Job Discussion Forums

[Linda L.]

Some things are so obvious we overlook them sometimes.

A young man from Alabama, USA came to teach at our school last semester and we got him all settled into his nice clean apartment on campus, said good night and left.

The next morning our new teacher was puking really bad and we had to take him to the hospital. Seems he drank the tap water.

There was no sign over the sinks warning that the water was not potable. So he assumed that things were just like back home. He said he drank at least a gallon of the stuff.

All of the sinks in our apartments now have a sign warning that the water is not potable. Maybe we should change that to "DO NOT DRINK THE WATER."

In any event, I thought I would post this just to let you know that nothing should be assumed in China!

[woza17]

Hi Linda
I got up one morning, half asleep, dying of thirst and operating on automatic, drank 2 glasses of the stuff, luckily with no adverse side effects.
Cheers Carol

[bnix]

Never been to China.Well,not yet,anyway. I will surely listen to her advice.
Other places to be careful with the water:Mexico,and most of Africa.

[veiledsentiments]

I would make it a rule not to drink the water in any new country that you enter. There are many people who get sick as a tourist in the US. All waters have different bugs and chemical makeups.

My first overseas country of residence was Egypt and I certainly had heard all the stories. (I can't believe that someone would be naive enough to drink the water in China, but ---) Knowing that I would be in Cairo for a number of years, I started slowly with the water - first brushing my teeth with it. I never did get really sick from it and within a couple of months I could drink it whenever I wished. Of course, it tasted better if it was boiled because there was so much chlorine in it, which boiling gets rid of. But, I didn't have to panic if I had to drink it or if some splashed in my mouth while showering or whatever.

I have followed this policy in every country since then. If it is going to be a short trip to anywhere - only bottled water. For long term, check with the old-timers and see how they are handling it.

VS

[baby predator]

After living in China for a year and avoiding the water as carefully as I could, I returned to "civilised" London and gleefully drank several glasses of good old London tapwater. For my sins, I spent the next day propped over a toilet bowl, vomiting copiously and cursing my misplaced faith in the British sanitation system.

[j-ang]

A small, on-topic anecdote from my stay in Turkey in the mid '60s
courtesy of Uncle Sam. Of course we'd heard all the water stories but didn't
pay much attention.
One of us had an apartment in Istanbul and had a group of us over for a
party one evening. At that time the central water was shut off at about 9
pm so we had stocked up on bottled water (for mixing purposes). The
great tap vs. bottle debate was rather obviously settled when I mixed
a couple of drinks. First the water - one glass tap, one bottled. Then I
poured some 100 proof Jack Daniels into each glass. Well, my friends, ol'
Jack mixed nicely with the tap water but just floated (YES, FLOATED) on
the bottled water.
Question: which water do YOU want to drink?

[SweetOne]

I was ever-so-careful on a trip to India. Then, I hopped over to Nepal for a few days. I was so glad to be out of hell (my pet name for India) that I let down my guard and had a glass of iced tea. Spent the next 4 days crawling between my bed and the bathroom. ELCHHH! I am now in the habit of buying bottled water wherever I go.

[lajzar]

Actually, poured carefully, I would expect JD to float on any water, although botled water, assuming a high mineral content (not at all unusual for bottled waters, and not necessarily unhealthy either), will have a higher density that distilled water, and so JD will be easier to float on mineral water.

Its simple physics really, not microbiology.

[isabel]

I don't drink tap water anywhere.

First, if you train yourself to never drink tap water, you will never have that middle of the night accident of drinking it in Mexico City or Seoul.

Second, my "home" in the States is Miami Beach, Fl. They have some real water safety problems in general, but one Monday we all woke up to a do not drink alert. Apparently the ancient sewage pipes that run through Biscayne Bay to the ocean had leaked. On Friday afternoon. The water quality people didn't check things until they returned to work on Monday. Meanwhile the innocent tourists staying in $500 a night rooms on the beach had been using polluted water all weekend. I had been drinking bottled water.

I hate spending the money on bottled water, but it beats the alternative.

[Kai6854]

[shmooj]

[Gordon]

Great idea Schmooj. What does the name mean anyway? In Turkey I've caught someone reapplying the seal on the bottle, but oftentimes the floaties give it away.

[SweetOne]

Yes, I know of this trick. When I was there I was very wary and only bought bottles that were clearly sealed. Twice, I was looked upon as a 'dupe' and attempts were made to sell me pre-opened bottles. I always, always, check the seals.

Be safe.

[shmooj]

Believe me, the seals mean nothing. These people are professionals. Of course they look really well sealed to you. That's what they are meant to look like.

Do not put your faith in bottled water in India

That doesn't mean don't buy it because a lot of water is genuine. What I'm trying to say is that even if you do, don't expect to avoid amoebic dysentery (sp?)

Limca, Coke, Pepsi, Thums Up etc are way harder for pirates to make than simple water. AFter a year of varied experiences in India, I'd stick with those despite the fact that these too are copied. If the first gulp tastes wierd do not swallow

What does "Gordon" mean anyway?

[Gordon]

I once saw a Coke with a hypodermic needle in it. Scary.

BTW I think Gordon means "on a three-cornered hill" or something similarly profound.