Tuesday, 10 July 2012

The Falafel Sandwich

The first Saturday after the end of the school year, Puanana had a call from a company she has contact with in Amman called SkyLark http://www.skylark-jo.com/ who were looking for a last minute Native English speaker to teach English on their summer programme for 4-6 year olds, as their teacher had just pulled out. I (Abi) spoke to the company director on the phone and went into Amman with Richard on Sunday to meet her, and then began the 2 hour English class on that Monday! It really was last minute. I took Richard with me as I wasn't used to travelling on my own and took advantage of my parents visiting for someone to take care of the children.

Half way through that busy first day we arrived back in Zarqa bus station and were due to go straight to the school to attend an end of the year staff debrief. We were very hungry and unsure if there would be anything to eat at the school, so we bought falafel sandwiches from one of the many street vendors there. We took our food to the school where Mum (Ann) was preparing some food, so we very kindly cut up or sandwiches so they could be shared with the rest of the food. I think that only four of us were unlucky enough to have some Falafal sandwich, because the week to follow was far more than we'd bargained for...

It hit me first early Tuesday morning, glued to the toilet seat, then in the evening came down with a fever. When you're feeling cold and shivering in 35 degree heat you definitely know that something's wrong. The next morning, with a bout of vomiting thrown in the mix, Richard ventured into Amman to take my English class. But then he also began to get the rumblings, along with Mum and Dad (Ann and Tim). Then the penny dropped, as we took turns racing back and fore the bathroom - The Falafel Sandwich!

Mum and Dad began they're journey home to Wales Thursday evening, still with gripes in their bowels, reminding them to never be too far from a toilet. And for us, despite being I'll, life goes on! Saturday morning I was anxiously going back into Amman to teach another English class. Back and fore the bathroom 4-5 times before I left, I feared I wouldn't last the journey. But I survived as I discovered I could hold it in. Woohoo!! What a revelation! I just felt physically very weak and still needed a bathroom whenever I could find one.

So on Monday, seven days after the first of my dreaded symptoms, after losing 10lb in weight, both Richard and I feeling at all time lows, I went to a pharmacy and bought an antibiotic a good Doctor friend (you know who you are) recommended.  Within a day we finally felt hungry again, began to see reason, and stopped being quite so cranky with each other and the children.  Richard went from one day being filled with self pity and home-sickness to the next day devising plans and visions for the future.  So now we know what to avoid, we hope to stay away from this kind of trauma and anguish in the future!

Author: A.E.

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