Tuesday, August 18, 2009

---> A tad sick

Up until now I'd been fairly healthy healthy here in Chile. One cold, and the usual adjusting-to-the-different-food kind of tummy problems that practically every exchange student experiences. Nothing horribly horribly bad that has resulted in me needing to go to the doctor and get an injection. Not that I mind injections, it's where they put them I do mind. Unlike NZ, where the arm is a perfectly non-embarrassing site to have a needle inserted into your body, Chile finds a buttock equally effective. Luckily I didn't need an Injection!

But on Saturday morning I woke up and got out of bed, got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, but was feeling tired and headachy. I wasn't my usual self at brekky (on Saturdays everyone eats breakfast at the table together). So I went back upstairs to bed and slept. My host sis asked if I wanted lunch but I just wasn't hungry. I got myself up at about 7pm, I think I ate an orange or a mandarin or something. Then later we watched a movie, Sunshine Cleaning, but my tummy started to hurt more, and I was yawning my head off altough I'd slept basically the whole day, so I went back to bed and straight to sleep.

Sunday was the day my host sis and I had planned to make empanadas, a traditional Chilean food, it's a pastry turnover with a meat filling. They had bought all the ingredients, and although I was feeling sick I helped make them, because I said I would and I love empanadas. I went back to bed while they were cooking though, but ate one for lunch, along with a fruit salad which my host sis had prepared. Meanwhile, my other host sis had also started to feel sick.

On Monday, us two stayed at home and watched Fringe, a TV series, on the computer for part of the day, and slept. My host mum made raspberry jelly (and I'm not a jelly person but this was good jelly!) and bought home my FAVOURITE peach juice! Today we also stayed home from school, but will be coming to school tomorrow. No longer do I feel tired, sick and dizzy and I miss my friends. I have been told that being sick makes you miss home a lot more, I guess it did a bit, but not as much as I imagined. Which was nice. I had enough homesickness at the start and I don't need any more. 

So the culprit for causing the illness? Nobody knows, maybe Dr House but he's not real. I'm leaning towards the idea of pastel de choclo (corn tart). It once was my favourite food here but now not so much. On Friday, me, one of my host sisters, my dad and host brother all ate one, and it seems to have only affected us girls. But they were bought from the market, so you never know. Although I have eaten food (aside from fruit) from the markets before. Who knows? It doesn't really matter. 

Now for other news! Last week on Tuesday I went to see Harry Potter with my friends Andrea and Nicole. It was in Spanish - they pronounce 'Harry' differently! I felt proud that I understood everything. We took a few photos while waiting outside the casino (where the cinema is) for Nicole. 
Andrea and I

On Friday was the AFS welcome for the two new students, Giulia from Italy and Krista from Finland. I also met the students who are postulating to study abroad next year, one of which I am happy to say hopes to come to NZ! The host parents of each of the students said a few words, then we got to eat and talk. Conversations with other exchange students always go well, time passes fast!
Two of the postulating student, me, and Giulia

By the way, cool fact I learnt - the moon is owned by a Chilean!

Shout outs: (I don't know why I'm taking a leaf out of The Edge, but I am. If you read this guys please let me know here or on my facebook!) - To Robertine who I heard scored the meanest basketball goal AND write me letters! And to my Aunty Catherine and Uncle Roger - for the hunky-dory birthday gift I am stoked with!  (inside joke).

1 comment:

claire said...

I am bad at writing letters, but hope hope the photos and e-mails and parcels count - not to mention skype sessions! love mum