Water, water, everywhere

The first three weeks I was here, I could drink the water after boiling it in an electric kettle. Now, I carry big jugs of water back from the market. The tap water has a   peculiar odor, and it tastes like Vicks Vapor Rub.  Restaurant food reeks of it, and it leaves residue on the skin. I never feel clean. 

“Maybe some chemical placed in the water. The government wants to protect us,” says one of my friends.

I think of Flint Michigan and hope she is right.  I’m going home to the States; my friend will stay here. The emphasis here in China is on industrial development. Consumer safety is not a priority.