So, How About Your Health...

I was asked recently, in an email from a frequent reader, about my state of health in Beijing and if I was well. Well, dear reader, I am well...

The first month was miserable. I experienced what we have called the "Beijing hack" - difficulty breathing (almost like asthma), severe cough (which has resulted in abdominal definition I haven't had since high school), and dry, itchy throat. And, yes, this lasted a good month; I thought for a time it wouldn't go away...

My diet and the amount of regular exercise I get (in the form of walking from one end of the building to the other multiple times a day) has resulted in a good amount of weight loss and has lowered my blood sugar considerably. As a diabetic, this is great news. I'm hoping it's enough for my doctor to consider taking me off my meds; that's another subject for another day... This has given me a whole new supply of energy, which I need to make it through most of my days right now. Feeding over 15,000 people a day does get to a person after a while...

No major aches and pains, other the normal ones at the end of the day. I have, in only 1 1/2 months, worn out the only pair of Dr. Scholl's gel inserts I brought, something that usually takes me almost a year. The Chinese use a type of bamboo mat as sole inserts, and they are not very comfortable. I'm looking forward to returning to the US and good ol' Dr. Scholl's.

That's about it, I guess... Generally speaking, I haven't felt this good since high school...