I had a colleague who had been a nurse and I'd show my prescriptions and ask "BS or actual medicine" and she'd tell me. I just started asking her first and she'd type out what I need before I went to the doctor.

It was on my thumb... But that is quite the visual.

Not a single hospital I went to in that country had hand soap in the bathrooms, to give you an idea about the level of hygiene. But going for my yearly sinus infection was a breeze and I got antibiotics. Not a zpack but it cleared up the infection. And no appointments necessary. Breeze in and breeze out an hour later with what you need. And dirt dirt cheap, and on my visa I didn't pay into the national health care system, so my cost was 100% out of pocket.

Wart fertilizer perhaps

Eh, there's truth and lies on both sides. Coming from someone that lived in china for 4 years and was able to engage with Chinese primary news sources. But basic healthcare in china is faster and cheaper, but then again I went to get a wart removed and they prescribed me acorn paste that accelerated the growth of the wart. So win some lose some.

Yeah that's what I'm not understanding. He voluntarily joined the foreign legion. If he was captured then tortured or executed that's one thing. Tragic, but he knew the risks.

I lived in china and had a friend who constantly mocked China's HSR system for not making money. One that we both used pretty regularly because it was fast, cheap, comfortable, and convenient. I countered that public transit shouldn't make money, it should be subsidized. Anyway, I should have used your example.

I took a DNA test and found out I'm mostly Scottish (family always said English and Polish) so maybe I will too.

Hahaha. Where do Chinese parents say their kids are gonna dig to? Never thought about that. Maybe new York? Brazil?