influenza

I succumbed to the dreaded influenza, as they call the flu here (actually infruenza). My school actually shut its door a few weeks ago because a third of the student population had the flu (though I think a fair share were faking) and I had thought I got away scot free. Writing the phrase scot free caused me to ponder its origins if you are interested read this little blurb (if not skip it).

Like "hopscotch", this word for "without incurring any penalty"has no connection with frugal Scotsmen. In 12th-century England, a"scot" or "sceot" was a municipal tax paid to the local bailiff orsheriff (the word came from an Old Norse cognate of "shoot"/"shot",and meant "money thrown down"). The word "scot-free", which isrecorded from the 13th century, referred to someone who succeeded indodging these taxes. Later, the term was given wider currency when"scot" was used to mean the amount owed by a customer in a tavern:anyone who had a drink on the house went "scot-free". This "scot"was reinforced by the fact that the drinks ordered were "scotched",or marked on a slate, so that the landlord could keep track of how much the customer owed.

Anyhow, in Japan they are overcautious when it relates to illnesses and medicine, whenever the slightest thing is wrong with me perhaps a little sniffle or a headache they always ask if I have been to the doctor. As I think Jimmy said (who was in the hospital) "they give out hospital visits like candy". Thus they made me go to the doctor on Monday even though my fever was coming down. My town is really rural (as I am sure I have mentioned numerous times) and the waiting room was full of elderly people who enjoy staring at a little white girl like me and they are old so they don't give a damn who sees. The nurses figured I was a prime candidate for the flu and they did not want me infecting all the poor little old people so they made me where a mask. This is not strange at all because when Japanese people are sick they wear masks everywhere. Right now I have four teachers wearing masks. I have been giving a few explanations as to why 1) to prevent spreading illness, 2) to prevent receiving illness3) to keep a sore throat moist. I typically refuse to but if the hospital insists.... After the uncomfortable waiting room the doctor almost fell out of his chair when he noticed I'm not Japanese. He seemed afraid to touch me and when he examined my throat with the tongue depressor thing he didn't even touch me with the tongue depressor thing. In - out he wanted to get rid of me and stated I needed a test for influenza. I didn't even know there was a test, back home you knew you had the flu if you a fever and were puking and never do I want to take this test again. They ram a long skinny q-tip up your nose and mash it around your sinuses a bit and then examine it. It was quite painful and I had tears streaming down my face as a result. It was concluded I had the flu and they proceeded to medicate me with numerous concoctions. The liquid stuff is for gargling and the white powder stuff I have to pour into my mouth and it tastes horrible. This is sickness in Japan.