capsaicin as decongestant
I guess I'm feeling a little better, but this morning my head was so stuffed I couldn't hear very well. So at lunch, I figured it was a perfect time to have Pork with Scallions, which is a lot like Hunan Pork with lots of those red chiles in it. Normally I doubt I could touch the stuff, but today it wasn't a problem. My eys watered, my nose ran, my eustacian tubes were burning, but after lunch (and several tissues) I could breathe through my nose! Hooray! My taste buds are totally dead now, but without a sense of smell I wasn't tasting much anyway. I would say that capsaicin kicks sudafed's butt as a decongestant... except that now it's a few hours later, and though my sinuses thought it was ideal, my stomach seems to have a different opinion. Maybe next time I'll try wasabi instead.
It rained a lot today, with some episodes of thunder & lightning. I think it's the influence of the typhoon further north. There's even some surf today. The rain had an interesting effect: it actually seemed like the air was more clear, and it was easier to see the plants in the courtyard. Maybe because there wasn't the usual solar glare. At one point when the rain had let up for a bit, the sky was busy with dragonflies. It was like the air battles in World War II movies, only without the explosions (and far less organized). And somehow they're everywhere flying at top speed every which way and they don't actually run into each other. Kinda reminds me of the traffic, only when the dragonflies do it, it's elegant and mesmerizing.
Alex said we'd be able to see lots of huge snails because of the rain, so I went on a quest after work. I found a lot of snails in the grass that were, well, I guess they were on the large side... then I almost stepped on a snail as big as my fist. Oh, that's what she was talking about. As I looked around, I realized they were everywhere. And they're pretty speedy. I mean, considering that they're snails.
I walked on the beach a bit in my usual quest for sea glass. The beaches here specialize in sea styrofoam, though today I saw a sea coconut.
[song of the moment: Lionel Richie's "Hello." Note that I have my balcony doors closed and the heavy drapes drawn. There's no escape, and the band only takes Monday off]
Back on the traffic: I have until Friday to study for my driver's exam. There's a huge rulebook, but the only rule I see in effect is "when in doubt, beep." It's not the exclaimation or expletive it is in the US-- it's very polite. If you don't think someone sees you, beep. If you're passing a family of four on a motorbike, beep. If you're backing up, beep. If you're randomly veering into the right lane at top speed into a bus, beep. I think you could probably drive off the road, through a pedestrian-filled parking lot and straight through the stand selling beach floats. Provided, of course, that you politely beep first.
It rained a lot today, with some episodes of thunder & lightning. I think it's the influence of the typhoon further north. There's even some surf today. The rain had an interesting effect: it actually seemed like the air was more clear, and it was easier to see the plants in the courtyard. Maybe because there wasn't the usual solar glare. At one point when the rain had let up for a bit, the sky was busy with dragonflies. It was like the air battles in World War II movies, only without the explosions (and far less organized). And somehow they're everywhere flying at top speed every which way and they don't actually run into each other. Kinda reminds me of the traffic, only when the dragonflies do it, it's elegant and mesmerizing.
Alex said we'd be able to see lots of huge snails because of the rain, so I went on a quest after work. I found a lot of snails in the grass that were, well, I guess they were on the large side... then I almost stepped on a snail as big as my fist. Oh, that's what she was talking about. As I looked around, I realized they were everywhere. And they're pretty speedy. I mean, considering that they're snails.
I walked on the beach a bit in my usual quest for sea glass. The beaches here specialize in sea styrofoam, though today I saw a sea coconut.
[song of the moment: Lionel Richie's "Hello." Note that I have my balcony doors closed and the heavy drapes drawn. There's no escape, and the band only takes Monday off]
Back on the traffic: I have until Friday to study for my driver's exam. There's a huge rulebook, but the only rule I see in effect is "when in doubt, beep." It's not the exclaimation or expletive it is in the US-- it's very polite. If you don't think someone sees you, beep. If you're passing a family of four on a motorbike, beep. If you're backing up, beep. If you're randomly veering into the right lane at top speed into a bus, beep. I think you could probably drive off the road, through a pedestrian-filled parking lot and straight through the stand selling beach floats. Provided, of course, that you politely beep first.