I am an American currently stranded in China cuz of the Virus AMA!

On a serious note: What was the best part of your trip before the outbreak?

On a dark humorous note: you got your will in order?

1. We met her old college buddies in Tianjin early on in our trip. As typical of a multi language relationship I was the last to know it was also a baby shower but thankfully we brought an appropriate gift for the baby. The kid was super cute and wasn’t scared of the white guy. (Me)

While the ladies all hung out and refused to slow down their Chinese for the training wheels foreigner, her friends husband and I had a lot of fun talking about LoL. We shared videos and language.

I enjoy languages and games a lot.

1. I’m only 29 so no :/

With pandemic on the rise.. huh. You are like 80.

:/

I had a lot of fun talking about LoL

Main?

I mained Mordekaiser. Literally been writing a diss track because I despise the rework.

“ With his mace of spades, he’ll be winning all the trades,

He’ll knock you up higher than mount killamanjaro, with his harvester of sorrow for you they’ll be. no. tomorrow.

An’ Even without dashes- still smashes YOUR ass to ashes,

1 shot the ADcarry, raisem from the cemetery, Enemies be wary-it’s foolhardy to tarry,

cuz aced by the mace is whatcha screenz gonna day when a child of the grave is born on this day,

Haters called him bad and that’s a score I meant to settle,

Cuz when it came to Mordekaiser, I PUT THE META IN THE MASTER OF METAL.

But see, that was once upon a time, cuz this new Mordekaiser is no longer mine

From the ground up 100% changed, Mord’s been more than just rearranged

They said they’d take his bugs, but what more did they take? They turned the master of metal into a Bronze pancake!

They took all of his depth, an’ left none of his soul, And had the nerve to call this flat champ an fucking overhaul!?

Who are they? That’s a difficult question to answer, Cuz Riot Games ain’t the only source of this cancer.

So many of you lining up to tell us what was wrong, but y’all nevah played Morde, your opinions don’t belong,

And for those of you among us-who knew what he was like,-you never spoke up-and now you’ve lost the fight

And before you try tell me that this is just a game, it’s a 3rd of my life, do you not know my name?

Cuz I am the King of elo hell, Ask your fellow peasants if that name rings a bell!

For 9 and a half years I’ve been making my mark, an’ they’ll never be a player that matches my hueart!

Cuz I am the Rock Lee of League of Legends, and like the Lotus, I’m coming back with a vengeance!

So sit down Riot and cancel your missions, it’s time you reflect on these rework decisions!

You claim 200 years experience designing video games? So why are you ignoring the very blood in your veins?”

That’s all I got so far. Hoping to get a music video recorded before Mord’s 10th birthday on Feb 24, and make it go viral.

I had over 4 million mastery on Morde. You?

My big picks are Yorick, Pyke, and Urgot, been getting into Sylas recently too

Heard they keep reworking Sylas

I thought Americans were being removed and flown home. Have you been contacted by any authorities?

No, but my wife is only a green card holder. She didn’t want to relinquish her Chinese citizenship. So not sure how that would play out at an Embassy. Plus Americans to my knowledge are only being “rescued” inside Wuhan. We’re in Heze, Shandong

Some American carriers (United) are offering free flight changes and waiving fare differences if you fly out by Feb 7, but it sounds like you booked with another carrier

Sichuan :(

How are you able to post on Reddit from China?

This message was sponsored by ExpressVPN

Are you worried about getting infected yourself?

Her little brother literally gave me his cold my first day here. So at first I was super paranoid. My wife had a fever for 4 days off and on and all the wrong symptoms too.

But I’m pretty much fully healed, just some stuffy nose issues now. My wife just has a left over cough. We think she contracted the flu just before leaving the States because I had my flu shot and she hadn’t.

So I was scared at first, but now, not really. Only paranoid one of us might cough at the airport and get quarantined..

Oh shit y’all are basically zombies

Man this comment really made me laugh Thankyou

Do you think Chinese Media is being truthful about the number of people that are infected/deceased?

A recent video on reddit showed a Chinese doctor overwhelmed by all the sick people.

So glad you brought that up. Someone on my FB feed did too.

One thing I’ve learned from being married to a very patriotic Chinese woman for over 2 years is that both sides of the fence lie to suit their needs.

American propaganda exists too. Believe me I’m always gung-ho for human rights and pointing out flaws in her thinking and her government, but she often catches our issues too.

This video is a great point. The American population in general doesn’t speak Mandarin. But the video was conveniently subtitled and so it spread very easily. And then our media picked it up. No doubt they have Mandarin speakers on their payroll. No doubt they translated the video before running it on their sites. No doubt they knew the subtitles mistranslated the Nurse’s message.

But they still ran it with the click bait title about 90,000 people being infected.

Source I study Mandarin and more importantly everyone in my house right now speaks it fluently. We watched the video and they all quickly pointed out the mismatching subs.

To answer your question?

I don’t know honestly. I know the Chinese people are trying very hard to do their part. I know the local government in Wuhan is incompetent and the Chinese people are really angry about the way this situation has been handled. I know that the top trending threads/topics on Reddit like Chinese sites are calling for the replacement of the Wuhan province leadership.

But as for which side tells the most truth and least lies? I couldn’t tel you. We’re all sheep of varying intelligence and self awareness.

Will you take pictures maybe videos and let Reddit know if this outbreak turns into a zombie apocalypse?

You can count on me

How is the current situation there, is it as bad and people panicking like the News is reporting? Hopefully you can make it back home soon with your Wife, good luck.

I’ve been updating my family and friends daily on FB. I’ll just copy/paste today’s update:

“It’s day 5 of being stuck inside the house.

5 days since the severity of the Wuhan strain of the Coronavirus first broke news.

On the 23rd there were 400 cases reported and 17 deaths. A death rate of 4.25%.

Now on Jan 28th there are over 4,000 cases, and 106 people have died. A death rate of 2.65%.

If you are young, have no history of respiratory illnesses, this virus isn’t a threat to you in its current mutation.

However it is because all countries have elderly and people susceptible to this disease that it is causing such a stir.

There is speculation that the R0 is up from 1.4-2.5 to 5.4. Meaning that the virus is becoming more virulent. (An infected person can spread it to X amount of people before no longer being contagious.)

Additional speculation suggests that the virus can survive on dead surfaces for some time without a host. This is suggested by the preventative measures China is currently employing.

These 2 tidbits have not been verified by WHO or ECDC. However it’s worth noting that WHO has sent representatives to China within the last few days and we will be getting more concrete information soon.

Mongolia appears to be the First Nation to close its borders to China in the wake of this growing concern.

EDIT: For anyone using YT or a North American news site to get your information on what’s going on here, do your due diligence. I was told in the comments below with an official citation that someone working in China was claiming over 90,000 people had been infected. However if you can speak Mandarin (你好！) and translate the video correctly, you will find that no such assertion has been made yet. Please do not get clickbaited. There is a difference between someone with something important to say and someone trying to get more cash per click.

That’s all I got for you today folks”

Is the outbreak really FAR worse than what we see on international news reports?

From where we sit it’s being over exaggerated. Like that bit about the Nurse in Wuhan that all the major western media used as click bait?

Blatantly mistranslated and the worst part is you know they have people there that can speak Chinese. But they run the story anyways cuz most Americans won’t know any better and it’ll push ad rev.

What I can tell you is that Chinese people are taking this very seriously. They block off access to all the villages and most cities and anyone without an ID card proving they are from there isn’t allowed in.

How are you stuck in china? Does your city not have an airport? I’ve been able to fly from Tianjin to HK (reaching Tianjin via train) 21st - 24th and Beijing to Vietnam via Korea just yesterday. Admittedly I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back at the end of the week but I’m happy to ride it out in Vietnam because I can’t work until the schools open again.

Because our tickets can’t be rescheduled. We have return tickets for the 31st. Dunno what’s gonna happen between now and then but hoping for the best.

Bit of an exaggeration to say you’re stranded then isn’t it...

As of writing you could leave if you wanted to buy different tickets right?

¥22000 per person. There’s 2 of us. My wife isn’t a US National. Abandoning our non refundable $12,000 comfortable tickets just to spend another $1,000 on uncomfortable tickets that might result in us getting sent back to China anyways?

Keep in mind my wife just recovered from the flu and still has a residual cold. She’s no longer sick, but if she so much as coughs at the airport, we’re doomed.

So yeah, stranded is the word I’m sticking with Damp.

I just saw that your tickets out are 1st class. You could leave but you don’t want to fly economy with the peasants.

For the record I myself am a peasant. I grew up without running water till I was 17. Left home without shoes, socks, a shirt of even glasses 12 yrs ago. But my wife and I work hard and life is rewarding us. It’s not the people I mind, in fact the biggest downside to first class is no one new to talk with. But I need that leg room man.

Fair enough! I’m just jealous.

It’s all good. People back in my home town give me weird looks anytime I visit too. I never realized the difference walking past 1st class and being in 1st class watching people look at you as they walked past till I found myself sitting. It was unsettling.

You sound like a decent guy. I hope things work out for the best. We are stuck at home to a lesser extent here in HK. Kids at home out of school for 2 more weeks after CNY, everything fun has been closed.

Thankyou for your words. Also what is HK like these days? (Virus aside, speaking of the protests)

my also friend is stuck in china till the 31st too and will have to go through a week of quarantine and she’ll miss a week of school.

Wait what? Tell me more! Why? How? This is valuable information!

Australia is quarantining people that have flown out of China too. I know several schools with Chinese students who flew back to China for a holiday and are back in Australia for the start of the school term are telling the students that they must stay in their rooms for a week or so and attend the doctor or school nurse before being allowed to attend classes. This is being taken very seriously.

Oh that’s a lax AF quarantine. You had me expecting to be escorted to a white tent the moment I landed.

What’s the local news saying about it all? What does your wife think about the situation?

Local news is advising everyone to stay inside. Douyin (chinese version of TikTok) is meming hard about “villages” blocking entry of anyone into their cities without the right plates.

My brother in law and his wife and child just attempted to return to their home and they refused to let the husband in because his ID card shows he’s not from there. So I can tell you that Chinese citizens are taking this very seriously.

My wife thinks is scary and hopes she doesn’t cough at the airport

So you are potentially infected and plan on flying out as soon as possible to other areas of the world?

Given that it’s supposed to take a week or two for symptoms to show and symptoms should include pneumoniac characteristics, it’s safe to say we haven’t been exposed to it (only citing the cold and flu we just overcame)

However you’re right to say we might be carrying it and not know for up to 2 weeks from this point. Extremely unlikely given our activities but still possible. It’s also possible you could have it. In the last 2 weeks can you honestly and accurately account for every person and surface you’ve been in contact with and every person and surface they have been in contact with for the last 2 weeks?

See where I’m going with this? It’s impossible to know. If I do have it, it’s better to get tested and treated for it in the US than in China. If it makes you feel better I’ll wear a face mask till I know I don’t have it.

So it’s supposed to take a week but you don’t really know. You could have and not show signs il your on a plane. You will pass people in major airports possibly heading to places that don’t have the healthcare of the USA.

So what are you suggesting? Spend 2 more months here in China waiting for progress to be made on a new and evolving virus inside a developing country while my work and business go on without me?

Or maybe I should check myself into a hospital in this small city of 3,000,000 people and risk cross contamination while waiting in a line of thousands of people?

Contact your embassy and arrange transport through them if possible

What charity do you stream for? I’ve been supporting Extralife for the last 2 years!

How imp. is it to know Mandarin in China?

You know Mandarin?

我说一点点中文。

It honesty depends on where you go and why. Are you on business and going to Beijing or Shanghai? Probably not important to make quick money. But speaking their language goes a LONG way in terms of trust and making long term money.

Chinese people have a lot of respect for foreigners that take the time to meet them half way.

In “smaller” cities like Heze, China. (Population 3M and where I am atm) it’s absolutely necessary.

What’s more if you’re married to someone whose first language isn’t your own- you’re, according to my own self principles, an ass if you don’t try to learn their language too. Because:

A. What about their parents and family? Should they be expected to learn English for you? Isn’t it more reasonable for you to learn thier language? And of course developing a strong relationship with the in laws is imperative for a healthy relationship.

B. No matter how well they speak YOUR language, there will ALWAYS be something that gets lost in translation. Some idea, some meaning. Meeting someone halfway is the best way to ensure quality communication.

What color is your toothbrush?

White. Yours?

Pink :)

Nice

Do you stay on your room as much as possible to not get infected or?

We are at her parents home. Her 19 year old brother lives here still too. So it’s upstairs or downstairs. I am downstairs if there’s a movie on or food to eat and upstairs when I just want to sleep/nap.

Do you have any idea of when you’d be coming back?

What did your work say?

We are hoping our flight won’t get canceled and if everything goes well we will leave China on the 31st.

My boss knows I’m on vacation in China till Feb 1st and on the 5th we are supposed to go to Miami for business. So if the 31st doesn’t work out we’re kinds of messed up

Most companies I know have set a quarantine order for people returning from china, no matter which province. Might want to give a heads up to the office and rearrange all travel plans in advance. I’m not sure if your business associates would appreciate being exposed to someone who just went back.

I mean I’m totally willing to get tested upon landing, but if I don’t have it I hardly think a week long quarantine is necessary.

I’m the manager of a Chinese school in Cali so believe me, I know how people are going to look at me when I get back lol

But the virus might still be in its incubation period?

I can literally say to same thing to anyone, anywhere in the world based off the simple fact that none of us can account for every surface and person we’ve come into contact with for the last 2 weeks, as well as who they came into contact with.

For all you know your uncle Gladys shook hands with a business man at lunch who got a handjob at a one of those shady massage parlors and that massage therapist just came back from China.

I get your point. The virus hasn't spread to my country yet and if some person came from China to Denmark, I'd hope they were checked for the virus and if they come from higher risk zones (Wuhan) I do think it's fair to be quarantined. Not because I think it's dangerous for me or you, but for all the weaker and elderly people. But thank you for answering my question!

I’m not against being tested or quarantined, but I don’t want to wait it out in China for 2-3 months while they figure this out- like people in the comments are suggesting.

Have you read/heard elsewhere that if you're leaving China, most places have a 1 week mandatory quarantine?

This is my first time reading it. Can someone give me a source?

Hopefully you guys can just get the hell out of their ASAP.

Hoping things get better over there too. Sucks you guys kinda got sucked into all that. If things turn for the worse and you guys are stuck there for months what would be the game plan ?

Learn more mandarin. Deeply apologize to my boss. Invest in a heavy duty mask and get ready to stockpile more supplies.

We have enough to survive a month at home but the food is kinda bland. I’m dying for peanut butter or Subway right now

Good Chinese is 1000000x better than peanut butter or Subway. You are not worthy.

Nononono don’t misunderstand! I love Chinese food. But the food we stocked up on isn’t very good. We don’t have enough food to cook something delicious everyday so it’s been egg soup and 面包 and fast noodles with a few eggs boiled inside for the last 2 days!

This is my favorite thing in China: https://imgur.com/gallery/KhKjeh0

Looks like 煎饼. That's a good breakfast.

I guess all the markets near you are closed. Man that sucks. China trips are all about food for me. 川菜 til I die.

Man that really is the best breakfast. You’re good people

How many times a day do you wash your hands currently?

3

Traditional Chinese medicine is a thing. Knowing this, how are you both holding out to the infection threat? Also, what good things did you try on the streets of the place you're stuck in?

When we had a cold and her the flu, their idea of treatment was 2 hrs a day on an IV drip w/antibiotics. Wife stuck with it but that got old real quick for me and I refused. One Doctor also swore my cold would be cured within 24 hrs if I let her give me a shot in the butt.

I noped outta there so hard.

As far as food goes? Absolute fave thing to eat is this little chicken soup shop. Eat here every time I’m in China: https://imgur.com/gallery/KhKjeh0

Got 4 bowls and 3 plates of egg bread for less than $10.

Antibiotics for the flu?... Even the chicken soup is a better treatment

It was a combination treatment for a variety of symptoms. I admittedly oversimplified it. They gave her meds for the fever too.

Do you think Captain Crunch deserves a second chance? I'm still not entirely over the all-berries-debacle.

Personally I was just happy Oreo I’d made a comeback

What is your heartrate when a chinese sneezed?

When we landed on the 16th, a week before the scare, my little brother in law picked us up from the airport and had a cold. Which given I sat beside him, he promptly gave to me.

When the virus news hit I was already coughing and hacking. At the time we didn’t know much about it and it appeared to be all the way in Wuhan without any cases in Shandong.

By the time we found out about the long incubation period and that there were cases popping up everywhere all over China, I was already recovering. Since the 23rd I haven’t been outside so it’s pretty chill. If not mind numbingly boring. Hence the AMA. ;)

Are there no flights out of Shanghai PVG at this time? Or in general?

Stay safe out there!

We booked 1st class and that’s a lot of money so if we can’t reschedule that flight we plan to just wait it out for our actual flight.

Hey I'm in the same boat went to China with my wife literally days before we heard. My flight is scheduled for Feb 2nd from shanghai. Should be fine, right?

Hopefully brother! Mongolia closed its borders to all Chinese flights this morning so we’ll see

How do you sustain yourself on an extended stay if you are not working, if you had to stay in a hotel how would this work out with the costs involved?

Residual income bb! Money keeps coming even when you’re not working! My wife I do online business. Selling consumable goods to regular customers is the future.

Are shops with food still open? do you have enghout money for it? do you think you would be forced to steal food if you ran out?

The Chinese government requested that all restaurants close. Believe we looked for delivery more than once and it’s dead. Which give the smorgasbord of options prior is incredible. It’s like a ghost app now.

We can afford to buy more food, but finding a place to buy it would be harder than usual.

As for stealing food? If you want to indulge in survival fantasy go watch TWD. That’s a bridge I don’t expect to cross :)

Did food increase in price since the quarantine? how much?

The price hasn’t gone up here. But there was a guy in Beijing trying to sell face masks for ¥125 per mask. They are usually priced at ¥10. Douyin ridiculed him endlessly.

What's the point of staying inside? If everyone else is inside, then there's no danger of being outside.

I hate crowds, so the idea of being able to walk (or mountain bike) in, say, the Purple Mountain in Nanjing right now sounds like a dream.

One of my friends is in Beijing and did just that. He said the same thing you’re saying now and I’m inclined to agree. However when I asked me wife this she said there are still some people outside and she just wants to be as safe as possible.

How many days of food do you have left? How will you get more?

I’m sure there are places open or available that I’ve not been made aware of yet.

If push comes to shove, our grandmother and father in law own a really small pit stop store with over 2 months worth of food. Doubt it’ll come to that though

Do you regret going to China? Is it total chaos over there?

I don’t regret going, but I don’t like staying inside all day playing mobile games when there is a vibrant city of culture and food I’m missing out on just outside. It’s different in the US. There I’d consider gaming all day days a gift

Edit: chaos? Not in Heze. We’ve heard parts of Wuhan are bad though.

Did you got a health insurance for this trip?

I don’t. :P

Are face masks readily available there? What if you run out? I'm talking, of course, about the disposable ones.

They keep saying they are sold out, yet her little brother keeps pulling new ones out of his coat pocket. I never lack for 1 is all I can tell ya

How does it feel getting stranded in China after starting in two Atlantis films?

2 Atlantis films?

Do you fear death?

I’m a 29 year old male. We are notoriously stupid and rarely feel less than invincible. I’m just concerned about getting locked out of the US till all this blows over.

Do you enjoy bat soup?

Never had it. Never been offered it. Asked my wife and she made a gross face. She admits southern Chinese “eat anything”

Is there a clear rift between north and south?

Much like America Canada and America

Could you elaborate? In my mind the only separation between Canada and the US is that they are separate countries, whereas North and South China are still China. So I think I missed your point.

I'm in southern China right now. Everyone I have asked about bat soup said they would never eat it.

Someone else commented that only the older generation eats the weird stuff. I guess what’s weird changes every 10 yrs. I find chicken and pig feet weird but my wife loves them.

We eat cicadas too here, those I can deal with.

Just a very small percent of China people occasionally eat exotic wild animals. I live in Shanghai but grew up in a small town just about 150km from Wuhan. My parents, relatives and people around us never ate bat, dog, cat etc.

Most of those folks who eat those animals are old Southerners. Younger generation generally hate it and have been bashing it on China’s social media. I think this Wuhan outbreak in some way will do us Chinese a big favor by further changing people’s view toward eating exotic animals eventually.

That and wet markets hopefully. Even here in Shandong, the hygiene is deplorable. But they generally shrug you off as a stuck up foreigner if you complain.

What’s it like to be so attractive?

At first I thought you were making a lot of assumptions then I remembered you all know what I look like. Now I’m just flattered.