Ill in Spain

I have come down with a terrible sore throat accompanied by a general achiness and strong headache. And though I feel pretty miserable this too has been a very interesting cultural lesson! Yesterday I told Isabel how I was feeling (I figured sitting on the couch for more than four hours needed an explanation) and she immediately began to tell me I needed to take some of her medicine. I told her I had taken ibuprofen to which she responded that she wanted to see the bottle. I show her and she told me those were way too weak and next time I needed to take hers. That night at dinner she said Amber (who by now was feeling sick as well) and I could not have ice since our throats hurt and could not drink cold water. We obeyed and only had lukewarm water. She also decided that we got sick because the previous weekend at the beach we had gone from the hot sand to the cool water too many times.
Before bed she opened my window to let the fresh air in but told me to leave my fan off because that also makes your throat worse. I took her stronger ibuprofen and fell into bed. In the middle of the night I woke up to Isabel standing over me telling me to “toma, toma!” I began to drink from the cup she held to my mouth. The hot sweet liquid burned. It was lemon juice and honey. She kept telling me to drink, drink, so I chugged the liquid and fell back asleep. In the morning she told me I was okay and didn't have a fever because she had checked on me twice during the night to make sure I didn't get one. I thanked her and took my shower. I really wanted milk so I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of milk to go with my magdelenas for breakfast. Isabel came in and said, “oh no! You cannot drink milk, you need to drink another lemon drink!” I gave her my cup of milk and sat down like a good girl and waited for another cup of the lemon juice and honey. This cup, drank while awake and more slowly, actually felt really good on my throat.
On the way to school Amber and I laughed sharing our stories about Isabel coming in during the night to make us drink the potion and feeling our necks for fever.
Isabel is so kind to us, caring for us as if we were her own daughters—even if it is a bit excessive!