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MidReal Story
Foreign Flavors of Fear
Scenario:Taotao Yu is a student from China who is studying at a further education college in central England. Taotao has pale skin, a round face and very oriental eyes. Six weeks into the course, she goes to the nearby city of Birmingham with her female friends from the course Wen Fei, Wei Zhang and Angela Chen Taotao has a prawn dish, her friends all have chicken dishes. The next day Taotao wakes up with a very bad pain in her stomach and she has to rush to the toilet where she has bad diarrhoea. She makes many urgent visits to the toilet all day and is in very bad discomfort. The next day, Wen gets some rehydration sachets for Taotao and the day after, with the toilet visits being never-ending, gets her some kaolin medicine. Taotao's condition soon starts to improve and she's able to eat plain foods like rice, bananas and toast, but it's not until the end of the week when the horrible diarrhoea finally ends, even though the medicine helped reduce it. Taotao thinks she's had salmonella. She's back at college on Monday and her strength has returned
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Angela Chen
Chinese student and friend to Taotao, intelligent and resourceful.
Wei Zhang
Chinese student and friend to Taotao, outgoing and humorous.
Wen Fei
Chinese student and friend to Taotao, supportive and caring.
Six weeks into my course at the further education college in central England and I was finally settling in.
The work was not too taxing and I had fallen in with a great bunch of girls, all of whom were from mainland China.
Wen Fei, Wei Zhang, Angela Chen and myself would often meet up outside of college to explore the local area.
On this particular day we decided to head into Birmingham, the second city of the UK and only 20 minutes away by train.
We ended up in the centre of the city at New Street Station and after looking around for a while headed into the first Chinese restaurant we came across in the adjacent Chinatown.
I had prawn whereas my friends all had chicken dishes.
As we finished our meal, I suggested we explore more of Chinatown, and the others agreed with enthusiasm.
We stepped out into the bustling streets, where lanterns swayed gently above us, casting a warm glow on the cobblestones.
The air was filled with the sweet scent of incense and the sound of Mandarin chatter, making me feel a sense of comfort and familiarity.
We wandered past vibrant shops filled with traditional goods, their colorful displays spilling out onto the sidewalk.
Angela stopped at a small stall selling intricate paper fans, her eyes widening as she picked one up to admire its delicate design.
"Look at this one, Taotao!" she exclaimed, holding up a fan with a beautiful peony pattern.
I smiled, reaching out to touch the delicate paper. "It's lovely," I said.
Wen suddenly appeared beside us, her eyes shining with excitement. "Guys, I found a bakery! We have to try some mooncakes!"
We followed her to a small shop with a sign that read "Golden Dragon Bakery".
Inside, the aroma of sweet pastries enveloped us, making our mouths water in unison.
Wei joked about starting a food blog as we savored the mooncakes, their soft, flaky crust melting in our mouths.
We laughed, feeling connected and content in this lively corner of Birmingham.
As we left the bakery, Wei spotted a street performer doing a traditional lion dance.
"Let's watch!" she exclaimed, pulling us towards the crowd gathering around the performer.
We pushed our way to the front, mesmerized by the colorful costume and the rhythmic beat of the drums.
Suddenly, the lion's head swung towards us, its mouth open wide in a fierce roar...
I collapsed onto my bed, the exhaustion washing over me like a wave. The relentless trips to the bathroom had left me drained, my body weak and fragile. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so helpless.
Wen's concerned face appeared in my doorway again, this time with a bowl of steaming hot rice porridge. "Taotao, you need to eat something," she said, her voice soft with empathy.
I nodded feebly, my stomach growling at the sight of the food. Wen helped me sit up, and I took a tentative spoonful of the porridge. The warm, comforting liquid slid down my throat, providing a fleeting sense of relief.
As I ate, Wen sat beside me, chatting quietly about her day. Her words were a gentle hum in the background, a soothing balm to my frazzled nerves. I listened intently, grateful for her presence.
Just as I was starting to feel a little better, a sharp cramp seized my stomach. I gasped, clutching my abdomen as the pain intensified. Wen's eyes widened in alarm as I scrambled out of bed, desperate to reach the bathroom before it was too late.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered, my voice trembling with embarrassment.
Wen quickly followed me, holding my arm as I stumbled towards the toilet. "Don't apologize, Taotao," she said firmly. "We're here for you."
As I locked myself in the bathroom, Wen's words echoed in my mind. I felt a surge of gratitude towards my friends, who had been nothing but supportive and caring throughout this ordeal.
But for now, I was trapped in this tiny bathroom, at the mercy of my rebellious stomach. The porcelain throne seemed to loom over me, a constant reminder of my misery.
And then, just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, I heard the sound of footsteps outside my door. It was Wei and Angela, come to check on me.
"Taotao, are you okay?" Wei called out, her voice muffled by the door.
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. But before I could answer, another wave of pain crashed over me, leaving me gasping for air...
I managed to call out, "I'll be okay," as Wei and Angela's concerned voices filtered through the bathroom door.
After a few moments, I heard Angela say, "We'll wait here." Her words were reassuring, yet I felt a pang of frustration at my own helplessness.
I took a deep breath and slowly stood up, steadying myself against the sink. The mirror reflected my pale face, reminding me of how much this illness had taken from me.
I opened the door to find Wei holding a glass of water and Angela with a fresh set of clothes. Their gestures, simple yet profound, filled me with gratitude.
Wei handed me the glass, her eyes filled with concern. "Drink this, Taotao. You need to stay hydrated."
I nodded, taking a sip of the cool water. It felt like a lifeline, reviving my parched throat and dry lips.
Angela helped me change into the fresh clothes, her gentle touch a balm to my frazzled nerves. As I slipped into the clean shirt and pants, I felt a small sense of dignity return.
Just as I was starting to feel more human, another cramp seized my stomach. I gasped, clutching my abdomen as the pain intensified.
Wei's eyes widened in alarm as I stumbled towards the toilet once more. "Taotao, maybe we should get you to the hospital," she said, her voice laced with worry.
But before I could respond, the bathroom door burst open and Wen rushed in, holding a small packet of rehydration sachets. "I got these from the pharmacy," she exclaimed. "They'll help replace lost electrolytes."
I nodded weakly, feeling a surge of hope at the prospect of relief. But as I reached for the sachets, my vision began to blur and the room started to spin...
I collapsed to the floor, consciousness slipping away as my friends' panicked voices faded into the distance.