In Recovery ...

I've been feeling a little under weather lately (ok, for the last three weeks) and finally I went to the hospital. (Don't worry ... not like the hospital hospital back home, but the Japanese hospital which is like the doctor's office. It's all hospital here.) I went to the same doctor I went to before (when I couldn't sleep) except the last time I went Naoko went with me. This time I had to go without her. :(

Everything was fine. I waited forever, took my own temperature (in Celsius), and got the standard inspection. Eyes, ears, nose, whatnot. He listened to me breathe for a long time and told me I have bronchitis and a sinus infection which was causing an eye infection. Any of this sound familiar to anyone? Like last year when I finally went to the doctor after being sick for a while & turns out I had an eye, ear, & sinus infection. Kind of the same thing this time around. Except I got 3 different prescriptions (not including eye drops) & I have to take 11 (that's right, eleven) pills everyday for the next five days. As long as it makes me feel better, I'm all for it. That's right, you heard it right, coming from the same girl who used to refuse aspirin. What can I say, I'm in Asia.

So anyway ... I've been coming to work and today I had a lesson with a group of teachers and we were talking about being ill. I explained to them my condition (of course they made a big fuss and insisted I drink tea and eat some sort of medicine/candy. Who knows ...) and one of the other teachers said she was sick as well. Actually she said:
"Too I feel sickness. (Imitates coughing) Pain."
I understand that she has a cold as well.
"Many times I (imitates sniffling)."
She has nasal congestion.
"Very much .... hmm ... uhh..."
I don't know what she's thinking. She's making all of these rapid motions with her hands that I don't understand. She's making interesting Japanese noises that are often made in times of frustration when the right word just won't come to you. Then silence.
"Umm ... very much (mumbling in Japanese) uhh .... eee .... OH!"
That 'oh!' sounded promising.
"Nose water!"
Sickening.

I thought my dad would appreciate the story. What's the correct term for 'nose water'? Snot? Mucus? Phlegm? Boogers? I wasn't quite sure what to translate back so instead I said, 'Ah ... I understand" & left it at that.

much love
-tara-
xoxo