gene, how was China? And what was the SARS awareness there?

[carly]

Was SARS a high profile issue and discussed by the average person there?

[Serpent]

ttt

[scotty1]

I'm in China and I can tell you that SARS awareness is pretty **** high around here.

[dezhen2001]

hope you are ok there buddy:)

dawood

[GeneChing]

Why doesn't SARS rhyme with wars?

SARS awareness was very high - it was on the news every night, right after the war coverage showing all the amputee kids. Actually, I was much more senstive to the war than SARS. As an American, that part was tough. I got several wise ass remarks. I think if China's government gave the nod, millions would have taken to the streets to protest the USA and that would have been very very bad for any travelling Americans.

One of my friends in CITS was saying the everyone is cancelling tours due to SARS, which ironically is making it a better time to travel to China as long as you don't go to the infected areas like HK. Shaolin was fine. I went through the Zhengzhou, Shanghai and Beijing airports, and they were fine too. Sure there were some people wearing masks, a little more than usual, but it wasn't that bad. Shaolin was fine - that's the only place I went, so I couldn't really say about the rest of the country. Nor could I say much about now. Things change quickly in times of plague and war.