Saturday, January 16, 2010

Lidu love, for real this time

Tomorrow is the big day. Will I survive the six hour bus ride??? My "laduzi" was SO bad today, I thought I was going to die. During each trip to the bathroom, I felt as if I was emptying out my guts into the toilet bowl. I called the Peace Corps doctor and practically begged to be allowed to take the Giardia medicine, but the doc refused, and told me I'd be better off using the rehydration salt pack. ICK. If my bowels come loose again tomorrow on the bus, I honestly don't know what the fuck I'm going to do. =(

This afternoon I felt better... well enough to get my hair washed. =P But because Ming Fa Xuan was closed today, Rach and I went to another shop across the school gate. Zhuang Jiaohao, the guy who did my hair, was, once again, a looker, and once again, took forever to do my hair. Turns out he went to massage school a few years ago, so when I asked for a massage, he gave me a half hour face, scalp, neck and shoulder massage - no extra charge, baby. Then he asked for my QQ number. Then when I bumped into him later in the evening, he tried to buy me a meat stick. LMAO. Too bad I had to tell him "no thanks, I have diarrhea." HAAAh.

I think moments like these are the reward of 4 months of trying in vain to be part of the Lidu community. After months of shallow greetings shared with nameless vendors, I finally feel connected. Finally, I have friends who are not also my students. Finally, I have crushes on men who do not currently reside in the US (yes, finally I've let go of the past). And finally, happiness isn't solely contingent on what I'm doing, but also partly on where I am, because my God, I love Lidu.

But too bad this little breakthrough is happening when I must leave for a month. Things change so fast here... restaurants come and go without warning (never got to say goodbye to the Muslim noodle man), and I worry that upon returning I will feel as lost as ever.

No comments: