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Things have been speeding up this week! I have got to experience motorbike sidecar rides, new food, smoothies, feeding turtles, cleaning nets and enclosures, exploring the village, singing oldies, riding taxi boats, and rooftop yoga sessions. I think I have finally adjusted to this insane humidity, that, or I am just used to consistently feeling sticky from sweat.
Early this week, we woke up at 6:30am and hopped on some sidecars to get to a huge fish market. There was fish being thrown everywhere, making it difficult to manuever. I don't know what about China but I cannot walk without tripping. I think its the little steps EVERYWHERE. I never remember to pick up my feet, rather, I trip, and nearly hurt the people around me. Its become a running joke that I can't go to a new place without tripping at least once. Riding the motorbike sidecars I felt as if I was on the amazing race. He would honk and swerve around people, and at one point he passed some of the other interns, and I thought, "If this was real, I totally would be winning right now." Later we went back to the floating hospital to unpack all the fish, where I again, felt as if it was one of the "Road Blocks" on the show. Me and another intern, Laura, tried to go as fast as we could, just in case it really was some type of challenge. We succeeded in creating the most number of fish bags, but sadly, there was no award for being awesome.
I finally can make my way around the village, and have the shops that I frequent, like the smoothie shop, and the shop that sells Jackie Chan shampoo and conditioner. It's amazing how the streets change throughout the day. In the morning they sell veggies, afternoon, its more dry foods and fish, evening its ice cream and smoothies. My favorite place is the smoothie shop. I go there just about every day. In US dollars, a smoothie is less than a dollar, and they make amazing ones. I even memorized the entire smoothie list on the menu so I could point to what I want. It's not really necessary because I order the same one every day. I don't even need to order any more, I hand the girl the money, and she hands me a smoothie. It really is a great system. I can down it in like 3 minutes flat.. I'm that good. I try to savor the wonderful taste, but I can't. I don't want it to melt and it tastes to good to just let it sit there, so I just start sucking it down.
The police here are much nicer than the ones in Sanya. We had dessert one night with them and they bought us these ice desserts that have fruit blended in. Very delicious, but they melt ridiculously fast. They even invited us to play ping pong at the floating police station.. as long as we bring a ping pong ball. They drove us to a hot spring resort about 30 minutes away in their fancy cars. It was the first time since I had been in the village that I felt air conditioning! The resort was extremely nice. The hot springs have been made to look like little spas, and each spring has a different thing added: beer, wine, rose, herbs, etc.. there even was a nibbling fish pool. These fish come and eat the dead skin on your feet. Of course, I tried and they made a wide arc around me. I was offended.
I'm always shocked to see how nice some cars are, when people are still using side cars and even cows to pull their wagons.. While most of the village is not the cleanest or fanciest, everyone has nice cell phones. It amazes me! Cell phones here are ridiculously cheap, I bought a cell phone with like 100 minutes, and text messaging for about 40 US dollars.
The food has been great. I cannot believe how much I dig tofu. Hannah, one of my roomates from OSU, used to always ask if I wanted some and I never did.. but I like it because I know what it is.. sometimes I don't feel like eating the meat.. because I really don't know what it is.. I would rather eat plants, then intestines or livers.. but that's just me.. I'm in love with these green stringy veggies that are called "Empty hearted vegetables" in English. They are soooo good!! I'm getting better at using chopsticks!!
I have yet to learn any Chinese... well a tiny bit. Feng Long, one of the Sea Turtles 911 workers, doesn't speak English so he does some animal impression and teaches us animals. So far, I know cat, chicken, cow, bat, .. wow.. that's it.. I thought the list was a little longer.. oh! I know how to say 7-up and I'm hungry. I rarely use the CHinese I know like "Hello" or "Thank you" because I'm afraid of using the wrong tone, which can completely change the meaning of the word. Today, Feng Long, gave us Chinese names. My name SOUNDS like "zohh way" it means something about a purple flower .. I think..
I get along great with all the interns and volunteers, and we really have fun together just hanging out. We do a lot of singing. We all like old musicals, the beatles, oldies, and being sarcastic. Today, two of the other interns, serenated us all with "Cats in the cradle" along with a queen song. We don't need a radio here because someone is always singing! Tonight, we implemented rooftop yoga, we stood on our awesome roof and did a moon salutation.. it was a lot of slipping on the rooftop tile and getting some great bug bites, but we all treated ourselves to smoothies after which made up for it.
Oh! Monsoon season is crazy! We get these ridiculous down pours that can last like 30 minutes. One created a pong on our roof and shut down our internet. The lightening and thunder can be so strong that you actually can feel it! My rainjacket is pretty ineffective considering I sweat so much inside the jacket I get wet, regardless of actual rain hitting me.
There's been much more, but thats a glimpse of whats been going on here. Hope everyone is doing well, and I can't wait to catch up later!!
- comments
Tim Good blog Laura makes me want to come ofver for a vacation...............nottttttttttttt Miss you Dad
momma I knew memorizing all those songs from "Singin' in the Rain" would come in handy! And the nibbler fish? Well, that's just rude!
Frank I just emailed Megan and told her to be careful because I thought it was possible to OD on fun and then I read your blog. You guys are killing me!!!! At least you haven't said "wish you were here" now that would be just mean spirited. Love you
Cathie cunha I'm soooo glad you're making friends with the local police - I have to admit, I was gettin' a little worried when you guys were being kind of harassed by those other ones! Do we need to send you ping pong balls? xoxo Auntie Cathie
voo doo mama joo joo i dont want to be the one to say it but you trip in america too. its not that you arent coordinated or anything it just that... well... you know, you arent sometimes.. (: i am envious of you seeing so many floating buildings. that seems pretty awesome. fish shouldnt single you out like that, either. but on the plus side, you are kinda cool, and people cant hate you just because the fish want to be around you. what is your smoothie called? and whats in it? mooshie mooshie. wa ai nee :)
chris It is wonderful to read about your adventures. I can picture you doing everything you said..I can especially picture you tripping...I think you have done that once or twice before!!! Love ya and I am so happy that you are having such an amazing trip...
Laura Mc. Shannon.. are you" voo doo mama joo joo?" Because that sounds ridiculously like you.. The smoothie I like is Strawberry, we were told not to eat the ice here, but I didn't comprehend that smoothies included ice.. I haven't gotten sick.. so it's all good Sending things to me would be awesome! But I don't know if we even have a mail place here in the village, I think the closest place is about about hour-ish away.. I want to send everyone post cards, but that is kinda getting in the way. WA AI NEE!
voo doo mama joo joo it may be a slow attack. please be careful with what you ingest laura! how many times do i have to tell you that?!
Laura Mc. Once more voo doo mama joo joo. once more.