The pharmacist and me, England and blue skies

It's lovely taking some time out in the UK. It's been great connecting with people and having the boys run around on grass, play football (soccer) in a garden, and enjoying the comforts and conveniences in England.  Some comforts I love: private yards, green parks, hearing English everywhere, courteous people, libraries with kids books, lots of dairy products, cereal, carpets, tasty frozen peas, sandwiches, nice biscuits, sunshine, etc. 

I love sitting in the lounge and watching the news or cbeebies or anything! We don't watch tv (sometimes we go on the internet to watch something and the boys watch dvd's). So watching the news (or world cup) almost seems like a treat. Although we read it online, it's so much different watching the clips, interviews, and even seeing commercials!  There are kid shows that our boys have never seen (most of them) and some, like the Octonauts (their favorite), that are not only on TV regularly but are also in magazine form. He has requested an Octonauts birthday cake and is becoming quite the fan (he lives in a deep sea Octonaut reality at times and I have to remind him not everyone knows who Captain Barnacles is.)

I also really appreciate the NHS (England's National Health Service.) I have great respect for all of the doctors and nurses that work at the clinics and hospitals around the country. Every time I have needed a doctor (delivered my little man 4 yrs ago here or other things) I have been impressed by the quality of care, professionalism, and people that are a part of it. It's easy to think if walking to a local clinic, seeing a nurse or doctor, and walking out feeling confident with the diagnosis. 

Sometimes I'm just not sure what to do with medical things in China.

The other week it seems that there was a bit of the flu going around.  My toddler picked it up too.  My neighbor popped by one day with her son. I was feeding him on my lap when suddenly he vomited. She apologized and explained that it was probably due to him having drunk too much water. I didn't think too much about it until the next morning when one of mine woke up with similar symptoms. I think it was more of a virus since many other little kids around us had the same thing and it was gone after a few days.  When I ran into them a few days later in the lift, I asked how her son was. She told me she had been to see the doctor.  Then she said he had looked at her son's tongue and hand and came up with various diagnosis's, gave him different medicine, and that he was on the mend. I consulted my dictionary to make sure I understood correctly (because sometimes I don't, oh yes there was the lost in translation post) and I mentioned that perhaps it was a virus and the importance of washing hands. 

I began to realize that my local pharmacist was much more than caught the eye. 

It seems that in Chinese culture people see that the tongue is very connected to the heart.  I like to tell my kids to look me in the eyes, not only to make eye contact but because the eyes are the window to the soul. But I see that in Chinese culture they connect the tongue and heart together.

Chinese medicine is used frequently on everyone over here.  From babies to the retirees, many people are seeking pain relief in different ways (cupping which results in big purple round bruises all over a person's back, etc.)

I couldn't get any photos of patients sticking out their tongues (I tried) but if I run across it I will post them. 

There was also the time I thought my little man had lice so I went into action mode. I called a friend (panicked basically) to watch my boys whilst I went to the pharmacy. Everyone (the pharmacist and customers) listened attentively to my description of lice and shook their heads disapprovingly. So I had a friend in my house at like nine at night as I ran up and down streets looking for lice treatment. I had already stopped all the beds, changed everyone and was desperate to find 1) a miracle cure 2) a lice comb. A second pharmacist told me the only thing she could suggest was bathing my kids in rice wine. I went back home and took everyone into the shower. I opened up some rice wine (really strong alcohol) that our landlord had given us and bathed my two oldest in it. Only after frightened and smelly kids were finally in bed did I consult google. I decided after that that 1) my little man actually didn't have lice and I over reacted 2) I over reacted and hadn't needed to stop sheets, frighten kids, etc. I'm not sure who thinks who is stranger... me running around after imaginary lice or the ones who look at tongues to diagnose the flu. 

Thanks for stopping by and reading!!

Time to run.