Being sick in Japan
News flash: I have the flu! Specifically Influenza type B. Which apparently not as bad as type A so maybe I'm not doing too bad.
This is the first time I've been so sick in Japan that I missed a day of work. Yes, I take off for vacations and such but I prided myself on not having to use sick days. So here I am with 3 1/2 days off from work for this week because of influenza. It's not fun and I don't feel great but I seem to be getting better fairly quickly and am not as sick as some others seem to have been when they had the same infection. And now I have time to update my LJ- after 27 weeks haha.
This blog is more for myself so I don't feel too bad not posting. I just want to remember stuff that has been going on in my life and I also use LJ to keep track of my friends' journals- yes, I have been reading yours whether I've commented or not.
Anyway, about being sick in Japan.
I had a cold even as early as last Friday but it was very occasional and I am still not sure if it is related to the flu. Because I didn't start getting very sick til Monday. I got the sniffle on Monday and by that night felt awful and had trouble sleeping. I thought I would have to call in sick Tuesday but I told myself to go because it was my last day at one of my favorite elementary schools for the school year (the Japanese school year ends in April). I felt bad even from the beginning but thought I would make it sneezes and weakness and all. But after lunch I finally decided to go to the nurses office where they took my temperature and found I had a fever of over 38 degrees celcius- very high! I had never gone to the doctor here in Japan before so one of the teachers drove me back to school (leaving my bike behind) and then my vice principal and Mrs. Oshita from my office took me to the doctor nearby. With a little test, the doctor determined I had the flu type B and needed to get lots of rest and would be contagious for at least 2 days after my fever went down- so no school for me til next week.
Since then, I have been trying to rest a lot- though the fever has made it hard- I wake up either being too hot or cold...but I've been trying to recover and have had great help from my school.
Now, I had heard of the custom of お見舞い (omimai) before but didn't realize all it entailed. Omimai is when your coworkers or friends pay you a "sympathy visit" when you are sick. They usually bring you some food or something you might not be able to get when you are sick because you are too ill to leave. As it is, I am extremely contagious right now but so far, everyday my Japanese friends- especially my office ladies from work- have emailed me to check on me and come by bearing food, drinks (water/Aquarius/Pocari Sweat), tissues- whatever they think I need. I asked for some of the stuff but they went far and away in taking care of me. I guess they are worried since I live alone and my family is so far away. It's very sweet of them. One of the older ones who is like a mother to me here even brought me home-made food nice and warm and ready to eat. It was sooo delicious. I am so grateful and overwhelmed by their kindness. But they won't take any money to pay them back. I feel I owe so much to them already for looking out for me on a more daily basis and now this. It is heart-warming to say the least. I have no idea how I will be able to pay them back- literally and figuratively.
Other things that have happened recently I want to remember:
1. Last week the mother of one of my favorite students (who I worked with for speech contest and whom I gave a handmade Christmas/Good-luck-on-exams-card) found me in the grocery store and thanked me for all of my work with her daughter. She told me her daughter got into her dream high school in Osaka. I was so happy and proud. It's the little things that make this job rewarding when so much of it is boring and bland.
2. One of my ichinensei told me about her next door neighbor crush that she gave cookies to for Valentine's Day....awww
3. In to different elementaries I got a transfer student from China and one from the Philippines and in my middle school, there is one from Thailand. All but the Chinese girl are half but they are all darn cute. The boy in my middle school is so shy though- but pretty good English. I hope he opens up more.
Other events that have happened in the months since I last posted:
1. I traveled to Hong Kong in fall, Philippines in winter (where I finally learned to scuba dive!) and will go to Taiwan this March! YAY for traveling!
2. I decided to re-contract for one more year. Yes, that's right- I will be in Japan until the summer of 2010. I know. I miss home but the money and traveling are worth it for one more year.
This is the first time I've been so sick in Japan that I missed a day of work. Yes, I take off for vacations and such but I prided myself on not having to use sick days. So here I am with 3 1/2 days off from work for this week because of influenza. It's not fun and I don't feel great but I seem to be getting better fairly quickly and am not as sick as some others seem to have been when they had the same infection. And now I have time to update my LJ- after 27 weeks haha.
This blog is more for myself so I don't feel too bad not posting. I just want to remember stuff that has been going on in my life and I also use LJ to keep track of my friends' journals- yes, I have been reading yours whether I've commented or not.
Anyway, about being sick in Japan.
I had a cold even as early as last Friday but it was very occasional and I am still not sure if it is related to the flu. Because I didn't start getting very sick til Monday. I got the sniffle on Monday and by that night felt awful and had trouble sleeping. I thought I would have to call in sick Tuesday but I told myself to go because it was my last day at one of my favorite elementary schools for the school year (the Japanese school year ends in April). I felt bad even from the beginning but thought I would make it sneezes and weakness and all. But after lunch I finally decided to go to the nurses office where they took my temperature and found I had a fever of over 38 degrees celcius- very high! I had never gone to the doctor here in Japan before so one of the teachers drove me back to school (leaving my bike behind) and then my vice principal and Mrs. Oshita from my office took me to the doctor nearby. With a little test, the doctor determined I had the flu type B and needed to get lots of rest and would be contagious for at least 2 days after my fever went down- so no school for me til next week.
Since then, I have been trying to rest a lot- though the fever has made it hard- I wake up either being too hot or cold...but I've been trying to recover and have had great help from my school.
Now, I had heard of the custom of お見舞い (omimai) before but didn't realize all it entailed. Omimai is when your coworkers or friends pay you a "sympathy visit" when you are sick. They usually bring you some food or something you might not be able to get when you are sick because you are too ill to leave. As it is, I am extremely contagious right now but so far, everyday my Japanese friends- especially my office ladies from work- have emailed me to check on me and come by bearing food, drinks (water/Aquarius/Pocari Sweat), tissues- whatever they think I need. I asked for some of the stuff but they went far and away in taking care of me. I guess they are worried since I live alone and my family is so far away. It's very sweet of them. One of the older ones who is like a mother to me here even brought me home-made food nice and warm and ready to eat. It was sooo delicious. I am so grateful and overwhelmed by their kindness. But they won't take any money to pay them back. I feel I owe so much to them already for looking out for me on a more daily basis and now this. It is heart-warming to say the least. I have no idea how I will be able to pay them back- literally and figuratively.
Other things that have happened recently I want to remember:
1. Last week the mother of one of my favorite students (who I worked with for speech contest and whom I gave a handmade Christmas/Good-luck-on-exams-card) found me in the grocery store and thanked me for all of my work with her daughter. She told me her daughter got into her dream high school in Osaka. I was so happy and proud. It's the little things that make this job rewarding when so much of it is boring and bland.
2. One of my ichinensei told me about her next door neighbor crush that she gave cookies to for Valentine's Day....awww
3. In to different elementaries I got a transfer student from China and one from the Philippines and in my middle school, there is one from Thailand. All but the Chinese girl are half but they are all darn cute. The boy in my middle school is so shy though- but pretty good English. I hope he opens up more.
Other events that have happened in the months since I last posted:
1. I traveled to Hong Kong in fall, Philippines in winter (where I finally learned to scuba dive!) and will go to Taiwan this March! YAY for traveling!
2. I decided to re-contract for one more year. Yes, that's right- I will be in Japan until the summer of 2010. I know. I miss home but the money and traveling are worth it for one more year.