Funny story....I was without power the evening that my friend was to arrive so I couldn't check my email to verify her arrival info or flight info. I guessed and went to the airport. When I arrived I had thought her had been delayed about 3 hours. I waited...and waited...and waited. The flight I thought she was on came and went. I got worried. I called my friend in the States (it was 4am my time) to check my email and get the correct info. That's when I found out I switched the times. I had reversed her arrival and departure times. I spent the night waiting in the airport for her to arrive at 8:30am. All I could do was laugh.
Anyways, we were both exhausted. When we got to the house I made some chocolate chip pancakes and we devoured them. Then we promptly went to bed. Her first day here was spent lounging at my place.
I really can't remember exactly what we did the next few days...some shopping I know for sure. We had to get her clothes and we both needed saris for the wedding. I took her into the office to meet my co-workers and have lunch with them. We spent one night out at my boss and his wife's house. Then the unexpected happened.
I had been experiencing some stomach pains the past few weeks. I thought it was related to my IBS. I was starting to notice a distinct difference in the pain and the location of the pain compared to the pain I experience with my IBS. I talked to my boss's wife who also has IBS and she thought what I was describing sounded like ulcers and urged me to go to the doctor before we left for the wedding.
The next day we ditched our plans and went to the doctor. Low and behold he thought the same. He wanted to do an endoscopy that day before I left for the wedding. He assured me that I would be fine and the sedation would only last about 30 minutes. I knew better. I knew that it would take a good day for it to wear off and that I would be either a very happy drunk/stoned person or a very mean one. Luckily, I was a funny drunk who didn't do anything really inappropriate. I was so embarrassed for my friend and my boss who graciously came and gave us a ride home. Glad I still have a job=)
Some of you know that I hate hospitals. It is linked to childhood experiences. It was very nerve wracking for me. To take some of the edge off before the procedure we went to the mall. There is a place there very similar to "Practically Picasso" where you can paint a piece of pottery and then they glaze and fire it. It was very therapeutic. Now we both have lovely salad bowls.
The sedation didn't take full effect until after the procedure. I felt everything and was awake. As predicted, I threw up after the procedure and then past out for several hours. When I woke up it took about an hour before I could even sit up. It's just not what you want to happen ever but especially when hosting someone. In the end I did have ulcers...two of them and a hiatal hernia. I can't eat anything spicy, oily, fatty, acidic, or drink anything carbonated. Not what you want to hear before going to a wedding here. If you know the food here, then you know it rules everything out but the bread and rice.
The next morning we were on the plane as planned. The wedding was great. I will post more about the details in another entry.
We returned home and I had to go back to work. My friend got to see the ABC book as we did some editing of rough copy they printed while I was at the wedding. She also attended my English classes at the Japanese School. I took her to the busti to visit my language helper. We did some sight-seeing and more shopping. Before we knew it she was in a taxi heading to the airport. It went so quickly.
It was great to catch up with her and how life is for her.It was nice to be with someone I know and who knows me. Hosting someone in another country is a new experience. It exposes how much I have learned and take for granted as common knowledge, but also how much more I still need to know and my blind spots to the culture.
I already miss my friend. Her absence is more real now than it was before she came.
