i'm at the usual annoying and persistent stage of my illness where my ticklish throat causes me to cough violently (especially at night) even though all the other symptoms have gone away.. so i went for a dose of the most effective medicine available in our country..TCM...

.. and i got a giant bottle of noxious-looking liquid from the chinese doc. If you read the English instructions, you are supposed to drink "3 marks (which is a pretty huge gulp) 4 times a day"! fortunately, kind nurse pointed out the Chinese instructions that said it was "3 times a day 4 hours interval 1 mark every time".. phew..

he was the same doctor (Thian Aik Siong Chinese Physician 476 Geylang Rd - off Lorong 26) who cured me completely of a 3 month-long cough back when i was 13/14. Absolutely superb. He feels for your pulse on your inner wrist for an instant - no more than 5 seconds - and can tell in great detail what's wrong with you and what illness you have (more than what a Western doctor will tell you after checking your tongue, throat, prodding here and there). In fact, if you feel the inner part of your wrist, you can hardly detect a pulse there yourself! and the medicine is usually quite tasty and highly effective!

hurrah for TCM!