Trip to China Worries

(Post written on April 14th)

I'm actually writing this post in April before our trip to China in May.  As always, I don't like to broadcast when we're gone since you just don't know who might take advantage of our absence.  We are very aware that burglars are always watching.  There's no longer much to steal in the house, but I wouldn't want anyone coming in to have a look either.

As I write this I'm feeling quite worried.  There have been 11 deaths from the H9N7 bird flu.  There's no human to human transmission YET, but who knows anything for sure.  H9N7 is in Beijing and Shanghai where we will be.  There's also extremely bad smog.  Mom is frantic about our going.

We haven't told her yet that my cousin, who was going to go with us has cancelled taking the trip.  I'm hoping his mom will delay telling my mom for as long as possible because it's going to freak her out.

I've written to my cousin who works in Shanghai and he says he has to work there so there's no choice.  However, he would advise us not to go for just sight seeing.

After we told him that we would be going anyway, he advised us not to go near any poultry or animals.  We've also been warned by others not to drink the water, not to breathe the polluted air, not to use the chopsticks at the restaurants, and so on and so forth.  

We'll be going to an orientation luncheon in a couple of weeks.  I hope their reassurance can calm me down a bit more.