Meds and Candy
// February 11th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized
Well, we made it back from Sapporo safe and sound. I should have known, however, that my body’s endurance of the extreme cold was too good to be true, as approximately 24 hours after we landed in Tokyo I came down with a high fever. One of my teachers told me I should go to the doctor after school. This would usually be too scary a prospect to consider; but on Monday I was too sick to think for myself, so I did as I was told. It ended up being a good thing, as I accidentally met another of my teachers there picking up her hay fever meds. She helped me translate and now I have a nice little doctor’s card to present the next time I need to go. She also helped me through the ropes of getting my medicine at the pharmacy. She convinced me to stay home Tuesday (I only had two classes and one was hers) and then Wednesday was a holiday. So I got through the sickness with a minimum of drama. I’m back at school today, wondering if people were brave enough to eat the individually-wrapped omiyage I brought back or if someone surreptitiously trashed them …
One thing that occured to me today was how much friendships here at my school — and maybe in Japan generally, though I can’t know that for sure — are like friendships in elementary school. This morning I told the Japanese-speaking teacher who sits across from me that I liked her new haircut (in Japanese). We had a short conversation in Japanese, and, pleased with our progress, she gave me a piece of candy. You’d be surprised how many pieces of candy are exchanged in the teacher’s room. The whole thing reminds me of childhood friendships, where alliances are carefully negotiated via candy, stickers, small toys, and other valuables. I guess it works, but I always feel bad when I’m caught without a bag full of something in my drawer. Which is most of the time.
Well, it’s almost time for lunch. I think I’ll head to the cafeteria for katsu curry.
