I've got two new albums of photos just waiting for you (all) to peruse through.


by lookdamnit


by lookdamnit

The photo in the previous post was taken at the top of the tallest mountain in Shandong province; however, it's only about 1/4th the size of Kili and has steps the whole way up. The view was still quite amazing at sunrise.

I arrived in Hong Kong about a week and a half ago from Ji'nan, Shandong (eastern mountain) province. HK has quickly become a city I could actually see myself living in..with the other two being Boston and San Francisco. Hong Kong is composed of over 250 individual islands, with all of the major ones linked by a subway called the MTR. I've heard that over 70% of Hong Kong island is subtropical primary forest (even though I am technically in the tropics..). Quite a feat for a city of 7 million..but it isn't really of their choosing. The southern half of the island is very mountainous with the tallest peak being about 1500 feet above sea level..from sea level, of course. As far as direct Watson related stuff, I've learned quite a few things about HIV in China on the whole since I started.

There are four major regions of HIV infection in China, all with different epidemics that seem fairly unrelated. Southwestern China (Yunnan & Sichuan provinces mainly, for Sinophiles), is directly on the border with Burma, a large producer of heroine. The border is heavily forested and isn't tightly controlled on other side..thus heroine flows into China relatively freely. While trafficking heroine is punishable by death, the police are too easily bribed and so traffickers often get off. The police in China even have the power to be judge, jury, and executioner in such cases. Westerners have even been executed for trafficking narcotics, though not in the execution style I just described. Most of the HIV+ people in the SW are migrant workers, commercial sex workers, intravenous drug users..or all of the above (traveling minority [read: do not speak Chinese] prostitutes with no education). Universal education is *just* reaching Western China, though it was promised initially over 50 yrs ago! Most of these minority groups are being thrust into the Chinese world market and are utterly socially helpless for the economic development that is coming more rapidly then we can buy lead painted toys. However, the SW is relatively geographically and economically isolated as compared to the East. Sichuan province produces over 10% of China's food, ensuring it will be increasingly connected to the rest of China as the western infrastructure develops further.

Hubei province - central China - home of the fabled foible of the Chinese CDC, the paid blood donor scandal. An untold number of citizens were infected through poor hygiene practices and even the mixing of common blood types (A+ blood from person 1 with A+ blood from person 2..for example) that were then given to people in need of transfusions. While quite tragic, Hubei province isn't a significant factor in future infections as most of those who were infected were not a group that, historically, spreads HIV any more than the common person.

Eastern China - mainly Shanghai, Beijing, Ji'nan, and surrounding provincial capitals..home to millions (4 million in Beijing or 25% of the population) of male migrant workers, the wealthiest Chinese outside of Hong Kong. By far the most developed and with the financial capitals of Beijing and Shanghai, combined with the political epicenter in Beijing make for high-traffic, high risk, cities. In these cities my sources estimate as much as 40% of sex work is solicited by males for males; however, more often than not those male sex workers are not gay, they simply have no other option. Remember those migrant workers I just mentioned? If I went to any public Chinese park, any day of the week, usually right before and after dinner time as much as 10-20% of those in the park are there to find work in the form of prostitution. The vast majority of these workers are men. There are five types of moneyboys (male sex workers) as far as I can tell.

• Migrant workers, often straight, and very poor..engage in sex work on the side as supplemental income. They often have sex with wealthier, married, Chinese men and have little control - or knowledge of - any STIs. Condoms are too expensive, and knowledge of how to use them is limited to the very well saturated upper middle class gay Chinese. Oh, and there's no sex ed in school in China, if there even is a school.as in the west. Even if they had them, I'd say they would have the same power dynamic as a poor female sex worker i.e., no agency with which to negotiate. They need the money for their next meal. Drug use seems to be non existent in this group.
• "True" moneyboys. Middle class young gay men (16-30). Totally freelance, and work full time in sex work. They have no bosses, charge exorbitant sums of money, and are highly mobile. Remaining in cities only a few weeks at a time, at most..they move to where the clients are. Very well educated about HIV/STIs, they insist on condoms and generally get their way as they do not need the money, they want it, and can turn down clients who want to bareback (bb). International and domestic clients served.
  
• Brothel-eled moneyboys. These are str8 men who I believe transitioned from the first category of migrant workers to a more permanent situation as full-time moneyboys. A familial structure exists in these brothels with the "mother" (pimp, a male) taking care of the "sons" (moneyboys). However, the mother doesn't tend to care too much about sons as bb sex is fine, as long as the client pays a premium. Moneyboys here are often uneducated about STIs/HIV and are difficult to access as the mamasan (pimp/mother) shields them from NGO access.
• Masseuse turned moneyboy. I know very little demographically about these guys, but I know they only exist in big cities. Relatively cheap as compared to the more high class moneyboys, as they often are just a masseuse with the occasional sex client. Not all massage parlors allow this sort of thing, in fact few do due to legal repercussions.
• Not really moneyboys at all..but let's just call them young gay men who will accept a bit of money for sex. The logic is a bit reversed in China when it comes to pay for sex. In the West most people think "I'm not a commodity to be bought, I won't accept money." These young Chinese boys, especially for older western men, love the idea of someone wanting to pay to have sex with them..it's a big ego boost. Not even supplemental income for these guys, it's just good fun with a little money added. They have a lot of power in sexual situations as the money is just an added bonus to what they already wanted, though knowledge of HIV is still very low. Perceived risk is even lower - no good.

I'm just learning about the epidemic in Guanzhou/Shenzen (iPod city..all 100 million+ iPods made here)/Hong Kong and I will be going to NW China, more heroine action but from the former Soviet states via Afghanistan.

As it stands now, NW, SW, South Central, and Eastern Chinese epidemics all appear to be from different sources..but what's going to happen when China develops an effective infrastructure, Hong Kong becomes more integrated into China, and the emerging middle class begins to encounter all of these populations? Boom.