The Inevitable
Bangkok, Thailand Nov 10, 2005, around noon.
In all the literature I’ve read on doing a vagabonding trip to Southeast Asia, one thing was Unanamous: You will get sick.
Yesterday I had diarrhea, my skin was tingly, and I felt very lethargic. The last time I felt like that, sans the diarrhea, was when I had mono a couple of years ago. So I knew it wasn’t good. When I got back to my hostel at around 6:00pm, I took my temperature. It was 99.2. Not bad, but still slight fever. I slept a little, and woke up around midnight and took my temp again: 101.2. A full-fledged fever.
When I woke up this morning at around 10:00am, more diarrhea, and a temp of 99.4. I don’t feel as lethargic, and my skin isn’t as tingly. So let’s hope that my immune system is working on the problem, and I’ll be better soon. And I’ll be immune to whatever it is. No point in trying to guess where it came from. Like there’s no point in trying to guess what happened to my wallet.
Probably a combination of stress, and bacteria in some food I ate or something. Hopefully this is the worst it ever gets. I should only be that lucky.
On the night of the day I lost my wallet, June and I were supposed to go to a talk by a famous Buddhist Monk, Ajahn Brahm, author of the book Opening The Door Of Your Heart. We still went. It was a good talk, given to a packed house of a few hundred people. It was in English too. But a little canned I thought. John Gray or Dr. Phil or any self-help guru could have given the same speech, but he had a Buddhist slant. And he sat cross-legged on a chair the whole time, and was soft spoken. Anyway, I’m not inclined to become a buddhist yet or anything, but I really think I would like to be able to meditate.
They gave out a couple of pamphlets on meditation before you went into the talk, and if it’s anything like he describes, that must be an awesome feeling. Last night when I woke up at midnight and took my temp of 101.2, I read the pamphlets on meditation. Even getting to step one would be cool. When I read step 4, I though that was it, it couldn’t get any better than that. But it went all the way to step 7 and beyond. It seems like a lot of work though. I doubt there are many people who have reached that level. Kind of like juggling 7 balls, not many people can do it.
So I will rest today, and hopefully I’ll be healthy again soon. I don’t have June to pamper me this time like she did when I had mono. She’s still in Lampang with her mother. That’s more important than pampering me. I don’t even think she knows I’m sick yet.
I better get back to my room, I may need to use the bathroom again soon.
Mark
P.S. For those wondering, I did get my replacement ATM card sent. So I’m back in business.
Tags: Markcs, sick, Thailand
Mark
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