Coal

On my way from Taiyuan to Datong, my seat on the train was by the window. It's hot on trains and there are so many people, so I opened the window wide and stuck my head out the whole five hours. The scenery was great, and it felt like the other 134 people in my car weren't even there.

When the train was close to Datong, I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My entire face was black from coal. You can imagine how dirty my clothes were. I tried to wash my face in the little sink on the train, but I think I just spread the coal around some more. There was really nothing I could do.

I talked to my mom on the phone later that night and I told her what happened. I said, "But I took a shower and washed my clothes, so it's ok."

And she said, "But what about your lungs, which you can't wash?"

Oh snap. Thank you, China.