We got up at 5am on Tuesday, June 17th, to finish our packing and left for the airport by 9am. Our Delta flight #281 took off an hour late and reached Shanghai around 4:30pm on Wednesday, China time, which is approximately 1:30am PST on that same day. I must say that flying Delta One (the premium class) was quite enjoyable, and I could certainly get used to having my own little pod! Naturally, we're too frugal to pay for such luxury, but we’re delighted to experience it thanks to our Chinese hosts who made the reservations for us. After landing in Shanghai, we slowly navigated through Chinese Immigration, waiting over an hour in line, followed by about 20 minutes of passport checks. This might have been due to our Chinese visas being in our expired passports (although the visas were still valid) and also having our new passports with us. The airport was incredibly hot and humid, prompting me to sneak into a restroom to change into more breathable clothing.
Post-immigration, we went through two or three security checks, with the last one being particularly interesting! Besides the usual requirement to remove all electronics, they also asked us to take out all pens and even umbrellas! Thankfully, we had a four-hour layover in Shanghai, which gave us time for immigration, security checks, and the journey from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. Our flight from Shanghai to Chengdu departed at 7:25pm. Although there was considerable turbulence, we landed safely in Chengdu around 10:30pm. We were greeted by Xiandong, our host, along with his assistant and a graduate student. He obviously appreciates Michael and all the assistance he’s provided over the past 10-15 years, which explains his desire to include me on this trip.
After arriving at the hotel, which is centrally located in Chengdu, we drove around a bit to see some city sights, including one of the few remaining statues of Chairman Mao in all his glory. We checked into our hotel, and Xiandong had booked a suite on the 21st floor that must be around 1800 sq ft! It has a long entry hall, a living room, a changing room, two bathrooms, and a huge bedroom! It’s quite extravagant, but we’re enjoying it! After dropping our bags in the room, they insisted we go out for drinks and a light dinner in the "night street," vibrant with open bars and restaurants. We were joined by 5-6 of his graduate students, and the drinking commenced. We sampled one of his favorite Chinese liquors and ended up finishing most of the bottle after sharing a shot with Michael and a half-shot with me. Although we were exhausted, the food, drinks, and lively discussions kept going, and we didn’t return until after 1am on Thursday! Here’s a shot of the Chinese liquor that Xiandong clearly enjoyed! It had a very aromatic profile with a somewhat spicy finish. I managed to finish my half-shot, but that was all I could handle after being awake for so long during our travels!
Today is a new day—we got at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep, so we’re good to go for now. We're set to be picked up shortly to take us to the University Hospital, where Michael will meet with graduate students to review manuscripts. Apparently, the University has the top-ranked Nursing School in China, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. They hope to arrange for me to meet with a couple of nursing faculty members and doctoral students while Michael is busy being brilliant! It looks like it will be another eventful day—Michael is giving a lecture at the University around noon, then we’ll head out for a tour of Chengdu, followed by dinner and hopefully an earlier return than last night. More details about today’s adventures to follow!
Gazing at the stunning temple nestled at the base of the Songshan Mountain range in Henan province, southeast of Luoyang, I had finally reached a destination I had dreamed of visiting for many years. I found myself captivated by the legendary Shaolin temple, renowned as the residence of the esteemed Indian monk Bodhidharma, who is recognized as the founder of Zen Buddhism and Kung Fu martial arts. The temple's historical architectural complex, notable for its remarkable aesthetic appeal and deep cultural significance, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. After capturing my usual photographs of the temple, I settled in front of a statue of Bodhidharma and entered a state of deep meditation. As a practitioner of transcendental meditation, it was easy for me to transition into dhyana, despite the occasional noise from tourists wandering around the temple, primarily known to the general public as the birthplace of Kung Fu. My personal connection to this temple, shared with many of my fellow natives from my home state of Tamil Nadu, India, is through the great Bodhidharma, who journeyed from our city of Kanchipuram in 520 AD to promote Mahayana Buddhism in China. He spent nine years residing in the Shaolin temple, and I plan to share his story as recounted by Tsutomu Kambe, a former Physics Professor at the University of Tokyo, in his book 'Bodhi Dharma and Oceanic Silk Road.' I have long desired to write about the remarkable Bodhidharma for my blog readers ever since my visit to this region in 2003.
28.03.2025 - 28.03.2025 20 °C
04.04.2025 - 04.04.2025 20 °C
Nearly every weekend was filled with an exam. There were entrance exams for international high schools, PE assessments for middle school graduates (which my daughter excelled in, scoring full marks in all), and mock exams for subjects like English, Chemistry, and Physics, among others.
15.03.2025 - 15.03.2025
Yesterday was a lengthy day for Michael as he "sang for his supper," and I accompanied him as his wife. We were grateful to be picked up around 10 am, especially since we didn't get home the night we arrived until after 1 am! Our first stop was a new research institute linked to the university and the hospital, designed to support both basic and clinical research with dedicated buildings for cancer, neurological/mental health, and cardiovascular studies, among others. The complex is stunning and situated on the outskirts of the city. We had lunch there with prominent professors and staff before proceeding to the hospital, where Michael engaged with a group of psychiatry graduate students working with our host, Xiandong Tang. Each student presented a brief PowerPoint on their current research, and Michael offered both encouragement and constructive feedback to help them enhance their projects. By 4:30 pm, it was time for his lecture in front of a packed audience mostly composed of psychiatrists and graduate students. Interestingly, the majority were female, with only a few men present. As always, Michael was brilliant and alert, while I, on the other hand, was clearly feeling the effects of jet lag but pushed through!
On Tuesday morning, June 17th, we got up at 5am to complete our packing and left for the airport by 9am. Our Delta flight #281 departed an hour behind schedule and landed in Shanghai around 4:30pm Wednesday, local time, which was approximately 1:30am PST on Wednesday.