If this photo series seems short, there’s a good reason. While taking photographs at at the South Church (Nantang, formerly the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, now a CPCA parody of its former self) Lady of tdaxp and I decided that I needed to visit a hospital emergency room. Unable to quickly locate a Western hospital we trusted the good competence of Chinese medicine, and Lady of tdaxp’s translation skills, and took an uncomfortably long cab ride to a local hospital. The Emergency Room admittance fee was 5 yuan (about 62 cents).
After a short conversation with three doctors, which sounded like…
tdaxp: I cannot breath in this city. I breath better outside the city. Therefore, the air in the city is making me sick. I need an inhaler.
Lady of tdaxp: *something in Chinese*
Doctor (in English): *obvious question about food poisoning*
tdaxp: No, I need a prescription for an inhaler
To which, the kind-of-English speaking doctor replied (in a mix of English and Chinese) that such medication didn’t need a prescription in China. So the hospital refunded our 5 RMB, and we were off to find a drug store large enough to carry such things.
The inhaler works, but my “survival guide” is now more serious than just a mask, some vitamins, and Gatorade. The pollution in Beijing can be very, very bad, and that I am now on medication for it should prove this.
Anyway, today’s post concerns Nantang from this Sunday. the cathedral locks up at 3:30, so we arrived in time to photograph the courtyard but not the rest of the building. I hope you enjoy.
Say what you want about Communist Schismatics, the Marian Waterworks Were Impressive
View of Nantang after Exiting the Subway
Pseudo-Catholic Regalia
Framing of the Outer Courtyard
An Inscribed Stone, Well Taken Care Of ( end sarcasm )
The Closed Cathedral
This line is especially for Catholicgauze
Rust in the Inner Courtyard
An imposing structure. The Chinese characters relate to Easter.
