Misfortune never comes alone- Someone did mean it when they wrote [or said] this proverb. Let me narrate the events of last evening.
With a near empty pantry and a totally empty refrigerator I was forced to go out to the mall. Since morning I had a sore throat and light cough and wanted to spend the day curled up in bed but when I saw the dismal state of my pantry and fridge I could not but help venture outside.
I checked the weather report in the morning and it said the highest temperature of zero degree Celsius would be at 2pm.Of all days lil angel didn’t want to take a nap today and by the time I could coax her to sleep ,the time was past 3.30pm!
Again I checked the weather it said minus 2 but feels like minus 5 due to the wind!! Anyway dressed to the weather I stepped out of my apartment and felt as though someone splashed a bucket of ice cold water on my face.
Why didn’t you wear ear muffs you might ask. Well, I lost mine in the taxi a couple of days ago and wanted to buy one. My muffler was still wet even after hanging them to dry for 5 whole days.
So I walked to the gate with hopes of finding a rickshaw to take me to the mall. Without ear muffs I did not want to risk my health. At any given time, there would at least be a couple of rickshaws outside our apartment. But today not one in sight. In the freezing cold I stood for a couple of minutes waiting for at least a taxi to go by. Nothing.. Not a vehicle in sight.
I thought it was better to walk than to wait and reached the mall. As I passed the garments section I saw my nose was redder than the ripest cherry and I felt my ears and they were cooler than a block of ice. Cursing my luck I picked up all that I had to buy and hurried to pay the bill.
In spite of the lousy weather there seemed to be many people and all of the 20 counters had at least 4 customers in queue. I was desperate to reach home before lil angel awoke from her beauty sleep but the queue seemed to move at snails pace.
Finally billing over and pushed the shopping cart to the entrance only to realize that I had 4 bags of groceries and a huge packet of diapers. I almost wanted to scream at myself for picking up so many things. I have to carry them 4 floors to my home.[Here we don’t have elevators in building with less than 6 floors.].What if I don’t get a taxi to go home!!
I peeped out through the glass and lo and behold-it was snowing! All my fretting and fuming vanished as I stood there and watched the small snow flakes falling to the ground. It is the first of the season and I was excited.
Luckily one rickshaw lady spotted me and helped my bags into the vehicle and I rode watching the beautiful snow flakes. After hauling the heavy bags up 4 floors I opened the door and almost screamed to MIL-‘Its snowing outside’. She was surprised at my announcement and looked outside the window. Yes, indeed she said and asked me where my shopping bags were. I sheepishly replied I had forgotten them outside our door and went to pick them up..
Amidst this excitement I realized my cough had increased in intensity and frequency and I needed something hot to drink as well as soothe my sore throat. I prepared this Ginger tea with brown sugar and sipped them as the snow fell.
Well, even if misfortune did strike by the dozen, I still had a consolation-I witnessed the first snow of the season!![I am sure you know how much I love winter and I have been lamenting that it hasn’t started snowing!].Lil angel woke up just about that time and enjoyed the light snowfall with me.
If you are thinking that these are not misfortunes,they are to me coz,I feel the worst day is when I catch a cold!!
Now to the drink…
I used:
Boiling water
Ginger – finely chopped
Brown sugar to taste
There is of course no method. All you have to do is place the ginger pieces and brown sugar in a cup and pour boiling water over it. Wait for a minute, stir and sip while it is still hot.
Here many people drink this ginger tea with brown sugar when they have sore throat/cold/cough and for me the symptoms do get reduced. I usually drink 3 glasses of this continually just adding water and brown sugar to the same glass with ginger and I feel better.
If you have any abdomen/health related problems consult your physician before you take this tea.
Labels: Grandma's Remedy
