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Other entries in Huzhou

first week, little old ladies, and the health exam

it feels like ages since i wrote my last entry, although it's only been two days in actuality. my first week has been fun. i've been in good spirits, despite the fact that i am TOTALLY worn out. the teaching is the easiest part, actually. the hardest part is settling in, getting in shape on the bike, and the fact that i still don't have a cushion for my wooden mattress. also, i think the weight and immensity of the journey is finally catching up.

yesterday, i was coming home, when the little old lady downstairs said hello and invited me in for food. i should explain that this is a small, old apartment complex. there is one apt per floor. and then, there is a row of kitchens downstairs and outside, across the courtyard. so, none of the units have kitchens in them, and often at noon or in the evenings, there are families downstairs cooking and eating as i walk in. - i have yet to utilize my kitchen because it's basically 1 burner, 1 wok, and a makeshift sink. very little to be done in there. lol. -

anyway, i could barely communicate with the lady, but she was very sweet. she had a whole lunch prepared and brought me in. then, her son-in-law came in. he didn't speak much english, but i learned that his wife is an english teacher and they have a 5 year old son. the lady had prepared wild vegetables, bamboo (of course), some kind of pork "leg"... which was more like fat around a bone - tasty though - and FROGS! i've decided, after some limited experience eating frogs, that i don't understand the american taboos about eating frogs. frog meat is very similar to chicken and it tastes very good! i can't figure this out. anyway, the frogs were very enjoyable. she invited me to dine with them for dinner sometimes, since, she said, my kitchen is "tai xiao de" (too small).

today, i had my classes cancelled and jason (my go-to guy. he's VERY hardworking and very nice) took me to huzhou (about 30 min drive) for my health exam. the man who seems to drive the car a lot was back.  i decided i don't like it when he drives the car. hehe. the big problem is that we are getting weather from the typhoon that's now on china's coast (don't worry, we're far enough inland not to have any disasters!). but, it's been raining pretty steadily since last night. i got the distinct impression that this driver dude did NOT understand the laws of hydroplaning, because he insisted on driving like more of a maniac than ever, speeding and swerving along the small highway. i could actually feel the wheels hydroplaning and i was sure we were going to die, but somehow, he got us there and back unscathed.

now, the medical exam. my god. first, chinese hospitals... even nice big ones, like this one i went to today, make you feel like you SHOULD be sick. everyone in there just looks ILL. so, i wasn't feeling great to begin with, especially after that car ride (thank god they waited to take my blood pressure until later). but the first thing they do is take me in to have my BLOOD DRAWN! GOOD GOD! it was just this blank room with some scattered desks and a bunch of viles of blood around, and a dude. he took what felt like 16 pints of blood. i nearly passed out, which i have been known to do. i actually was close to passing out and had to sit down for awhile. next, they took me in and gave me an ultrasound. now, i found this very odd, since i've never had one before. usually, you only get one in the states unless you are pregnant .

after that, i had my blood pressure taken. then... they did the most bizarre thing. they took me in and laid me down on some table and connected all these electrodes to various parts of my body, like my ankles and under my breasts. i was braced for some kind of shock therapy.  but, instead, it just printed out some kind of chart... i dunno if it was for my pulse or what. so weird.

they also checked my throat, my bones, my skin, my nose and ears, and did an obgyn exam (i won't even TALK ABOUT that one). they also did an eye exam, which i found interesting. they eye charts here don't use letters, they just use one symbol that looks like a capital E, but it's just facing all directions, like up down left right. and you have to say which direction it's facing.

and after all that, i had to come home and buy a plunger for my plugged up toilet.


SIGH.

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