Eric's Beijing Diary

Today is my last day in the drip room. One of the aids set the drip up a little bit. Yesterday it was really slow--took about two hours. When I came in yesterday, I heard one of the people talking about me. He said, "Even the foreigner has a cold." He was across the room from me, so I didn't say anything, but if he had been closer, I would have told him that if I had a cold, I wouldn't be in this place. I can never quite get people who go to the hospital when they have a cold. What does it accomplish, except to spread their sickness, and perhaps get more sick themselves? When I have a cold, I drink lots of fluid and go to bed. Mostly fruit juices, but hot water is good, too. I don't like hospitals. But the drip room is not that bad a place, I guess, except that these village people have not developed the custom of covering their mouths when they cough.