just kidding, everything is still in full bloom, but it's cold!
When the southern folks were telling me they were sleeping in socks and sweatpants I was baffled. I had just started using a sheet and couldn't fathom actually being cold enough to put on socks. But! I've now had a few sockful nights and am not complaining - the chilly air is a refreshing treat. My house has two sets of windows facing each other so the double crosswind action is so satisfying! Winter only lasts for a couple months, so I'm planning on soaking up this time when the sun drops and I can whip out my long sleeves and my peace corps issued fleece blanket at night.
The blanket, the notorious blanket.
At the beginning of training we were given a mix of things we'd definitely need- a bucket, mattress, pillow, detergent, soap, sheet, brush, and so on. Among these necessary items was a big fleece blanket, though none of us saw it as a crucial or even useful item. I lugged it around and almost gave it to my training host family. Why the hell would I need a blanket, I kept thinking to myself. I fall asleep and wake up sweating, spending most of the other time doing the same as well.. that was the cruel rainy season that pre-service training was marked with. But still it came with me to site, just to be tossed under my bed and left to rot until just this week. One night I woke up from my coldness and realized the blanket would soon be making an appearance. So I washed it (plunged it) and let it dry for two days before sliding it under my mosquito net into the dream station. It has become the comfiest softest fluffiest thing I own and I love it! It's far too warm and jumbo sized (2 meters by 2 meters!) but I still can't believe I almost gave this gem away. It's plushness fills a void - this country doesn't believe in sofas couches or padding, which is probably for the best if you start to think of what would live inside them.
What it lacks in appearance, it makes up in ability, i assure you. I would never spoil the allure and mystery of the blanket with a mere picture. I'll leave you with my description and let the rest be created in the imagination! It's maroon, pink, and gold with a 70s pattern bordering it and a huge plant vase design in the middle. The golden twine is supposed to resemble something from the Mediterranean I think, but the potted plant in the center reminds me of something my grandmother would have in her house. I have no idea where it came from. Well minus what the tag tells me: the Good People's Republic of China. Or when the grand design was thought of, approved, manufactured, and shipped away. How did this blanket become part of the issued supplies? And who do I thank for such an act?
You'd think that cold weather would bring along flu season - not here! Flu season is every season, and if you're sick, it's definitely the flu. It doesn't matter if it's a headache, sore belly, itchy eyes, or the elevens that are bothering you, it's immediately confirmed by anyone you encounter as the flu and that's that. One time I was'nt feeling good and casually mentioned that I must've caught a stomach bug. Everyone looked up and stared at me (that's nothing new!) There was a collective sigh of relief when I realized my mistake and explained it wasn't an actual bug, just another name for stomach flu. Ahhh. The flu- that they understand.
The best part of chilly season is the hot spring sitting behind my house. Nothing better than a nice soak in the big tub. On such a winter's day...
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