Saturday, July 07, 2007
LESBIANS, ULTRASOUNDS, PANCAKES, HAIL AND HOOKERS
Shanghai is just as strange as I remember it...Dolce & Gabbana stores next to broken down huts, 30 RMB Evian at restaurants when I can walk down the street and pay 2 RMB, lots of tourists and a perpetual haze of smog. Not much has changed here and I've had a quite strange few days.
On the night of the 5th, I went to dinner with my friend Hollie then we went to this gay bar for a lesbian film festival. I don't remember much as I was throwing up and feeling quite sick, but this woman from Toronto was screening movies she had made. They were mostly about the experience of being a lesbian, black or transgendered with some really trippy cartoons thrown in there. The only thing that weirded me out was this transgendered Chinese woman who I could have sworn was a 12 year old boy. Her being transgendered didn't bother me, it was that I consider myself to be very observant and it took me almost an hour to realize.
Feeling sick, I went back to my hotel. All that night and most of the next day I felt a sharp pain in my side and had no appetite. Around 6pm last night I decided that I should go to the hospital to be checked out. I went to the Huashan Worldwide Medical Center a relatively western hospital, one of the benefits of having a large ex-pat community in town. Thankfully, the quality of medical care in Shanghai is vastly superior to that of Kunming. They drew blood and succeeded on the first try, unlike in Kunming where after being stuck 9 times I did my own IV. After poking and sticking me for a while, they decided that I needed an ultrasound. After getting all slimy, viewing my insides, and thankfully not seeing a baby, I have a new respect for the crap that pregnant women go through. Three hours later I left with a diagnosis of gastroentiritis (from food) and "kidney trauma," which I can only attribute to carrying my bag through the Shanghai train station and being bumped into by so many people. Oh well.
This morning I felt better and for the first time in 2 days wanted to eat something. However, the thought of Chinese food mad me feel sick again (what a great place to have that happen.) I wanted Italian and went on a search. I was told there was one by TGI Fridays. No luck on either. I then stumbled upon a place that served breakfast til 4pm and got eggs benedict, pancakes, potatos and fresh orange juice.
Sitting at the cafe, it appeared that it would rain. The moment I got in the taxi back, it started to. 3" in 15 minutes, water flooding up onto the sidewalk and dime sized hail- that was crazy. I did however learn a new word, the word for ice that falls from the sky - bim bao. Its a fun one to say.
Speaking of bimbos, there's this Filipino hooker in the room next door to me who's driving me crazy. She calls me "baby" and knocks on my room saying "loom suh-vees," "flee fo you bayBEE. you come my loom." I can deal with that stuff as I find it hilarious. What gets annoying is that she keeps her door open and every time I walk out of my room she tries to pull me in, or follows me into the elevator and tries to stop it from moving. This most recent time in the elevator, her left boob was hanging out and she took off her pants and said "bayBEE, touch my pooSEE." No thanks, you're a dirty, dirty, ugly, hooker. At least get a boob job. Needless to say, its always funny to get off the elevator on the first floor and see everyone in the lobby. It would be nice if she left me alone. I wonder how you say "I'm gay" in Tagalog. At least it will only be an issue for one more day.
Tomorrow, I fly to Kunming. I was going to do more travelling first, but I'm getting antsy to return - Kunming was the real destination of my trip. I'll see all my friends there, visit some Where There Be Dragons programs, stay with my homestay family for a few days, and relax in the cooler climate. I'll be there for 10 days to 2 weeks then will travel a bit more before finishing in Beijing to fly home. I'm really excited.
Shanghai is just as strange as I remember it...Dolce & Gabbana stores next to broken down huts, 30 RMB Evian at restaurants when I can walk down the street and pay 2 RMB, lots of tourists and a perpetual haze of smog. Not much has changed here and I've had a quite strange few days.
On the night of the 5th, I went to dinner with my friend Hollie then we went to this gay bar for a lesbian film festival. I don't remember much as I was throwing up and feeling quite sick, but this woman from Toronto was screening movies she had made. They were mostly about the experience of being a lesbian, black or transgendered with some really trippy cartoons thrown in there. The only thing that weirded me out was this transgendered Chinese woman who I could have sworn was a 12 year old boy. Her being transgendered didn't bother me, it was that I consider myself to be very observant and it took me almost an hour to realize.
Feeling sick, I went back to my hotel. All that night and most of the next day I felt a sharp pain in my side and had no appetite. Around 6pm last night I decided that I should go to the hospital to be checked out. I went to the Huashan Worldwide Medical Center a relatively western hospital, one of the benefits of having a large ex-pat community in town. Thankfully, the quality of medical care in Shanghai is vastly superior to that of Kunming. They drew blood and succeeded on the first try, unlike in Kunming where after being stuck 9 times I did my own IV. After poking and sticking me for a while, they decided that I needed an ultrasound. After getting all slimy, viewing my insides, and thankfully not seeing a baby, I have a new respect for the crap that pregnant women go through. Three hours later I left with a diagnosis of gastroentiritis (from food) and "kidney trauma," which I can only attribute to carrying my bag through the Shanghai train station and being bumped into by so many people. Oh well.
This morning I felt better and for the first time in 2 days wanted to eat something. However, the thought of Chinese food mad me feel sick again (what a great place to have that happen.) I wanted Italian and went on a search. I was told there was one by TGI Fridays. No luck on either. I then stumbled upon a place that served breakfast til 4pm and got eggs benedict, pancakes, potatos and fresh orange juice.
Sitting at the cafe, it appeared that it would rain. The moment I got in the taxi back, it started to. 3" in 15 minutes, water flooding up onto the sidewalk and dime sized hail- that was crazy. I did however learn a new word, the word for ice that falls from the sky - bim bao. Its a fun one to say.
Speaking of bimbos, there's this Filipino hooker in the room next door to me who's driving me crazy. She calls me "baby" and knocks on my room saying "loom suh-vees," "flee fo you bayBEE. you come my loom." I can deal with that stuff as I find it hilarious. What gets annoying is that she keeps her door open and every time I walk out of my room she tries to pull me in, or follows me into the elevator and tries to stop it from moving. This most recent time in the elevator, her left boob was hanging out and she took off her pants and said "bayBEE, touch my pooSEE." No thanks, you're a dirty, dirty, ugly, hooker. At least get a boob job. Needless to say, its always funny to get off the elevator on the first floor and see everyone in the lobby. It would be nice if she left me alone. I wonder how you say "I'm gay" in Tagalog. At least it will only be an issue for one more day.
Tomorrow, I fly to Kunming. I was going to do more travelling first, but I'm getting antsy to return - Kunming was the real destination of my trip. I'll see all my friends there, visit some Where There Be Dragons programs, stay with my homestay family for a few days, and relax in the cooler climate. I'll be there for 10 days to 2 weeks then will travel a bit more before finishing in Beijing to fly home. I'm really excited.
Labels: film, hail, hookers, hospital, kunming, lesbians, pancakes, shanghai, ultrasound
