Hotel Hygeine

Last weekend Megan and I went to the city of Ruili, and to Longchuan county, two sites along the Burmese border that are among the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS in China. I am still processing some of the things that we experienced some disheartening, and some very encouraging. I'll post about them later, but for now I have a few amusing items to share. The border area is a hotbed for drug injection and prostitution and Ruili once had the reputation for being quite the Wild West fronteir town. Things have cleaned up somewhat since then, but the economy is still pretty heavily dependent on the "oldest profession". On the right, is the "24 hour beauty and health maintenance massage parlor" that sits in the lobby of our hotel in case anyone needs a backrub at 3 AM... The phones in the guest rooms have on/off switches!? It soon became clear why: In the first 5 minutes Megan was in her room, she got 2 calls from ladies soliciting gentlemen requiring companionship. It's now mandatory for hotels in Yunnan to provide condoms in rooms as part of the program for AIDS prevention. They charge for them, of course. And, the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit being what it is, not only are condoms sold, but a variety of other pleasure and prophylactic products. The placard on the left was in one hotel bathroom, in Chinese and Chinglish. You can click for a larger image, but I'll provide highlights from the Chinglish text, because reading it was the most fun I'd had in a while. Mouth Antiseptic-Oral condition is actually a mirror for the healthy condition of the whole body... it is a good healthy habit to maintain oral sanitation. Spraying your mouth with Gargarisma every day can remove unpleasant odor and keep mouth sanitary... Clean-Tooth--Outstandingly effective special Double-whitening recipe... Antibacterial Towels [these are for wiping your naughty bits...] The product is 100% cotton, convenience for use, can prevent illness of infect effectively. It is the best ware to travel or get about. Antibacterial Underpants and Sock--special material and technology, antibacreria, venerelate, deoderant. changing and washing frequently are good habit for health habits. Washing-Liquid--DIANS Washing-Liquid can quickly enter the private parts skin inside the exoenzyme, and kill the fungi, bacteria. Availabely kill various sexually transmitted disease germ, prevent the in fection.Can become to defent the germnatural cover.And construct the health environment and prevent the germ irruptive. Water-based--Advanced directiongs and technology , particularly fitting the character of the eastern human's hair.while keeping the hair wet,it make easier to camb the hair to shape.l Condoms--More security,more funny. Wet turban [no explanation follow this one...] Below is the in-room "mini-bar" in another hotel, including: his-and-hers disposable underpants, two varieties of "Indian Saint Oil", one described in Enlgish as "Joy Woman Sex Oil", Man Lotion and Woman Lotion, Condoms, and, "Compressed Hygeinic Towel--soak before use" I wonder if part of the reason for very limited condom use among prostitutes and their clients is that some people actually believe compressed hygenic towels and DIANS washing liquid might prevent AIDS... Any MPH students out there need to do a KBAP (knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, practices) study? Who comes up with these acronyms?? The funny part is, despite all the hygeine products, one of the hotels didn't even have a top sheet to put between your body and the (presumably unwashed) comforter. Not comforting... Well, my lightweight travel sheet should be coming from the US with the next group of people to visit from Houston, so I'll at least have my dry turban saint body wrap before my next hotel adventure. In the meantime, maybe I'll try the Gargarisma. And, now for something completely different: Here I am being fitted for a skirt.