Invitation as Scholar to China (Part 2) - Macau and Race Against Super Typhoon Ragusa

My first presentation was at the Macau Polytechnic University in Macau as a guest of Dr. Tao Zhang and the topic was qualitative and mixed-methods research to graduate students in public health. Typically, public health focuses on epidemiology and statistics, so more the number side of health issues. However, over the last decade or so it has been recognized that often the numbers have little context without the qualitative component to help provide explanation and context. And this is where mixed-methods research has become a popular approach. The plan was for me to arrive in Macau on the Monday afternoon, enjoy a bit of the city, and then present on the Tuesday morning. However, the imminent arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa was to put a big dent in that plan.

Grace and I made the short hop across the border from Zhuhai to Macau that required clearing immigration and customs for China and Macau. Although special administrative regions of China, both Macau and Hong Kong have tight borders since visas are not necessarily required to these places (Canadians definitely do not require a visa) whereas a visa is necessary for China. Macau is quite unique in that it is pretty much a city comprised of an island and a peninsula linked by two bridges. Originally a Portuguese colony and trading post in the 1500s, it has become one of the most densely populated areas in the world. It is also the largest gambling economy in the world dwarfing Las Vegas, but it also has a significant wealth disparity - the contrast of opulence to poverty was quite evident. I was pretty impressed by the elegance of my hotel and the incredible service it provided but would not get to enjoy much of its amenities as my schedule was about to get compressed.

After checking in, Tao took Grace and I out for a fabulous dinner of mainly traditional dishes that were a blend of Chinese and Portuguese cuisine. The food was of amazing quality and quantity, and the ladies serving us were absolutely amazing - friendly, efficient, and wonderfully gracious. It turned out to be one of a few great culinary experiences I had, especially given how picky an eater I can be. Then it was off to the university campus as notices about closures had been coming in throughout the afternoon and plans were changing. Not only did this mean potential cancellation of my presentation, a financial cost to the university, but also closure of transportation in the whole region impacting any travel. This meant getting me out of Macau and over to Guangzhou before travel was completely halted the afternoon of Tuesday, the next day. In a last minute move, we agreed to shift my presentation to that Monday evening if the graduate students were able to change their plans. Because it was last minute, we were not sure how many would make it but as it turned out 15 students of the anticipated 30+ showed up. Impressive! And not only did those students change their plans, but they were genuinely engaged in my presentation - keen to learn and ask questions, and appreciative of the link of qualitative research to epidemiology statistics. For me, this was a very rewarding outcome…academic mission accomplished in Macau!

The original plan had me being picked up after lunch on Tuesday by Amy, one of Grace’s colleagues from Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, to make the 2-hour drive to Guangzhou. However, the train systems were to be halted at about 3:00 p.m. with highways closing that evening and it was anticipated that traffic gridlock might be a problem. So, a university car was arranged to take me to the border at 11:00 a.m. allowing me a bit of time to explore the immediate area around my hotel. I set out at 5:00 a.m. to see some of the sites and the beauty of the timing was that most facades were brightly lit and most colourful. One of the landmarks that is so recognizable from movies and pictures is the Grand Lisboa Hotel that looks like a huge lotus flower and the scale of it was awesome. I had to go in just to check out the lobby and discovered that I walked right into the main casino floors that were 4 stories in height. Most casinos in Las Vegas occupy only one floor, sometimes two, so it was easy to see how Macau’s industry is a much larger scale. And the number of people gambling at 5:30 am was surprising - apparently only sections close briefly for servicing, but otherwise it is pretty much a 24/7 operation. And around the Grand Lisboa are casino hotels with brand names seen in Las Vegas and elsewhere.

Whilst out and about in the early hours of exploration and being propositioned (with gambling comes other professional services), WeChat messages started to come in. Because WhatsApp and other western technologies are blocked, WeChat is China’s equivalence to WhatsApp for communications. The first message was from Grace asking if I could get to the border crossing earlier - could I be ready to leave 8:30 am or 9:00 at the latest. There was concern that the storm surge of Typhoon Ragasa might cause issues with bridge and ferry traffic, both of which would be shut down sometime that afternoon. Then Tao connected to indicate he was not sure that the car could be rebooked - did I mind taking a taxi? I think it was about now that I really appreciated the gravity of the situation as news news came in of the deadly consequences of Ragasa on both Taiwan and the Philippines. Super Typhoon Ragasa was already labeled the strongest storm of the year, a category 5, and one of the largest in recorded history. Of course I did not mind taking a taxi. So, back to the hotel I went to shower, grab a bite to eat, pack, and then head to the border crossing.

Similar to entering Shanghai, the process of going through customs and immigration back into China was a curious mix of recorded high tech bio metrics and low tech filling of forms to indicate where you were going, who is your contact, and whether you are bringing in goods or money. Normally, this is easy to do…unless your copies of bookings are in Chinese. I did my best to fill in the form and navigate between my Google translation app and completing the information. And, suddenly, one of the border security guards came over to see why I was taking so long. Realizing I was struggling a bit (understatement) he smiled and took over filling in the form…in Chinese. I was immensely grateful and the guard humbly bowed his head as I profusely thanked him. As I noted in my previous blog (Part #1), my experience of people in China was very positive - for the most part they are kind, generous, and quite eager to help. And this guard’s assistance and humility was a prime exemplar of this spirit. Of course, when I proceeded to the immigration and customs wicket, there was first a reaction of bewilderment at what was, I hoped, meticulous accuracy in the completed form…and then bemusement when it became obvious I had been helped. As for the biometrics…because I had been screened in Shanghai, it was a matter of one thumbprint and a stamp in my visa that I was back in mainland China.

Once through customs and immigration, I was off to find Grace at an international landmark in the huge station/mall at the border - Starbucks. Once we linked up, there was time for a quick latte before meeting up with Amy for the ride to Guangzhou. The 2-hour drive gave me opportunity to take in some of the countryside, but really it seemed like run-on urban density throughout much of the trip. While there were many sprawling apartment complexes along the highway the skyline to the north along the Pearl River delta was endless. When one thinks of China’s total population, it is not hard to imagine that the main concentration of many cities and suburbs are along the water all along the coast and river ways. The population in this region, alone, literally equates to the entire population of Canada and then some. And the highway infrastructure in this region is massive and, in many places, still in development. Same with transit with many new rail lines being constructed. If nothing else, the Chinese do know how to throw resources into a project to get it done. As for the traffic, it was surprisingly light given the impending shutdown and it was completely fluid. Compared to Highway 1 entering Vancouver, the 401 in Toronto, and the 40 (Metropolitan) in Montreal, the traffic flow on this stretch in China was hugely efficient. I asked Amy if this was always the case, and she said occasionally if there was a mishap flow could get blocked but that there was so much monitoring any issue was dealt with immediately. Indeed, the number of traffic cameras and directions (warnings) seemed to keep everything in order. Methinks Canada could learn a lesson or two from China on traffic management.

When we got to Guangzhou and to what I call “University Island”, the weather was remarkable - pretty hot and humid with only occasional light clouds hovering above. One would not think there was a category 5 storm headed our way. “University Island”, which I think is called Changzhou Island, is quite literally a huge green space with about 8 different universities situated on the island. The main campus of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University is located on the island, as were specialty universities for medicine, business, and architecture. And everywhere there were parks, pavilions, and networks of both walking and biking trails. There was not a sense of crowding - in fact, there were relatively few people about. And my hotel was situated between campuses in a very lovely setting with abundance of greenery on all sides. The hotel was more of a kitschy modern flavor, a bit too bright and chrome for my liking, but it likely was designed with students and a younger population in mind. I had a huge room that was set up more like a dormitory room with two beds and student work stations. But it had huge windows kind of facing to the river that would become a source of “entertainment” when the storm hit and I was located on the 7th floor…high and dry.

Because we had left early and there was time in the afternoon, Amy took me on a drive through Guangzhou and to the historic neighborhood of Yongqing Fang district where the ancestral home of Bruce Lee’s family is. The home has been turned into a museum featuring Bruce Lee’s achievements and legacy, and the building is remarkably well preserved dating back to early 1800s. This home was one of several jewels in this neighborhood. There were alley networks and other buildings of note, including an old Buddhist shrine and Chinese opera house. Everywhere were vendors and artisan shops, as well as a canal and little gardens. It was a hubbub of tourists with both organized groups and general throngs of people squeezing through narrow alleyways. While the historical aspects intrigued me, I was more enthralled with parking…computerized bays where cars were driven in and magically taken away with the use of lifts and conveyors to some unknown place. Amy just parked her car in one of the bays, came out to a computer console to pay for parking and, voila!, the doors closed and the car disappeared only to open again for the next car. No parking ramps and no circling the block.

After this delightful outing, it was back to the hotel for me to grab dinner in the Chinese restaurant (there were two…a regular one and a Chinese one) and then for me to prepare for the presentation the next day. Again, with the approach of Ragasa, campuses were closed and so a decision was made for me to do one presentation remotely on the Wednesday rather than two. And the hotel manager was so accommodating to provide us a room to broadcast from the next day.