Day Nine

I woke up this morning around 9 o'clock. Our instructor had scheduled an orientation for 10am so we ended up meeting at that time to do a brief orientation. We discussed our trip itinerary and project goals. All in all, we hope to complete a focus group project based on previously collected data, a tobacco cessation project based on our qualitative analysis and research, and a couple short documentaries centered on aging in China, environmental issues in China, and tobacco use in China.

After orientation we went to lunch as a group in the neighboring mall. We came back and gathered our gear and then headed out to China's WHO Collaborating Center for tobacco cessation. The office is situated in the Beijing Hospital, about a fifteen minute taxi from our hotel. It was at the center that we met the chairman, Dr. Xiao Dan. Dr. Xiao Dan explained her organizations current work and accomplishments. She then received questions from us. A hospital administrator also talked with us, she discussed the hospital's plans for development and expansion.

We exchanged small gifts with our hosts at the hospital and then came back to the hotel to rest and relax. Around six o'clock we hired a couple taxis and went to a noodle house down the street. Time to go to sleep, tomorrow is booked full!