Well, for a change there is a good reason to stay in China. Back in 2011 I started to ask myself, why I should stay here and in 2012 I put down all my thoughts in an essay and later even in an amateur podcast recording.
The topic is permanent, almost like burdening ruminations. But after all, I have concluded, it is important to re-evaluate the situation year after year. Does it pay off to stay or is it better to leave? China changes so fast, that an annual recap of advantages and disadvantages is more than justified.
A few weeks ago I did my first annual health check in China. Before that I had it done abroad, because it was simply easier. I was at Shanghai's Delta Health and a tall physician from Kenya, trained in England with a perfect British accent, did all the tests that were due.
When it comes to my health history, I tell him that I did suffer severe asthma back in Austria, but curiously enough I don't have any breathing difficulties in China. He smiles and replies dryly that that's no surprise: The carbon monoxide contents in China's polluted air has beneficial aspects on respiratory tract. The effect is similar to my standard medication salbutamol, which I had to inhale whenever I was short of breath.
My mouth was left gaping wide open. You are kidding, aren't you? No, absolutely not, Doctor Magalawe says and continues with his tests. Back home I google carbon monoxide, and believe it our not, I immediately find above picture clearly showing that China has the highest carbon monoxide concentration worldwide.
The topic is permanent, almost like burdening ruminations. But after all, I have concluded, it is important to re-evaluate the situation year after year. Does it pay off to stay or is it better to leave? China changes so fast, that an annual recap of advantages and disadvantages is more than justified.
A few weeks ago I did my first annual health check in China. Before that I had it done abroad, because it was simply easier. I was at Shanghai's Delta Health and a tall physician from Kenya, trained in England with a perfect British accent, did all the tests that were due.
When it comes to my health history, I tell him that I did suffer severe asthma back in Austria, but curiously enough I don't have any breathing difficulties in China. He smiles and replies dryly that that's no surprise: The carbon monoxide contents in China's polluted air has beneficial aspects on respiratory tract. The effect is similar to my standard medication salbutamol, which I had to inhale whenever I was short of breath.
My mouth was left gaping wide open. You are kidding, aren't you? No, absolutely not, Doctor Magalawe says and continues with his tests. Back home I google carbon monoxide, and believe it our not, I immediately find above picture clearly showing that China has the highest carbon monoxide concentration worldwide.
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