i havent written a whole lot this past week because there was wasnt much to talk about. i was sick with the flu and i spent a lot of time chilling around the house reading. unfortunately i only went to work one half day. that was wednesday. if i had gone to work this past week i would have been helping my organization with this day camp type thing they are putting on. everyday last week and this week coming up the kids in our organization go to a school where all the other therapists, educators and volunteers entertain the kids with games and activities. wednesday i helped the organizers of that day by just running errands for them. after only a half day though i was too exhausted to do more. i was told i needed to be completely well before i returned to work so thursday and friday i hung around the house some more. the crisis with columbia (thats what they call it here) is now over but not before i had to defend my own country in conversation. on several occations i was talking to my host brother and or his friends about the situation. they all had the unanimous consensus to join their governments stance of hating columbia for what they did and all that. after a few minutes into every conversation they would say "im sorry i have to say this mark but" and then they would relate the current situation to how america is trying to take over the world. i tried to defend our foreign policy saying that the US has very little to do with ths affair but that statement always went unheard. on saturday i was fealing much better and my flu was almost totally gone-except for a heavy cough. i was coughing so hard that i managed to throw my neck out and now it is very hard to move without pain. i spent all of yesterday in bed. today i woke up early with hopes of meeting the rest of afs here in guayaquil to go to a nature reserve. but when i got there they (the leaders of the afs chapter here in guayaquil) figured out what was wrong with me and told me i needed to go to the emergency room. a few hours later my host brother pepe drove me over there and i was checked out by a doctor. the doctor diagnosed me with wipflash and gave me some anti-inflamitories. being in a hospital reminded me of when i was in a ghanaian clinic for three days. i guess in the next third world country i visit i will also have to make a visit to a hospital. so now i will have to take off more time from work and hopefully in a few days i will be able to move again.
-mark