Praise Allah...

...today's a holiday! That's right, it's the end of Ramadahn so all of our Muslim friends will hopefully open up their businesses again. Dodoma really shuts down during October, so it'll be interesting to see how it's different now that people eat during the day. Another good reason for having a holiday...I've unfortunately been sick again, so at least I'm not missing school. It's kinda galling actually- the other VSO people who came with me have all been fine; I'm the only one who's been sick- 3 times in 6 weeks. And we're not just talking a case of the sniffles here...no, these stomach ailments have been truly exotically, fantastically painful- sicknesses worthy of the contenent that spawned Ebola. Lest you worry that I haven't been looked after though, let me tell you...let no one ever accuse Tanzanians of lacking concern or generosity toward ailing people- yesterday I had not 2, not 3, but no less than 21 visitors over the course of the day (my boss and his family, VSO people, neighbors, other teachers from my school, etc., etc.) While the gestures were certainly appriciated, trying to entertain people while fervently wishing to die required some of my best acting. And then there was the whole business with not eating...apparently this is something of an alien concept in Tanzania, as despite my best efforts to persuade them that "in America, it's considered very normal not to eat during food poisoning," each person insisted on bringing food, cooking food, or trying to get me to eat food right there in front of them. It was almost a game- people would come, I'd tell them I couldn't eat, they'd force me to eat, and then I'd go throw up after they left. hey, at least I didn't have to worry about dry heaving. My boss explained the reasoning to me: "how would it look if you go back to America looking thin? they think we don't know how to take care of you! no, we send you back a big mama!" so it goes (and so much for coming back a stick, vaness.) believe it or not, everything else has been peachy- more about those parts soon. kt