06/03/11: 17:51, Location: Death Floor

So sleepy today. Almost passed out on the 20-minute bus ride to the psych ward. We visited the Acute psych ward today. Acute patients are psych patients who have a tendency to get violent. Before we went in, Pastor Chao looked me sternly in the eye and said "Don't touch any of the patients. Just the other day, one of the OTs got hit in the neck and is still at home recovering." Scary... However, the patients were well behaved. I couldn't even tell that some of them were patients if not for the gowns they were wearing.

For lunch, Pastor Chao told me nonchalantly that she was taking me to a party. I assumed it was an office party. Instead, I was greeted by four young women, one of which was pregnant. It was a reunion for the old co-workers of a separate Mennonite branch clinic (the one with the Meals on Wheels). It was kind of awkward because they were all catching up and I was just...there. So I had nothing to do but eat. WHICH BRINGS ME TO A POINT THAT MAKES ME ANGRY.

On the bus ride back from the psych ward, we sat with a doctor who had spent 20 years in America getting various degrees. He practices gynecology, neurology, and family medicine. Now, we were having a great time talking about various things. His mom lives in San Jose too, He went to school at Mt. Sinai, Colorado is beautiful, etc. etc. At this point, he's talking to be in half-English, half-Chinese. Then he leans in, whispers, "I have to tell you something." I lean in, expecting another joke. "You are OVERWEIGHT." And the caps are his, not mine. My initial reaction: "BITCH. YOU'RE OLD. WHAT NOW? HAVE A HEART ATTACK AND KEEL OVER RIGHT NOW." But I'm like "Oh, haha. Yeah, I know." He then launches into a speech about BMI and how I'm surely much much over the required value for my height and that I need to learn how to exercise. I'm not even exaggerating. That's how sad it was. On top of all this, I just got my period today. Literally five minutes before I met this guy. He's BAD news. Anyways, I laugh it off, but I pretty much give him the cold shoulder for the rest of the ride. Probably the worst I've felt about my weight since I got to Taiwan. I mean, I'm used to Taiwanese people exclaiming that I'm fat in passing, but this guy announced it to a bus full of people and proceeds to talk on and on about it. However, I am thankful because this taught me two things.

1.) All it takes is one wrong comment to change someone's entire opinion about you. When we were first talking, I thought he was funny and well-educated. He talked about how he has degrees in Gynecology, Neurology, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry. After the comment, I looked back on this conversation and all I saw was boasts.

2.)I learned/reaffirmed that I'm fickle. Respect to disdain in 2.5 seconds. I think I'll have gotten over it the next time I meet him. If this inspires me to lose 50 pounds, I might even thank him some day. However, seeing as right after this conversation I had a five-course meal, I don't think that's ever going to happen.

Back to the amazing lunch. There was an appetizer, salad, soup, main course, and dessert. I think it was for about less than $15 American. However, I never saw the bill because Pastor Chao ordered on the phone when I wasn't around. Gah, I owe her so much moneyyyy. Sorry, the pictures are out of order. I'm too lazy to fix it. :) Also, there are no pictures of the salad and soup because I ate them before I remembered to take one.

Creme Brulee. Legit.

Filet Mignon. As you can see, I took a bite before I remembered to take a picture. My sister is sputtering with disappointment right now. It came with some weird mushroom sauce in a tureen and the lady gave me a really weird look when I just asked for salt and pepper. She's like "What about the noodles?" and I'm like "You really think I'm going to waste room on that?" Surprisingly, it actually WAS Filet mignon. However, the meat was less tender than it was mushy. Still, better than most steaks I've had the displeasure of eating in Taiwan.

The appetizer. I think the sauce was ketchup. Less than impressed.

I later found out that this lunch was also an early birthday celebration for Pastor Chao. What the heck!! This woman doesn't tell me anything!

I managed to pay for my own dinner, but she still treated us to a vegetable dish. This is frustrating. I've never been so stonewalled before! I usually dominate at the bill game. ): But then again, I usually hold the position of power. Now she owns the motorcycle. Grr.

Anyways, great day at the hospital. The nurses are slowly beginning to smile at me instead of staring at me and muttering loudly to each other in Chinese "IT'S THE ABC." Pastor Chao always introduces me as "The ABC" and then adds, "But so far she speaks the best Chinese." Oh geez, thanks. Still, the Taiwanese always assume I have no idea what they're saying. RUDE.

Learned how to measure blood pressure today. Mei Jiao Jie's like "You'll feel a *pop* in your arm." "..." "..." "I felt nothing." She presses a stethoscope to my arm. "OK. Yours is abnormally quiet. Must be because you have a lot of meat." (Sigh) The blows just keep coming. All right. I had originally planned to lose weight in Taiwan. I'm now going into overdrive. I've only had one pearl tea since coming here AND I didn't finish it. No junk food yet. Haven't had any drinks from Seven. Ate salad for dinner TWICE. This is going down. Stupid old man and his stupid STUPID STUPID. BAH.