my archenemy

Thanks for all the nice comments about my recent change in haircolor. It's lightened a little, and I'm no longer jumping out of surprise every time I look in the mirror.

My archenemy, who showed his ugly face this past spring in Austin, has done so again, only here in Windhoek. I thought I could out run him, well, at least outsmart him changing hemispheres and all, but he found me nonetheless. Cedars, blooming bushes, trees I never knew existed while growing up in dusty West Texas, all have joined forces to keep me down for a week. Allergies. What a puny sounding word to describe something so miserable. I used to (have prayed for forgiveness for this), roll my eyes at people when they said, "I'm sick with allergies". Boo hoo I thought. No big deal. I now have great empathy for them.

I feel like I've been run over by a steam roller. I'm sneezing, runny nose, stuffy head, sinus headache, itchy, sore eyes.... the list goes on. For one week my archenemy, the allergen, has been beating down my door. Allegra has made a small, temporary dent in my symptoms, but no lasting relief. I need something more powerful! Like all the bushes and trees removed from Windhoek!! Too extreme?

My years growing up in West Texas, where nothing grows on its own, did not prepare me for life among the flora and fauna. I lived in a bubble, blissfully sneeze and itching-free. Alas, I shall pay for those years of innocence... or at least buy a life-time prescription to claritin and flonase...

In other news, I was informed that the female missionaries who come to Windhoek are warned that they should carry a condom in their wallet.... WHAT?!? Yes, you read that right. Here's the idea. You can survive a rape, but you can't survive HIV. Sounds harsh, but its a reality. And while it may seem silly to think about shoving a condom in the face of a rapist, its worth asking. A recent study published by the government-funded Medical Research Council of South Africa, found that 1 in 4 South African men admit to committing an act of rape. And with over 15% of Namibia's population infected with HIV, it may not hurt to wave a condom in front of his face....