geri particularly loved the shopping and was enormously impressed with Astri's bargaining skills. She also loved the "foot massage". It is quite an experience. Lenny was tailored for a sports coat and pants in our apartment and Geri is also having some clothes made.
We are now in Hangzhou which a beautiful little town of 7 million. It is on West Lake which is really beautiful. We will take a train to Shanghai tonight and I will be at our Shanghai hospital Monday and Tuesday and fly back to Beijing on Tuesday night. Astri will get together with the wife of Shanghai United Hospital's president who is Chinese and extremely nice.
Pictures and more to come.
Love,
Philip and Astri
We are a little behind on updating our blog and have a few in the works.
Lots going on. Geri and Lenny visited us in Beijing and we had a great time. Geri particularly loved the shopping and was enormously impressed with Astri's bargaining skills. She also loved the "foot massage". It is quite an experience. Lenny was tailored for a sports coat and pants in our apartment and Geri is also having some clothes made.
We are now in Hangzhou which a beautiful little town of 7 million. It is on West Lake which is really beautiful. We will take a train to Shanghai tonight and I will be at our Shanghai hospital Monday and Tuesday and fly back to Beijing on Tuesday night. Astri will get together with the wife of Shanghai United Hospital's president who is Chinese and extremely nice.
Pictures and more to come.
Love,
Philip and Astri
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The Real Beijing Duck and Haircut Part 3
The Real Beijing Duck:
Astri and I spent the day yesterday at the Temple of Heaven and then walking through some very local Hutong streets to the West of the Temple. We were in a local outdoor market when we came upon an outdoor rotisserie. I asked: "Zheige shi ji ma?"(Is that chicken?) He laughed at me and answered: "quack, quack, quack". We ate it the same night and it was excellent and for only 17 RMB (about $2.50)
Haircut Part 3:
I am realizing how fast everything changes in China but didn't expect it to hit so hard personally. After finally finding a haircutter that I felt comfortable with, I was riding my bicycle past the shop and found this scene!! Can I track him down? Stay tuned.
Reporting from Beijing
Philip
Astri and I spent the day yesterday at the Temple of Heaven and then walking through some very local Hutong streets to the West of the Temple. We were in a local outdoor market when we came upon an outdoor rotisserie. I asked: "Zheige shi ji ma?"(Is that chicken?) He laughed at me and answered: "quack, quack, quack". We ate it the same night and it was excellent and for only 17 RMB (about $2.50)
Haircut Part 3:
I am realizing how fast everything changes in China but didn't expect it to hit so hard personally. After finally finding a haircutter that I felt comfortable with, I was riding my bicycle past the shop and found this scene!! Can I track him down? Stay tuned.
Reporting from Beijing
Philip
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Foundation and Foster Homes
I think many of us have heard of children being adopted from China. Last week I was able to get an inside glimpse of what happens before the child can be part of a new, loving family.
The hospital Philip works for donates 1% of their revenue to pay for medical care and operations for children born with correctable deformities or illnesses. This is done through a separate organization, UFCO, which has one employee(paid for by the hospital) and otherwise volunteers . The volunteers fill different functions like: finding donations of infant formula, keeping the books, running fund raisers for special projects, visiting the children and ayis when they are hospitalized and going with them for pediatric visits plus documenting this.(This is what I am being introduced to do with 2 other "prior life" nurses.)
Anyway, the foundation just hired a new director , a 30 year old New Yorker with Chinese back ground. In connection with this a tour was arranged so she and volunteers who wanted to could visit 6 foster homes in the greater Beijing area. Foster homes are not officially recognized and are somewhat illegal but tolerated in most districts because of the good work they do. They take children that are sick or need medical attention from the state run orphanages. In name the children are still at the orphanages and adoptions go through these (However, the foster homes try to keep the kids till adoptions since their care is so superior).
Most foster homes are founded by amazingly giving individuals who see it as their mission in life to transform the lives of children who otherwise would have no chance, and sometimes this can be as simple as helping to arrange an operation, other times it is a decade long commitment to certain children. Many foster homes are faith based, and supported by churches and individuals at home, others are founded by individuals. But they have one thing in common, they rely 100% on donations!
It is not unusual that sick and physically disabled children are abandoned. Being allowed only one child pr. family, it is hard if that child is born with a lot of medical needs, especially since poor families do not have free medical care. So often the only option the parents see is to bring their child to an orphanage. And once you abandon your child, you cannot have it back. The state run orphanages do not have a lot of resources, and often have 10-15 children pr. employee. If they receive an infant with many medical needs, they often turn to foster homes. Many foster homes are run by or employee pediatricians. Once a child is in foster care, the homes arrange for treatment plans. They employee local nannies (aiy's) who give loving care to their designated child (if the child is fairly healthy, there may be a 1:3 ratio, but never more).
Once the child has been treated, they are often at the same time in process of being adopted away through the original orphanage. This can take time, but the foster homes like to keep the kids till this is in order. Sometimes the orphanages demand they come back for a limited time, but until then they stay with the foster homes.
If the child needs an expensive operation and is stable, the foster home tries to see if the adoptive parents can take them preop and then receive needed medical care on the adoptive parents insurance once they reach their new homes. Our hospital are one of the places where the foster homes seek care. And, as previously said, this is free to them until the 1% of the hospital revenue is used up. After that each foster home receives 40% deduction on hospitalization, and most of them have ongoing fund raising, both general and for a specific child.
The 6 foster homes we visited all had in common that they were run by great, loving individuals and the children seemed to receive an abundance of love and attention. In other ways they were quite different, so I think I would like to describe them in smaller chapters. What could have been a very painful trip, was really a confirmation of humanity.
VISITING FOSTER HOMES
Tuesday morning six of us met early in the morning to drive to three foster homes in the same general area, about 1 1/2 hour from our area of Beijing. As we pulled up to Shepherd's Field founded by Philip Hayden, we were greeted by a big fenced in area with several new stone buildings. Several of these were residential with living area on the first floor and nurseries on the second. A big new house served as a hotel for visitors , where they can come as paying guests while volunteering either here or at nearby "Harmony" or "Agape. The reason for having a "hotel" is that there really is no place nearby where Westerners could comfortably stay, and also no transportation to get here from Beijing.
The inn was nice and bright with lots of art showing children. The art is for sale as a way of raising money. Also in the back one can find a small factory making flags. As this is in an industrial zone, this property is registered as such. (But everyone knows it is a foster home)
As we approached the living quarters, we were met by a wall of hands, a very moving sight. The fence consisted of plaques bought by adoptive parents, and bore the names and hand prints of their children, and through these donations more children could receive help.
Inside the houses we were met by smiling, happy babies and toddlers, being helped by ayis. If you looked a little closer, you could see the scars from cleft lip repair on some of the faces. An ayi revealed a club foot on a beautiful little boy. The director of the home is a pediatrician, but not licensed to practice in China, so a Chinese physician is present at all times. Also here you see art on all walls and photos of the children who live here. If you see the picture of twins in the slideshow, that is a painting of two little boys by a local artist, the boys themselves have been adopted into the same family. I believe about 40 children live here, all undergoing therapy or waiting for the papers to go through. The director told us that all the buildings have been built with donations, mainly from the states. Daily operations are also provided for by donations, 100% of the operating cost. "We never know where next months money will come from, but till now it has always arrived."
For our next home we entered into what appeared to be a regular housing complex. "Agape" was founded by a couple from Illinois, a tractor operator and his baker wife. They adopted two children from China, and knew they could do more if they moved here. So they packed up and came! They are now in the process of adopting child no 5. One of their children has Brittle bone disease, and through this they became very knowledgeable about treatment and needed operations to transform a child's life from being bedridden to a functional life, depending on a wheel chair. So they have made a mission of helping children suffering from brittle bones. Doctor's from USA have trained local doctors to perform needed surgeries periodically. But then what? So 'Bread of Life" was conceived. The residents, all treated like their own children, live in 2 somewhat rundown houses in the neighborhood. The home has a live-in teacher and the wife teaches them to become bakers. Western style baked goods are highly regarded locally and can lead to good jobs. Agape runs "Bread of Life" with one of their 18 year old residents in charge. They are in the black, and their cheesecakes and chocolate chip cookies are famous throughout Beijing! For more info, see http://agapefamilyhouse.org
On this day the sky was blue, and the sun shone bright. When we arrived to meet everyone, nobody could be found. We were told to go to the park where among numerous wheelchairs we found a picnic and 20-25 kids eating MacDonald Happy meals!! A volunteer was visiting (Staying at Shepherd's Field) and had provided food for today's picnic. The picnic also included children from "Harmony", another foster home nearby operated by exceptional individuals.
On Friday we again met to visit other foster homes in a different geographical area. This time we drove into a typical Chinese neighborhood. "Blue Sky Healing Home" is also a private home, started by a woman from Singapore and a Chinese physician. They originally bought one house, and as you enter you really feel you are in a home. Again bright photos of all the kids greet you from the wall. Children sit on their ayis laps, playing with toys. The adjacent building houses somewhat older children sitting around a table, practicing cutting with scissors. This home has 20 workers and 18 children with health problems, bladder extrophy, cleft lip and palate, bone deformities and Down's Syndrome. Celine who showed us around is a soft spoken women. Right now she is working hard to try to find a school for a bright 8 year old child. He is handicapped, and the schools here are not handicap accessible. Also, they do not need to take him. On top of that he is nearing the age where he can not be adopted, so they will keep him till he comes of age. The atmosphere in this home was very down to earth and as in the others, full of love. "Bluesky" also works with poor families and assist them to receive medical care and help before they are forced to abandon their child . For more info:
www.blueskyhealinghome.org
Our last visit went to Hope Foster Home. Hope was started by an Australian physician in the early nineties. She came to China as a tourist, and was so taken with the hopelessness of being handicapped and orphaned here that she never left again. She and her husband bought a home, and went to an orphanage to find one child whose life they could totally change with early medical intervention. From there they now run a model foster home that had provided medical help to about 90 children who are now adopted worldwide. On one of the photos you should see a map with pins that identifies where the children now are. As you see, one of their former guests now lives in Maine.
In addition to foster homes, they have now started Hospice homes where children will be cared for in a loving environment and not suffer unnecessary.
For more info, see: www.hopefosterhome.com
I had expected the trips to the foster homes to be hard and depressing. But what strikes me as I reflect on our visits is the love and dedication of some amazing individuals who through their work has dramatically changed the lives of the children who meet them.
The hospital Philip works for donates 1% of their revenue to pay for medical care and operations for children born with correctable deformities or illnesses. This is done through a separate organization, UFCO, which has one employee(paid for by the hospital) and otherwise volunteers . The volunteers fill different functions like: finding donations of infant formula, keeping the books, running fund raisers for special projects, visiting the children and ayis when they are hospitalized and going with them for pediatric visits plus documenting this.(This is what I am being introduced to do with 2 other "prior life" nurses.)
Anyway, the foundation just hired a new director , a 30 year old New Yorker with Chinese back ground. In connection with this a tour was arranged so she and volunteers who wanted to could visit 6 foster homes in the greater Beijing area. Foster homes are not officially recognized and are somewhat illegal but tolerated in most districts because of the good work they do. They take children that are sick or need medical attention from the state run orphanages. In name the children are still at the orphanages and adoptions go through these (However, the foster homes try to keep the kids till adoptions since their care is so superior).
Most foster homes are founded by amazingly giving individuals who see it as their mission in life to transform the lives of children who otherwise would have no chance, and sometimes this can be as simple as helping to arrange an operation, other times it is a decade long commitment to certain children. Many foster homes are faith based, and supported by churches and individuals at home, others are founded by individuals. But they have one thing in common, they rely 100% on donations!
It is not unusual that sick and physically disabled children are abandoned. Being allowed only one child pr. family, it is hard if that child is born with a lot of medical needs, especially since poor families do not have free medical care. So often the only option the parents see is to bring their child to an orphanage. And once you abandon your child, you cannot have it back. The state run orphanages do not have a lot of resources, and often have 10-15 children pr. employee. If they receive an infant with many medical needs, they often turn to foster homes. Many foster homes are run by or employee pediatricians. Once a child is in foster care, the homes arrange for treatment plans. They employee local nannies (aiy's) who give loving care to their designated child (if the child is fairly healthy, there may be a 1:3 ratio, but never more).
Once the child has been treated, they are often at the same time in process of being adopted away through the original orphanage. This can take time, but the foster homes like to keep the kids till this is in order. Sometimes the orphanages demand they come back for a limited time, but until then they stay with the foster homes.
If the child needs an expensive operation and is stable, the foster home tries to see if the adoptive parents can take them preop and then receive needed medical care on the adoptive parents insurance once they reach their new homes. Our hospital are one of the places where the foster homes seek care. And, as previously said, this is free to them until the 1% of the hospital revenue is used up. After that each foster home receives 40% deduction on hospitalization, and most of them have ongoing fund raising, both general and for a specific child.
The 6 foster homes we visited all had in common that they were run by great, loving individuals and the children seemed to receive an abundance of love and attention. In other ways they were quite different, so I think I would like to describe them in smaller chapters. What could have been a very painful trip, was really a confirmation of humanity.
VISITING FOSTER HOMES
Tuesday morning six of us met early in the morning to drive to three foster homes in the same general area, about 1 1/2 hour from our area of Beijing. As we pulled up to Shepherd's Field founded by Philip Hayden, we were greeted by a big fenced in area with several new stone buildings. Several of these were residential with living area on the first floor and nurseries on the second. A big new house served as a hotel for visitors , where they can come as paying guests while volunteering either here or at nearby "Harmony" or "Agape. The reason for having a "hotel" is that there really is no place nearby where Westerners could comfortably stay, and also no transportation to get here from Beijing.
The inn was nice and bright with lots of art showing children. The art is for sale as a way of raising money. Also in the back one can find a small factory making flags. As this is in an industrial zone, this property is registered as such. (But everyone knows it is a foster home)
As we approached the living quarters, we were met by a wall of hands, a very moving sight. The fence consisted of plaques bought by adoptive parents, and bore the names and hand prints of their children, and through these donations more children could receive help.
Inside the houses we were met by smiling, happy babies and toddlers, being helped by ayis. If you looked a little closer, you could see the scars from cleft lip repair on some of the faces. An ayi revealed a club foot on a beautiful little boy. The director of the home is a pediatrician, but not licensed to practice in China, so a Chinese physician is present at all times. Also here you see art on all walls and photos of the children who live here. If you see the picture of twins in the slideshow, that is a painting of two little boys by a local artist, the boys themselves have been adopted into the same family. I believe about 40 children live here, all undergoing therapy or waiting for the papers to go through. The director told us that all the buildings have been built with donations, mainly from the states. Daily operations are also provided for by donations, 100% of the operating cost. "We never know where next months money will come from, but till now it has always arrived."
For our next home we entered into what appeared to be a regular housing complex. "Agape" was founded by a couple from Illinois, a tractor operator and his baker wife. They adopted two children from China, and knew they could do more if they moved here. So they packed up and came! They are now in the process of adopting child no 5. One of their children has Brittle bone disease, and through this they became very knowledgeable about treatment and needed operations to transform a child's life from being bedridden to a functional life, depending on a wheel chair. So they have made a mission of helping children suffering from brittle bones. Doctor's from USA have trained local doctors to perform needed surgeries periodically. But then what? So 'Bread of Life" was conceived. The residents, all treated like their own children, live in 2 somewhat rundown houses in the neighborhood. The home has a live-in teacher and the wife teaches them to become bakers. Western style baked goods are highly regarded locally and can lead to good jobs. Agape runs "Bread of Life" with one of their 18 year old residents in charge. They are in the black, and their cheesecakes and chocolate chip cookies are famous throughout Beijing! For more info, see http://agapefamilyhouse.org
On this day the sky was blue, and the sun shone bright. When we arrived to meet everyone, nobody could be found. We were told to go to the park where among numerous wheelchairs we found a picnic and 20-25 kids eating MacDonald Happy meals!! A volunteer was visiting (Staying at Shepherd's Field) and had provided food for today's picnic. The picnic also included children from "Harmony", another foster home nearby operated by exceptional individuals.
On Friday we again met to visit other foster homes in a different geographical area. This time we drove into a typical Chinese neighborhood. "Blue Sky Healing Home" is also a private home, started by a woman from Singapore and a Chinese physician. They originally bought one house, and as you enter you really feel you are in a home. Again bright photos of all the kids greet you from the wall. Children sit on their ayis laps, playing with toys. The adjacent building houses somewhat older children sitting around a table, practicing cutting with scissors. This home has 20 workers and 18 children with health problems, bladder extrophy, cleft lip and palate, bone deformities and Down's Syndrome. Celine who showed us around is a soft spoken women. Right now she is working hard to try to find a school for a bright 8 year old child. He is handicapped, and the schools here are not handicap accessible. Also, they do not need to take him. On top of that he is nearing the age where he can not be adopted, so they will keep him till he comes of age. The atmosphere in this home was very down to earth and as in the others, full of love. "Bluesky" also works with poor families and assist them to receive medical care and help before they are forced to abandon their child . For more info:
www.blueskyhealinghome.org
Our last visit went to Hope Foster Home. Hope was started by an Australian physician in the early nineties. She came to China as a tourist, and was so taken with the hopelessness of being handicapped and orphaned here that she never left again. She and her husband bought a home, and went to an orphanage to find one child whose life they could totally change with early medical intervention. From there they now run a model foster home that had provided medical help to about 90 children who are now adopted worldwide. On one of the photos you should see a map with pins that identifies where the children now are. As you see, one of their former guests now lives in Maine.
In addition to foster homes, they have now started Hospice homes where children will be cared for in a loving environment and not suffer unnecessary.
For more info, see: www.hopefosterhome.com
I had expected the trips to the foster homes to be hard and depressing. But what strikes me as I reflect on our visits is the love and dedication of some amazing individuals who through their work has dramatically changed the lives of the children who meet them.
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