malaria

Today was a bad-bitter day. It was very cold and there was a typhoon warning. I have learned that 'typhoon' means 'big wind' around here. It was a big wind indeed. Actually, I thought that it was 'taifeng', but I have been disabused of that idea while being abused with this.

I was made to take anti-malarial tablets. Now this sounds very innocent. But it is said that chloroquine which is already bitter is no use these days. So they feed us artemisinin, which is some bitter chinese herb extract. The rumour has it that all the artemisinin out of China is adulterated, so it will not work anyway.

The malaria germ is actually a parasite. It ruptures your red blood cells and then eats up the bits to make a living and to make more of its own kind. If the French is malaise, the Italian is malaria ('bad air' in English). Not Malaya, which is where I am in right now. Further discourse maybe is considered seditious here. So I will say no more. Think your own thoughts.