Before our first round of guests arrived in Dalian, I forwarded them a message from the American Consulate in China. Here is an excerpt:
This Warden Message alerts U.S. citizens to the latest information regarding human cases of 2009-H1N1 Influenza, sometimes referred to as swine flu or novel H1N1. Local Authorities have required quarantine of all arriving airline passengers who either exhibit flu-like symptoms, or who have been seated within three rows of someone who has exhibited flu-like symptoms. Those with flu-like symptoms are moved to an infectious disease hospital for H1N1 testing, while those in proximity are either held in a low-budget quarantine hotel or requested staying at home for 12-24 hours. If the results are positive, quarantine is extended to seven days.
American citizens should be aware that the U.S. Consulate General Shenyang cannot demand their immediate release if they have been detained or quarantined in accordance with local public health and legal authorities.
Please note that the Consulate General is NOT advising Americans in China to depart. At this time, the Consulate General advises that Americans review the guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, and make their own decisions about whether to remain in China.
As scary as it sounds, none of our guests were deterred, essentially feeling their lives were meant to be lived. Although this concern can be backed up with fact, the paranoia associated with it is out of proportion. When Bill and I went to see the Beijing Acrobats, I was curious to know if we got a good deal on tickets or if we’d been swindled. As soon as we found our seats, I turned to the man next to me and asked him how much he paid. He immediately started waving me off like I was going to attack him and was looking over my shoulder at his tour leader standing behind me. I turned around for answers, assuming the man must be a foreigner who didn’t speak Chinese, and was told “he can’t speak”. Then, I watched the four people closest to me (including the waver), frantically putting on face masks. I have to admit, I was offended, even if their worries were focused at the color of Bill’s skin, not mine. Perhaps if we started coughing or sneezing, we could be four seats closer to center stage! I asked Bill to take a picture of me, but told him what I really wanted was the masked man’s mug shot. We never did find out if we’d paid more money than everyone else, but we thought it was worth every penny we spent!
As we were waiting for our flight from Chongqing back to Dalian, I noticed a Chinese cartoon was playing on all the monitors in the terminal. I was absorbed in my book, and didn’t pay any attention. Just as they called our flight to board, Addison told me it was an informational video on Swine flu. I watched in horror as they not only gave the facts about the flu, but also suggested ways to prevent it, including racial profiling. “If you see a group of Japanese tourists, stay away.” This explains why several groups of American tourists we know have had to scramble when their hotel reservations have been cancelled. Only in the last week did we hear about the large group from Eugene, OR that was quarantined for a long time.
A few months after we arrived in Dalian, Mark’s company was antsy about the bird flu, more specifically about the chance of expats contracting it from Chinese nationals. In an effort to cover their backsides, they offered the kids and I the opportunity to move (permanently) back to the US. Coupled with the fact that Mark would have to stay here and that we had only just started our adventure, we decided to stay put. When swine flu first broke in Mexico, we actually felt grateful to be in China. Mark’s company also committed to taking good care of us, in the case of an emergency. We are now finding it all too ironic that the expat community here is now the target of panic.
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