Bill and Wendy's ickcillint adventures

 In September, our fellow VSO colleague, Mark married his Sri Lankan sweetheart Sewandy and generously, we were all invited to the wedding in Colombo. Some carefully manipulation with VSO Sri Lanka office enabled us to coordinate one of our regular sector group meetings a day or so before the wedding, that way justifying the absence from our work desks on a Tuesday afternoon. Mark was already, actually married in August, in an engagement party. At this Buddhist engagement party, there is an exchange of rings, a promise and legally, they are married.  However, they cannot actually, culturally sleep together until the wedding day. So the wedding day was a big day for us all, especially for Mark and Sewandy. In preparation for the big event the Jaffna VSO girls went on a Jaffna Saari shopping expedition and in the end, we all looked lovely and bright - the Jaffna Parrotts! In Colombo, we scheduled a cosmetologist that does the "dressing" which involved a total of 14 sa...

The countdown has begun. The time drags, then it flies. We bemoan how much time there still is left before we get to go home and then we panic that this life is coming to a close. Mostly, we can't wait until we can settle into our airline seat and know, that in a day or so, we will be home. We are plotting and planning many things. Kissing kids and babies, seeing our family and friends and enjoying Christmas at home. We are redecorating our condo in our heads, having dinners at Sunpeaks, and planning out a vehicle purchase. We are excited to get back into our home in March and hiking in some hills. We are looking forward to lounging around at our Kamloops Lake cabin. We are seriously planning the following: Immediate reservation at the Keg for a sirloin and baked potato Immediate reservation at Earls for good wine and salmon steak Immediate burger, anywhere, for Bill Sitting in a coffee shop with a newspaper anytime we want Going to the movies and eating popcorn ...

 lovely! During my hospital stay (about 4 weeks ago), I have been scraping and scratching my skin like a flea bitten Sri Lankan dog. First, arriving at the nape of my neck, the itch travelled down to the inside of my forearms, and soon spread to my belly, my flanks, and my back. Occasionally, it arrives on the top of my thighs. However, there is nothing much to see. The source of itch is invisible or at least it was. Now, my skin is just a bumpy scabby looking mess from all the scratching. A large serrated bread knife works well for those hard to reach spots. Antihistamines (3 different types), 3 different doctors, cortisone cream, and calamine hardly subdue the itch. I have some theories: 1. I got scraped up on coral snorkelling in the sea. Maybe the coral amebas are crawling under my skin 2. The cat had fleas and now, so do I 3. I have been making chapatti out of Karrakan flour. I am allergic 4. I have damaged my liver and the toxins are trying to come out t...

Yes, last week, I was hospitalized at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.  It all started rather strangely.  I woke up on a Tuesday, perfectly fine.  I sat down to consume my breakfast of buffalo curd and chopped papaya and without warning I had to go number 2....NOW. Typical hospital beds - 30 to a room This diarrehea and hideous cramping continued all day, and so, was unable to work.  On Wednesday, I decided that I had some control over the problem, so went to work.  I redecorated the bathroom twice before I decided to come home for an hour or so.  I returned to work about 2pm, only to realize the folly of the decision to return.  By this time, the cramps were so intense, I thought I was having a baby.  My colleagues, Jo and Marcia had to take me home as I felt incapable of riding my scooter. Bill was out of town on a field trip with his English students, so I was alone in the house. I began vomiting and running a fever.  The crampin...