Forbidden Fruit

Because fruit and vegetables in China are grown in unsuitable water, westerners are not supposed to eat them raw. Supposedly, my body will get used to it over time and I will be able to eat uncooked produce in the future. I mentioned my friend Tracy in a previous post. She is also from America and has been in China for about seven months, so I asked her if she eats uncooked fruit and vegetables. She does and has had no problems. I decided to take my chances, and I ate a raw tomato with some rice one evening. I should mention that I had had no adverse reactions to any of the food in China until this point. And, all because of a tomato, I was sick for three days. I'm now wondering why I didn't enjoy a banana, apple, pineapple, pear, or other tempting fruit I walk past every day at the local markets. I now know how Adam and Eve felt.

Chinese Water

The water in China is not safe to drink unless it has been boiled. It contains bacteria and other contaminants, so even the native Chinese cannot consume it.

Water is obviously very necessary for life, so everywhere I go I see large thermoses for transporting and storing water that has been boiled. Strangely, I've only ever seen one model of thermos. Someone must have a monopoly on the industry in China. Anyway, students walk around campus with the thermoses, I see them on the city streets, in the train stations, in bathrooms, and in restaurants. The images in my mind of China will always have these multicolored thermoses.

I personally do not have one of these ubiquitous Chinese thermoses. In my room I have a device for boiling water. I'm guessing that the name of it is obvious, but I can't think of what it might be. Anyway, it's like a hot plate attached to a liter pitcher. It boils the water in a minute or so and keeps it hot all day. My roommate and I drink so much tea, though, that we refill it multiple times every day.

In restaurants, boiled water is served to drink. I have gotten used to drinking plain hot water all the time. I actually can't remember if that's considered weird in America, so I thought I'd mention it. And, drinks are not served with ice. It seems counter-productive to boil water and then freeze it just so a drink is a little colder. I don't miss ice. It now seems unnecessary, like shower curtains, hot water at all hours, and western toilets. Go ahead and laugh at me.