So I took the medicine

I wrote and called home yesterday at about 9 in the morning, Calcutta time. By the time I was done, I was feeling miserable, so I went back and sat in the courtyard - and did indeed stare at the geckos. It was horribly hot, and just seemed to get hotter and hotter. I was in such a terrible state that I started crying.

Which is where they found me. Puddled and crying in the courtyard opposite the geckos.

Aneita and Stephi took my temperature, and it turns out that I had a fever. Immediately, I was given medicine - one to kill the fever and one to kill whatever was alive in my belly and killing me (softly) from the inside. Stan set me up in his room, which comes complete with the best fan ever, straw mats -and here's the big one - a television! So I sat in there all day and miserably (albeit romantically - I find being sick very romantic here) sipped on 7up and watched Robin Hood, Men in Tights, and reruns of Seinfeld. Felicity brought me yogurt with cultures for my belly. Havila painted my toenails. And Aneita gave me a back massage.

Really. Not so bad.

I think the fever has broken. I feel better today, just very weak. But so far I've done laundry (hand-washed in buckets and put on the line), went to the store for orange juice, went to the post office, and even made it here. I'm just very tired and very weak. But I'm feeling like I will be fine by Wednesday when I travel again. (Only I'm slightly afraid that when this sickness if over, I will next be diagnosed with diabetes as cookies and 7up are all I want to eat :)

Last night was Tiph's last night - and I'm very sorry to see her go - my first friend I made here. She stopped in to say goodbye. There are a lot of goodbye's here. Like in the Wizard of Oz "my, people come and go so quickly around here!" But she is also heading to Varanasi and we will overlap when I first get there so we're hoping for a meet-up for coffee by the Ganges. I like saying goodbye slowly, in segments.

I am anxious to get back to work. But I know I need to be careful with my health. Still... there is so much to see and do. And it's not good to spend too much time alone with one's thoughts. As easy and as attractive as that usually is for me - it can also be quite dangerous. Especially when sick.

(I've decided, that despite my healthy and strapping good looks, I sadly have a sickly constitution. And I'm beginning to fear that in the case of an apocalypse or zombie invasion, I wouldn't survive.)

I remember when I was sick in Thailand. We were living up in the mountains then, and I had gone to bed early. Chris, Amir, and Rachel had started a bonfire in the field. I remember Chris and Amir coming into my room and picking up the mattress I was sleeping on. I shouted, "what are you doing?!?!" And they replied that I had to see the bonfire. They set me down, mattress and all out in the field - and I remember waking back up to them running away. I shouted, "where are you going?" To which they replied, "the water buffalo are stampeding! the water buffalo are stampeding!"

Good times.

But enough! I've determined to get better!

And so I shall.