4 November
On October 29 I prepared my first Christmas card. I was writing back to Doris Ritter and decided with Christmas two months away it was time to send it. I probably won’t write to her again until after Christmas and she does deserve a card.
I dated the card October 31 which turned out to be correct since I didn’t mail it until then.
It was an illness that postponed the posting of that letter. I was starting to get sick on Tuesday October 30 at school. I made it through the day barely. After testing form III I went to the health center just as Ruby advised me.
When I arrived they asked for medical records. I went home for my immunization records. Tired I made it back to find it probably was not what they meant but it didn’t hurt for them to see I had shots.
I had to buy a blue book across the street to start my medical records. I also had to wait a long time for a meeting to finish before the doctor saw me. He checked me out and gave me medicine to treat intestinal bacteria. I slept for no more than two hours at a time because I had diarrhea which came out bloody with mucus at one crisis point.
I missed school the next day. I did make it to Bible Study that night as the rehydration mixtures, flaggyl, co-codymol, and tetracycline, which I picked up from the health clinic, all helped me improve.
I briefly attended the Portsmouth Youth Rally on Thursday November 1. I left after I began to feel weak. I spent part of the day preparing for a Roseau weekend and attended the staff party that night.
I woke after a short sleep on Friday morning to make my way to Roseau. I had to wait until 9am because Rosemary’s kids did not show up. I made it to the Peace Corps office the same time Frances did. She was in town to try to get money. By the end of the day they gave her $2000.
I was in Roseau on Nov 2 because a strike encouraged Mr. James to cancel school. I went to parcel post with my time to find it open but they were unable to give me my package because the customs officer was on strike.
I finished my application for Harvard and attended Peter McFarlane’s Halloween party in Eggleston. I ate, danced, and met Second Secretary Deidi Dierdorf. She was in town for Independence Day. She works for the U.S. embassy in Barbados.
Instead of going to the parade Saturday morning (It was canceled because of a police and civil servants boycott) I stayed up late again and watched TV Friday night and Saturday morning. It was a nice treat.
Saturday afternoon I went to the cultural gala with Catherine, Micki, and Jay. Deidi and Maryann walked with us from the office. It got boring quick and we left after an hour and a half. We played two rounds of “Hearts.”
I went to Fort Young that night to dance with Catherine, Marcia, and their friends. It was another late night and short sleep.
I woke up this morning tired, showered, and ate. I went to the Roseau Methodist Church. It was pretty good. I didn’t stand up and introduce myself like I should have when asked. A strange man dressed in turban, sheets, and carrying a stick came in. He sat until the end when he went up to the pulpit, rotated his stick, and left. It thundered after he moved his stick. I also met an RPCV who now lives in Dominica. He was a music teacher in Portsmouth.
It didn’t seem like anyone was gong to Portsmouth, so I started hitching. I caught a bus to St. Joseph. I waited there in the rain for a long time and finally boarded the back of a pickup. We rode in the rain under a dirty tarp to Salisbury. A short wait there got me a ride to Portsmouth on a bus. The ride cost $7.00 total.
I worked on Peace Corps information to invitees. I hope some improvements are made to this pre-training information.
I went to Methodist evening service and got a ride home from Murphy Wallace. I hope Brad made it home tonight or changed his mind and stayed with Micki and Jay.