I wasn't going to mention that I've come down with a cold (who cares…...so what) but with the interconnectedness of everything. I guess I'll have to.
As I've mentioned before Pakistan hospitality is really outrageous. Each day when Rustam stops by to pick me up for the ¼ mile walk to the job, he insists (and I mean INSISTS) on carrying my day pack. I've long since given up trying to argue with him. This is typical. When we break for tea, one of the guys will make sure I have the best seat available. Often they'll bring a chair just for me while everyone else sits on a bale of straw. I'm not used to this, and to be honest it makes me a bit uncomfortable. But clearly this is what they want so who am I to be some kinda prima donna and refuse.
So the other day I came down with a cold. A Pakistani cold is indistinguishable from an American cold. They both start out as a tickle or slight pain in the throat and migrate their way down into the lungs over the next few days. And they both are accompanied by some degree of body aches (above and beyond the aches someone of my advanced years has to endure daily).
It has been impossible to hide the fact that I have a cold from the guys as my energy level and overall demeanor have deteriorated noticeably. Several times I've been asked if I want to go to the doctor and I let them know in no uncertain terms across the language divide that I do NOT want to go to the doctor.
Anyway, after I got home this afternoon (Wed. 10/6) I pantomimed to Walli that I was going to take a, "shower." As I mentioned in an earlier post, "shower" consists of pouring multiple pitchers of room temperature water over my head. It's a bit cold at first, but not a problem once you get started. But Walli protested. He pantomimed back at me that since I have a cold, taking a shower like that would not be good. He insisted (there's that word again) on heating up enough water to make the shower a much warmer affair.
I briefly thought about refusing his offer, but knowing that if I were back home I would like nothing better than to sink into a hot bath (even though I don't have one) and not wanting to disappoint my comrade (and cook), I said ok.
I've now just returned from that experience, and it was divine. Just what the doctor would have ordered had I gone to one.
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