A diary entry from 2021-02-28.
A perfect crystal is an infinite periodic structure that consists of atoms. Or at least that's what the textbook I spent a morning with told me. Neither a charming shine of a sapphire nor a flawless rose-cut diamond, only infinities of geometrical structures and ways to describe their properties. Imageni a mab who has spent his life working in this field: can he tell more about a sapphire shining in his wife's anniversary ring or it's trigonal crystal system? I hope to always choose the former.
It was surprisingly warm outside: a delicate March was floating in the wind. The snow was melting, revealing wastages of pets and their owners alike. This year usual shoals of stubs swimming in puddles weere ajoined by face masks, largely dwelling near subway stations and in parks and alleys.
We met near the subway exit, hugged - snowflakes on her hat stung me with remainders of winter cold - and went for a long walk, jumping over puddles and slush. Huge showlakes were hanging in the air, sometimes falling onto the ground and mixing with mud.
We sat in one of my favorite cafes - there was one enpty table for two, in the corner. I got myself a cappuchino and grumbled about my body unable to handle even the childish doses of caffeine in the afternoon. The next table was occupied by six women, between thirty five and fifty I'd say. There was a huge suitcase on the table, full of small bottles with colorful labels on them. First I mistaked these for paints or cosmetics: every cap had a label with three-digit code. But the snatches of conversation I eavesdropped on accident made it clear: these were powerful healing potions!
- Every problem, of course, whould be worked through in a certain order. Do you have any problems with joints?
- Yeah, you know, they ache sometimes...
- Well, then you'd need black pepper: it strengthens joints, boosts your mood and openness. Here you can try..
- Yes, yes, I can feel... You have something, you know, for anxiety and stuff?
- Of course! There is a green tangerine, it has a calming effect and helps with heart problems.
We spent an hour at the cafe, not one woman left. They were discussing thoroughly the healing properties of essential oils, or ether oils, as us chemists call them. I remembered synthetising an ether myself in the laboratory, pre covid, more than a year ago. Oily compounds with strong odor and relatively simple structure, that give most fruits and vegetables their scents.
I sniffed my coffee - fortunately, odours from the next table didnt reach me. Eat it, aromatherapists: a good hundred of esters, all with different structures, extracted into a drinkable form. An dirt-cheap compared to those little bottles - what else you'd need?
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