Yes, I am...an American!

We did good America! President Barack Obama. It feels really good to be able to say it. This election meant many different things to Americans. Most of us are able to take away something by his victory. As President Obama said:

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

I'm glad we have an intelligent (and Democratic) voice back in the White House. Most importantly, America overcame a racial barrier to elect its first black president. It's about time!

Living abroad, I really got the sense of how low our reputation had become in the eyes of the world. There was a sense of disappointment and maybe even anger: Bush, Cheney, their policies, treatment of detainees, the war in Iraq, etc. I also saw how closely many non-Americans followed our presidential race. Our friends watched the debates and wanted to discuss them! CNN US political coverage can get to be too much, but thank goodness they kept us in the loop here.

To celebrate the anticipated Obama victory, I went to an election event on Wednesday morning sponsored the American Chamber of Commerce - Shanghai, U.S. Consulate and American Women's Club at the Hilton. As you can imagine, it was an overwhelming pro-Obama crowd. Who wants to come out to drown in defeat? Hee, hee...(An American pub nearby had sponsored an Obama event...something tells me that had more fun. Oh well!) A group of us with our Obama buttons and gear eagerly watched the results come in on a big screen. Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia, etc...

I clearly remember the moment. CNN was announcing results, but then it flashed to a screen that said President Elect Barack Obama. We screamed with excitement. People rose up around the room to clap. Pure eurphora. Loved it! It was moving to see Obama speak in front of the thousands in Chicago after the victory. (John McCain also gave an eloquent concession speech.)

One of my friends here who is Argentinean (but spent most of her life in Brazil) wrote to me to say that she was so proud of America and Americans. She even got emotional with Barack's victory.

In some ways, we've partially redeemed ourselves by electing Obama. Now for the real test. Time to get to work. Time to try to rescue the economy. Figure out how to end the war in Iraq. Rebuild America. I definitely feel comfortable and optimistic with Obama leading the way.

Got (melamine free) milk?

I cannot even begin to fathom who would think adding melamine -- an industiral chemical -- to baby formula wouldn't get babies sick or kill them.

Melamine commonly is used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. This is the same chemical from China last year that sickened and killed thousands of pets in the U.S. The chemical can make milk seem like it has a higher protein level.

Now we have over 50,000 sick babies and four that have died from the contamination. The company then tried to cover up complaints as early as Dec. 2007, the New York Times reported. This scheme has bankrupted the company. Plus, China's entire dairy industry will suffer. For what? So a company could make a little extra profit.

In Shanghai, there is hardly any milk left in aisles once full of numerious brands. I checked three grocery stores this week. The tainted milk has been pulled and then everyone rushed out to buy the imported milk. (It's not recommended to buy fresh milk here because they add too many hormones.) I only have one spare half gallon of my imported milk from New Zealand. Hopefully, they'll restock the shelves with 'good' milk soon. In the meantime, I bought some Australian soy milk.

The milk scandal in China has ramafications throughout the world with products being pulled from the shelves containing potentially tainted milk powder: cookies, pastries, and chocolate. www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/world/asia/26melamine.html?hp. One of the largest Chinese product recalls is White Rabbit, a popular milky tootsie roll-like candy. I've had the candy before and now wonder if it had melamine in it. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/26/china.milk/index.html. These products aren't as dangerous as the powdered milk formula because of the lower content of milk in them. The babies in China relied on the milk as their main source of nourishment.

Let's just hope the government understands that it needs to step up its inspections. It's a problem all over the world, people don't care about others when they start getting too greedy. This time, the consequences are devastating for babies and their families in China.

Did I really see...

a two year old infant pooping over a garbage in a subway station? It was during the weekend rush, too. The mother held up the infant while she did her thing. Then shook the child to finish off the job if you can imagine. I turned away pretty quickly once I realized what was going on. Yikes!

Going Organic...in China

I recently wrote a story for the local expat newspaper, The Shanghai Daily, about the organic market in Shanghai. With concerns related to soil and chemicals, the majority of expats and foreigners opt for organic fruits and vegetables.

For locals, the prices for organic produce remain steep...two bell peppers go for about $2 US dollars, three potatoes and a pack of cherry tomatoes for a buck. Plus, people here are just simply trying to make a living...learning more about safer produce is probably one of the last things on their minds.

Nationwide, organics consumers account for no more than 3 percent of China’s total population. Most of China's organic products are shipped abroad to the American and European markets.

I admit, back at home I didn't buy too many organic fruits and vegetables. I buy mostly organic here because I worry about the lack of regulations and prices don't seem expensive from an American perspective.

There are big and small players in the market. I visited a small farm for my story. You could see their passion and enjoyment in promoting their organic produce and products. The highlight of the visit was trying some refreshing organic ice cream in two interesting flavors - cherry tomato and pumpkin.

Their message harkens back to taking care of environment by not using fertilizers and chemicals. Definitely an important reason to support the organic movement.

Here's the story:

The fragrant smell of basil filled the greenhouse on a sultry summer day as Yong-Qin Wang worked to clear the weeds from the herbs. Outside, plastic bottles rigged to catch pests naturally lured them in with pollen inside. In another greenhouse, asparagus and red peppers grew side-by-side because the pests attracted to each vegetable are known to attack each other.

This is a small glimpse of the inner workings at BIOFarm, a small organic operation with 100 acres in the ChuanSha modern Agriculture Exhibiting Area near the Pudong International Airport. Free of chemical aids, the cultivation process – from sowing of the seeds to harvest - requires more labor and patience for yields of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, ginger, and red orka.

“Organic takes more time to grow because we have to follow nature’s rules. Chemicals can do a lot of things, but they can be toxic to our health,” said Jane Tsao, director of public relations and events at BIOFarm.

Organic leaf vegetables can take up to 25 days to grow compared to 10 to 14 days. Tomatoes sometimes will require three to four months instead of two months. The higher prices of organic foods, due to the labor costs and lower yields, remain a barrier reaching more new customers.

Despite the harsh weather extremes, the organic market is growing in Shanghai with many farms – about 40 km away – bringing in fresh produce in everyday to area supermarkets and homes.

A Greenpeace survey from 2006 commissioned in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong, found middle-high income family were the main target consumer for organic foods because they were willing to pay three to four times more for organic products. Shanghai consumers were the most concerned about food quality.

It’s no longer only expatriates and foreigners seeking out organic products in Shanghai, said Guy Wiener, general manager of Shanghai Organics, the largest and first organic producer in Shanghai.

“Local customers are more aware of healthy food and more people can afford it,” Wiener said. “When you can afford it, you get to know it. Then you’ll want to buy it because it’s better for you.”

What’s organic exactly?

Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions. This growing process doesn’t include any chemical ripening, genetically modified ingredients, chemical pesticides, or herbicides.

Currently, people can find wide range organic goods beyond fruits and vegetables. These include honey, milk powder, rice, dried beans, and tea.

Nanjing-based Organic Food Development Center (OFDC) is the main certifier of organic food in China. The agency, founded in 1994, is recognized by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), a global organics certifier.

IFOAM standards- a set of principles, recommendations, and baselines to ensure organic integrity - is compatible with U.S., European, and Japanese rules.

To sustain OFDC certification, farms undergo yearly inspections of farm fields and processing facilities and periodic testing of soil and water. Some consumer distrust remains with fake labeling and regulation standards. Many organic producers in Shanghai encourage customers to visit their farms to establish a sense of trust.

Weiner said the United States faced similar trust issues 20 years ago when its organic market began to emerge. He estimates the China organic market is about five years behind the United States and Europe.

“Every market will be regulated, it’s just a matter of time,” he said.

Organic in Shanghai

Higher incomes and awareness has been the key that has turned more people to organic produce in Shanghai.

“It’s healthier for everyone,” said Shirley Sun, 27, who began buying organic produce a couple of years ago.

“I buy organic, but not always because the price is so much higher. My parents who are over 50 will not buy it, said Sun, a 27-year-old executive assistant. “For local people, regular vegetables are more common. You can only see the organic in certain markets.”

One box of organic vegetables is 10 kuai compared to one kuai for a regular vegetable, Sun said. (It's about $1 US dollar for 7 kaui.)

For mothers like Kristy White, she’s found increasing evidence from her home country of Australia that a 100 percent organic diet can improve the immune system of young children. She plans to follow this diet for her 4 month son once he starts eating solid foods.

“I feel like the organic fruits and vegetables are cleaner. There’s less potential that it’s ridden with chemicals,” said White, 34, who worked in international relations before moving to Shanghai.

Launched this past spring, the Organic Garden program from Shanghai Roots & Shoots has given area schools and universities first hand knowledge of growing organic foods with assistance from BIOFarm and Shanghai Organics.

Students from 14 schools cared for gardens on school grounds. They used organic fertilizer and red earthworms to prep the soil, and kept up the gardens with weeding and bug catching.

“The students are very happy with their work. Not only do they learn about organic, they also think about why it’s good for us and why it matters for the earth,” said Catharine Gong, program coordinator at Shanghai Roots & Shoots Program.

Experts from BIO Farm showed students the proper techniques for organic farming and they’ve also invited classes out to the farm for further education. The hope is that these students will also teach their parents.

“We want more customers to understand organic. We want more people to join us,” said Sherrie Tien, founder and director of BIOFarm. “Everyday is a movement on how to change the environment.”

Haze, smog, fog, a little steam?

As you already know, the skies have been unforgiving to Beijing for the past week. All those images of Olympic stadium shrouded in a thick, murky layer of...what? That's been the debate all week. Some officials said it's like the steam after a shower, and that we can't possibly rely on pictures when it comes to determining pollution. (Well, the air quality tests tell us it's more than just a little steam. http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/on-bad-air-day-in-beijing-ioc-president-sees-fog/)

This hard-to-follow quote from International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge on Thursday sums up this 'complex' situation. “The fog you see is based on the basis of humidity and heat,” Rogge said at a news conference. “It does not mean to say that this fog is the same as pollution. It can be pollution, but the fog doesn’t mean necessarily that it is pollution.