Last resort… take green pouch!
Yay for new experiences abroad!
The trip to Taipei on Saturday was a ton of fun. Scott and I met up with a friend of his from college named Missy. She showed us the city little by little and ended the evening underneath the massive Taipei 101 building. I forgot my camera, I know, I know I need to take more pictures. I will see it again, soon hopefully, and get some pictures up – promise.
The next day we took a 40 minute scooter ride to the nearest beach. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but knowing that we can go for a dip in the ocean in a little over half an hour is good stuff.
Get your towels ready...
That evening, some awesome strain of bacteria, or a virus, decided to wage war on my intestines. After being confined to my room for the better part of four days, I managed to get to a local clinic. Terrified that I wouldn’t be able to afford (or worse, be straight up rejected from) the clinic, I slowly made my way inside. Turns out not having an ARC is alright; all you need is a passport and 350 NT(cheap – about $13).
The doctor then proceeded to repeatedly beat on my stomach for a minute or so (or eternity – depends on who’s counting), and I simultaneously promised to vomit in his face if he did it again, until he finally let me go (there might have been a language barrier here that made this process much more difficult than it needed to be).
Once the torture session was over, I waited outside for a few minutes until another man told me to take each package of pills 3 times a day. After reiterating my allergy of penicillin a few times, the doctor reluctantly removed one of the capsules. Then he said, “Last resort… take green pouch!” I asked what it was and he smiled and said have a good day.
Chinese Medicine Routine
A side note for those who have never felt the love in hospitals or other healthcare institutions:
I spent much of my college career working in a hospital and grew very tolerant to the feelings of discomfort within said institutions. That being said, having to visit a healthcare professional in a setting that is about a foreign as one can get, especially when you are ill, can bring forth uncertainty in just about anyone. In any case, I’ve found that the key, for me at least, in dealing with the discomfort, is completely accepting the fact that these people sincerely want to help you… I think. (Isn’t that a make or break part of the entrance requirements for med school?)
Supposedly the cure-all pill....
So here’s to Chinese medicine! I hope to be alive and ready for the festivities this weekend. The Dragon Boat Festival is the only 3-day weekend that we have for the better part of 4 months. I’m hoping not to spend it restricted to being next to a trash can or bathroom.
On the bright side of things, I spoke with a CEO of a major bicycle saddle manufacturer in Taiwan today. I e-mailed her company a little over a week ago asking some general questions about her business and the cycling industry. She wants to meet with me next week sometime – SWEET!
View of downtown Chungli from the roof of our building!