Occupational Hazards 6 - Preparing For A Trip To China

The other day, Missy and I visited the TRAVEL CLINIC at the UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, ATHENS (UGA) to get vaccinations for our impending work trip to CHINA next month. I had already been to China twice , and Missy once, so there wasn't much that we needed except for the H1N1 "SWINE FLU" VACCINATION and a refill of CIPRO, in case we got a serious case of "MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE" - a.k.a., TRAVELLER'S DIARRHEA...





Every time we go to the Travel Clinic they give us this handout describing, in cringe-inducing detail, the worst-case-scenario version of how one might unluckily get Traveller's Diarrhea. It's pretty gross, but also pretty hilarious in the totally-over-the-top way they tell the story. Parts of the handout strike me as sort of racist, like this one line about the locals - "If they have diarrhea, as is frequently the case..." ...AS IS FREQUENTLY THE CASE? WTF? Haha! Is this scientifically proven? Like, Americans don't frequently get diarrhea, what with all our greasy fast food and terrible eating habits? C'mon, now. Like, our shit don't stink? I guarantee that you are more likely to "make an offering at the porcelain altar" after dinner at TACO BELL, than after having dinner at a nice hotel somewhere in the middle of China. Anyways, it's not like we're gonna be eating a buncha crazy stuff like ANDREW ZIMMERN.



The doctor administered Missy's Swine Flu vaccine via a painless nasal spray, which was great because Missy is terrified of syringes. I, with my head cold and stuffy nose, had to have the vaccine administered intravenously...