我感冒了。。。 So, I’m too sick to do much but loaf around the house and whimper every so often, yet well enough to succumb to cabin fever. In this state of mind, I welcome my Chinese visitors who (although they recoil from my dark circles and snot-ridden voice) do nice things for me and make sure I’m still alive. Anyway, I just saw a few folks out and while I’m still awake, thought I’d share a few things about being sick in China! Woo！
There are two things you’ll probably hear a lot during the cold season: 1. “Wear more clothing!” and 2. “Drink hot water!” I consistently shock my coworkers by not marshmellowing up and wearing eight sweaters. I was also the target of extremely vehement admonitions today when I made the mistake of revealing my giant bottle of water when asked if I had enough to drink… It’s not boiling! AHHHH!
The first day of my sickness exhausted the last of my Theraflu supply. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. So, my Western medicine cabinet depleted, I turned to traditional Chinese medicine. Yay! The recipe for the miracle drink is as follows:
- Chop up a bunch of ginger (big, thin slices) and boil it for about ten minutes.
- Add a bunch of brown sugar.
- Boil some more.
- Burrow back into your sickbed and DRINK IT
I had my doubts, but I figure it’s probably about as effective as chicken soup for chasing away a cold. And it’s spicy! Mmm. Anyway, as luck would have it, my coworker brought me some good old-fashioned cold medicine from the pharmacy and sent me into blissful be-drugged sleep. As far as I can tell from the label, it’s “Mei-something-something-ma-pian,” which in my fogged mind translates to “Beautiful-something-something-trouble-pieces.” Sounds legit to me!
Anyway, I’m going to lie here uninspired and wait for my appetite to come back. Farewell!
