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I woke up at 6.30am this morning and ran around the apartment to get warm. I had to get a taxi to Huludao bus station to meet Ms Lu. She was my non-English speaking guide for the morning and we jumped on a bus to Shenyang, I think, because I had to go and have a physical exam.
After the hour-long bus journey we jumped in a taxi and landed at some government offices. For 400 yuan I got to have an ECG, a chest x-ray, a STD test, a blood test and an ultrasound. Yes, an ultrasound. Turns out that my heart beats OK, my chest's not empty, I have no STDs, my blood works and I'm not pregnant. Phew. (Note to self: learn the Mandarin for 'get that ****ing needle away from me'.)
Once I'd regained consciousness from the blood test we flagged down a taxi and went to the bus station to get back. This time I had an hour of sitting on an upside-down bucket. When me and Ms Lu arrived back in Huludao we went to the 'Local Commodities Market' and I picked up some things for the flat: a pan, a cup, a fork and some coat-hangers.
I then went and changed some money (which doesn't look enough to last me 'til pay day but rice is cheap!) and flagged down another taxi. This time Ms Lu threw me in, said something to the driver and sent me on my way. This taxi driver just loved to talk - you know the kind - but all the way all I could say was, 'I don't understand a word you're saying, maybe you could stop trying and give my left ear a break.' I can't wait to be able to speak at least some Mandarin properly so that I can pick up on the jokes about me!
Back in the apartment now and a little cold again. Somebody's been round and given me a wireless router even though I may have mentioned a couple of times that it's the phone line not the router (next door's wifi's not protected, by the way). I also have an electric blanket and TV complete with an infinite amount of Chinese channels and a desk that looks as though it may collapse if I place a book on it. Happy, happy times.
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