So my trip to the doctor to get a prednisone shot turned into a trip to a Chinese herbal "doctor."
I have no problem with alternative medicines so I went along with the whole thing. There wasn't much I could really do anyways. I felt that to object would have been rude, and I felt that the pain was going away soon any ways - so either way it would work out. I just didn't want to hurt for a whole 'nother week - which is why I wanted to go in the first place.
It was interesting. Basically the waiting room was the examination room. I didn't mind shucking my shirt in front of everyone but Mei made pains to cover my front. The "doctor" - an older woman in plain clothes - massaged the area, put some sort of liquid on it and then attached to my back what can only be described as a very large tea bag. I went around for the next two days smelling like fresh tea...
But I feel better now. Whether it was the herbal concoction, or the fact that I wedged two of those travel pillows that they sell in the airports around my neck to lift my head and take the pressure off the nerve, who knows? Mei took good care of me, let me rest, made sure I had plenty to eat, and hounded me not to use the internet too much, because that is what the doctor said. I think that the last time that I did this I was hurting for longer, but I also was working and didn't rest it like I should.
It has turned cold here in Guangdong. Cold and rainy. Up to now I have been concerned that Mei would like New York, compared to here, where the weather is more like Florida weather. But she loves the cold. She just puts on another layer and she won't turn on the heat. She asked me why if I was so used to a cold area why I was so cold here. Well, it is 10 degrees Celsius today... 50 degrees F...and no that is not that cold but at home my house is heated inside. It's not 50 F inside. But here it is and she seems just fine with it. I am not going to worry about that one any more. When she is with me in the states she will probably be the one turning down the thermostat.
And I finally found a good baguette today. Right now her daughter and I are stuffing our faces with a late night snack of bread and butter. And orange juice, which for some reason they do not refrigerate here... Of course I took pictures at the market, where they had more flavors of chicken feet than you can imagine, from regular to very spicy. Mei shoved one in my face the other night and I took a bite, but I just don't get it. It just seemed like all the stuff I would normally spit out. All fat and gristle, no meat.
Anyway, my trip is half over and I do not want it to end. I am starting to fill out all of the paperwork we will need, and getting all of the documents together. In my next letter I will probably be complaining about serious writer's cramp. I think I have a picture from the wedding dinner to share with all of you...
