Each sentence goes through the alphabet in order. It’s allowed to skip one letter and one letter has to be one word.
Almost nothing could have prepared us for the stench. Because we are in a third-tier city in Western China, the western toilet is not commonplace, and the only way we are going to relieve ourselves is if we use the toilets everyone uses. China does not have the same hygiene standards we enjoy in the West. Despite the odiferous fumes emanating from the small brick building, in we go, we of short bladder stamina, to use the toilets. Evidently this room of squat toilets was meant for several hundred children. Feet begin to squish squish on the pee as we walk toward the stalls. Goddamnit, there are no doors on the stalls. However badly we are grossed out in the bathroom, we have to go. In the non-stalls we squat and a little bit of urine splashes up on our shoes and ankles. Just about every expat carries tissues and hand wipes in our purses — it’s a thing. Killing germs is necessary after that. Lastly, we exit and join the children, teachers, and Principal in the courtyard who perform a perfectly choreographed dance. Many of these children have never seen Westerners and stare at our hair and eyes. Not only do the children perform a dance for us and some of the teachers join in. Only when we look into the classroom, there are paintings of Mao, Lenin, and Marx. Present and accounted for are Communist leaders…
