China

Het gaat niet helemaal goed, want ik zou een nieuw bericht moeten plaatsen. Maar vooruit, laten we het maar zo doen.
Ik heb nog veel stress gehad voordat ik wegging. Ik dacht het de laatte week rustig aan te doen, maar dat was een utopie. Er bleef nog zoveel over en alles leek mis te gaan. Ik heb doordat ik struikelde mijn beiden knieen open liggen, vielbijna van de zolder, een vaas die ik eraf gooide, bankpasjes die het niet deden en niet waren aangekomen, en mijn moeder kreeg haar vinger tussen de deur. Maar uiteindelijk ben ik hier dan toch aangekomen. De vlucht verliep goed. In een vliegtuig aar ruim 100 passagiers inpassen, zaten er maar 75. Dus ik heb lekker gelegen. Wel apart om met de langste dag te vliegen. De nacht was extreem kort, mede doordat de zonsopgang om 12 uur (of eerder, maar toen kwam ik erachter) alweer begonnen was. Het was toen 2 uur locale tijd. Omdat het zo bijzonder was (is dit nu het befame Noorderlicht?) ben ik blijven kijken. Het duurde ruim 2 uur voordat de zon echt opkwam. (Eigenlijk maar ruime een half uur, maar de tijd versprong met 2 uur.)
Ik mocht China binnen zonder dat ik een retourticket had. Terwijl ze me op Schiphol gewaarschuwd hadden dat dit misschien niet zou lukken. Mijn moeder en Santi hebben me uitgezwaaid. Dat was best emotioneel. En Natasja belde me nog om de kinderen even met me te laten praten.
Om 12 uur locale tijd kwamen we aan; dat is 6 uur Nederlandse tijd. Ik ben niet meer gaan slapen, en ben nu dus erg moe. Vanavond maar om een uur of 10 naar bed.
Chengdu heeft voor een stad van deze afmetingen (ik zoek het nog wel even op) weinig verkeer. Wat wel heel bijzonder is dat er weinig toeristen hier zijn. Dat maakt je gelijk tot een bezienswaardigheid. Nadeel is (maar dat wilde ik toch) dat er weinig mensen Engels spreken. Of maar een paar woorden.
Hier in het internetcafe zit iedereen overigens spelletjes te spelen. Nou dat is het dan voor vandaag.

After some considerations as a docter who prescripes her own medication I decided to phone my gp (general practitioner) to ask if she does inoculations. Her assistent answered she did and so I asked for rabies and typhus. Since I knew what I wanted she asked me if I also knew the names of the vaccins. I told her that I had the pharmotherapeutical compass in my lap and I looked up the names for her. On her question whether the inoculations could be given on the same day I had to disappoint her.
Last Monday was the appointment. The gp was prepared and had what we in Dutch call the LCR-protocol ready. I told het what I needed and what malaria medication I thought about bringing with me. A lot of the inoculations she suggested I already have. She offered me to borrow the protocol and bring it back within a couple of days. I thougt this was cool of her.
In my right arm I got rabies and in my left typhus. This meant that I could not lift my arm lateraly all day long and was in a lot of agony.
Yesterday I read the interesting parts of the protocol. The part about malaria makes another suggestion than what I first came up with. I wanted to bring Malarone, because it gives the least side efeects. The disadvantage is the price, 2,50 euro's a day. So now I'm reconsidering. I''ll talk to the gp next Monday when I get my second rabies shot.
Today I copied the protocol where I used to work. And because they hand out free condoms for save sex to the asylum seekers and have a lot in stock I asked for some. Now the want to know when I use them as well. I also took some syringes and needles.
After I got my ticket, I also went to the pharmacy and asked if they sell needles for infusions (is this spelt right?). To my big surprise they had some. Sad enough they were left over from someone who had died. I bought three for the price of only 5 euro's. Not as expensive as I thought they would be.
Apart from these essential things I also bought two bottles of a high factor sun lotion and a simcard for my new telephone (another story to tell).

OK, It might not be the right department but here come the story of my mobile telephone. I already bought a second one a couple of months ago. For 35 euro's. Last week I went to the shop to buy a simcard, because the one I use now is still from my work. Luckely enough the man helping me noticed that I can not use that telephone in Asia, because it's not a three band one. Don't ask what that means, I just know I can't use it. So we looked in the book for another cheap one. The first one he found was sold out. The second one was still available. I almost bought it and just to make sure I checked if it was simlock free. NO! The price went up by doubling it. The next one was sold out again. I asked if they had one in another shop and he found one in Hoogezand. If I would hand in my current telephone I would get the new one 10 euro's cheaper, but according to this man I can get more money selling it on the internet.
The next day I picked up my new telephone in Hoogezand. At home, trying it the simcard was missing. The next day I phoned the company who told me that that was correct. I only I had known that I could have bought it straight away.
That day I also put my 'old' mobile telephone on marktplaats. The first reaction I got was an e-mail offering me 10 euros. I mailed him back that I could have gotten that in the shop. Then somebody offered 3 euro's on marktplaats. I rather throw it in the bin. Not to mention the other thing I'd like to do with it.