Giardia!!!! And Some More Serious Diseases

Sorry for the recent silence. Things have been...a bit crazy. Nothing to elucidate here, but of course excuses must be made. Anyway.

Honestly, there isn't much to talk about. I found out that I had Giardia last week. Among the PCMOs and health volunteers here it is known as the "poster girl" of parasites- it literally has an eerie little face. Four gigantic pills and a lot of water later and I'm in the clear. For now. I guess I wanted to get it out of the way. It is one of our fellow stagiere's goal to collect as many parasites as possible during her two years here. She's already in the Giardia club with me. Bon chance!

Stage is almost over! I can actually say simple sentences in Moore and French is for the most part second nature. I did get to the point the other day during language class where I felt like there was no possible way for one more new word or conjugation to make it into my head. It's a crazy feeling. Then the next day I successfully bought a banana from a Mossi woman. Things find a way of making their way in.

I can feel things changing already. The temperature is actually declining and I find myself cold at night, even though it's still 80 degrees. Running water, though missed, has become a memory. The few times we've had it here it has been a luxury, simply a nice change from the norm of never knowing how to get all the soap off your hands (it's no wonder soap is not common here). It's in this that I've discovered one of the most surprising things about myself here. I have learned to appreciate luxury. In the states, luxury was a thing to be shunned for me, an unnecessary evil. Indeed it was one of my reasons for coming here. But ironically, I have instead been unnaturally drawn to these things since being here. A cold drink is uncommonly delicious, a recognizable packaged good is an odd treat. As I mentioned in an earlier post, every time I drink a Coke I feel uncannily like I'm in some unreal commercial, sweat dripping down my brow as I utter a satisfied "ahhhhh" following the first long sip. I revel in these small things and have no shame. And yet, the idea of luxury in the states continues to frustrate and baffle me. So what has changed? I suppose now I understand that a luxury can only be a luxury if it is appreciated as such. . Too often in the states I've seen luxuries turned into something less meaningful; after an incredibly short amount of time things tend to becomes common and overlooked. Beyond this tendency lies the danger when the commonplace becomes the necessary, becomes taken for granted. How can you appreciate something you don't think twice about? You have to love it. You have to give thanks to the Coke god, or whatever. Do I need cold drinks? Not really. Do I need plumbing? No. The world has turned many times without these things. Life has gone on. But damn they're nice to have.

There are more surprises. But they will have to wait for another blog.