My experience for flying back to China during the pandemic

 

Sunday, September 26, 2021  4:06:48 PM

My experience for flying back to China during the pandemic

Visa

My mom was diagnosed with esophageal tumor since last November. Mom is the primary caregiver to my dad who is bedridden for many years with Alzheimer, NG feeding, and super pelvic catheter. Apparently, they need someone to be there. My sister and brother were doing their share and I was willing to do my share.

I have a ten years vise to visit China, but because the pandemic, the ten years visa is not valid now and if there were a need, who need to apply a Humanity visa. I applied the Humanity Visa to go back to China to visit last year.  The result was disappointed. I got my passport back without visa.

Mother was very upset but has to accept it eventually.

Mother is over 80 years old and does not want to go through all the painful diagnostic examinations and do not want experience any painful treatment. She decides that just let it be.

Time goes by. Over half year past, mother’s swallow difficulty has gradually increased. From August, 2021, she even could not swallow liquid food and then even water. Apparently, without eat and drink, she could not survive. Finally, she accepts to get IV fluid. From the picture my sister sent to me, she lost lots of weight, she does not even look like my mother anymore.

I applied the humanity visa again by the end of August. Endless paper work done through email and then I was instructed to mail my passport and print out all the paper work and send to the consulate, and then wait.

To avoid disappointment, I told myself not hold my hope up. But just in case, I applied for family medical leave from work and made notes: it depends on my visa.

Life goes on. My sister and brother in law stayed with us for over a year now and they are ready to go back to China due to mother’s situation. They are Chinese citizen and they can go back without any problem. They bought the flight tickets for September 24^th and I have planned their trip accordingly.

Sep. 22 2021: 5：30 AM, get on the Amtrak from Eugene to Seattle. Arrive in Seattle at 11:50.

Sep. 22 2021 at 12:00, take the car recommended from the hotel we booked in Seattle to the hotel-Hilton garden inn. Drop off all the luggage and walk to the lab to do the Chinese government required COVID 19 tests before get on the flight to China.

Sep. 23 2021: stay in hotel and waiting for testing result and apply for health code to get on the flight.

Sep. 24 2021 12:10AM: get on the Delta 289 to fly from Seattle to Shanghai.

I would go back to Eugene by Amtrak at the 24^th after sending them off. That is why I exchanged my work schedule from 21^st to 25^th.

At 17^th of Sep. 2021 evening, my sister checked the mail. She get a express mail and handed to me while I was on the porch just started to enjoy the outdoor fresh air.

I opened the envelope and found my passport with a visa!!

I got up and hurried to upstairs and turned on my computer and bought myself a flight ticket with the same flight my sisters have. I was so lucky because there were only 4 tickets left. And then, I have to cancel my return Amtrak ticket. We booked the hotel with no refund for better price so we kept my stay in the hotel for another day and after my sister check out, three of us get in my room and rested a little till 6pm that we went to the airport.

For the hotel stay, I am fine with everything but for the ride, I have been told the ride from the hotel to airport is $70.00. When I was asking the driver: how much we own you and how do you like to be paid? He said: “$100.00, cash with tip.” For a smooth trip, I did not question. I just handed him a 100 dolor bill to get over with it. The driver who derived us from the Amtrak station to the hotel only charged us $70.00 and I asked her: how much we own you and how do you like to be paid? She said: $70.00 and anyway if you like to pay. I choose pay her cash.

The COVID 19 tests:

We made an appointment at the Anytests lab at 13:30. We used this lab because it is the recommended by the Chinese consulate per other flying group members. We booked the hotel just because that is a walking distance to the testing lab.

When we arrived the lab, it was only 13:00. The lab employee hurried to take us to get the sample collected. So they can perform the test on time.

We have to open our passport information page and hold in our hand while they were taking samples and the other lab worker will take our cell phone and take our pictures at the same time. One nasal swab, one pharyngeal swab and one blood draw.

And there were paper works: letter of commitment on COVID 19 vaccine; consent for testing, patient intake. Luckily, I got most the paper work online and fill them out before come. That saved some time. And then, we take pictures with the paper work and passport together. And we need to take another picture with holding our passport in front of the Lab facility. And then scan the barcode to join the DL289 weichat group to get result and communications. My weichat phone does not have phone card, I had to use their free wi-fi to get to weichat for that.

Everything is done. We went back to hotel to check in.                

We took food with us, so we do not go out to eat. After ate, took a hot shower and lying down in bed and wait. We have been told that the results will be in our email box around mid-night. Since we have been getting up so early to get on the train and we can just rest and trying to make my mind in order. It is good to have some time alone.

Trying to get some rest. Fall in and out sleep many times. When I was checking on the clock, there was about 1 hour each time when I wake up to check my email. The flying group members are all nerves and keeping posts it kept me awake more. Start at the midnight, some people getting their results and I was the later one get them. Checked it and all are normal. So I started to get in the system to submit all the needed result and paper work to the system in order to get the health code to get on the flight. The system is different for non-Chinese citizens. I tried to use phone to do so, it is not easy that I missed upload lots of pictures and papers. After my sister get hers and her husband’s done and left my room. I started to turn on my computer and do it on computer. It is much easier and I completed it by 2:30 AM and submitted to the San Francisco Chinese consulate. Finally, I can rest.

Wake up at 7 AM, check my health code, the color was orange (under verification). Continue to try to sleep. And wake up in an hour, checked the code, still orange. In and out sleep till 10:00AM, I decide to get up and start my coffee. At 10:30AM, my code changed color: green and shinning! I have passed the requirement！ I can get on the flight to go back to my parents!

The flight:

The flight is DL289. We arrived the airport4 hour early so we do not need to be hurry.

Since I was planning to stay in 90 days. I almost took all my necessary stuff with me. So as my sisters, they realized that lots of winter cloth they took to my home are not needed but were needed in China. So they tool lots of luggage as well. We are the first one to come to the check in counter. They were not ready to work yet. They were just setting up the station. We waited a while and they started to check us in. luggage is too heavy, they tried to let us took out some and then put in some, very patiently to adjust the weight and not cost up more money. We do appreciate it very much!

Through security check, we came to the gate and peacefully waiting. That was a good feeling. Just before on board, we were checked temperature and they put a brown sticker on back of out passport. And then raw by raw has been called to board. I was the last one to get on board because I sit the last raw, seat 56B. There is no one seat at 56A.

I was so lucky that the food service is acceptable to me. I ordered pasta which is happening to be vegetarian. And then later on, I was at sleep when they serve food. They put the food on my table and when I wake up, there is still vegetarian. I was going to book food as vegetarians, but did get chance. There were too much to do before we leave.

And I, myself sit on two seat the way flight to Shanghai, China!

The quarantine:

The policy is: direct flight from America to China, passengers need to be quarantined at the city of the flight destination for 14 days. After that, the passenger could go back to their final destination and quarantine following local policy. At the moment, in my home province, it is 14+7+7. I asked my nephew what the policy of Nan yang, he answered: 7 days at home quarantine. I hope this will not change.

When we arrived in Shanghai, we have been told that staying in the seat and wait for custom to check. Someone came and talked with few passengers and then lead them left. And then we were told can pick up our personal belongs and get off the flight.

Following the flow, we were at the custom. Step by step, checked our passport, scanned our custom health declaring code and then was giving a consent paper to sign for consent for collecting samples for test and was given to a testing tube with red viral media and our own name and passport number on, and a biohazard bag. We were told to follow the flow to the COVID 19 nuclear testing area. I was called and handed the tube and bag to the testing personal and they did nasal swab and pharyngeal swab with make me sick. Then I was allowed to leave to claim my luggage.

Got the luggage and was lead to the area have different final destinations. That was used to arrange different hotel for quarantine. Our passport was collected by the staff. We were at the other category which is outside of Zhejiang province. We were also the last group to get out of the airport and get on the bus to hotel. That was about 10AM.

At the main lobby of the 1800 YIxian RD, Bao Long hotel, we were told to scan a bar code to put our personal information in and forming a barcode to show the front desk person. They scanned it and assigned a room for us and gave us a plastic bag with the room number on it. There is paper work and sanitize material in the bag. And finally, I got my passport back!

We were lucky. My sister and brother in law were allowed to stay in the same room for quarantine. They are in 8^th floor. I am in 20^th floor with good view. Everything is fine. I asked them not ordering me food since I am vegetarian and not eat much. I do not want to waste. I have my own food arranged.

Two weeks alone and stay in hotel, no worry about food and drink, no worry about going out to do anything! How lucky! I can just do what I want to do!

Here is my schedule for a day:

Get up at 5:00 AM;

Start practice and drink water;

Start drinking coffee and turn on my computer;

Start exercises: palates, yoga etc.

Reading and listening Buddhist teaching.

Life is beautiful and I do not want to complain. Just enjoy what I am having at the moment. I will be home taking care of my parents soon.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Suddenly, I feel hungry. Shanghai called me for the health code that I had trouble with while I decided forget about it.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021    10:18:16 PM

I am trying to be positive. But the experiences are not so positive.

At first, the quarantine hotel: I try to see the good part, not the dirtiness. The cost is 380 RMB/day, 14days; it will cost 5320 Yuan RMB. It is about $760.00. I wish they will charge my credit card so that I will not use other people’s money.

The second, all the codes, I could not deal with. I tried, very hard tried and tired. It is not worth my energy. I gave up.

The third, the community will pick me up at the airport in Nanyang with ambulance and the cost is 200yuan RMB and then there are three times nuclear tests, each time cost at least 18 yuan RMB for two days result and for same day result will cost 65 yuan RMB. I do not have any Chinese money and I do not have any method to pay as they required. My son and my sister all trying to send me money to my weichat, but my weichat would not take money.

I am already broken here in China for not even seeing my parents and my granddaughter. I prefer to spend my own money. I prefer to pay by my US credit card.

I am going to try to link my credit card to alipay.