China Journal 2008-09-17, 11:11PM

Early this morning we, Hunter, Rolf, Tyler and I, went to get our physical examinations done. Sadly we had to miss training to do it. Of course, Rolf and I messed up our alarm clocks and we were rushing, unshowered, out the door. We hop on the subway and transfer to a bus until we jump out onto some street. After a short walk we’re there at the hospital. I was always wondering what a hospital in China would be like. I hear so many horror stories about China that I had no idea what to expect. The first thing I see is a sign that says “physical examination for Aliens” with a nice, sharp arrow pointing around the corner towards the back. I’ll admit I was simultaneously amused and worried. After some bad E.T based jokes we went inside and I was greeted by a site that relaxed me completely; automatic, sliding, glass doors. These shiny, clean doors just put my heart at ease and we strolled in to be poked and prodded. The place was dead empty. We sat down and filled out our paperwork and when we got back to the line the place was packed. After waiting a half hour to get the papers verified, we went shuffling around to the various rooms to get examined. The first room and, oddly enough, the worst was the x-ray room. I walk in and this pushy lady almost shoves me into position. I end up with my chin in a groove on some kind of suspended plate shaped like a torso. She grabs a lead flap in the shape of a giant, 2D pair of tighty-whiteys and makes me hold it with my arms still by my sides. After bending me to her will, I look like an uncomfortable chicken. I left feeling violated and gave a blood sample with relief. Pins are nothing compared to that evil woman. I ran into my friend Chris there as well. Funny chance because he’s studying in Beijing too. We’ll meet up for lunch or something sometime.
Tried some weird kind of Chinese breakfast crape thingy. It was ok. That’s all on that.
In Chinese class today I slept during one of the breaks. It was a really odd thing I did and I’ll tell you about it in a second. First, let me say that I don’t usually sleep in class but I was really tired and I think I have a cold today. So I’m falling asleep and starting to dream and Tyler asks if I want his peach. I, in my insane, dozing state, do not think I am being offered a peach but something else, what I can’t remember, and I tell him “No” with a lot of attitude mixed in. He offers again, knowing that I do want the peach. I tell him no again. He offers one more time saying, “Jon! Do you want to eat this peach?” I clue in and grab it and eat it. I don’t thank him until later. I’m out of it. I get up to put the pit in the garbage but instead trip and fall. I’m really in a stupor at this point. I crawl over to the garbage, put it in and roll over onto the floor again. Martin almost tripped on me. Sorry for you literary types reading this and hating my grammar but I’m really tired.
Oh, one more thing. Yesterday Tyler and I tried a new noodle place. They were fantastic. For about two bucks Canadian we enjoyed huge bowls of noodles with beef chunks! I slurped mine back, as slurping is polite in China, and at the end I found a little tiny, approximately one point five cm, cockroach type bug floating dead in my broth. I picked it out with my chopsticks and put it on the table, as the Chinese do for anything that they don’t want to eat, and I have a quick mental debate. On the one hand the noodles were delicious, on the other there was a freaking cockroach in it. As always, logic prevails! I didn’t die from the bug and the noodles were grrreat! I decide to finish my pasta. We took Rolf there today and enjoyed the same dish. MMMMMmmmmmmmmmm Noodles!