Who ARE you?

Hello,

I have 30 minutes, and I will finish this super quick Ghana-update-blog if it kills me!

First: My health. For the past 10 days or so, I have been getting nauseous EVERY time I eat. It does not matter what I eat, how much I eat, where I eat, who makes the food. Every time, I get nauseous. I have not once vomited from said nausea. However, I have lost at least 8 pounds in these past 10 days, which, being a girl who has been wanting to shed an extra 10-15 pounds for some time now, is something I am a little conflicted about. For one, I am a little scared about the speed with which the weight has fallen from my body. Also, none of my clothes fit correctly now. All my pants are too big, and all the things I have had made for me here are literally falling off. (Especially in the boobs. I have lost about half my breasts. In 10 days!)

I went to the doctor, who listened to me talk for about 90 seconds, before telling me (condescendingly) that it is really hot here, (believe me, I know!) and then giving me a blood test for both malaria and typhoid fever. I have neither. Which, according to a second doctor, means I am perfectly healthy. I tried to stress the rapid-weight-loss-situation, wherein he prescribed me medication for malaria. Sigh. Currently I am forcing myself to eat at least 2 times a day, and am hoping it will go away on its own.

Also, I am getting the scary potentially-cancerous mole checked tomorrow when the dermatologist comes in to the hospital (on his once-weekly visit) if I don't get in to see him I might kill someone. Namely one of my current physicians.

Second: Dating. So about 2 weeks ago, I met a Ghanaian guy at a "party" I went to for Elena's swim team. Elias, as is his name, seemed to have a lot of potential. He is TALL. Like 6'3'', which is my preferred height in a male, 22 years old, NOT a scary Christian, as so many guys on campus tend to be, and friends with Elena and our friend Tristan.

We go on a "date". It was nice, he was nice, if not kind of intense ("I want to be in a relationship with you") but I liked him, really. The following week (our date was on a Sunday) I talked to him only a little, as classes had just started and he was a participant on both the swim team, who practiced twice a day, and the first University of Ghana baseball team. (It is truly hilarious.) So, on Friday, I was excited that we were to have our second "date."

He came to my room and we sat around and just talked about our week, and somewhere in there, he kissed me. It was terrible. Really awful. Like a kiss in junior high. (I assume...my first kiss was in 9th grade, and it was better than this one.) I had no choice but to pretend I was really shy about this all of a sudden because it was THAT BAD. So this had kind of diffused a little and then out of nowhere, he says: "Do you know Karen?" Karen is a girl from the States somewhere, who is a mutual friend of some of the swim team people and who I had heard liked Elias. Also.

Me: "I know who she is."
Him: "She is my friend."
pause.
Me: "Is she your friend the way I am your friend?"
Him: "Yes."
Me: "Do you kiss Karen?"
no answer.
Me: "So you do."
embarrassed nod.
Him: "Is that bad?"
Me: "It is for me."

Anyway, so this turns into this completely ridiculous next full week of my life. Basically, I told him that I could not, would not, continue to date him if he was dating other girls. He took this as a "choose her or me situation" and so continued to call me and tell me he missed me and to also try and come over to my room to convince me that this all wasn't his fault, and I just didn't understand. My favorite part of these conversations was when he told me that he knew me (10 days does not "knowing me" make) and he liked me, but he didn't know Karen very well. My rebuttal of: "so you want me to wait around for you to get to know Karen and decide if you like her more than me?" was met with some frustration. Damn my female logic.

Needless to say, we are no longer dating. I assume he and Karen are very happy, and I have decided to remain dateless for the rest of my 3.5 months in Ghana.

Okay, the end, for now.

I love you.