I've recently decided if there is one place where I have the greatest potential to die, it is here in Uganda. In the past 48 hours I have had to fix myself up with bandages, ointments, and many other things found in my travel first aid kit. Lucky for me (and other people who will not be mentioned), I am a walking first aid kit. I am almost always carrying around bandages, toilet paper, anticeptic cream, benedryl (both cream and pill), pepto pills, Imodium pills, visine, wet wipes, and Tylenol. Not only have I been the go-to for many people, I have also realized how much I need this convenient kit. So far this weekend, I have had about 4 blisters I had to bandage up (I was forced to buy obscene sandals which resulted in 3 of the 4 blisters). After a night of fun and dancing, I found yet another blister along with bruises whose origins are unknown. After taking care of myself, I along with another PCV came to use some free wifi at a mzungu cafe in Masaka where I was victim to ant bites. I have just spent the past 20 minutes or so tending to my feet trying to stop the itching. All this, not to mention the falls, near-death by boda boda (or any other vehicle), risk of vehicles exploding while you (along with 20 other people) are in them, risk of mambas and crocodiles, and all the diseases I could and will probably get, it is a wonder people survive here for two years (or stay for longer).
Loss of dignity is also a key component of life here in Uganda. Here, it seems that talking about consistency of poop is normal conversation, along with discussions of frequency and having risked pooping your pants. I lost my dignity a long time ago, when I had to poop in some bushes on a walk back from RACO, when I pooped my pants during a explosive vomit incident, and the many times I've almost pooped myself when I had The G. I guess that's just part of life here in Uganda, you just have to realize everyone is in the same boat and find the humor in it. That, or you ET.
*To my family: Please don't worry, I promise I'm taking care of myself as much as humanly possible out here. There are so many things that I can't control, we all know life likes to throw us all curve balls. Anyhow, my friends here wouldn't let anything too bad happen to me, so don't start stressing.*
Tomorrow I start another boring week at Rakai (consisting of me reading and probably finishing two more books), however the king of the Baganda region is coming to town so it looks like the town is going to be buzzing with excitement. Hopefully this means there will be things to do at the nursing school (most likely cleaning or doing some administrative stuff which doesn't really fall into my job description, but it seems that in Peace Corps, you job description never really holds water when you are finally at site).
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Halloween and Diwali weekend :)
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