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I'm a California girl who from 2007-2008 studied abroad in Tokyo at Toyo University. 2008-2010 completed my B.A. Degree in Japanese at the University of Hawaii @ Manoa. I was hired on May 6th 2011 to become an Assistant Language Teacher with Interac Co., Ltd. After the events of 3/11 I wanted to do something to help Japan. I decided to start early with Interac and be placed in one of the prefectures most affected by the earthquake/tsunami. <3

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

ONE OK BUNNY vs the sickness


So here it is. I will soon be here for 5 months on the 7th and I got sick!
I have felt off a bit like I was getting sick before but increased my Vitamin C and got better.
Now my throat hurts and it's a little painful to talk. This is day 3 and in a couple minutes or so I am calling the number you need to call when you are too sick to go into work.

I should have done this yesterday. After waking up feeling bad I spit a little blood and wasn't worried about it because it really wasn't a lot. Same thing this morning.

ok just called in and I got the day off to rest and yes they wanted me to go to the doctor! ^^;;

In Japan because the health care is so good at the first sign of a cold people will go to the doctor. I am sure that is an over generalization and a stereo type but stereo types are stereo types for a reason.

I haven't had health care for years so I'm used to just bedding down with some interesting feel good movies and riding the illness out. I did buy meds so that calmed the companies nerves.

So this is about being sick in Japan. As I said I am used to riding it out. Get some nyquil take a big dose and sleep. When I worked at Macy's years ago i would start getting sick on my last day off before like 3 or 4 days straight full time. So I took nyquil at night dayquil in the day and do my best to get through it. As far as I know Japan has nothing like that.

The first time I was really sick while I was studying abroad I was watching TV and saw a commercial for meds. It got my attention because it was Yankumi from Gokusen staring in it. Well it was Nakama Yukie ^^ And it was simple Japanese "anata no kaze doko kara desu ka? " (Where is your cold from?) "Hana kara, Nodo kara, Netsu kara?" (From the nose, throat or fever?) Each box has a color Yellow=nose Silver=throat and Blue=fever. My nose was so so stuffed and all that so I got the yellow box and it was amazing ^^ V

So this time around I got the silver box. And as soon as I finish this entry I am going to make some breakfast and take my first dose of the day. I took it when I got home and had dinner last night and I passed out for oh 13 hours. not surprising I was so tired and sleepy at work.

Work was hard. The teacher knew right away I wasn't ok and said "Genki nai!" and asked why. I said I caught a cold and in the second class I said I have a cold and it became a lesson for the students as they looked up words Cold, Sick and Fever in their dictionary. After that since it was hard to talk and do the flash cards and what not my JTE took pity on me and told me for the rest of the day I can sit in the teachers room.

So lunch I am to eat with the students but if I'm sick I am not going to do that. So the other JTE bless her heart went to call the class to come get me and I tried to stop her but just couldn't. I couldn't make words come out fast enough. So my amazing VP at the school asks me if I want to eat in the teachers room. I nodded and just then the students came in to get me. He started off with a "honto sorry!" to them and explained I wasn't feeling good so I was eating there. <3

I am so thankful for that cause I felt so much worse when I got up on my feet to go to the restroom or something so staying seated was very nice ^^

After work I walked to the local Matsumoto Kiyoshi which is 700 meters or so from my apartment and 30minute walk from the school. I wanted to get a pain reliever as well but only had enough cash on me to get the small box of silver meds and a thermometer...which I am not sure if it works lol it keeps showing my temp at 35.9 or 36.6 which is lower then a normal temp should be i think ^^;;; The box of 18 pills was 1180 yen (2 pills, 3 times a day) and the thermometer was 980 yen or something s0 expensive! The was the cheapest one too.

I should probably go to the doctors but i really don't want to spend the money but we'll see how the meds work today and that 13 hours of sleep does me ^^;;

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