Syphilis - seriously?

Last time we moved to China, I'm pretty sure I flew in on a tourist visa and then somehow, everything sorted itself out. This time, we go by the book- of course, we are very law- and immigration law especially - abiding people...

Therefore today, we went to the first of two doctors appointments for our "Physical Examination Record for Foreigner". This has to be done in order to apply for the visa that we need and then, after we arrive in China, we get to do it all over again! In Chinese! Lucky us!

This I do remember that we did at one point that spring of 1997. Suddenly we had to go to a local hospital to get checked out. I remember long corridors and a lot, a lot, of people hanging around. We were escorted into a small room and I was to go first. Could I see well? Hmmm...well, no not really. I'm half blind and have been wearing glasses since I was 11 or so, so no. Oh dear, that is not good and off they went, checking, listening, probing, examinating....a chest x-ray...
After a while it was Ulf's turn with the doctor:
"Can you hear well?"
"Yes."
"Can you see well?"
"Yes."
"You are ok to go."

Huh? That was it? Why oh why did I ever say anything?

At least I learned my lesson and did not X the yes box for the questions if we had ever had either of the following diseases on the form:
Polyomyelitis, scarlet fever, bacillary dysentery, toxicomania, mental confusion, psychosic manic, paranoid or hallucinatory...diphteria, typhus fever, brucellosis or viral hepatitis. All horrible disease I'm sure and not very common in the western world.
They also ask for EKG's and blood work to determine if we have hiv and/or syphilis. Did I mention that we all have to do this? They have to make sure my six year old doesn't have syphilis? Better safe then sorry, I guess?...

Taking Amanda's EKG was interesting....
"You have to lie really still or there will be a looooong line on the paper that tells that the heart is working to heard, dear."
"Ok", she says and starts breathing....iiiinnnnnn - filling the whole chest cavity and tummy so that her back arches from the examination table and ooooouuuuuttt, crunching down on the same table and iiiiinnnnnn....
"Amanda", the kind nurse Amy explains, less patiently now, "you have to lie completely still!"
"Ok! I can do it!"
Iiinnnnn......oooouuuuut.....
"Amanda! Keep your arms still! You cannot move your arms!
"Ok!"
Iiiiinnnnn.....ooooouuuuuuttt....
"Wait here, I'll just go check with the doctor if this works...."

"All done! You have a healthy heart Amanda. We'll see you again tomorrow when it's your brothers turn..."