On Flus and Colds

Schmetterling has been incapacitated by the flu for a grand total of 9 days. Do congratulate her. ( For the more scholarly readers, please peruse this article on the differences between colds and flus)

Anyway flus are no good if you have to work, especially when you have a blocked nose, sore throat, and extremely poor vocals.

* Scenario 1 *

[ Phone at office rings ]

Me [picking up phone] : Glug morggin, thi ee ABC companee. [cough cough cough]

Person: Hello, I'd like to enquire if I can make a booking on so-and-so-date for this-and-that event.

Me: Gur. Wdeed daed wdod you lied? [can't help but blow nose]

Person: Huh? Hello?

Me: Yeds?

Person: Pardon?

Me: ...

*Scenario 2 *
[ Supervisor/whatever comes in with a strange person]

Supervisor[to me]: Hey, meet the new manager.

New Manager [big smile and extends hand for handshake]: Oh hello!

Me [simultaneously blows nose and extends other hand]: Oh hi sorry I've get a cold.

New Manager [immediately withdraws hand, smile fades]: Oh then I won't shake hands then. Don't want to get the flu ha ha.

Me [thinks] : Fine.

Neither are flus good when you have to go for orchestra practice :

-the following dialogue is in Chinese-

*Scenario 1*
Conductor/ZYM: Ta ta ta [swings arms around wildly and incomprehensibly] Louder! Louder! More!

[ I put more effort into playing and nearly turn blue in the process]

Me: Wheeze.

[Neighbouring dizi player throws me a wholly unsympathetic skeptical look]

*Scenario 2*

[ 'Tis a solo part for sheng. Die]

ZYM: 1..2...3 go

Me [ giddy and probably hypoxic ]: ? [Doesn't actually realise what's going on until around 3 bars into the music] Oh no.














So now I'm stuck with a runny nose, cough, shortness of breath and six different medications.

Stupid flu bug.