The Dangers of Asian Medicine

Yesterday, I went on a 1 hour bicycle ride at 1:00 in the afternoon with no hat and no sunblock. Don't ask why, just accept it as fact and move on. My face and chest turned bright red and was hot to the touch. I wanted some aloe vera gel, but it is apparently quite difficult to find in Korean stores. Aloe vera juice, sure; aloe vera gel, no.

I travelled to Goheung that night to have dinner in town with the rest of the Goheung-gun teachers and asked if anyone knew where I could get some aloe vera gel.

"Just go in that pharmacy," one teacher said, pointing, "and say 'aloe vera.' They'll know what you mean."

So, I walked up the steps, and one of the pharmacists who had been standing outside, opened the door and beckoned me inside.

I patted my face and smoothed my fingers over my forehead and cheeks. "I need some aloe vera," I said. "Aloe vera?"

The man nodded and mimicked me. "Aloe vera," he repeated, nodding. He said something to the man behind the counter and pointed at my face.

The man (I assume he was another pharmacist), got something from the back counter, pulled a small bottle (maybe 6 ounces) of liquid from the fridge, and beckoned with his hand. I held out my hand and he dumped about twenty brown, round pellets into my hand. They looked an awful lot like mini Co-Co Puffs.

I stared at them for a moment. Had he not understood? Could he not see my completely red face?

"Okaaaay," I said. "What is this? Aloe vera?"

He tipped his hand to his mouth, miming Co-Co Puffs consumption.

I looked down at my hand. "Aloe vera?" I tried again, as if repetition was the key. "For my face?"

The pharmacist smiled and pointed at my hand.

"Just eat it, huh?" I shrugged and tipped them into my mouth.

The man unscrewed the lid to the bottle and passed it to me. I would have said "thank you," but my mouth was full of mystery pills. I tipped the bottle back, letting the liquid wash over my tongue and carry the pills down my throat. It wasn't until after I had swallowed the liquid that I actually tasted it - it was aloe vera juice.

I coughed and gagged. The man on my side of the counter slapped me on the back in a helpful, don't-die sort of way. Bad business if a customer chokes and dies on the pill the pharmacist provided.

I put the bottle on the counter. "Got it. Heal from the inside out, right?"

The pharmacist grinned and nodded. I don't know if he understood what I had said or he was just being friendly. Then he held out two fingers which I took to mean my treatment came to 2,000 Won. I snagged two bills out of my wallet and passed them over.

"Thanks!" I said, backing out of the pharmacy. "Kamsahamnida!"

I stood on the steps of the pharmacy for a moment, re-playing the last couple of minutes.

"Did you get what you wanted?" someone asked.

"Um . . ." I said, not quite sure how to answer. I did ask for aloe vera, so, technically, I did get what I wanted. "It was liquid. I drank it."

"Ah," teacher 1 said. "I forgot that they drink it here."

We moved down the street, heading for pizza.

"If I have any weird side-effects, it's because of that pharmacy," I announced and relayed what had happened inside.

"You just ate it? Without knowing what it was?" teacher 2 said.

Well, when you put it that way, it does sound sort of reckless. However, I eat food everyday without knowing what it is, so how is that different?

"You should ask for a translater, next time," she advised.

"Yeah," I agreed, but I don't plan on having a next time.