Almost Fear Factor Worthy

Last night I had hot pot for the first time. At resturants dedicated to only hot pot, there will be a big table with a metal pot in the middle over a flame and you will choose your food and it will be brought to you.
However, the girls I was with wanted to eat in the canteen (cafeteria) and it is a little different. The workers bring a big can of sterno and put it in the middle of the table and then put the pot of spicy liquid with various food over it. You are suppose to wait until it boils and then just dig in. They told me that they asked for less spicy on my behalf, but it was still spicy enough to require that the food be dipped into sesame oil before putting it into your mouth; apparently, the oil acts as a defense for your body.
So inside the pot, there was tofu, cucumbers, lotus roots, meat and pig's blood. Yes. You read correctly- pig's blood.
Imagine a jello/tofu looking substance that is dark red. Just floating around. One might confuse it for liver or someother internal organ that shouldn't be eaten.
I am never one to shy away from a culinary challenge. (When Rebecca and I finally make it onto Amazing Race, it has been decided that I will do any of the eating challenges.) The girl's kept telling me that it was good and that I would like it. I asked them to clairify exactly what substance pig's blood is, hoping that it would simply be a name for a legitimate type of meat. Alas, I was wrong:
"You know, maybe when you kill pig (at which point I should have stopped them, because when have I ever killed a pig) the blood comes out and it is saved. Maybe some tofu powder is mixed with it and it gets solid. Pig's blood. Really, it is good."
My philosophy is that I will try anything once (unless there is a chance that it might be banana flavored, then I won't touch it). I might like it and at very least it will make for a good story.
Consider it a favor from me to you: Stay away from the pig's blood.
The best way to describe it is the taste you have when you swallow after your nose has been bleeding, all wrapped up in a jello block.
I reached for my water that one of the girls had gone out of her way to buy for me. And I took a big gulp. Instead of regular water, she had bought me mint water which tastes like someone brushed their teeth with wintergreen toothpaste and then spit into my bottle of water.
All around, it is safe to say that last night was not one of my favorite dining experiences.