I will live

I was as sick as a dog and as much as I hate going, I had to go to the hospital to see a doctor. There are very few private practices here. Maybe Beijign has them but there were none in HArbin that I know of and none here.. So off to the hospital.

Hospitals here are prolly unlike anything people have seen. People queue in the doctors room (where there are 2 doctors) and just mill around litening to the goings on of the other patients. Privacy is a luxury that numbers don't allow for It costs 4 yuan for a consultation. THere were 6 patients in the room (so about 15 people) and most preferred to see the old doctopr so he had lots waiting and the young guy had just one. I dont; care about such things so was soon sitting in from of him andswering querstions through my interpreter from my school. He sent me for an X-ray (which is the blip) and declared it wasn't serious and prescribed me some drugs. They had a ittle trouble with my English name so I became KRVIN not Kevin.. Maybe I look Russian.

The total cost of the consultation, X-ray (and revisit for verdict), one weeks antibiotics (for a chest infection) and one week of Chinese medicine for the cough was about 260 yuan not much when converted but the a\verage wage here is about 1000yuan a month so it's about a week's pay..