Education Week and Sick Again (ARGH!)

3-24-09 Ah, Education Week. 'Twas a week dedicated to celebrating how much the Marshallese appreciate education--while almost no education took place. Ironic, eh? Monday (3-16) we had a very loong opening ceremony after a morning of classes. Tuesday there was a parade that went all the way around the island. Wednesday the elementary students had a spelling bee. Thursday the high school had a spelling bee, and on Friday, there was a talent show and a closing ceremony.

They stuffed all of the schools into the big gymnasium just a few alleys over from our school. I quickly grew tired of the kids (mostly high school, mind you) whining about the heat. Everyone was hot, but we teachers from different climates were in shirts that don't breathe well and so there. :) Our school was on time, but the ceremony still took place an hour after it was supposed to start, because we had to wait for the mayor to arrive. The organizers got slightly annoyed that the kids from all the schools were restless--but I don't blame the kids, ours in particular. They'd either sat on the dusty gym floor or squashed together on the benches we brought over for over an hour before it got started and they still had to sit through three people making speeches. But the ceremony eventually ended, and we went home, close to 4:00 PM (an hour after school usually gets out).

Tuesday we had first period, then went over to the gym again to organize for the parade. Since it was stifling hot and searingly sunny, I applied sunscreen and drank lots of water, thankful that I wasn't wearing a school uniform shirt that day (we don't have to on Tuesdays and Thursdays). We waited for about half an hour and then we trooped around the island. I was near the rear of our school's section, corralling children back into line (they have a tendency to try and dash off, either to disappear or to buy snacks) or speeding them up (because otherwise the Catholic school, Queen of Peace, would have begun walking on our heels by accident). We looped around the island (yes, the parade is on the main loop that encircles the entire little island) and then re-settled in the gym to watch the kids from Ebeye Calvalry School do something (they danced and sang).

Alas, all my precautions against the sun were for naught. I felt lightheaded and sick. I leaned against a pillar in the gym, and then the other teachers made me sit down in the only place that had a whisper of a breeze. Alan dashed off and bought me a Gatorade since I was out of liquids by that point. I drank it slowly, and was surprised when I ended up being handed a water bottle from the principal (because of course he'd also noticed that I felt poorly). After the program ended and the students dismissed for the day (it being only 12:30 or so), I went back to the school, sat in the teachers' work room and tried to cool off. Once I felt that I could make it home, I walked slowly back to our air conditioning. I spent three hours just chilling. When I felt better, I took two packages to the post office and sent them home. Then I went back to the apartments. I thought I was totally fine.

The next morning, I got up, got ready, and went to school. Sometime in the morning I developed a runny nose and felt slightly feverish, but I made it through my full day of classes (although a good number of my students were missing, since they had independently decided that Education Week meant that they had no school) and went home as soon as the tank was rung at the end of the day. Once in the apartment, I felt a lot better, but I worsened. I ended up missing prayer meeting and going to bed early.

Thursday morning came, and I stayed in bed. I just couldn't get warm (or cool). Even though the high school students had their spelling bee, I figured that if I spent a day being sick, I would get better faster and come back to work faster. I spent most of Thursday asleep, under four blankets with a fan pointed directly at me. (So, yeah, I was feverish and had the chills. Not fun.) People supplied me with tylenol and sinus medication, and that seemed to work. [I am happy to report that, in the high school, our students took three second places and a first place in spelling. Combine that with the elementary winners, and we had eleven placements total.] I was blessed in the fact that I wasn't nauseous and kept eating as much as I could (in fact, it was really the opposite: I was hungrier than usual. Feeding that fever, I suppose).

Friday I felt a tiny bit better. Not enough to go to the closing ceremony, though. I slept most of Friday away, and have had to content myself with descriptions of the hilarious (and/or painful) acts that everyone else watched. To be on the safe side, I stayed home on Sabbath, and by Saturday night, I was feeling really well. Sunday I walked myself very, very slowly to school (because I had to make lesson plans for this week), and the walk there and back tired me out. I still went to school on Monday (since I felt well enough to go, but still sick enough to be annoyed at being sick), and it was a very long day. I slept very well last night.

Today was the first day that I felt decently better. My nose is still sort of stuffy and I'm still a bit tired, but I feel much, much better than I did a week ago. I sincerely hope it's the last time I'm sick. I prefer being well, thank you.

I am thrilled to report to all of you that I have hit 188.5 pounds as of Sunday (and it was not due to being sick, since I was eating as much as I possibly could). I'm only 8.5 pounds away from the first weight goal I've set. I'm very excited.

More later.