Ayi left this morning having provided me with several other treatments, the most pleasant among them the Asian pear. Chinese folk medicine uses pears to reduce inflammation in the lungs: they are very useful for quelling a cough, wet or dry. It's not onerous: simply peel an Asian pear--that yellow hard circle of fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and a pear--and eat. If you're feeling adventurous, you can cut it into slices and simmer in boiling water for a time--half an hour is good--and sweeten with rock sugar. For some reason, rock sugar is preferred over regular granulated sugar. I don't know why. The liquid is drunk like a tea. Occasionally you see Chinese toddlers and young children walking around with a baby bottle filled with this mixture, pears and all.
Of course, the best thing when you're feeling ill is having someone you love call you to cheer you up. I spent an hour on the phone with my daughter who was nice enough to give me all the gossip without the sting--who brought what to the Cake Walk, for example. (Someone brought a store-bought cake! Scandal!) I listened, deeply grateful for having someone who knew precisely what to say. This is probably the best reason to have children: when they are adults, they can act as your eyes and ears in the world, so that you can have the occasional day at home with the dogs without missing any of the fun.
Of course, the best thing when you're feeling ill is having someone you love call you to cheer you up. I spent an hour on the phone with my daughter who was nice enough to give me all the gossip without the sting--who brought what to the Cake Walk, for example. (Someone brought a store-bought cake! Scandal!) I listened, deeply grateful for having someone who knew precisely what to say. This is probably the best reason to have children: when they are adults, they can act as your eyes and ears in the world, so that you can have the occasional day at home with the dogs without missing any of the fun.
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