Dennis Sun

DAISUKE!
Sick in Japan

November - December 2014

Blowing my nose every minute and consuming 2 boxes of tissues already, I write this Christmas article of Daisuki wearing my thickest winter coat inside my room in the middle of autumn. Heater on the full blast mode, I still shiver from the cold. Ibang klase ang strain ng virus na ito. Parang binugbog ang buong katawan ko. Malapit na rin akong mawalan ng boses dahil sa ubo. Buti na lang, hindi ako contestant ng Utawit.

Pagsapit ng aki, makikita mo na maraming Hapon ang nagiging ninja dahil sa pagsuot nila ng mask. My friends coming from abroad to visit Japan for the first time are always fascinated by these modern ninjas! Kung nasa Pinas ka, you should wear them because of the air pollution. Baka kulang pa nga ang mga cotton gauze mask na ito. Dapat sa atin, ang isuot ay gas mask.  This is to protect yourselves from airborne pollutants and toxic gases!

In Japan, it’s different. They say there are 2 kinds of people who wear masks. One, those who are sick so they cannot spread the germs. And two, those who are still healthy and try to avoid catching the germs. However, I think there is a number three: yung mga nag sasakit sakitan! When I was still a salaryman in a company, there was this Japanese girl in the office who was wearing a mask for months. For a while, I thought she wore it to garner sympathy and even get less work load from her boss. But then, I realized she was just a bit anti-social and preferred to live in her own mysterious world. I called her the Ninja Girl!

Pause muna. Blow muna ako ng nose. Yung sipon, parang waterfalls na!

Remember, in Japan, hindi ka pwedeng bumili ng antibio-tics sa drugstore kung walang reseta ng duktor. Kapag colds, fever, pain and runny nose lang, pwede kahit walang prescription. Pero tandaan mo, kung mataas na ang lagnat mo, kailangan mo nang uminom ng antibiotics. Most likely, meron either viral or bacterial infection na sa katawan mo. Marami sa mga Pinoy friends ko ay bumibili ng antibiotics sa Pinas pag-uwi nila at dinadala nila sa Japan. This is actually self-medication. Pero ingat lang po. Kung iinom ka ng antibiotics, dapat inumin mo lahat yan within the course duration kahit wala ka ng sakit. Kasi, baka ma-immune yung katawan mo at hindi na effective next time.

Pero, da best pa rin ang natural remedies. Drink lots of water. Lagyan mo ng freshly squeezed lemons. Spice up with cinnamon and ginger! Or sweeten up with honey. Sarap!

Kung talagang hindi na ninyo kaya at sa palagay ninyo ay mahihimatay na kayo, call for emergency help immediately. In Japan, ambulance services are provided by the fire department. Just dial 119 from any phone and request for an ambulance (kyukyusha). Libre po ang service ng ambulance sa Japan. Huwag kayong mag taxi! Gagastos pa kayo at baka anong mangyari pa sa inyo. Anong magagawa ng taxi driver? At least, sa ambulance, yung mga machong firemen, they will be there ready to give you a first aid kiss, este, CPR pala! Siempre, mouth to mouth resuscitation yan. Nahimatay si Inday, diba? “Oo nga, pero hindi nalunod,” rekla-mong sagot agad ni Jena.

When you get sick, you feel helpless. You need help. May asawa ka man, nasa opisina naman siya. May anak ka nga, nasa school sila. At kailangan mo pa silang pagluto kahit nango-ngorenta ka pa. Yung labada, pwede pang makahintay. Sino ang magsisilbi sa mga may sakit sa atin? Yung friends mo? Nasaan sila? Diba meron kang 1,000 friends sa FB? Well, hanggang “like” na lang sila sa yo kung mag po-post ka. 

Hay naku! Inday, at the end, you can only depend on yourself. Tayong nasa Japan, kailangan maging matibay. Genki ka man, genkinai ka man, ikaw lang ang makakatulong sa sarili mo. Huwag ka ng umasa pa sa mga FB friends. Patayin na ang computer at itulog mo yan agad para makarecover.

Isa lang naman ang ninanamnam ko kapag may sakit ako. Yung aruga ni nanay.  Si nanay na napakalayo and thousands of miles away. I yearn for my mother’s care! Miss ko na rin ang masarap niyang arroz caldo! 

Sabi ni Manang Aruray, caregiver daw siya. She said can give me all the care I want. Naku, Aruray, tumigil ka nga! Juice ko po, patawarin! Tataas lamang ang lagnat ko kung ikaw ang mag-aalaga sa akin. Ambulansya!!!