Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Trip Journaling Begins!

No...I haven't left yet. I still have several weeks until our trip to Nicaragua. However, I did go to the public health center today to be vaccinated for my trip.

I am not a fan of public health centers. They all seem so dark and depressing. (Not to mention that their bathrooms are gross - seems contradictory that they should be breaking health codes in a health center.)

I sat in a waiting room with about 5 other people, all of whom were well over the age of 60. An old man and woman in front of me were swapping navy stories, and what it was like to meet Jimmy Dean and Minnie Pearl. The old lady told Jimmy Dean that she didn't like his sausages. And I learned that Minnie Pearl is a delightfully tall woman. I am still not exactly sure how one becomes "delightfully tall". I was left to wonder if some people are considered morbidly tall, when my letter was called (I had a letter rather than a number, as I was the only one there not receiving a flu shot). I headed down a hallway to a small room with a nurse.

I hate needles. Hate. So I tried very hard to not think about the shots I was about to receive. I started to think of what I would tell you all about my visit. I examined many posters on the wall, like this one:



Yes, I took a picture. I was considering taking a picture of the old folks in the waiting room, under the guise that I was writing a report about public health, but then I decided against that, as it could possibly have unpleasant results. Instead, I only took a picture of this poster*, and that was in the brief moment when the nurse left the room.

I got one shot in each arm. It wasn't as bad as I worked myself up for, but I am sore now, and I have a slight fever and a headache (perhaps brought on more so from the anxiety then the actual vaccine).

It was rather uneventful (besides the aforementioned Jimmy Dean exchange) but I thought in the interest of keeping a true journal of my first trip to a third world country, I should record the experience.

Next time on "I Want Rick Steves' Job" I answer the question: What is a second world country?

Listening to: My DVR on pause...what's paused? Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Currently Feeling: Kinda in pain

*each map on this poster represents a disease...the colored in areas represent areas where you may contract said disease, and should therefore be vaccinated...kind of creepy with all those Precious Moment-looking children all around the edge

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"delightful" could become the height equivilent of "fantastic".

"Charmingly short" "Disappointingly average", etc.

Glad you're vaccinated... No Loosing your mind or your inards in Nicaragua. :)

Anonymous said...

ok so how ignorant am I? I only just now found out why they're called 3rd world countries. I was reading the 11/8 Awake! on the Poor and like the first page breaks it down for you. Wow, its amazing how much reading the society's literature can do for one....
your clueless friend,
Dee