Medicine Man

I’ve been sick with cold/flu symptoms for about 4 days now, 2.5 of those days I’ve stayed home from teaching the little munchkins (projecting my voice through loud speaking and singing over rambunctious kiddies just wasn’t gonna happen…). I was going to wait it out, but I figured that since I took a couple of days off work, I should make it legitimate and go to the doctor. So I called my coordinator and she came over to my apt to take me along. When I got downstairs, she said I could choose the next step: go to a hospital-like place where they’d give me “western” medicine, or go to her friend’s apartment to get “Chinese” medicine…what the heck, I went with the latter. So we took a long-ish cab ride out to an apartment complex with a labyrinth-like passageway. On the way we passed an elderly bunch doing physical exercise on the brightly-colored plastic machines (imagine an elliptical machine, made for a kid but still adult-sized, with no motor…they’re everywhere here).

We finally reached Dr. Ge’s apartment (his name is pronounced like you’re just saying the sound /g/, with a stretched out down-up tone). It was small and cold, made of concrete, like all buildings here (insulation is not so popular). He sat me down at his desk that was covered in calligraphy tools and in a chair lined with fake fur. He tried to speak to me in Chinese—I bumbled responses while my coordinator was speaking on the phone—and then took my pulse…apparently that was all he needed. Oh, he also picked up the desk lamp and stuck it in my face so he could look down my throat…Yup, just what he thought: a cold. Wow, Doc. I’m so glad I came to you! However, while I was there, the phone rang a bunch of times asking for Dr. Ge’s services…apparently he’s pretty popular, and we got VIP special treatment. J

He gave me some medicine (I’m still awaiting another one that my coordinator will personally deliver…along with some noodles and vegetables….what a sweetheart!), and when I asked what it was for, they responded: It’s for a cold. I would just need to have some trust and faith in this dynamic duo.

I still feel fatigued, and the medicine won’t show clear effects for at least a day or so, but I’m glad I went. It didn’t cost me anything (that I know of…) and I got to see the inner workings of a very friendly and popular Chinese doctor.

Off to rest some more…

- Emma