Day of Coughing

Just when I thought that the air has became better, it got worse today. It must have been so. I coughed rather badly when I reached my office this morning. The air in my office has been generally stale in my opinion. Otherwise, blame it on my sensitive nose. It could sense that the air is not fresh enough.

The good thing was that I did not have to stay too long in office in the morning. After faxing a document and downloading my emails, I left office to meet co-workers for a case discussion. The venue was at another organisation and it took me more than half-an-hour to reach. In the end, it turned out that I was early, and the one of co-workers I was meeting was late.

Maybe I was lucky, I met one of my friends there by chance. She is working there. While waiting for the case discussion to begin, I was able to have some time to catch up with my friend. It was nice to meet her and to catch up.

Yet, it must have been the air and the early morning, I did not feel like talking much, neither did I ask my friend much (even though I had wanted to ask how she has been). Perhaps it would take ages for my friends to appreciate how equally nice it would be to spend quiet time with friends. Silence is golden, perhaps more than being golden. In the end, I succumbed to the conventional game of making small talks for I sensed my friend seemed a little uncomfortable with my long periods of silence. Maybe the context in which we had met did not make it appropriate for two person who know one another to just sit down and not say a word? Anyway, I am thankful for the chance to catch up with my friend. Meeting-by-chance do happen but are not easy to come by.

The case discussion went on fine. There were some learnings, and more work to be followed upon.

After the discussion, I left for my office. As expected, I coughed almost at the very instance that I stepped into the office. Stale air, poor air, it must be. Strangely, the air did not quite seem to affect the rest of my colleagues, except me. My nose must have been trained to be a stale air detector, such that it would cough when it breathes in stale and poor air. I ain't sure if having such a nose is an asset or not.

Later in the day, I was still coughing. There is something that I have learnt about the air-conditioner in my office: It seemed to ventilate air better when it is set to lower temperature. So, it was of no surprise that I went to set it to 20 degrees Celsius after a continuous series of coughing. The next thing that I know: my continuous coughing kind of stopped with the lowered temperature. Indeed, the air felt not as stale.

Maybe I should learn to show my gratitude to my colleagues who have tolerated to the low temperatures I have set? It felt rather cold at that temperature unless one is wearing warm clothings or a jacket. I suppose some of them would have feel rather cold with the lowered temperature? I am grateful to them bearing with me and my need for low temperature, but I think I am not the type to express gratitude easily by means of verbal language or action.

In the evening, I left office for home. I was coughing on several occassions: When I am having dinner, when I am practising on the double bass. The air is certainly bad today, and my nose seems to get more and more sensitive. The coughings have somehow made my chest hurt a bit. I wish I could hold my breath infinitely so that I do not have to smell the poor air, but I could not.

A day of coughing. I just wish the air could get better. Fresh air please.