Day 125 - Not-So-Iron Stomach

Saturday, June 11th, 2016

Smog Level: 3/3

While waiting for Shimou to get ready, I finish off the cherries from last night. Down to the wire for our 12 o’clock checkout, we make it and wander down the street. An uber pulls up and off we go to meet Olive for lunch. Hotpot is the plan.

The Streak is Broken

Chairs on the way out of the hotel

On our way, I’m feeling off. I think I’m probably just tired, or dehydrated. We stop in KFC for some coffee, and a snack, since we still have some time to kill and she’s hungry. I continue to feel worse, getting the familiar sweats and cramps that seem to love me this past month. After sitting at a table, trying to keep my insides where they should be, I’m forced to use the nearest toilet. That’s right: Day 125 in China, I finally break my life-long streak of avoiding the Chinese toilets.

In The Worst Way

Recall that it's the day after leg day, severe cramping, fever, trying not to puke, while being rushed by cleaners who want to clean the small bathroom. I’m not sure how you could make it worse, barring extreme circumstances. Maybe throw in a hangover and a breakup?

I am forced to opt out of the lunch, which disappoints Shimou, but there’s no avoiding that right now. I hold a plastic bag in front of me the entire 40 minute ride back across town, trying not to improve the decor. I don’t know if it’s food poisoning, but the only likely food culprit is the cherries. Maybe there was cross contamination, or maybe they weren’t washed well enough and still had fertilizer on them? I’ll never know, but I did get to sleep a lot the rest of the day.

Words of the Day

English - Mandarin [pronunciation]

Cherry
yīngtáo
[ying-t-ow]
Stupid
shǎ[sh-ah] Editing Music
Armanio
Weirdo