So I gave blood yesterday, and you have to fill out this big checklist of questions, i.e., have you taken insulin, have you left the country in the past 12 months, have you had sex for drugs or money, etc...

Well, Since I was in Japan last year (like you all have heard over and over again. I swear, it's Miranda's fault), I had to check I had been out of the country in the past 12 months. So the lady who did my paper work, tested my iron, and checked my pulse and blood pressure, asked where I had gone. I told her Japan, in the end of April, beginning to May. So she pulls out her binder to see if where I went falls under any of the places were if I've gone, I can't give blood. So she flips to a Map of China, and asks "where in Japan did you go?" I wait a minute, and say "Um.... Japan is over here..." pointing off the paper into the ocean where Japan would be. (Note, The map is clearly labeled China at the top). So she flips the pages and asks me with an exasperated tone in her voice "Well, just tell me where in Japan you went." I was a little annoyed, but I was calm and said " Tokyo". So, then she flips to the map of Indonesia (which is also clearly labeled), and is looking at that one intently. I didn't want to piss her off, so I didn't say anything. I did think however "Oh shit, if this lady can't find Japan on a map, I don't know if I want her sticking me with a needle." So I say nothing while she studies the Indonesian map for about 2 minutes, and then closes the book. They she asks me how to spell Tokyo, which, no big deal, if you haven't spelled it, or seen it in writing, it's a little confusing. Well, she then writes it down on the paper, and then writes it on the palm of her latex glove, and gets up and walks away. She come back after a little while, gets the bags and tubes and what not, and walks me over to the chair thingy. Thank goodness she was not the one drawing my blood. Instead I had a very good woman, who got it in the vein, first try, no marking, little pain, and was very amusing.

Well.. I suppose....

p.s. Also, something interesting. There is a question that reads " If you are a male, have you had sex with another male, even once, since 1977?" While I do understand the reasoning behind this question, it still is a bit discriminatory.