Still sick.

I'm doing a lot better than yesterday but still nowhere near 100%. But today wasn't without its positive moments. A group of students came to check on me twice today. I had told my students that I would hold office hours (a pretty foreign concept here) this week, in case they needed extra help for upcoming exams. I arranged to be in the office at 9am, but since I was sick yesterday, I set my alarm for 7am this morning to see how I was feeling. Still shitty, it turned out. I thus called my boss to ask her to let my students know I would re-schedule. I didn't even know if anyone would show up since it was my first morning of self-arranged "office hours". For some reason, though, my students who did show up didn't get the message that needed to reschedule. They did find out, though, through the grapevine, that I was sick, and thus came banging on my door around 9:30 to make sure I was ok. I was slow to get up and answer the door as I was sleeping, and when I answered the door, I found three students who looks like they'd just seen ghosts. When I hadn't answered the door at first they assumed I had collapsed in my room. I assured them it wasn't that serious, thanked them for visiting, and they sent me back to bed with their own gambit of medical advice.

Their knocking on my door, though, lead me to find that Katherine had brought me from the market two of my favorite things: vegetarian soup from xoi bap (corn sticky rice) woman, who sells this delicious soup only on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month; and vegetarian noodles and tofu from "vegetarian lady" who's only at the market on those two lunar events, as well. I took my charcoal pills and ate what I could of the soup for brunch, and it totally hit the spot. The noodles were good for dinner, as well, and I nibbled on some bread in between.... I'm trying to eat even though I dont have an appetite, because last time this happened I didn't really eat for a few days and I think that made everything worse. Today, then, I owe my entire nurtrional intake to Katherine, who brought me such tasty food without my even asking! I dont know what I'd do without her.

Lien also stopped by and kept me company for a while. I was supposed to go to lunch with her and her boyfriend yesterday, but obviously those plans were canceled.

Around six pm I found four more students at my door, including two--Carrot and Mia, from my class of first year students--who had also come this morning. Between her two visits Carrot had texted me saying that she'd heard that yesterday I had continued teaching even though I was "seriously ill". Again, I'm really not as bad off as the rumor mill would have it. She had brought back two more of her classmates, Rachel and John (these are the English names they chose). These kids are really outstanding students in the classroom, and, as it turns out, outside of the classroom as well! They stayed with me for a couple of hours, chatting, telling stories, looking at pictures of my friends and family. It was nice to have some company! After they left, Rachel (whose real name is Chau) emailed me, wishing me well and suggesting that I go to the doctor/hospital tomorrow.

It seems that some students already think I'm already there, as I student friend of ours asked Katherine today about how I was doing in the hospital. Everyone must think I'm worse off than I am!

And, best of all, I unexpectedly got to talk to my mom and my sister tonight! Mom called my mobile and we talked for quite a while. I haven't talked to her in weeks. Then I caught my sister on gchat, and I haven't talked to her really in so long...I miss her so, so much. In the past couple of years she's gone from just my "kid sister" to a dear friend, and I'm increasingly sad that I'm missing her first, and maybe her second, year of high school. And I feel almost a parental connection to her, given our family's past. We dont' get to talk much these days but I'm finding myself thinking about her all the time.

I'm a bit sad about missing Thanksgiving with my family--my mom, my sister this year (sometimes she's at her dad's house), my grandfather and his wife, usually Sam--at my grandfather's home in Ohio. It's one of my favorite events of the year, to be surrounded by some of my favorite people in the world. And I always see my lovely cousin Molly on the day after Thanksgiving--we go to this shopping area in Columbus called Easton, walk around for hours, catch up, and inevitably leave without buying a single damn thing. Being away for the holidays is a bit harder than I thought it would be. I think it would be even harder if the seasons here corresponded to what I associate with "holiday season" at home...

But, if I wake up feeling ok tomorrow, we're going to do our best to recreate thanksgiving here in Vietnam: caramelized tofu, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, bread, pumpkin soup, salad. If I wake up with even the slightest bit of pain, I'm going to the doctor. Here's hoping to the former!!