Lest the title mislead you, this is not an entry about shopping. If you are seeking a remedy for desperately crowded malls and the no-holds-barred attitude during the December shopping season, perennially putting to rest any myths you may have about Canadian civility, this is not the article for you. Most of us have no alternative but to mingle with the masses this holiday season, trudging through the rain and fending off rival consumers as we fight for the right gift. The price we pay shows up on more than just our credit card bills. At the risk of sounding like a germaphobe, I can’t help but speculate on how much this seasonal death-sport contributes to the other bane of my ‘holiday spirit,’ the winter cold.
Regardless of who or what is to blame, I’ve already received my comeuppance in this regard, as has at least one other member of the firm. Yet we all know that the law never sleeps, nor do lawyers. For this reason, we approach any and all cold remedies with the sort of enthusiasm and optimism that only desperation can produce. That’s why when our legal assistant suggested a strange concoction of garlic, ginger, and lemon, I didn’t hesitate. Sure enough, her infusion seemed to clear my sinuses; it was like an herbal power-washing. I say leave the double-blind tests to the pessimists and give this a try!
Ms. Buendia’s Curalotodo Tea:
2 cups boiling water
3 slices of lemon or lime
1 diced clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
Dash of cayenne pepper and honey to taste
Pour the boiling water over the rest of the ingredients to steep and drink it as hot and as quickly as you can.
¡Buen provecho!
* Although Ms. Buendia’s tea boasts of being a cure-all (curalotodo), it appears to have no significant effect on one’s attitude towards holiday shopping!