Moving to Tianjin and the 28 Day Quarantine

 Perhaps the most daunting aspect of the entire move to Tianjin for me was the 28-day quarantine. Despite the epidemic starting here, China ironically has some of the lowest numbers of Covid-19 positive people in the world. They do not mess around. This became apparent when I was still on U.S. soil, and we boarded the plane to Tianjin. All first-class passengers and the staff were in low-grade biohazard suits. That's right, full-on Hazmat suits. If you think I'm exaggerating, then check out the quick snapshot. I would have gotten a clearer picture, but at the time I was still under the false impression that I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures like this - little did I know, that nobody really cares. 

*Warning - Major Digression*

The flight to Tianjin from L.A. takes about 13 hours. To get on the plane at this date in time (12/6/21), you need a negative Covid antibody and SARS test, done precisely 48-hours in advance. Then you must fill out a form waiting in the China Air ticket line, and scan the QR-code on the form with your phone. The forms get more numerous, and steadily less English and more Chinese the closer you get to mainland China. My phone is not really working, because Sprint screwed up my sim card two days before I left home, when I upgraded to avoid this very problem. So, I am off to the side of the line, trying desperately to get the airport wifi to function well enough to scan this QR code so I can scarf down some food before the 13-hour flight. It is the first of many tech-QR code problems, which I thought would end upon arrival. Oh, how wrong I was. 

Anyways, a sweaty, stressed success gets me a ticket, and two more forms to fill out before boarding the flight. I trudge my luggage down to the gate, and desperately look for some GF food that doesn't have a 30-minute line. I feel for those that have to travel this holiday season, because this is the light travel time, and it's already madness here. One of the forms falls out of my pocket in my desperation to get food. I run to the gate after scarfing down an 11 dollar, chicken-less Caesar Salad and ask them to help me. They do, I fill out the form and attempt to get what is known as a 'Health Code.' It's an electronic certification that you have tested negative and have a low temperature, and you must use an app called 'WeChat' to access. it. I struggle with the wifi a little more, and have switched to my old, I-phone 6 at this point because it's the only one partially working. I get it done, once again in the nick of time, and am the last one in my group to board. *End of Digression* 

You'll hear me say this a lot, but I was the only person who was not Chinese. There was a woman in her 60's beside me at the window seat, and a young man roughly my age to my left. I am 6'3 and in the middle seat 😭. The woman tries to speak to me a few times in Chinese, because her monitor isn't functioning properly. I attempt hand signals and try to show her how to use it, but she only pays attention to words. The guy to my left could help, because he speaks both languages fluently, but he is lazy. This is Jackie. I don't say much to either of them for the first four hours, because I sleep - the adventure has left me exhausted. The in-flight meal is very Covid-y, meaning all sealed, uncooked, and also sadly, 90% bread. I eat a Nature's Valley granola bar and a thin slice of cheese. Then, I strike up some conversation with Jackie, and fail to help the older woman with her technology some more. Jackie rapidly becomes my first friend in the new world. He loves to complain about Chinese bureaucracy, and as I explain to him that we will have to quarantine for 28 days, he slowly regrets his decision to come back to China during the pandemic. During our flight, he devises a plan to marry an American woman, so he can return to the states. I offer to help him find someone, and we bond over this slice of comedy.  

I get about five hours of grading done on the flight before my laptop dies, and then watch the fourth Harry Potter movie-- a very divisive film that I've always had a sweet spot for, because that was the last one I saw before reading the books. When we arrive, we all groggily grab our bags and all the sudden everything is in Chinese for my new life. Everyone we encounter during the adventure to the hotel is wearing protective gear from head to toe. Like the first picture, white with blue tape to hold it to your body, and clear goggles. We must show our health codes, and then fill out paperwork in Chinese - I rely on my partially working cell phone to use Google translate as I attempt to navigate with my VPN for the first time. It is an interesting catch-22, because without a VPN I couldn't translate the Chinese paperwork, but also both Google and this VPN are technically banned? The policy is a bit lax for foreigners, because of situations like these. Like I said, American red tape is good practice for Asian red tape. I adopt the strict don't ask, don't tell policy. 

Anyways! In case you are unfamiliar with this amazing technology, I have included pictures of it as an example of how cool and useful it really is. You see in the first picture below a list of directions for our quarantine procedure in Chinese (Fig 2a). You may have to hit the magnifying glass to zoom in on the picture when it pops up. 

Fig. 2a. Chinese Quarantine Procedures (Pixel 4a)

Fig 2b. Google Photo Translation (Pixel 4a)

So, on my phone, I take a screenshot, and then if I have the Google translate app downloaded, I can scroll to translate at the bottom of the screen (optimally, sometimes it fails to recognize). You can see that in this second picture above (Fig 2b). It's about 70% accurate, which is stellar for most paperwork or simple menu translations - not so much for details. It is also pretty solid for allergens listed on ingredient labels, my fellow Celiac's or other allergy peeps. 

So, I take this to the last paperwork verification stop before leaving the airport, and this one is tricky. I hope that I have filled in the right address of my new school (turns out that I was putting down the wrong campus, but nobody told me, and nobody knew because the address was in English), and about 6 other columns I was relying on the C+ translation of Google's camera translation app. After getting through the line awkwardly (so much luggage), I am asked to step aside for the first time. I am not surprised, I am the only person who looks like a foreigner and filled out my paperwork awkwardly. We sit and the TSA (or Chinese equivalent of) agent asks a few questions in broken English to verify my identity. She is kind, and even offers me a chair, which I decline, because it has been such a long plane ride. Another agent comes over, and they try and figure out who hired me, and how I am coming to China during the Pandemic (it's on a pretty tight lockdown). I end up calling my co-worker / administrative assistant, so they can hammer out the details in Chinese, this becomes a once a week practice for various situations that range in level of awkwardness. They finally let me go after about half an hour (not too bad). 

The last thing we must do before leaving the airport at TSN, is take another blood test for Covid. It is an almost fun to joke with the test staff, because I have to bend down so far that I get on my knees so they can swab my throat, and the translation difficulties. If you ever talk to someone who doesn't speak your language - use physical cues for goodness sake, don't just speak louder. Most men don't seem to get this in my experience, but women do. 

Finally, we are given more papers, and then go to the exit to wait for our buses. It comes about an hour later, and we pile in, then pile out. We must put our luggage away ourselves so the staff does not have to touch it. A fellow English speaker sits next to me, which is wonderful, because we are given yet another form to fill out, and I am not in wifi range anymore. We chat and she tells me most everyone here is coming back home to visit family. There is one couple with a newborn - I can't even imagine what they are about to go through - 28 day quarantine with a newborn in a hotel. One hour later we arrive at our destination, but then we must wait another hour whilst the staff sprays down our luggage with anti-bacterial/viral foam. It comes out of what looks like a weed-killer spray keg. 

Next, (I think it's about 11PM now?) we talk to the hotel staff, and I must give them the phone so that my Admin, K, can tell them about my Celiac's disease... this is an awkward process, because I have to pass the phone around to about four different people in these white hazmat suits before we find the right person. Then - I am given my hotel card, 4308, I believe? And hoist my luggage up the final four floors. My muscles are well trained for this by now, thanks to that L.A. overpass. I enter my room and they bring us a greatly appreciated meal, as it has been about 18 hours since I last ate. You can see it below:  

This is probably one of the best meals I get in quarantine, much to my dismay - but at least they are all paid for. I scarf this one down. The green noodle-esk things in the bottom right are seaweed with shredded carrot. The texture is plasticky and slimy, but the taste isn't bad. I have other things that happened this evening, but this post has gotten to long! 

Reliving it has made me sleepy in real life, because it was one of the longest days I think I've ever had. Anyways, thanks for making it with me to the end of the day - catch you next time. (Edited January 14th, Events on December 5-6-7th. That's not an error, that's just three days in one because of the time change).