Winter is Here

I lost my voice for about a week and finally decided that I had to medicate myself. The doctors at work, both of whom are my closest work buddies, were ready to take me to the chemist (pharmacist) but I told them I'd figure it out on my own. I was apprehensive about being over-medicated for something that was just the common cold.

After reaching home from work, I walked through the market to find the closest chemist. I see a neon sign with a downward arrow and walk down a few steps into a basement shop. There is a large fat aunty sitting behind the counter and two worker boys organizing loads of bottles. As soon as I walk in, she asks me in Hindi to tell her what it is that I am looking for. I don't know how to say "cough," "dry," or "suppressant" in Hindi. She was quick to understand this and motioned one of the boys to help me out. Even more casually, a boy that looks my age or younger (and nothing like a medical practioner) then says "So you have a cough. How many days?" I say "About 3." The aunty reaches under the counter and pulls out some pills. (Pills for a cough?) She says I need antibiotics. (No wonder there is so much antibiotic resistance in this country!!) I'm sure I don't. I'm no doctor, but I know when I have just a cold. I say "no antibiotics" and she rolls her eyes at me. Stupid foreigner. I then say "Can you give me syrup and lozenges?" and I am handed the bottle pictured below. Total cost came out to be 90 rupees (<$2). She says something about when to take the medicine in Hindi and I half-listen. I check the expiration date, and satisfied to have some sort of drug with me, I leave.

Only, I continued reading the label as I walked home. If you follow me on facebook then you saw this recently:

"Self diagnosed myself with a dry cough. Went to the chemist and was handed this over the counter that reads: It is dangerous to take this preparation except under medical sup

ervision. To be sold on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner only. No dosage instructions..."

Uhh.... what?! I decided to hold off on the syrup and take it to work. At work the next day I found out that the syrup was not, in fact, lethal. My doctor colleague told me matter-of-factly:

"Have one teaspoon of this in the morning and at night. You will be constipated."

Naturally, I did not take the medicine.

I've been drinking a lot of hot water and hot tea. It's been two days since and the cough is gone and my voice is back. This proves that it was either a) common cold, b) allergies to the now ground-level smog, or c) change of weather.

It rained last week and since then the famous Delhi fog has appeared. With that, the weather suddenly plummeted. I finally feel cold here and once I do, it's hard to get it out of my bones. We don't live in insulated homes and central heating is something of the future. Everything in a Delhi house is made of tile, so walking around barefoot is no longer possible. I wear flip flops with socks anytime I get up from my bed. Needless to say, I look really cool. Showering is kind of painful, even if you have hot water. I only travel in cabs or my friends cars now.

Leather jackets, "woolens," and "inners" have popped up everywhere. Multicolored socks inside of heels are all the rage. Men and women wrap themselves in blankets and this once fashionable place has now become place-every-article-of-clothing-in-your-almirah-on-because-you-can't-justify-wearing-your-pea-coat-yet. It's cold, but not that cold. People look like they are ready for Armageddon.

My street dogs, all 5 of them, have been bundled up by some good samaritan. Probably the watchman for my society. They follow me to the street every morning and back home every night. (I feel like "whistle while you work" Cinderella with animal servants each time.) There was a time where I would give them my left over paranthas from lunch. This then made them start nipping at my heels - which in a rabies-rampant country, is not ok. I stopped feeding them but they still seem overjoyed to see me. One of my friends dropped me at the top of my street last night and joked: "Your doggies have come. I'm waiting here, let them walk you home." Sure enough, this guy (my favorite) followed me down to my gate. I got up early for work today, and he was waiting like this for me: