The Mail-Journal, Volume 16, Number 42, Milford, Kosciusko County, 7 November 1979 — Page 15

CHINA STUDY TOUR — Seventh tn A Series

By ARCH AND DELILA BAUMGARTNER , PEKING, China, Friday, Sept. 28 — The Chinese people are doing a good job of taking care of their elderly, we’re happy to report. The group of touring Americans we have the privilege of being with in China for a short while got a first hand glimpse of how China handles the social problem of the aged when we visited the Tientsen Home For The Aged For The Retired Workers. The facility opened in 1958 and has 112 residents ranging in age from 61 to 90 years, average 73 years THis was a real eye-opener, for we found the patients comfortable, happy and well cared for. We were broken down ipto small groups, and as such had an opportunity to visit a room which accommodated four 'patients. There are instances where married couples live together in the home. . I It should be noted i that the Chinese are to be admired for their desire and ability to take care of their own aged in their own homes. The patients in the aged home, then, are those who have no living children to care for them. The 51 staff workers at the

mille d r brot h e.< s b sAbtl ”457*4™ -» U11L) CMP | Across From Wyant Chevrolet BONAR LAKE 3 bedrooms, large family room with wood—1 burning stove, deck and attached garage, SK 1 plus large storage barn. WAWASEE WATER FRONTS - 2 bedrooms, remodeled, $39,900. 3 bedrooms with 3 car garage plus enclosed bo<twell, BSBWr ™ $65,000. Beautiful country property. 4 bedrooms, call us family room with fireplace. 2.2 acres. Nancy Prickett, Managing Broker 457-4249 Tom Prickett. Sales Associate 457-4249 Finest building Ipt in Pot.wut.mi Addition. SS! Miller Brothers will build. Harlan Steffen Broker. GRI 457 4594 BUILDING LOTS AVAILABLE Marineland Gardens, Enchanted Hills, Waubee Lake, Kanata Manayunk And Commercial In Syracuse Excellent lake front properties - Wawasee, Tippecanoe, Syracuse, Papakeechie, Waubee, Bonar CONTRACTS AVAILABLE RESIDENTIAL & MINI FARMS PRICED FROM *27,000 TO *74,000. CONTRACTS AVAILABLE.

TODD REAL TY ■ — NEW LISTINGS

SEA & TEE! MWM.Z I ' W -f W How can you beat the combination of choice South Shore Lake Wawasee frontage and the South Shore Golf Club at your back door? Plus a 3 bedroom maintenance free, year round home with a brick fireplace and a Mutschler kitchen to name only a few of the outstanding features of this fine home. Call for an appointment today as South Shore properties sell rapidly! $159,900 IDEAL BEACH-LAKE WAWASEE JOSEPH TODD, REALTOR GRI, CRS, CRB, CBC CLARA WARNER, REALTOR CLARE BAUMGARDT, REALTOR GRI NIKI PAWLICKI, REALTOR MARY JO LEONARD, REALTOR PHIL BAUMGARDT, REALTOR DONNA PRICE, REALTOR BETTY GANSHORN, REALTOR MARILYN COLE, REALTOR SANDI BEATY. REALTOR FRANK BUSH. CBC, COMMERCIAL INVESTMENTS

30,000 people live Spartan life in Chinese commune

home we visited appear to like their job of attending the aged residents. In the scrupulously clean quarters we visited there were four beds and other meager but adequate accommodations. Toilet and bath facilities are down the hall, as expected. Each of the four we interviewed —two men and two women — spoke approvingly of their good accommodations and compared life they have now with life before what they called “liberation” in a favorable manner. One old gentleman told us of his “miserable life” before liberation — what he called his “bitter past.” He said his mother died when he was four and his father was blind, and later died when he was 14. There was a gleam in the old gentleman s eyes when he spoke of the new life in China for people his age. These aged people are urged to attend political activities, and, although retired, they must contribute their little bit toward socialism. They must do what physical labor they can to keep the grounds clean and to care for one another. Their pension is about 35 Yuan (s2l) per month, with all expenses borne by the state. Visitors include old friends and

'. .in -- wK -OL. -- EVERYONE EXERCISES — People over 60 years of age in China also participate in daily exercises. This slow-motion type exercise, known as “taichi,” is demonstrated for our touring group. *5

former workers with whom they were associated, and students from middle schools come to perform on occasion. Older people are respected in China, we were told. These people have an opportunity to plan their own menues, and we found some in a game room (both men and women) playing cards, checkers and reading. They have large grounds where they can roam and exercise. Supper is at 5 p.m., then they walk a while, bathe and lights out

ROOM TO GROW f 181 iiHHII ""’Ebi This 2 bedroom lake home sits on 2 lots on a channel to Barbee. Remodeled in *7B it features a nice family room, new furnace, new carpet. Fully insulated and ready for you. Assumable loan, results in easv financing. $33,900. J State Road 13 South In "The House In The Village" ■ Open Mon. Thru Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5 And Sun. Noon-4 Wawasee Lake Office- Gill 856-2217 R. 2, Syracuse 46567 - East Side Os lake In Ihe Fish Hatchery Branch, State Bank Os Syracuse. Open Mon. Thru Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5 And Sun. Noon-4. Ligonier Brandi Office- Gill 894-7131 507 W. Union Street, Ligonier, 46767. Open Mon. Thru Sat. 9-5.

at 9, following a short period of watching television. The old fellow who spoke of his miserable past said he eventually became a shoe cobbler, and cited cases of bandits coming to their home to rob them. “I was often afraid,” he said. He added, “Following the 1949 liberation my life was guaranteed by Chairman Mao.” Women’s station in life before 1949 was very low, we were told, but now they are full fledged workers earning equal pay for equal work. Asked what they watch on television, they chorused, “Peking Opera.” We had to photograph one old gentleman, and we had him stand before a wall sign in his room which proclaimed. “Follow Chairman Hua and carry on the Long March.” There are 13 such homes for the aged in the Tientsin province. We later toured the home’s kitchen and watched them prepare a meal, then visited the dispensary where an aged lady was receiving acupuncture for a headache. One Child Per Family All this brings up China’s population problem, which was reaching crisis proportions before Chairman Mao’s government took control in 1949. As we wrote earlier, estimates run from 800 million to 1 billion, and the latter figure is more nearly correct. In Peking alone there are eight million people and three million bicycles. In America it takes seven per cent of the population to feed the people, and in China it takes 80 per cent to do the same job. It’s easy to see, then, that the leap forward as regards to modernizing agriculture in China, as proposed by Chairman Hua, is not only important, it is vital. The government is asking young people not to marry until they are 25 years of age, and then to raise only one child. Parents who do this are given a pension by the government, small but significant to life in China. Chinese Cuisine Last night, while we wrote and took a late evening stroll, fourteen of our group went to a famous Tientsin restaurant to taste Chinese cuisine and came home with a glowing report on

the palate-tickling dishes they dined on.

We found an epicure in the bunch in the person of Rev. Msgr. Irving Deßlanc of Lake Charles. La., and we asked him to write a word or two about the meal, and here’s what he handed us on the bus: “Fourteen of us visited the Tientsin Restaurant which was said to best typify the unique cuisine of the area. We were first served all the Maotai appetizer we wished. Next we were regaled with preprandials, consisting of walnuts, shrimp and various local meats and vegetables. Delicious Chinese beer was served throughout the meal as well as local wine. Crisply fried prawns were next, then fish, in a red and green pepper sauce. This was followed by shrimp in a sort of bar-b-que sauce. Then a whole fish with a new sauce and apple and pineapple pieces. “Next in the gourmet parade was roasted duck with a tomato sauce. Stuffed Chinese dumplings and hot steamed bread were plentiful. A delicious crisp egg roll was next quickly served. Then a steamed fish with mushrooms, green beans and eggplant. Soup was next and then cakes along with a dessert: A meringue covered with fresh fruit, fresh apples and pears concluded the meal. “We all asked for the chef and his staff and gave them a standing ovation.” A Moment To Laugh A group like we have, traveling, eating and sleeping in close proximity for so long, is bound to have a lot of serious moments, and so when a light moment comes along we have to relish it. Early in our trip, when we were first touring Peking, Marilyn Vincent, a pretty blond wife of a Lake Charles, La., college professor who couldn’t make the trip, strayed away from the group and had a moment of panic — much the same as any of us would. She finally called the U.S. Embassy to see if we had called in about her. She got a secretary on the line, and after a few words of conversation, Marilyn asked, “Can you speak English?” She had been so used to asking this, and admitted the fau paux to us shamefacedly. And this morning Marie Crouch and Glaphyra Stafford, both of Springdale, Ark., woke up to find they left the key on the outside of their door. We don’t lock the door to our room, so safe life in FOLLOW HUA — This elderly person stands before a wall sign which proclaims, “Follow Chairman Hua and carry on the Long March.”

THWAITS REALTY FARM - RESIDENTIAL - COMMERCIAL LAWRENCE THWAITS - BROKER GRACE LAWSON DORIS THWAITS BETTY KUPEERUS NEW LISTING — Beautiful redwood home with 3 bedrooms 2'2 baths, fireplace, 2 car garage. Located on County Line Rd.. Syracuse. Mortgage may be assumed. Possession 30 days. NEW LISTING - Modular home with 3 bedrooms. I'2 baths located on .54 acres west of Syracuse. Commercial building on SR 13 south of Syracuse. 40 x6O Building ready to use. Lovely 3 bedroom home located in Fairfield School District. This property has many extras. Call for information Looking for an income producing investment? We may have what you want in this mobile home court. It has 28 fulily occupied pads and a modern home located on 5 acres. New 3 bedroom ranch type home fully carpeted inlWest Noble Addition with full basement. Beautiful chalet style home in Enchanted Hills with boat lot Syracuse. Country home with farm buildings on 2.3 acres located south east of Goshen on U.S. 33. 180 acres of farm ground all tillable Will contract. 50 acres of farm ground all tillable. 3 bedroom home in Milford. 3 bedroom home in Syracuse. Greatly Reduced Commercial building for sc|le or lease. Approx. 37.000 sq. ft., 29,000 sq. ft. heated. Located on SR 15 at New Paris. 2 Large wooded lots 1' 2 miles west of New Paris 3 acre lots on CR 46 east of New Paris. Building lots in Wawasee Heights with city waiter & sewer, Syracuse. For Sale Lot in Enchanted Hills with boat lot or|l channel. We have other homes and commercial properties available. Need farm listings. Have buyers. OFFICE PHONE 69067 CR 27 831-4394 NEW PARIS

China seems, even to us hardbitten tourists. Great Strides In Health Perhaps one of the biggest stories of the 20th Century is what China has done about its public health problem. It has eradicated many diseases that took an enormous toll of its population in years past. One of the remarks so often heard is, “The people all look so healthy!” While China was called “The Sick Man of Asi?” with its rampant pestilence, its health record is now such a bright spot. Life expectancy before 1935 was 28 years; now it is 73 years, as of 1973. Whereas the U.S. had one doctor for 750 people in 1949, China had one doctor to 13,000 people, and rural China had practically no doctors. In 1950 the First National Health Congress said: 1. Health care should primarily serve the masses of the laboring people, the workers, peasants and soldiers, and, 2. The main emphasis should be on preventive medicine, and, 3. Close unity should be fostered between traditional and modern doctors, and finally, 4. Wherever possible, health work should be conductedh\ mass campaigns with actpeparticipation of medical worjjera China has placed pdblic health care in the rural areas where it was most needed, trained more doctors and “barefoot doctors” who worked in the fields with workers. A massive effort was made to clean up filth wherever it was found. The root cause was to provide adequate food and to improve sanitation and personal hygiene. Everyone, young and old. exercises regularly in China, as part of a continuing national program for physical fitness. Schools have calisthenics regularly 20 to 30 minutes daily, even to doing eye exercises with finger-tip massage at pointe around the eyes to improve blood circulation and alleviate eye fatigue. In China few people wear glasses — maybe one in a thousand, and they have regular eye check-ups. A dentist would be hard put to make a living in China, so perfect are the teeth of these people. Everyone has such straight, white teeth. It may not always i, oeen this way, but it is now. We cite no less an authority than Dr. Abraham Dotson, a retired Manhatten, New York, dentist with 40-odd years’ experience, now retired and living in Pompano, Fla. “Abe” is a member of our party with his wife Ann, brother Ed and his wife Harriett. “Abe” — our “medical advisor” — cites the lack of sugars and processed foods and a return to natural foods that have given the Chinese such good teeth. He agrees that Americans can learn a lot from the Chinese in this area. An early riser will find people jogging, walking, riding bicycles (by the tens of thousands), and old folks doing the slow motion taigi. At 6 a.m. yesterday morning Arch donned his swim suit and cotton shirt and hit the street in front of our hotel in Tientsin for a three-mile sprint, and was soon followed as if he were a curiosity piece. Two joggers came up alongside for about a half mile,

Wed.. November 7,1979—THE MAIL-JOURNAL

L i IE lIF

HOT BREAD. ANYONE? — A cook in the kitchen of the home for the elderly in Tientsin lifts the lid on a batch of bread being steam cooked. We found residents here well cared for and well fed.

and as conversational attempts got nowhere, they smiled and were off at their own speed. If you exercise or jog in China you need have no fear about behtg s alone. As the song goes “They're all adoin it.” With an increasing number of rural / e6mmunities in America a medical doctor, we should be watching China. We might — we just might — learn something from this country in this area. Back To Peking Our group left Tientsin to return to Peking for a few days. We hadn’t seen the Great Wall yet, and this was on our agenda. We made the trip from Tientsin to Peking by train in just over two hours, and it was a delightful train ride. The steam-driven train was smooth and our seats were individual seats, and they were comfortable. The time passed quickly, and our big surprise came when we arrived at the Peking rail station and found

Qntuijf- 457-4777 THS-nrra. *57-4414 BEATY REALTORS

;; HOME OF THE WEEK j ■ ;> FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS HOME OWNER’* (' ? Beautiful 3-4 bedroom home has approx. 3,170 sq. ft. living < [ area. 3 baths, 2 full kitchens and fireplaces. Property con- * > S tains 2 out-buildings, an 18x20 storage barn and a 63x42 pole ]> I barn. Beautifully landscaped with approx. 2.300’ of fencing. ( ' ( ' All situated on 5.7 acres. Hurry, call Dale for appointment, < * ;; BUY ALL THESE HOMES o o ON LAND CONTRACT o <> ■*< —_ * o 081 I! :: w™. J i! WAWASEE EASEMENT < ► < ) Large 3 bedroom home, with basement and 2 car garage * * 1 ► situated on almost one acre with lake access. Contract * * O terms available. s6o’s. O < ► (275) Barbee Lake Front — 2-3 Br.. (Jarage. 100’ * ► Frontage.s64,9oo * * * * (283) Barbee Easement — New. 3 Br., Garagessß,ooo * * * h (264) Chapman Lake Channel —2 Br.. Garage, 10% 1 > Contract. $39,500 * ► < * Mobile Homes With Real Estatess,7so To $19,500 ' > WATER FRONT HOMES (296) W’awasee — 3 Br.. Basement. Garage. Reduced To. $66,500 (286) Barbee —3 Br.. Fireplace Plus Rentalss9,soo (277) Wawasee —3 Br., Fireplace. Basements4s,soo LAKE ACCESS HOMES (276) Wawasee —4 Br.. Basement. (Jarage. Swimming Accesss36,soo (292) Wawasee —2 Br.. Like New. Deeded Boat L0t..... .$27,900 (265) Webster Lake —1 Br.. (Jarage. Deeded Easement * • • SG-'»00 RESIDENTIAL HOMES (256) Wawasee Area — 3 Br.. 2 Fireplaces. Basement. New 569,500 (274) Syracuse — 3 Br.. Basement. (Jarages39,soo (280) Syracuse Area — 3 Br.. Fireplace. Fenced Yard.... $33,900 (285) Milford — 3 Br.. (Jarage. Good Location.slß,soo I Just South Os Wawasee Village On State Road 13 || I lu7c R.R.3,Syracuse, 1N46567 [I

a mass of humanity there. We might be coming back to this, too. in our country. Trains are big in China, and this is bound to be the case for a long time to come. Air travel between Chinese cities is possible but rare — not in common usage as it is in the United States. Bicycles are the norm around the cities-and rural areas, but not between the cities. The heartbeat may be a little slower in socialist China than it is in our country, and we’re sure our country doesn't want this type of regimentation, but we should not be so close-minded that we cannot learn some of the good things that have jerked China out of the dark ages in a brief 30 years. They will also be learning from us. Indeed, this is what the recent rapproachment is all about. We’re hopeful it is possible without either country changing its form of government. '

15