gobbledonk Posted June 13, 2003 Report Share Posted June 13, 2003 Yeah, I know - you pay your money and you take your chances, but I surprised myself by eating food at street stalls in China, having stubbornly refused to do so in Thailand. Am I just being a big-girls-blouse : surely half the fun us surrendering to new experiences and trying something new ? I just dont want that *something* to include writhing on the ground while enterprising locals go through my pockets. PS One of the reasons I found China more amenable was that my nostrils werent continually assailed by the smell of shit, as they were in many streets in Thailand. Seeng my Chinese GF eating anything and everything also convinced me that I'd probably survive (where the hell do they put it ? She struggles to be 50 kgs dripping wet,yet eats like there's no tomorrow - sound familiar ?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adikgede Posted June 13, 2003 Report Share Posted June 13, 2003 Not to stomp on your fun but do you ever wonder why the shrimp paste is red red red, and not grey. Ever wonder why the meatballs and soft noodles can stay fresh all day (ask an embalmer). Its fine on a vacation but I wouldn't make a habit of it. Obesity related diseases are on the rise in East Asia allthough the people don't appear obese. It might be interesting to see how well your girlfriend maintains her mass after a dose of worm medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 13, 2003 Report Share Posted June 13, 2003 call me mad, but i have never worried too much about foodstalls or the water i drink. in the past i have had most of the things you can pick up - dysentries, worms etc. but i survived, and still have my iron stomach. in the last years i can't remember more than a few days of diarria. sometimes you have no choice - there is no other water than unclean water or not very hygienic food available, and in that case it is better that your intestines are used to all the bacteria. but if you worry about those things, then you should worry in china a lot more than in thailand. hygiene in china is way behind thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2003 hygiene in china is way behind thailand. I thought that would be the case too, and it probably is in certain provinces. I can only say that the parts of Guanxi which I visited 'seemed' more palatable than places like Pattaya, at least in terms of what was on the street. Adik, I'm surprised that an old 'Asia hand' like yourself feels so strongly about this - I would have picked you for a 'devil-may-care' type Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 13, 2003 Report Share Posted June 13, 2003 >>>the parts of Guanxi which I visited 'seemed' more palatable than places like Pattaya, at least in terms of what was on the street.<<< ahem... pattaya may be a lot of things, but the last thing i would call pattaya is some kind of a street vendor paradise for thai cuisine... :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2003 I rest my case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adikgede Posted June 14, 2003 Report Share Posted June 14, 2003 Says artiew: hygiene in china is way behind thailand. I'm surprised that an old 'Asia hand' like yourself feels so strongly about this - I would have picked you for a 'devil-may-care' type Well I am and I have never been ill, so I think there may be some argument for exposing yourself to as much filth as possible, unless its cholera. I usually deworm once or twice a year, although this week I have Dengue and the fever seems to burned out most of the local fauna. Hawkers carts are an integeral part of every kitchen here, and many folks don't have even have or need kitchens. What I am more and more aware of is the increased use of chemicals either in production or preservation of food on carts which seem to be available in the most remote areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2003 Report Share Posted June 14, 2003 >>>What I am more and more aware of is the increased use of chemicals either in production or preservation<<< that is a big problem all over here. even buying food in the markets does not save you from that. my missus tries to buy as much food as she can from vendors who sell from organic production - more expensive but a lot better. >>>Well I am and I have never been ill, so I think there may be some argument for exposing yourself to as much filth as possible, unless its cholera<<< problem is that i am regularly in areas where clean food and water is simply not available anywhere. if i have the choice between a possible dysentry or the definite effects of dehydration (can be extremely painful in case of chrystals in the kidneys and the urinary tract) i will choose the possible dysentry any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2003 Cabt you use tablets (iodine ?) to 'purify' water ? Yeah, I know thats a wonderful image and the reality may be different, but thats what the travel doctor told me before I went to China. Again, after being a stickler for bottled water in Thailand, I just gave in and started brushing my teeth straight from the hotel tap in HK and Guanxi. The only ill-effects I suffered in 10 days in China were consistently explosive bowel movements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibblies Posted June 14, 2003 Report Share Posted June 14, 2003 You are being a big girls blouse. You find some of the tastiest food at street stalls and it doesn't give you problems as often as you may think because you get to know the ones that do. Don't be a pussy - you're missing out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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