aromatherapy

I got some aromatherapy candles in the mail today (thank you, Stacy!)
and am currently imbibing the manufactured smell of Vitality, which I
figured I needed after a 2 hour walk back from where my bike got a flat
tire on the way to meet the man who could sell me a door to build the
backboard for the basketball court, turning a 10 minute project into an
afternoon affair. Africa does provide its own aromatherapy much of the
time, from the smell of human sweat (maybe not your idea of
aromatherapy), the smell of burning rubber that we get in the dry season
from the hospital trash pit, or the smell of automobile exhaust that
seems to pervade third world cities. On the other hand, there's the
smell of frangipani (reminds me of the smell of a newly opened pack of
SweetTarts), or maybe fresh basil in my garden, or the smell of overripe
mangoes sitting underneath the trees. I was reading an article about
'smellscapes', where you hire someone to come decorate your home and
suggest smell 'palettes' for each room, or for special occasions, and so
forth. I can't help but think that we've divorced ourselves a little
bit too much from reality at that point. But I'll enjoy the extra dose
of Vitality here while I can.