German Medicine

For about a week now, I've been fighting a cold that has come and gone again and again.  Eventually, I realized that the study abroad lifestyle isn't exactly well suited to getting better.  When you're here, you want to make the most of everything, seeing as much as you can see, doing as much as you can do, exploring as much as you can explore.  Unfortunately, that means always exerting yourself and having very little time to rest.  I had been laboring under the idea that this might extend my cold, but that I would eventually get over it.  

 

Finally, this Friday, tired of waking up and feeling miserable until about noon, I decided to skip classes and get some rest.  I went to a local apotheke (pharmacy) to look into getting some cold medicine I had used up over the course of the week.  As soon as I was talking to the woman behind the counter, however, I realized how limited, if non-existent, my knowledge of German medical terms.  I eventually asked the woman if she could speak in English.  "A little," she told me, and proceeded to explain to me how a certain medicine would help me with "the hurt" in places she couldn't name in English, like the throat, arms, so forth.  I was amused, and bought some expensive German cold medicine and fortified cough-drops that, all told, cost me 14€.  It was extremely expensive, but I had no way of finding cheeper stuff.  In the end, though, I was glad I bought what I bought.  The German cold medicine seems to be working very well, and I feel much better than I did... it's powerful stuff.  On top of that, not only do the German medicinal cough drops taste pretty good, they do wonders on your throat.

Today, I'm still engaged in the art of getting better, but it seems to be working.  I've had to postpone some adventuring, and I feel cooped-up here in my room while everyone is out doing said adventuring, but I know I'll enjoy the experiences to come I've I can just be rid of this damn cold.  In any case, I postponed my "tandem" meeting until tomorrow.  At this rate, I should be feeling at least 90% by then.