I have a cold. 

I had a scratchy throat last Monday night, and when I woke up the next morning, I had an awful awful voice. (By the way, I like to sing while I have a bad raspy voice, cause the tone and sound become unpredictable and its fun!)  On the way to work, I stopped by the store and grabbed a bottle of Chocola!   Whenever I have a cold or I am exhausted, I take Chocola.  What is Chocola?  Chocola is one of many "energy drinks" available in Japan. 

Many people take dietary supplements to support their health or maximize the functioning of their body.  In Japan, we have many kinds of dietary supplement drinks, and they are very popular.  Chocola is a drink that I take when my skin condition is not so good, or when I have a cold like I do now.  It is my favorite "pick me up" drink. Oh, I eat healthy and I like to take a lot of nutrition from foods, but sometimes I want a quick recovery assistance.  The one in this photo is Chocola BB Light which includes Vitamin B12 and  amino acids which apparently make a big influence on skin condition.  Other drinks have iron for women, or vitamin C to fix a dull facial complexion. Collagen mixed drinks are very popular among women. Some drinks feature "naturalness" while others offer "exotic ingredients" such as Acai, Maca, or Turmeric! (It sounds yucky to me...)

We have "energy drinks" to boost you up.  Many Japanese business men or women are known to drink these when they are very busy and need to push more at work. I think a close equivalent drink in America is Red Bull.  It is pretty common for a boss or coworkers to buy some to cheer on their team or employees.

This article sat idle for a bit before publishing, and now I no longer have a cold.  Perhaps the Chocola is to thank for that.  But at the same time, I miss the fun of having the raspy voice.