Dry

Immediately upon re-entering China, I developed a hacking cough. It's the kind where even a simple laugh turns into an alarming rattle that repulses everyone within earshot. I attribute this new development to the disturbing dryness of Jinan. I grew up in humid south Florida, where notebook paper actually wilts from the humidity and we used to carry around special grease absorbing sheets for our foreheads. Then I moved to New England, where it rains or snows pretty much every other day and where I own no fewer than four umbrellas.

Jinan is nothing like either Florida or New England. In the two months I've been here, it's drizzled twice. I can hang my clothes up to dry in the morning, and they'll be dry by lunch. Even jeans. Wherever you live, I challenge you to get a pair of soaking wet jeans dry in less than one day. It's pretty much impossible.

Anyway, because my theory is that better hydration will cure my cough and allow me to chuckle without frightening away small children, I've been looking for pretty much any and every opportunity to absorb water. When I sleep, I keep my head under the covers so that instead of breathing in the cold dry air outside, I get to breath the warm humid air of my homemade cave. My newest clever innovation is to fill my water bottle up with boiling water, and inhale the steam while I wait for the water to get cool enough to drink. It's like what I imagine a spa to be like. Clearly, I'm living in the lap of luxury here.