Busiest Week Yet

There's nothing like putting on a moo moo after a long day of teaching and demonstrating how to use a condom. This week I helped train 30 preschool teachers in a 3-day seminar, taught classes, planned a AIDS panel, and did the panel. Although only 18 students showed up for the panel, it was really positive to see them and 4 other teachers contributing. I planned it with my girls club. I love this club. There are even boys in this club and they're a great group. They had a little pageant to pick a “Miss” and a “Master” and the Master was on the AIDS panel. Because I brought the demonstration condoms and male genitalia, somehow I ended being the person to demonstrate how to use a condom. Great. I had to ask my co-worker to help me explain because I don't know that vocabulary in french! But the talk was really open and honest so it went really well. We're going to do another in March and hopefully more students will come.

Hospital Trip #3

So I'm sitting here in my house on a random Wednesday evening, music blaring in the background from the wedding on Friday (its still going!!) and slightly nauseous from the 4 ½ pills i just took (i won't explain the whole sitch-its complicated). Today was my 3rd trip to the hospital. Don't worry, I'm fine. Its just that diarrhea has a way of lasting weeks here, so I thought I should get some medicine. (P.S. you can buy any pills imported from Nigeria on the street but I don't trust those). So on Monday I taught 2 classes and then realized my entire body hurt and I should probably go home. Couldn't get out of bed tuesday (don't worry-my postmates took care of me in the evening-before that I was living off peanuts, which is typical for me anyway). So even though I felt better this morning, I figured I should bring the stool sample in that I had prepared in advance (its hard to perform under pressure). I arrived at the hospital and after waiting for the doctor to arrive and 2 arguments about the order in which we were waiting, I saw the doc. I told him my symptoms, and he asked if I took malaria prophalaxis (legit) and if I had eaten anything with hot pepper in it (????? they put it on everything here!) Then he took my blood pressure (that's new) and weight, but not my temperature, even though I said I had had a fever. Then I go to the lab to get the tests done. They tell me to go buy a syringe (1 penny US) and the guy breaks off the needle in order to use it to prick my finger and make a malaria slide. Then they said there was no water so they couldn't test the stool until it came back on. When I came back later, it turned out I had parasites. I went back to see the doctor and he wasn't there, just two people sleeping, waiting for him. I didn't think that was a good sign. But I didn't wait too long. I was with my friend this time, not the weird school nurse who took my pills the last time. My friend said with a fresh coat of paint this room wouldn't look too bad. And I said, “and a new ceiling...”The good news is parasites are not as bad as dysentery! I only go to the bathroom after eating as opposed to after every sip of water with dysentery. So then I purchased the medicines (2 dollars each) and the consultation (1 dollar). Overall it was a successful day.