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I appear to have caught Teh Plague from Suzanne. The first signs of an oncoming cold (scratchy throat and slightly overactive sinuses) began on Thursday, and I was still feeling like that on Friday. In the midst of an IM conversation with my friend Marjorie - who lived in Shanghai for a couple of years - she suggested that I get some herbal tea called Banlangen Keli. Apparently it's an immune booster that helps you recover from colds faster. So on Friday I figured that, before I was totally incapacitated by Teh Plague, I should see if I could get some of this stuff. I legged it to Chinatown, where I knew there was a pharmacy, and went in.
It was very different from a CVS or an Eckerd's or what have you. The shop was long and narrow, with two counters along the sides and one in the back. The counters also served as glass display cases, and behind them were floor-to-ceiling shelves displaying the shop's wares. On said shelves were the sort of things you'd see in any American pharmacy, but they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with strange bottles and boxes and packets with Chinese characters all over them. I asked the lady behind one of the counters if they had banlangen keli. Fortunately she knew what I was talking about right away (I was afraid I'd say it incorrectly and that confusion would ensue). She pulled down a big green packet (which was standing right next to the Robitussin!) full of smaller packets. Since they were only $1.50 each, I bought two, and on the way out of Chinatown I got some very good vegetarian sesame duck. All in all, a successful expedition.
Banlangen keli tastes much better than Robitussin, by the way. It's a tea with a mildly smoky flavor and a bit of cane sugar mixed in. By far the most palatable medicine I ever had.
So today I thought I'd fell really craptacular, because Suzanne said that the day after the first signs of illness appeared with her, she was really really sick, a little better the next day, and then just mildly sick the third day. But I felt no worse than I did yesterday. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop because this Chinese medicine can't be that spectacular. At least if I'm sick on Sunday, it's, well, Sunday, and I can spend the day in bed. I just hope I'll be better by Tuesday, when my friend Valerie is visiting.
Since I was not, as I said, incapacitated with Teh Plague, I decided it was about time to do something about my bicycle, which I got used and which I have come to loathe.. I was intending to sell it at this little shop on 9th and South, but the owner of the shop said it wasn't the kind of bike he'd buy. He could, however, fix whatever I didn't like about it. I said I wanted straight handlebars, like on a mountain bike, because the recurved ones were really annoying. So he said he could put on new handlebars and attach the brakes to them. We worked out this arrangement in a series of brief exchanges over a 30 to 45-minute period, becuase he was dealing with a bunch of other customers. Because of the SEPTA strike, everyone's getting their bikes tuned up, or buying one if they don't have one already.
I was getting very frustrated and considered just leaving, but I didn't - and it's true what they say, good things come to those who wait. He gave me a discount on the handlebar replacement for my patience. They put the wrong handlebars on at first, but when I pointed that out they swapped them again. The new handlebars don't fit the bike's color scheme but they are much more comfortable. While they're wider than the recurved ones, they're narrow enough for me to ride between cars easily. Not that I do, although I did do more dodging through traffic today than I had ever dared to do before.
Other good things about today: I went to Copabanana on South Street for lunch, because they apparently have good margaritas and burgers and I had recently developed a craving for both. The burgers aren't exceptional (although they're not bad, either), but the margaritas are as advertised, which made me quite happy. Next time Mom visits I can take her there. While I may disagree with her on many things, we both enjoy margaritas. Oh, and I found a place in the Italian Market that sells Alpine Lace cheese. It's that white Swiss cheese with really small holes. Alpine Lace cheese is one of my childhood favorites, so I was glad to find it.
Something bad did happen today, though - Roo scratched my hand. Again. :P
It was very different from a CVS or an Eckerd's or what have you. The shop was long and narrow, with two counters along the sides and one in the back. The counters also served as glass display cases, and behind them were floor-to-ceiling shelves displaying the shop's wares. On said shelves were the sort of things you'd see in any American pharmacy, but they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with strange bottles and boxes and packets with Chinese characters all over them. I asked the lady behind one of the counters if they had banlangen keli. Fortunately she knew what I was talking about right away (I was afraid I'd say it incorrectly and that confusion would ensue). She pulled down a big green packet (which was standing right next to the Robitussin!) full of smaller packets. Since they were only $1.50 each, I bought two, and on the way out of Chinatown I got some very good vegetarian sesame duck. All in all, a successful expedition.
Banlangen keli tastes much better than Robitussin, by the way. It's a tea with a mildly smoky flavor and a bit of cane sugar mixed in. By far the most palatable medicine I ever had.
So today I thought I'd fell really craptacular, because Suzanne said that the day after the first signs of illness appeared with her, she was really really sick, a little better the next day, and then just mildly sick the third day. But I felt no worse than I did yesterday. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop because this Chinese medicine can't be that spectacular. At least if I'm sick on Sunday, it's, well, Sunday, and I can spend the day in bed. I just hope I'll be better by Tuesday, when my friend Valerie is visiting.
Since I was not, as I said, incapacitated with Teh Plague, I decided it was about time to do something about my bicycle, which I got used and which I have come to loathe.. I was intending to sell it at this little shop on 9th and South, but the owner of the shop said it wasn't the kind of bike he'd buy. He could, however, fix whatever I didn't like about it. I said I wanted straight handlebars, like on a mountain bike, because the recurved ones were really annoying. So he said he could put on new handlebars and attach the brakes to them. We worked out this arrangement in a series of brief exchanges over a 30 to 45-minute period, becuase he was dealing with a bunch of other customers. Because of the SEPTA strike, everyone's getting their bikes tuned up, or buying one if they don't have one already.
I was getting very frustrated and considered just leaving, but I didn't - and it's true what they say, good things come to those who wait. He gave me a discount on the handlebar replacement for my patience. They put the wrong handlebars on at first, but when I pointed that out they swapped them again. The new handlebars don't fit the bike's color scheme but they are much more comfortable. While they're wider than the recurved ones, they're narrow enough for me to ride between cars easily. Not that I do, although I did do more dodging through traffic today than I had ever dared to do before.
Other good things about today: I went to Copabanana on South Street for lunch, because they apparently have good margaritas and burgers and I had recently developed a craving for both. The burgers aren't exceptional (although they're not bad, either), but the margaritas are as advertised, which made me quite happy. Next time Mom visits I can take her there. While I may disagree with her on many things, we both enjoy margaritas. Oh, and I found a place in the Italian Market that sells Alpine Lace cheese. It's that white Swiss cheese with really small holes. Alpine Lace cheese is one of my childhood favorites, so I was glad to find it.
Something bad did happen today, though - Roo scratched my hand. Again. :P
