My apologies for not updating this blog with greater frequency. I am blaming the guys on the right who are currently chillin in my intestines.
So ya, I am sick again in what is feeling like a marathon of illness. I am now entering week 5 of being sick. During that time, there have been a couple days of feeling good, but very few. This time I have a bunch of parasites and, from what I understand, a salmonella infection in my intestines. These little guys have done quite a number on my body. Good news is that it is relatively easy to treat so hopefully in a couple days I’ll be good.
One thing that I am glad about is that the different causes of my ill health have been changing regularly; it has helped keep things interesting. If I had the same illness with the same symptoms this whole time, I would not be too happy. My doctor tells me that all the different ailments that I have been experiencing one after the other are completely unrelated. I have just had some serious bad luck.
It has been funny because the people that I have met here have only known me as being sick. One of my friends told me, completely seriously, that he used to be fragile like me. I like how he put it, fragile. The employees at the clinic I go to know and treat me like a regular. And I must be going to the pharmacy with some regularity because the pharmacist there has started getting pretty chummy and, when I went this morning to pick up some antibiotics, asked for my number because she wants to go clubbing with me. Oh boy. I really hope I get better.
In other more exciting news, I finally got a bank account! That means CUSO can pay me which means I will finally have some money!! And in even more exciting news, my big sister is visiting me at the end of July. I am taking a week off and the current plan is to hit up the Salar de Uyuni. Salt and my sister. Should be good.
This is completely unrelated to the above but the other day I was thinking how different placement has been from what I expected. Since first year, I had known that I would be spending some 8 to 12 months doing something, somewhere, for my placement year. I didn’t know any specifics but from hearing many stories from others who have had their placement experience and from my own personal travels, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what my placement would be like. I was pretty wrong.
I always pictured landing in a hot tropical country, with palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze, being met by locals wearing flip-flops, shorts, and t-shirts. I thought I would be living in a simple house with a straw roof surrounded by weird looking, exotic bugs. Like I said before, I was a bit off.
When I landed here in Bolivia, it was literally freezing, just under zero degrees. Instead of flip-flops, shorts, and t-shirts, everyone was wearing boots, plants, sweaters, and a warm coat. Bolivia also happens to be landlocked so no ocean and, unfortunately, no ocean breeze. Right now I am living in an apartment building, so no straw roof. Looking out my bedroom window, I can see snow. Never thought that would be the case. And as for the exotic bugs, there are none. I don’t know if it’s because of the altitude or that I am in the city, but there aren’t even that many normal bugs (by that I mean spiders, flies etc). Before coming here, I even bought a big fancy mosquito net to keep all the mosquitoes away. In my time here in Cocha, I have only seen 3 mosquitoes, 2 of which were dead.
Although it’s not what I expected, Cochabamba is still a pretty sweet place to live. Yes there are mornings that I wish I could hit the beach, work on my tan, or at least not have to wear a sweater, jacket, and hat but things are pretty good here. And I mean with a name like Cochabamba, you know good times are had here. Cochabamba! Brilliant.
Anyways, hope you all are doing well. Take care!
So ya, I am sick again in what is feeling like a marathon of illness. I am now entering week 5 of being sick. During that time, there have been a couple days of feeling good, but very few. This time I have a bunch of parasites and, from what I understand, a salmonella infection in my intestines. These little guys have done quite a number on my body. Good news is that it is relatively easy to treat so hopefully in a couple days I’ll be good.
One thing that I am glad about is that the different causes of my ill health have been changing regularly; it has helped keep things interesting. If I had the same illness with the same symptoms this whole time, I would not be too happy. My doctor tells me that all the different ailments that I have been experiencing one after the other are completely unrelated. I have just had some serious bad luck.
It has been funny because the people that I have met here have only known me as being sick. One of my friends told me, completely seriously, that he used to be fragile like me. I like how he put it, fragile. The employees at the clinic I go to know and treat me like a regular. And I must be going to the pharmacy with some regularity because the pharmacist there has started getting pretty chummy and, when I went this morning to pick up some antibiotics, asked for my number because she wants to go clubbing with me. Oh boy. I really hope I get better.
In other more exciting news, I finally got a bank account! That means CUSO can pay me which means I will finally have some money!! And in even more exciting news, my big sister is visiting me at the end of July. I am taking a week off and the current plan is to hit up the Salar de Uyuni. Salt and my sister. Should be good.
This is completely unrelated to the above but the other day I was thinking how different placement has been from what I expected. Since first year, I had known that I would be spending some 8 to 12 months doing something, somewhere, for my placement year. I didn’t know any specifics but from hearing many stories from others who have had their placement experience and from my own personal travels, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what my placement would be like. I was pretty wrong.
I always pictured landing in a hot tropical country, with palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze, being met by locals wearing flip-flops, shorts, and t-shirts. I thought I would be living in a simple house with a straw roof surrounded by weird looking, exotic bugs. Like I said before, I was a bit off.
When I landed here in Bolivia, it was literally freezing, just under zero degrees. Instead of flip-flops, shorts, and t-shirts, everyone was wearing boots, plants, sweaters, and a warm coat. Bolivia also happens to be landlocked so no ocean and, unfortunately, no ocean breeze. Right now I am living in an apartment building, so no straw roof. Looking out my bedroom window, I can see snow. Never thought that would be the case. And as for the exotic bugs, there are none. I don’t know if it’s because of the altitude or that I am in the city, but there aren’t even that many normal bugs (by that I mean spiders, flies etc). Before coming here, I even bought a big fancy mosquito net to keep all the mosquitoes away. In my time here in Cocha, I have only seen 3 mosquitoes, 2 of which were dead.
Although it’s not what I expected, Cochabamba is still a pretty sweet place to live. Yes there are mornings that I wish I could hit the beach, work on my tan, or at least not have to wear a sweater, jacket, and hat but things are pretty good here. And I mean with a name like Cochabamba, you know good times are had here. Cochabamba! Brilliant.
Anyways, hope you all are doing well. Take care!
4 comments:
Dave!!
Libbbbbrado my Colombian brother! I miss you so much man..how is Cochabamba? I really want to hear more about your trip and alas I have to say I need to be better at checking your blog but I'm sure you can sympathize with the sad reality of slow internet in a rural area...there is barely enough time to check the essential emails as it is =!
Anyways, how is your project going? You must be well settled into your Bolivian casa eh? What kind of work have you been doing so far? What are the people like that you are with? How has the research on the thesis been going? What is the scenery like? How are the bowel movements? These are important things that I need to know my amigo =)
I do want to let you know that the bros did finish writing quite a song for you before I left for Kenya but it has yet to be recorded officially. We might have to do it when I meet dunks, paul, matt, and adam in Barcelona on my way home from Africa....oh I wish you could be there for that trip man...we'll have to photoshop you into the photos. I'm still hoping I find some way to get out and visit you in Cocha. That would be amazing.
As for my trip...i'm now capping 4 weeks in Kenya...so yes...a full month in Nakuru Kenya and I'm loving it. We have taught at 3 schools so far and the kids have been soaking up the teaching with great enthusiasm which has made every day exciting and action packed. On the side I already did some safari action and saw giraffes, rhinos, zebras, and water buffallo's. Seeing a giraffe in the wild was crazy man...what the frig was God thinking? such a crazy animal.
NEways, its been fun partnering and living with the Kenyan university students here. They come from all different parts and tribes of Kenya and each have interesting stories to tell. I'll have to share them with you some day.
I hope you are keeping well and in good health and spirit. Let me know of any prayer requests and maybe I could ask you to just pray for my financial stability (or is it ability? i'm not sure these days lol) to finish out the trip and also for a smooth process of selecting courses as its been a bit stressfull organizing that from here. oh yeah and that I would be safe and continue to have an awesome time. I'll be praying the same for you. =)
Keep it real in B-town Libby,
Big Love, Big Peace,
Andrew
PS. always remember He's got your back...John 5:17
Haha, that’s a story for the grandkids. That’s hilarious. Work the sickness!! You should be thankful for the lack of bugs -with your luck, you'd have had dengue, malaria and lyme disease by now! But I'm such a good friend that I will send you my tarantulas, scorpions, mosquitoes, cockroaches, earwigs, centipedes, worms, flies, ronrons, black flies, wasps, bees, spiders, moths, ticks, ants and other things that I don't know the names of.
Costa Rica will have plenty of sun so we can tan at Christmas! Can't say I've ever done that before :)
Boo for all the sickness David :(
Cochabamba, I def think you should go clubbing, you are born to party dave, don't deny yourself ;) hihi.
I miss you! I hope you are feeling better by now (a little delayed on the reply haha)
Awwww...sick Dave...I'm sure your sis' visit will clear that up for you!!!
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