Why Didn't You See a Doctor?

1. Why did you see a doctor this morning?

I didn't see a doctor this morning.  Overall I'm feeling very healthy.  My left ankle is a bit sore from running, but other than that I'm fine.

I can't help but grin when people in the office try to give me health advice.  There they are, all masked up, with their persistent colds, and they're trying to tell me how to be healthier.  I haven't been sick in ages.

Many people in Taiwan are incredibly superstitious when it comes to the subject of maintaining their health.  Hot vs. cold water, exposure to sunlight, what you should eat vs. what you shouldn't eat, discussing these matters with some Taiwanese people can be a real headache.  I get tired of explaining why I don't eat breakfast every day, and why I prefer cold drinks to hot drinks, mostly because the other side never presents any kind of evidence beyond the anecdotal to support their claims.

2. Why didn't you come to the meeting last night?

Last night was Sunday.  Even if there had somehow been a meeting I wouldn't have gone.

My work is fairly relaxed with regard to meetings.  We have a big school meeting at the beginning and end of every semester, and an English subject teachers' meeting every month.

At the county level I'm anticipating a two-day workshop in December, and even though this meeting will be excruciatingly boring it gives me a chance to catch up with a few people I haven't seen in a while.

If I'm lucky this two-day meeting will be in Chaozhou, and not in Pingtung City.  Chaozhou is only an hour from where I live, while Pingtung City is closer to two hours.

3. Why did you catch a cold?

I didn't.  As said above I'm fine.

Speaking of colds, I'm going to have to try very hard to not take any sick days this and next semester.  I want to save all my days for summer vacation, when I'll be going to the States again.

4. Why did you stay at home today?

Sadly I didn't.  I'm at work, in the office, typing this.  I would have loved to stay home.

If I'd stayed home today I'd probably be reading a science fiction novel I bought in Joyce, Washington just before I got on the plane back to Taiwan.  I read a lot of science fiction.

5.What does Softy look like in his second life?

I have no idea what this means, but I suppose there's a reading section in the book that explains who "Softy" is.  I can only wonder how and why "Softy" is subject to reincarnation.  Was his behavior lacking in a previous iteration?  Will he be forced to move forward and backward through the great chain of being forever?  Hopefully "Softy's" second life will be lived more in accordance with whatever religious text gets one out of this particular dilemma.

6. What is the reading mostly about?

Judging by the question above I'm guessing that it has something to do with "Softy" and an Eastern theology.  Alternatively it might be about a stuffed bear repurposed by a child: a toy given "new life."  I'm sure I'll find out in a couple weeks when I work my way up to that part of the book, but right now I refuse to look.

And what about you?  Why did you see a doctor this morning?  Why didn't you come to the meeting last night?  Why did you catch a cold?  Why did you stay at home today? What do you think the reading is mostly about, and why?

Related Entries:

Did You Have a Good Vacation?

What's Going On With Me 我身邊發生了什麼事 ?

Taipei vs. the Rest of the Island

Are They Coming?  Are They Here?

NOTE: The questions above are from the eighth grade English textbook.