Grabe!

Life has been crazy here lately, the hot season is beginning which as I have found out also means pigsa season. As some of you know, given my emotional phone calls and emails, I have been dealing with a nasty skin infection, making it really painful to do anything. The doctors here have been giving me lots of different antibiotics to fight the infection not realizing what bacteria I had and which antibiotics would treat it. So consequently I ended up with a "superbug" a very resistant strain of staph infection. I am now finally on the right antibiotic and my boils are improving, a month and a half later. Now I just have to prevent them from coming back, which will involve using a strong antibacterial wash intended for use by doctors to prepare their patients for surgery, for an indefinite period of time... The bacteria hides in your nostrils so I also have an ointment I apply with a Q-tip in my nose. Of course, the real solution involves boosting my immune system. My body should be able to fight off these bacteria, before they become serious illnesses and diseases, I think it's no coincidence that I keep getting infected with one thing of another. Thus I'm starting a regime of raw garlic everyday!

Other than this episode things have been quite alright at site, when I have been here at least. I have been traveling a lot over the past couple months, and it always feels so amazing to be back in Romblon. I really love it here. My garden is full of veggies and my puppy is growing into a healthy dog right before my eyes! Next week, we are heading to Negros for our In Service Training seminar where we will learn how to design and manage projects, and access funds made available to Peace Corps Volunteers. I'm really looking forward to starting this project it's about time already. I've been diving a lot lately with the NGO to restock the giant clams and do our annual photo documentation survey of our 14 marine protected areas. SIKAT received a huge grant from US AID and expanded their operations to another municipality! Great news! After the conference, I'm headed to Cadiz to visit my family, the town where my mother grew up!


We just had Easter here, I wasn't able to experience the brutal devotion/ self mutilation of Filipinos during this holy week in Pampanga, seeing someone nail themselves on a cross to be carried around town Grabe! It'll just have to wait until next year...

Anyways, to all of you who have supported me in the past week through all the chaos, I thank you for being there and hope all this crazy illness is behind us.