Nice Bombs

Ah HOME! Superhighfastspeed internet access, and damn I forgot how nice our place is! How "us" it is with all the art on the walls and the clean and best of all - RATS! Yes I got to snuggle buggle my little rattie pets as soon as I got in!

Let's see. I've been sick. For a day and a half I suffered from vomitosis. Everything that went in - even water - came right back out. It was vile. I was driven to the home of the doctor who first helped me with the mosquito bites. Driving late at night in Baghdad is kinda cool and spooky. Anyway I dragged my self onto one of his divans and he took my blood pressure (which was very low), and gave me a medication to stop the vomitting. He ten gave me cumcumbers with salt, and my appetite returned. I sucked cucumber juice all the way home.

Everyone speculated about what I may have. Everything from strange food to sitting outside in the cool air. I knew what it was. U.'s little brother's had had the flu for several days before. And it began with vomitting.

Anyway, I threw up one last time before collapsing into sleep, and then waking up with a nose full of goo and a cough. I still have the cough.

Over two days I got two housecalls from two doctors, both friends of the family. Yes there is still such a thing as a housecall in this world. How cool is that?

I was perscribed an antibiotic. I don't think I need it, but I've been taking it anyway. Nobody really told me how long to take it, so I got enough for ten days. What is a little disturbing, is that anyone can go in to the pharmacist and ask for an antibiotic, and get it. I know from various articles I've read that if you overuse antibiotics the bacteria becomes resistant, and the medication ineffective. Mutated super germs begin to breed and then they have to create new drugs to kill them.

The lack of real solid health eduacation is a bit of a problem in Iraq. No one seems to make the connection between the rampant diabetis and the incredibly large amounts of sugar everyone is pressured to injest, for example. And I noticed a tendency to leave food out in the open for long periods of time (overnight even) and then serve it again the next day. Whereas here there are things on the local news about how long is safe to leave food out before it can grow harmful microbes. And young children are given caffeine and candy as if it's a necessary staple in their diets. It would be a big benefit I think if there were some required course in school that taught proper nutrition and such. Especially to the girls, who seem to grow up to be the ones in charge of what people eat. And why does everyone still seem to think that cold air can cause a cold? Doesn't anyone know about how viruses work?

But I suppose when things are actually stable and they have essential things like electricity and trash pick-up again, there will be more time and energy to spend on such things.

So it felt nice spending some time in Jordan before coming home. Amman is gorgeous! Especially covered in snow. It came hard and fast and melted just a quickly. I joked that it only came to cheer me up. Truly the landscape was breathtaking in places. They call it the white city, because every single building is white like sand. It is the most dreamlike environment I've ever seen.

Spending time with children also has been an excellent contraceptive. Sitting here in our quiet calm apartment we both know we're not anxious to change our lifestyle by adding a dependent being to the mix. Don't get me wrong, U's little brothers (age 2 and 4), are cute, wonderful kids. But they are also normal kids which bring a whirlwind of cries, spills, and chaos into any room they inhabit.

U and I spoke reflectively of our trip on the way home. We highlighted the positives, the negatives... We spoke briefly with a man who just came back from Palestine. An interesting conversation, which perhaps my husband will expand upon later...

As I remember my trip, I think I will write more... But now, I am simply delighted to be home.

K