sooo...since it's been forever since I've written a proper post...

I guess I should write an update. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure that the few who read this blog for actual travel updates have already been in touch through mobile (luckyyyy), but for the rest of you who are out there and aren't one of the like 3 people I've called, THIS IS FOR YOU. *blows kiss*

so, basically, I'll try to give the brief stream-of-consciousness version of my last several days, because I don't really have the energy for much more. (I was coming up with all sorts of witty blog posts in the hospital this morning, but that was this morning.)

Soooo...I can't even remember the last time I posted. I think it might have been in Bihar? It was. And I just posted about my huge lip in Dumka. Okayyy...

...bullet points might be easier. I love bullet points. (but not bullets)

• After a few busy yet fruitful days in Dumka, we visited one of our Dumka subprojects, and then took an overnight train to Kolkata (Calcutta). On this evening, I got an EXCRUCIATING headache, one of the nausea-inducing kind. The train ride wasn't great (I can't say that I've ever had a GREAT time on an overnight train in India), but wasn't terrible, thanks to Excedrin Migraine and the ever-trusty ipod with the audio books on it.
• We arrived in Kolkata, found a taxi, drove to the airport, got on the airplane, SAT on the airplane for what seemed like forever, and then actually FLEW on the airplane to Hyderabad.
• Arrived in Hyderabad, tried to rest for a bit (which was probably necessary, seeing as how I had only slept on the train from about 12:30am to 4:30am prior to our 5:00am arrival), showered, and then went to a gathering of mothers group leaders.
• During the gathering (which was very nice, the moms are amazing, the community center that they have now is amazing, it is amazing what these women are doing for their families. just give women a chance!), I started to feel preeetttyyyy sick. I had been feeling a little woozy since the uber-migraine from the night before, but by this point I could tell I was actually sick sick. I was asked to say a few words after Ilene gave one of her inspiring talks, but had to say my words from my chair because I thought I might fall over if I got up.
• I did have to get up eventually, and almost passed out, and was feeling really bad, and had to be taken to lie down. Our Hyderabad coordinator asked if I wanted to see a doctor, and I knew that I needed to. (Malaria is a particular threat in some of the areas we had been traveling in, so I knew that I should "immediately seek medical attention," but I also just felt really, really crappy.)
• So, we went to a hospital.

And...that's where I was for the past few days. It sucked. At one point, I thought I was going to die, and was prepared to...mind you, this was at my absolute worst point, in the middle of the night, when I super feverish and delirious and dizzy. The nurses were applying cold compresses all over my body to bring down the fever, and my bedside companion-cum-coworker Rosie looked so worried that I thought, "okay, this might be really bad, I might die, I don't really want to, but I think I'm ready."

Of course, I didn't die (see previous post re: hypochondriasis), but those few days sucked. Once I felt better, I was just so BORED and SO tired of being there, but it was supposedly important that I stay hooked up to that daggum IV (which, in hindsight, WAS important). I

• completely exhausted the magazines that I had brought for the whole trip (I had spent a lot of time finding the Perfect Three, ones that weren't as shallow as Us Weekly but still light enough to keep me entertained [if not stimulated] during the journey),
• finished my book club book (Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, delicious and terribly melancholy),
• finished my audio version of The Sisterhood (not deliciously melancholy, but light and fun enough),
• started my audio version of David Sedaris' Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (I bet this would be more fun to read than to listen to),
• tried to knit: this went very badly. Please keep in mind that I had an IV stuck in my hand. I ended up dropping a stitch, which caused me to unravel the whole thing (I wasn't that far into the project anyway). I started again, but then realized that my IV hand was starting to swell...>.<>

In the end, I ended up NOT having malaria (which is very good), but instead a stomach infection (which is not BAD but sure wasn't FUN). Today, after three nights, I was finally released. FINALLY. I can't believe I ended up staying for so long.

Right now my coworkers are shopping, (buying me shirts!), and I am just lying here, trying to get back in touch with the electronic world. I hope this post doesn't sound like a sob story. I just had to spit my last few sucky days out onto the internet so I don't have to think about them anymore.

In Much More Exciting News, we fly back to the U.S. TOMORROW! I am beyond ready. I know that I will experience culture shock (I'm already feeling it today just peeking in on facebook...), but I really miss home. I've been missing home. It's been a really GOOD trip, and I have really learned SO MUCH (maybe someday I will blog about THOSE things instead of my self-indulgent me-posts), and am really glad I came. But, tomorrow, we get to start heading toward my homeland, and I am sincerely looking forward to it.

see you on the flip side...literally...of the world...