Other Changes I Have Noticed...

Besides the big life changers, there have been other changes I've noticed as well. I never thought these changes would ever take place. I don't feel like writing in paragraph format so here is a short list of all the things I have noticed-- so far:

- My nails are growing faster. 

- My hair is growing slower, however, it is coming out faster.

- My teeth feel like they are quickly rotting out of my mouth although I have almost tripled my usual dental hygiene. 

- There is a triple serving of oil and a double serving of sugar in every meal. Surprisingly, my face is pretty clear even though I am eating so much oil. (That is probably why my teeth are so bad).

-  I sleep around 9 hours every night but still feel exhausted the next day. I always wonder if it is either malaria or just pure exhaustion. You never know here. I've been tested twice thus far just to be told I was only exhausted. 

- Every medical problem is caused by malaria . . . even if it isn't a symptom of malaria. Like sneezing continuously due to allergies. It's not allergies; "you have malaria".

- Everyone has become more open about EVERYTHING that goes on in their body. Almost daily you have to talk about how "regular" your bowel movements are.  And if you had diarrhea you get to explain the flow, the color, the size (pretty much everything) in detail to EVERYONE.

Lastly, I have mastered the Tchadian stare. (I have to write a little paragraph about this because it needs a more in-depth explanation). Tchadians stare at anything and everything that interests them. So, nasaras are always getting stared at. The day Josh, Daniel and I realized we mastered this Tchadian stare was . . . funny, to say the least. We were working on the hospital grounds and a particular pair of people caught our eye. They weren't Tchadian! We stared at them long and hard. We even walked a bit closer to get a better look. It turned out they were Chinese oil workers who had stopped by the hospital because one of them had malaria. I pray I won't stare at everyone when I get back to America. I am a little scared that the waves of diverse races and ethnicities will suck me in and cause me to maintain my new habit.  I would be mesmerized for days. I guess I'll just have to find out when I get back.