I am not going to say "what is wrong" with this picture, as that is culturally insensitive.

Instead, I'm going to comment on what happened here.

First of all, what is this?

It's a health check. Head to toe, inside and out for anything 'wrong' with me.

I'm not going to go into my social and political stance on singling out people on that basis, because that is too controversial. Instead, I will detail my most surprising (and uncomfortable) experience as a Westerner.

I was not aware that upon my acceptance of employment here, I was supposed to go through a test which consisted of screening most everything, from blood, to heart rate, to ultrasounds, to a GIANT xray. Imagine this. There is a language barrier, so you are a little out of the loop as to what is going on. They throw you into a grey room. Nothing is explained to you. The man who segways the whole thing leaves, and slams the door shut. You are asked to stand on a machine that makes a disturbing ground-shaking noise and moves around you intermittently, unpredictably, to screen what is 'wrong' with you.

After the test, the man opens the door, and tells you to go to the 'next room,' which also consists of a single doctor or technician. The first thing this complete stranger demands? 'Take off your clothes.' Not 'this is now what we will do to you.' Just take them off, straight off.

WHAT? This cycle repeats itself about 8 times, once for every doctor, once for every test--different for each test.

I realize we are living a very cushy, advantageous environment in North America, where we are babied and pampered. Everything is explained, everything is careful, everything caters to our need to know. Here, it is all business. Not that the language barrier helped....but it was not pleasant for a Westerner, getting poked and prodded at.

Lastly, what if there WAS something wrong with me (which there wasn't)...should I be judged against in the workplace for being ill or blind or deaf? Does this reduce my intelligence or ability to do my work? Why is this a criteria for employment or entering the country? I am very confused.

Wait, let me take this a step further. I have noticed a HUGE rate of pregnancy in this country, despite the one child rule (if you have more than one child here, you are fined). Yet...several of the tests for foreigners are for STDs. So, why, in a country where people obviously do not use protection, and procreate at such a quick rate, are they worried about foreigners having STDs--foreigners who are likely just as worried about such illnesses (or am I being presumptuous here?). I don't want to sound like an undereducated, ill-exposed asshole...I am just a little surprised at the extent of screening here. I feel it is again, another double standard.

I forgot to mention here, while on the topic of sex, that Westerners are perceived to be 'loose,' due to the incessant exposure of locals to sex-ridden R-rated films (sold as bootleg DVDs on side street stands). I don't get this stereotype as much because I am physically Asian, but you should see the attention foreigners who are not Asian receive...It's quite mind-boggling.

My final conclusion--I understand the need to regulate a country's health from foreigners...I think we are all just as cautious via pills and vaccinations. However, I just felt this 'traumatizing' medical exam to be a little over-the-top.

By the way, my blood type is 'O'. I didn't know that before. Haha