Back in China
Sorry it took so long to write, we were having technical difficulties. I kept notes on what has been happening. We arrived on Mon. March 10 and were picked up at the airport. There are many differences between Shen Zhen (where we went last year) and Qing Dao. First it is like a ghost town here, not many people but it is growing with many huge buildings being built. The hospital is beautiful and new. There is no spitting allowed which is fantastic for us with germ phobias. We have a private elevator so no more packing in like sardines. I have seen 3 dogs and a bird but still no blue sky or sun. It is winter here but feels like our spring. JC is always wearing shorts and everyone stares because they are wearing big jackets and scarves. The staff are very friendly but figured out my secret pretty fast. They asked why my eyebrows were not blond, I told them I color them with an eye pencil (just joking).
There is not much to do around Qing Dao unless you go into town by taxi 1 hour away, so we walk 1/2 hour to the little shopping mall everyday to get out. When we first went to the store we were on the hunt for some food. There is a grocery section and for those of you who know me this task is stressful for me even in Canada. I don’t like to cook and can’t cook, so I walk into any grocery store confused but here it is a nightmare. My head is spinning, finding it hard to breath, turtles over there (not the kind I love that come in a box with chocolate and pecans), pieces of chicken hanging without bags waiting for people to touch them, spreading salmonella EVERYWHERE, I have to get out of here but wait I see a sign that says “imported food”. I rush over hoping that there will be something that looks familiar and eatable when there it is, things go a little dark around me and what appears to be a guiding light shines down on a large can of hunts tomato sauce, we are saved and I think to myself we will make it here in China after all.
We bring our finds back to the kitchen of the hospital a place that I generally try to stay out of at home. I am excited I start to boil some water for the noodles and look for a can opener for my sauce. I can’t find anything so I go to ask the hospital staff, a man who can’t speak english comes with me and I demonstrate opening the can. He understands, he reaches around looking, then pulls out this huge meat cleaver and hands it to me. I look at him and figure he doesn’t understand then he takes the knife back lifting it high over his head then slices into the can, his fingers just next to the blade, I can’t believe he is opening it like this. The whole time I just keep thinking his fingers are going to be chopped off right in front of me. I am so desperate for that spagetti so all I’m worried about is that his fingers don’t fall into the can. It all works out, no blood, he rolls the metal back with a chop stick and JC and I have a wonderful spaghetti dinner. Tomorrow we will buy a can opener. He starts physio tomorrow.
6 comments March 22nd, 2008
