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 24th 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 24th
after sending them off. That is why I exchanged my work schedule from 21st
to 25th.
At 17th 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 8th
floor. I am in 20th 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.
