Right, bit of an apology for being MIA this week. Between work, running to the bathroom and praying someone would just put an end to it all with something blunt and heavy… writing has not been high on the priority list.
That stuff about flu and stomach flu got washed away when I realized that the combination of symptoms actually is well-defined by food poisoning. Best I can figure, during last weekend’s indoor BBQ (which, despite current events, is still damn cool) when Maggie said, “Hey, my chicken looks a little undercooked. I’m going to put it back on the grill.” I SHOULDN’T have said, “Meh, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
I am not sure why I don’t respect the little things hangin’ out on raw chicken and seafood enough to know that I need to cook them to all hell. This is my second case of food poisoning since coming to China, actually… my only food poisoning experiences have happened in China. But though the country mocks me with its chicken-esque shape, it is not to blame… I’m just an idiot.
The first time I was out at a hotpot restaurant and decided to enjoy some tasty raw oysters – figuring wrongly that being so close to the sea in Dalian would be enough to save me. And now this last time… well… we’ve already illustrated that stupidity. On a side note, if you check out that ‘first time’ link… you’ll see one of the earliest mentions about Maggie on this site (and her in a big group photo)… funny how things work out.
Food poisoning is a funny thing. Wait, no… it blows. Figuratively and literally. After the initial fever, shakes, sleepiness wore off, all I was left with were extremely painful stomach cramps, complete lack of apetite and a case of the quick stuff. When not racked with the ‘knife in my gut’ feeling, it was all daisies, but as soon as those cramps came on… especially in the middle of class… man, I starting looking at my students and wondering if any of the little kids were strong enough to use the contents of their pencilboxes to put their teacher out of his misery.
Seems I’ve reached calmer seas though. From contracting (last Sunday, best guess), to first symptoms (Tuesday), until now… exactly one week. Glad these little bugs in my gut are all about the Gregorian calendar and are keeping their rampage to a seven day bender.
