Sick of China

It just figures, doesn’t it.  The one time you go out in your pajamas to buy alcohol, you’re going to run into everyone you know. 

Shortly after writing my last post, I went out to buy some hard liquor, the last missing ingredient of my sangria.  I hadn’t changed into my costume yet because I didn’t want to get sweaty in it, so I was still wearing my pajamas – short shorts and my 请见普通话 (please speak Mandarin) shirt.  I bought a small bottle of Chinese mystery liquor at one store – 150 mL of 76-proof 酒 for 8 kuai (just over $1).  I decided to keep looking, though, and ended up buying a rather large bottle of gin at another place. 

Then, as I’m walking back to campus, I run into a classmate, a Chinese friend, one of the UNC students, and Carlos and Pun.  Awesome. 

At least they saw me before I bought the cigarettes, I guess . . . Before you say anything, I should tell you that I’m planning on going as Audrey Hepburn tonight (same pearls as last night, just with a black dress).  The little convenience stand downstairs sells cigarettes, and I bought a pack of the thinnest ones they had. 

After changing into my costume, I met Carlos for dinner.  We had made plans a while ago to check out the fancy vegetarian restaurant nearby, and finally got around to it.  We ordered two noodle dishes (both delicious), [fake] lamb skewers, Sichuan [fake] chicken, and crispy [fake] duck.  It was all pretty good, although I didn’t care for the crispy ‘duck’.  I’m not totally sure that it was worth the money, though – at 70 yuan each, it was my most expensive meal yet in China.  (Remember, my average daily food costs are 35 yuan).  I don’t think that the price of food is as indicative of quality here in China as it is in America.  When I pay a lot for a meal, I usually feel like I’m paying for the privilege of sitting in a nice restaurant with a waiter.  Honestly, a plate of 6 yuan hand-pulled noodles is about as good as it gets for me.

We spent a long time talking over dinner and then walked back to our dorm.  I grabbed my dancing shoes and headed back out immediately, arriving a little bit later than usual.  Except for the guy who smokes like a chimney, has no sense of rhythm, and really likes dancing with me, I had a wonderful time.  We ended with some disco-style dancing again, which is always great.

Leinira and some friends were waiting back in the dorm ready to go, with the sangria already in bottles.  (Leinira had borrowed a costume and went as a witch.)

On our way out to Baicheng Gate to catch a taxi, we passed some Chinese students coming back from the beach party, which they described as “noisy and crowded”.  Yep, that sounds about right!  There were a ton of people there, although not many that I recognized.  I danced for a while until the music got lame, and then went home around 1.

This morning, I set my alarm for 6:30 to give myself a few hits of the snooze button before having to get up for Mass.  Chinese Mass is at 8:30 on Gulangyu, which means I really need to be headed out by 7:30.  Unfortunately 7:30 found me in the bathroom, utterly miserable.  9:00, when I should have left for English Mass, found me in the same location, in the same state.  In fact, this was quite a common occurrence since 7 in the morning, as I emptied my body of whatever offending substance I had consumed. 

In response to everyone’s constant questions about the safety of eating food off the street, I will respond as my mentor, Jesse, always has: I’ve never gotten sick from eating off the streets.  In his case, his worst bout of food poisoning was after the wedding banquet of the mayor’s daughter; in mine it has been the most expensive (vegetarian!) meal I’ve eaten in over two months.  Another example of a time when China goes against all logic.

Leinira made me some apple juice which promptly back up, so I’m sticking to water for a little while I think.  I’m feeling kind of weak, very tired, and incredibly lazy.  It was in preparation for this sort of day that I have stocked up on DVDs and books . . .

Excuse me, I must return to the bathroom.  Immediately.