Becky Goes to China

I seem to have come down with some kind of virus. I started feeling not right after lunch on Sunday in Nanjing. Yesterday I woke up feeling as though someone had beaten me with rock all through the night. In that moment, I hated China. I wanted nothing more than to be asleep in my own comfy bed in Denver. I couldn’t eat anything and went through the day in such a daze that I didn’t take a single photo. If it hadn’t been a travel day, I would have just stayed at the hotel and no one would have blamed me, but we had to drive from Nanjing from Shanghai with company visits in Suzhou along the way. It was a rather miserable day. While the rest of the group walked down to The Bund last night, I was asleep at 7pm.

Today has been better, but still not fun. I ate breakfast, and even picked up a chocolate chip muffin when we found a Starbucks at the Ritz Carlton (we were there for a briefing at the U.S. Consulate) which was such a nice, welcome, American taste that I about cried, but nausea completely nixed lunch. I might have eaten something if some more American sick comfort foods were available, like chicken noodle soup. One of my favorite things to do when I’m sick but hungry is to just order a pizza. I am beyond tired of Chinese food. I can’t stand the sight or smell of it today. It seems as though everything I want that would make me feel better is on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the group went to get custom suits made. I would have done that as well, but I don’t have any more room in my luggage, my job’s dress code is blue jeans, and by the time any interviews roll around I don’t plan to be the same size I am now anyway, so I took a nap instead. They want to go bar hopping tonight, so I’m going to go for a stroll on The Bund on my own – and therefore at my own pace instead of whatever insane powerwalking speed the group moves at – and then maybe get a massage. I want to see what I can of Shanghai even if I’m a little sick since our time here is so short. If I find a Pizza Hut along the way, there may be some tears involved.