Le Paludisme.
It finally happened. After almost four months malaria free, the little mosquito transmitted, blood infesting parasites decided to bid me welcome to Moundou. Now...to those of us from the US of A, malaria sounds very serious. Not to worry. I’m fine. In fact, most of my friends here could not believe I had never had malaria before, and did not know there was no malaria in the states. I did, however, have quite the eventful first malaria experience. I got sick on a Monday. Fever, fatigue. I tried to wish it away, took some drugs, and taught my class that evening. Unfortunately, you cannot ignore malaria, and the next day I found myself at the local clinic for a blood test. The test came back positive, I was given a prescription for medication, and spent the next few days at home. The medicine I was prescribed is supposed to work in 24 hours, but 24 hours later I was still running a fever of 102. By Thursday I had added the runs, and a rash to the list of symptoms. Friday I went back to the clinic. This time the doctor wanted two things: a typhoid fever test, and a stool sample. Blood tests are fine, but giving a poop sample was something I had hoped to avoid in my life. But you do what you have to do. I made my way to the lab at which point the lab tech told me to go get “feuille de mangue” and to use for my stool sample...at which point I laughed, thinking he was joking. Now for those of you who don’t speak French “un feuille de mangue” translates to a mango leaf....and he was not joking. He proceeded to hand me a mango leaf and explain how one gives a sample, folds the leaf, and holds it together with by piercing the sides with two small sticks found somewhere on the ground. So I surrendered to my mango leaf fate...unfortunately mango leaves don’t work very well when all that’s coming out of you is liquid (sorry for the graphic details) ...and left the clinic. And after all that, they didn’t really find anything. By Saturday, I was on the road to recovery. So that was malaria for me...a five day fever, the runs, a rash, and a mango leaf. Quite a story though.
Final Exams and a Visit from the President.
This past month also brought the end of our first teaching term....which of course means final exams. Having been a student for my entire life, up until now, it is odd to be on the other side of things...giving and grading exams rather than studying and taking exams. Now, final exams would have been pretty uneventful save teaching my students (who have probably never seen an American style test in their life) how to take a test with multiple choice and fill in the blank questions....then the president decided to come to town. When the president comes to town everything shuts down, you really shouldn’t open your business, and shouldn’t be out walking around...unless you’re on the street to welcome him. That being said...he came in the middle of exam week...and to make things more difficult, half my students work for the media. He was supposed to come in the morning...but morning turned into afternoon...and around 4:20 Rose and I found ourselves on the street waving to the president as he passed by greeting the crowds through the sunroof of his vehicle. So...I arrived at school half an hour late, found a few students waiting for the exam, and no power, or generator, to print the thing (which I would have done in the morning if the building had been open.) So the exam was pushed back to the next day. Scheduling Chadian style. I still have a few students who haven’t taken it.
Christmas.
Saturday, the 18th, Rose and I took a bus to N’Djamena to spend some days with the Enns (an MCC family) before Christmas. It’s always wonderful to see the Enns and spend a few days in a “North American bubble” in the middle of Chad. We took advantage of their oven, cooked festive foods as best we could, sang Christmas carols, and met Bekah and Joshua...their children who are visiting for the holiday. On the 23rd we returned to Moundou to experience a real Chadian Christmas. It was an interesting Christmas. Not bad. Just really different. Rather than being at home with family everyone was out and about...celebrating with singing and dancing and friends. As far as my celebration went...I ate goat. Went to church...several times. Watched “Muppet Christmas Carol” with Rose on my computer. Gave a handmade card and candy stuffed in an Ethiopian Airlines complementary sock (makeshift stocking) to my host family. Received a Christmas text message from my grandmother. And had a wonderful Christmas phone call from my family.
I love you and miss you all. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! JOYEUX NOEL!!! Christ est né!
