My Subway Armor

I'm a recent commuter but have had my own share of subway stories from random trips to the City. My friend May recently wrote about her share. I have a new one from last Friday. I made a run for the C train and barely made it. I was out of breath as I took a seat towards the back of the train. Come next stop, this old Asian lady took the seat next to me and by golly wow did she smell like vegetables. Now, don't ask me what vegetables smell like but boy she sure smelled like vegetables. One whiff and I was up and away from her. I had to whip out the trusty bottle of white flower oil, put a little bit on my nostrils to get rid of the veggie smell. I had a quiz and really didn't want to risk getting dizzy over bad smells. Nausea and quizzes just don't work for me.




I am such a white flower oil kid. I grew up sniffing and rubbing on the stuff. I remember my grandma had it. My mom, aunts and uncles, and a few cousins are just as dependent on it. So it figures that I would still carry a bottle of it to this day. Must be the partly Chinese upbringing too. Some kids use blankies, stuffed toys, I had a bottle of this amazing Chinese concoction for 'security' in my school uniform's pocket. I use it for every pain there is. Sometimes the scent is just, I don't know, comforting. A Dominican coworker uses it (who discovered it in Hong Kong on a biz trip) and thought I was crazy when I instantly recognize the smell on her one day. She said only old people used/liked oils and ointment. How on earth would I know it. Anyway, I don't think it's a habit I'll ever break. It'll be my armor when the trains stink come summer.

Okay I'm tying this random blog post up by a story from my mom. One time, the train she got on stank of poop. You know why? A homeless guy was taking a poop right there and then. TRULY HORRIFYING. That story will stay number 1 in my books for a long time.

Of course she got off immediately and whipped out her white flower oil.