Medications and the Alien

For the first time, the Alien is truly sick with something other than a cold or flu. While she has had plenty of colds, flus, and sinus infections, she must claim ignorance at knowing any other diseases as none have visited her. The alien is a rather healthy individual with no chance for heart disease, high or low blood pressure, very little risk of cancer, and obesity is impossible.
Until a few days ago when the curse known as bronchitus came to visit for the first time, settling nice and neatly into her bronchial passages, causing a rather interesting zipping-up zipper sound to come from her lungs every time she breathed. After going to the care center in the middle of work, asthma was completely ruled out and even bronchitus does not completely fit the symptoms the Alien has - only to the extent that she has to fight for inhalation only and it sounds rather strange when it does.
Anyway, the Alien was given a prescription for Methylprednisolone and sent back to work. As the pharmacies were already closed, the Alien had to wait a day and through another work day at that, to get her meds - a grand cost of $4. The alien had no other choice but to visit Walmart due to the work day's end time.
Six pills the first evening. No side effects. The Alien was happy. She slept rather well.
First pill the next morning, went to work again, and only suffered some slight wooziness, attributed to the fact that she was not getting much air anyway. A few hours later, approximately 10 pounds of weight were rather suddenly added to her legs, as well as one pound on her face. Well, that's what it felt like anyway. Suddenly walking as if she had a muscle disorder, she got through to lunchtime, where she had to take another pill.
Thirty minutes later...she developed a rather severe case of Turrets. On her left side only, and mostly affecting her left hand, and somewhat her left leg. The 11 extra pounds were suddenly gone, replaced by a hand she COULD NOT control! The blind cutting machine she used at work suddenly became an immense struggle - as both hands must keep pushing buttons while the machine worked. Typing and writing was...pointless. Walking was rather amusing though as the Alien jerked her way up and down aisles, acting as if everything was normal. But she could breathe without problems - a plus!
After a grueling 10 hour day total (6 of which was while dealing with the shakyness), she went home and read the side effects list. Perhaps it would shed some light onto her side effect symptops, as she has never experienced this type of sickness before, she had no idea what to expect from the drug given.
Two pages of drug interactions and side effects....none of which mention or relate to shakiness.
The alien is now caught between taking the rest of the medicine, or calling the doctor again.

Culture Clash

As the alien sits on her couch with a rather unusual upper respiratory...something (as described by the doctor and nurse at the urgent care clinic earlier today), I watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony in China. Unfortunately, I was unable to see it when it first aired, but now NBC is running it again, and I watch in awe of the creativity and rigidity of the dance, the songs, yet the fluidity of the dance, the songs. Only 10 minutes into the presentation, I am in amazement as to the intricacy and beauty that can be created by humanity. Beauty unmatched this year, as evident by the fact that this presentation is considered to be the "Tv Event of the Year". The pride is evident by the over 15,000 performers as they show off the complexity and absolute beauty present in the thousands of years of their culture.
My thoughts then turn to America. As we look back at our culture, where is our culture's beauty? Our culture does not match our foundation. Based on thoughts of a world without oppressive rule and freedom of religion, we escaped to a new continent and formed America. With cultures all across the world coming together, we expressed a culture of Hope for a bright future for our children and our loved ones. Free from persecution.
Free from persecution.
.......free from persecution.

What would those first ancestors of ours, those who spent months on a boat to cross the sea, what would they say today? Where a whole race was almost wiped out for the Where Wiccans, those who celebrate the NATURAL form of witchcraft....are persecuted by Christians. Where Muslims are reviled because of the actions of a relatively small Muslim sect of one country. Where despite a document in which a whole nations's freedom was guaranteed- that did not extend to those with a different skin color.
Today, anyone who is not a White Christian is still considered different and an outsider. In a country and culture made from all countries, how did the British standard still become our normal. The Alien sees a problem with this based on where America said it wanted to go, and yet it seems to have gone the opposite.
Everyone seems to have their own definition of a perfect world, and it's nothing like the vision our forefathers had when creating the United States of America's constitution and makeup.
A Christian dreams of everyone going about their daily life, praising God, treating everyone like they would want to be treated, no sin anywhere, and...more praising God. Nice vision - so I find it strange that few Christians act this way. It is taught, but not lived. It's a lot like teaching science to a music group. Somewhat used, but not used all the time.
Athiests dream of a world without a God, without a Higher Power to control - where everyone in in charge of themselves, responsible for their own actions, and provides their own destiny without putting that destiny in the hands of others. Wonderful vision, but in this world, the destiny of one sometimes requires the hands of others (Non-metaphysically speaking, although I may not currently be making make point as clear as I would like)
Muslims have their vision of a wonderful world in which theirs is the only one celebrated. Buddhists, Pagans, whichever you prefer to call yourself - it only tends to consist of the idea that everyone does certain things at certain times, act and look certain ways, and the world is perfect. I wonder where humans got the idea that everyone is the same, when there has NEVER been a group of people whom have been all the same? Not even in the Native cultures, the Tribes - there has always been a matchmaker, a healer, a leader, the hunters, the gatherers, the wild and the meek. The Alien is confused as to how humans got the idea that everyone being exactly the same would cause a perfect world.
But I digress a bit. My point here is that the culture of a nation can be beautiful, albeit growing and changing for the hopefully better, such as China, which is opening up by the day and hoping to be understood by the world. The Alien does not see this beauty in America, while Americans can create things seen as beautiful, they do not create a beautiful culture, rich and full - instead, it is a culture of closing off and shutting down anything different and strange.
Is this a culture at all? Is this the kind of culture Americans want?