Cold medicine in Summer

I have caught a cold in the middle of summer. Given the conditions that I usually experience, it may not be strange at all. Summer here is scorching hot and the humidity is as thick as thieves. At home, to monitor my electricity bill, I walk around half naked, open all the windows and use a fan. Some days though are just too hot, for example the days with temperatures 36 degrees Celsius and above. On those days, in order to not pass out from the intensity of the heat, I turn on the air conditioning unit.

On those days I genuinely fear the heat and avoid going outside for as long as I can. When I step outside I walk to in the heat to the train station then enter a cold train car. It feels really good to step into that car, but I imagine switching between such extreme temperatures can't be good for my body. As I step out of the train, it's back in the heat again. The same thing happens when I enter a store in a shopping mall. Each store seems to have their own air conditioner, so the hallways are hot. 

So with this constant exposure to extreme temperatures, I caught a cold this week. How inconvenient for me, given that I don't have time to be sick at the moment. Therefore, I headed to the internet to find the best over the counter cold medicine. Contac and VC 3000 were recommended repeatedly on a few sites, so I decided to go in search of that one. 

At the pharmacy I saw two types of Contac on the shelf. One was a one a day tablet and other was two a day. I figured the one a day was stronger so I chose that one. I proceeded to the cashier where the cashier called the pharmacist. Apparently, purchasing the drug called Contac requires special permission. The pharmacist then proceeded to inform me that the drug was of hospital strength. He went for a weaker version and asked if I was sure that I really wanted the stronger drug. I told him that the stronger the better since I don't want to be sick for longer than necessary. He asked me about three times if I was sure. 

This led me to wonder about his question. Why would he offer me weaker drugs? I then remembered hearing stories of dentists performing painful procedures sans anesthesia. I mentioned this to a Japanese one day and I was told that 'everyone' prefers to fill a tooth without anesthesia because the anesthesia is bad for us. Ask me if I wasn't shocked! I didn't even know that was possible. So maybe the pharmacist expects me to take weaker medicine over a longer period because that is perceived to have a smaller negative impact on the body. 

If that's the case, then I can understand his hesitancy to sell me the stronger medicine, but I'm from the get better soon posse. I don't want to be sick for more than a day or so. After all, this dissertation is not going to write itself while I'm waiting on the weak drugs to kick in.

Japan Blog - Tokyo Osaka Nagoya Kyoto: Over the Counter Cold Medicines in Japan

Japan Blog - Tokyo Osaka Nagoya Kyoto: Over the Counter Cold Medicines in Japan: 風邪薬 As in any other country that experiences very cold weather, winter-time Japan is likely to have you coughing, sneezing, blowing your n...

After You

I nominate Tanya Stephens 'After You' as the best break up dancehall song of this era. She is brutally honest in the song but she doesn't remain broken. She gets even, financially. By the end of the song, she is purged and ready to move on. She let all her feelings out and ranted while getting even. 

In the intro, she says, 

"Baby, when you left me,
My life was instantly transformed to hell
And I used to ache so bad
Oh God I never thought this poor heart could get well
And I used to wonder..

After you, what am I gonna do, What am I gonna do,
Baby after you, Whoa Oh!"

So, she cries after the break up. After a break up we usually bemoan our loss. There are moments of utter despair and sadness. However, the next stage is more important. In the next stage of the healing process, we pretend we are ok and try to overcome. Therefore, she sings,  

"Well me a put on a sad face,
So di judge gi me di yard
Run up X amount a bills pon yuh Platinum Card
Throw a tantrum,
Wid me nose a run inna court
So me get to know how to live nice off a child support
Me friend dem love you,
Cos you keep we drinkin Hq
And me coulda fit inna di Benz
But give thanks fi de H2
Me know a you leff me an fi a while me did a bawl
But me tell dem me leff you
Cas yuh buddy too small, now"

[Translation

I put on a sad face, so the judge would give me the home. Used your platinum card to buy lots of things. Throw a tantrum, even allow my nose to run in court, so that I'll be able to live well from child support. My friends love you because you allow us to drink HQ and I couldn't fit in the Mercedes Benz, so thank God for the H2. I know it was you who left me and for while I cried, but I told them that I left you because your penis was too small. Now...]

chorus:
After you,here's what am gonna do,
Ride around on your twenty twos, And still live affa you
(Whoa Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh)
After you, a now me ready fi enjoy me life
Nuh haffu work,n everyting still nice
Baby after you

[Translation

After You, here's what I am going to do, drive around in your 22s and live with your money. After you, I'm ready to enjoy my life. I won't have to work and everything will still be fine. Baby, after you]

verse 2:
Yuh neva knew what a wife an a lover meant
So me want half a everyting like de government
Now you can tell yuh friends yuh really have a bitchy wife
When me stick you up an clean you out like Lionel Ritchie Wife
Me a tek de house, de car, de children, yuh screwdrivers, even yuh power drill dem
All weh me nuh need me still a go tek
Cos me did need you but dat neva stop yuh from leave, now

[Translation

You didn't know what a wife and a lover meant. So I want half of everything like the government. Now you can tell your friends that you really have a bitchy wife when I stick you up and clean you out like Lionel Ritchie's wife. I am taking the house, the car, the children, your screwdrivers, even your power drills. Even the things I don't need, I'll still take them because I needed you but that didn't stop you from leaving. Now..]

chorus

verse 3:
Congratulations me hear yuh new girl's banged up
By di time di baby born me a mek sure yuh bankrupt
If me know divorce woulda be so sweet
I woulda beg di good Lord long time fi mek yuh cheat
Most people haffi sell drugs dem whole life fi this
All me do a say i do an tun yuh wife fi this
And yuh have the nerve fi a laugh when me fling back di ring
Well alright, when me done wid you
Yuh haffu go beg me a ting, cause After you

[Translation

Congratulations, I hear that your new girlfriend is pregnant. By the time the baby is born, I'll make sure you're bankrupt. If I had known divorce would be so sweet, I would have begged the good Lord a long time ago to let you cheat on me. Most people have to sell drugs for their whole lives to achieve this but all I had to do was say 'I do' and become a wife for this. And you had the nerve to laugh when I threw back the ring. Well, all right, when I'm done with you, you'll have to beg me for some money, because after you...]

outro: *Tanya talking

*Yuh see wah you a cause, you know seh me nuh stay so
But wah you expect me fi do,
All a this a fi yuh fault,
Cah yuh nuh leff ,me no choice
A woman my age wid four kids
Which man a go pick me up?!
I dont have a certificate I dnt even hav a marketable skill
And when me tell you say me wah work pon a career
Yuh say not a rahtid
Yuh wife nah fi work
And boops yuh breed me again
Thirty-six months me spend a carry yuh pickney dem inna my gut
Dat a thirty-six month outta my life way me couldn't look dung n see me toe
heh Heh, Yuh Lucky
the rest a ma life u say...

[Translation

You see what you have caused. You know that this is not like me. But what do you expect me to do? This is all your fault because you didn't leave me any choice. A woman my age with 4 children. Which other man is going to want me? I don't have a certificate, not even a marketable skill and when I wanted to work on a career, you said 'hell no!' because you didn't want your wife to work. And so I just kept having your children. Thirty six months I spent carrying your children in my belly. That's thirty six months out of my life that I couldn't even look down and see my toes. Haha, you're lucky! You said the rest of my life....]

Read more: Tanya Stephens - After You Lyrics | MetroLyrics