Beautiful Day

My blood sugar was up quite a bit this morning; when I checked, it registered 10.3, which is a little outside my usual comfortable range. Ideally, I like to keep it between 5 and 8, and I hardly ever see a reading as high as 10.3. Normally, I’m around the six or seven mark, which is perfectly fine for a diabetic. I suspect it’s elevated due to yesterday’s culinary adventures – there were plenty of noodles, rice, and similar carbs, especially during the food tour.

Even though I consciously tried to limit the carbs and focus more on proteins, it seems my sugar levels inevitably crept up. Then, to top it off, last night I also had those few beers on the tour and even braved a shot of baijiu – that potent white spirit. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the baijiu; I think it had a slightly sweet edge to it? Anyway…

The real surprise of the evening, however, came after I arrived back at the hotel last night. When I first got to my room, I noticed a torch by my bedside and thought it was a bit unusual. My first thought was, “Are they concerned about me getting up in the middle of the night and tripping over, given my leg?” About an hour after I settled in, the lights suddenly went out, and I knew something was definitely up! I ventured out for a look down the corridor, and in my wing of the hotel at least, all the lights were off. So, it was clear something significant was happening. I found out this morning that it was actually a planned power outage. I just hadn’t received the memo because I wasn’t on the main bus coming back with the rest of the group yesterday.

So, that sudden blackout was a bit of a shock! Fortunately, I had brought a power bank with me. I’d been wondering whether I would actually need it, as my phone usually lasts pretty well. Thankfully, I was able to pull it out last night, get my phone charging, and ensure I was all set for the day.

The day started with another stop on our organised tour: a visit to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. I’d actually experienced something similar back in 2010 on my tour with Sue, so I had some idea of what to expect.

The format is usually pretty standard: it often starts with a foot massage – though I wasn’t keen on that myself, as having only one foot makes it a bit redundant, and taking my shoe and prosthesis on and off is quite an ordeal. This is followed by an explanation about the principles of Chinese medicine, and then they offer individual ‘diagnosis’ sessions.

I noticed a fair bit of skepticism among many of my fellow tour members about the whole process. Personally, I try to be a bit more philosophical about it; you have to think that in 5000 years of practice, they must have learned a thing or two. The man giving the introduction also gave an interesting talk about the balance between traditional and modern medicine, and how both can have their place.

As for the diagnoses offered, I confess I remained a little skeptical. Looking around at many of my fellow tour members – mostly men in their 70s – I felt I could have probably hazarded a guess that many of them might drink a bit too much, perhaps not always eat as healthily as they could, and likely had some circulation issues or early signs of diabetes. It didn’t seem to require ancient wisdom to spot some of those common ailments. Consequently, I wasn’t convinced of the need to spend a few hundred dollars on the prescribed Chinese medicines, though quite a few of our group did decide to make purchases.

Today’s big event was the trip to Shanghai, which meant experiencing the famous high-speed train. There’s been a lot of excitement building for this within our group. As I’ve chatted with others, the men, in particular, have been very vocal about their anticipation. Perhaps after the ladies had their fill with the jade factory and other “pretty things,” perhaps it’s the “boys’ turn” for some impressive engineering marvels! A generalisation, I know, but that’s certainly the vibe.

The journey from Beijing to Shanghai by high-speed train absolutely lived up to the hype. It was an incredibly pleasant experience from start to finish. The train glided along so smoothly, and I really enjoyed just looking out the windows at the vast and ever-changing Chinese landscape flashing by – a fascinating tapestry of agricultural land, bustling towns, and striking new developments.

Beyond the scenery, it was also a great opportunity to connect properly with some of my fellow group members. During those few hours on the train, I learned a bit more about their lives, their own travel experiences, and what brought them on this particular tour. It’s always one of the unexpected pleasures of group travel – getting to know new people and hearing their stories.