salam, hello. it’s malam jumaat tonight. muslim friends, have you recited the yasin? as i am writing this, i haven’t, but i’ll recite it later in the evening, insyaAllah. bit of consumer advice there for us all ;)

right. i was.. ill, a couple of days back. i would deny the fact that i was unwell, because after all i seldom do, but then as quoted by Professor Albus Dumbledore in the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

“understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery”

so yeah, i admitted i was sick. also, after a lengthy advice by a certain someone, i decided to take appropriate course of action by taking.. meds. now you see, i was never the meds taking type. usually when i do get sick, i let it be, and then for a couple of days (at most a week), i’d be healthy again. no, i’m not trying to brag, but that’s just how it works. strike that, how it worked.

as you get older, your body isn’t immune as it used to be. cells, albeit renewed, happens at a much slower rate, thus making you prone to various illness if not treated. you’re not a kid anymore, cos kids are basically made out of rubber and magic. even rubber, over time, loses its elasticity, which is why vulcanization is applied. you too, need to be “vulcanized” as well.

no, not this Vulcan

post exam (yep, it is the finals week. just perfect, huh?), i went to the local drug store. it is a bit awkward for me, cos it’s my first time buying meds here in japan. not that i don’t trust them, it’s just… (okay maybe a teeny bit of trust issues). was advised to buy some paracetamol, but truth be told, i can’t even remember the last time i took it. probably like.. form 2? which is what, NINE years ago! so i resorted to my family tradition, and decided on buying some vitamin c.

to be honest, i do feel the urge to rant about how good the service i got from the pharmacist-looking salesgirl (was recommended in detail about a particular product), and how confusing the japanese system of medication detailing on the box (they don’t put the mgs per tablet, rather, how much u ought to take on a daily basis), buuut i thought that’d all be boring stuff so i’m going to skip writing about it.

wait, i just did. nevermind..

in short, or quite long as it seems, is that please, don’t ever, EVER, take your health for granted. i mean yes taking meds is annoying, yes they are quite costly (i actually hesitated to pay 1980yen for it) but for the sake of your health, don’t take this matter lightly. i mean sure you don’t feel the need when you’re in good shape, but when you’re not, there’s no point in regretting.

wishing everyone the best of times, and the best of health :)

ws