I was postponed, so you get a blog!!

So, I wasn't expecting to be able to write to you here today, BUT here I am. Three kids in our group got food poisoning and our professor postponed our excursion ANOTHER day. Nobody told me so I got up and got ready at 5AM and luckily someone was in the hall reading to tell me that NOPE not going anywhere. Oh well.

So let me tell you about my day.

Today I was up at 5, and up til about 9 or 10 last night. I didn't eat dinner last night cause the room service man never came. I didn't feel like going downstairs cause I had to figure out how to make 7 days worth of clothes fit into my backpack. I'm used to only shoving 3 days plus accessories/makeup/etc. So finagling 7 days plus all of that other crap and school books and an extra roll of TP and and whatnot wasn't exactly easy. But I did it. BOO YA. I still retain my title as an expert packrat. So after I was done stuffing I went to bed. I woke up many times during the night which was incredibly annoying. I still haven't succumb to taking my Ambien, but at this point if I don't get a decent night sleep I'm taking the pharmaceutical way out. I'm totally over my stupid bed too. It sags super bad in the middle so I'm sleeping like a crescent moon which is actually quite uncomfortable if you're not in a hammock. Which would be totally awesome to have out here...

After I was told that I wasn't able to do anything I just chatted with some of the other people in my group who were also uninformed and we just decided to not go back to bed. So we all hung out talking and eventually went down to breakfast. Another plate of lukewarm eggs, wheat grains, funny yellow ingera with jam, coffee with weird floaty things in it (couldn't finish it as my gag reflex jumped in hardcore) and pretend french toast sticks. They'd be good if I had some maple syrup, but I dare not ask for such an extravagance. So I grabbed a second cup of orange juice mixed with some other tropical juice instead. I love juice, and I am grateful that at least one part of my morning routine wasn't interrupted.

After breakfast I stopped by the front desk and scheduled a massage. At 150 birr I was ALL OVER THAT. I scheduled it for noon and I ended up playing cards all morning with some of the other students. We played BS, Egyptian Rat Screw, Slap Jack, Poker, Speed, and Spoons, and Crazy Eights. I had an awesome time doing that and I even won a fairly good amount of times! So noon rolls around and I kick everybody out of my room and go down to meet my wonderful ethiopian massage woman.

These people are NOT modest at all. She just told me to undress and didn't step out of the room at all like they do in America. She just stood there and waited on me so I just stripped down and hopped up on the table. It was awkward for me, but as an MT I'm sure shes had her fair share of naked people on her table. Luckily there was a fresh sheet and towel for me covered with flowers and smelling good. The actual massage felt rushed but boy howdy I desperately needed it. She might as well have been a giant woman named Helga because she dug in hard and deep on me. I was a ragdoll in her tiny hands. I should have told her to come to the USA because I would let that woman live with me and feed her and take care of her if she massaged me every day. I want one!  But afterwards I was in my relaxed massage stupor and paid her for the massage and tipped her. So in total it was 200 birr and it was totally worth it. I will definitely schedule one on my last full day here. Not a chance I'm only going to get one.

Afterwards I grabbed some lunch down in the hotel lobby which is where everybody was attributing all the food poisoning from. I live a life of very little fear when it comes to food. I'll try most everything once. But I've been sticking to the hot soups so that all the amoebas die before my bowl gets to me. The hungarian goulash soup is my new staple. I have tried many native dishes they just don't have that super appeal like I want. Today our group got into a huge conversation about all the crappy american food we all missed. Like Whataburger. Or Steaks. I want steaks more than I want a fast food burger. Feed me Seymore. I'm wasting away!

The cleaning lady swung by while I was in my massage and she caught me in the hallway and keeps begging to do my laundry so I told her it was good to do tomorrow. It will be nice to come back to fresh clean folded clothes from my excursion. Just another expense I suppose but its way cheap here and I guess I'm just supporting their economy.

So thats all I've really done today. And read more Game of Thrones. Holy cow that book is amazing. Its crazy LONG though. Worth every minute. Even if I have already watched season 1. I'm totally gonna get a kindle or ipad though. Being able to read books on an electronic tablet will actually increase my pleasure reading exponentially. There are a few books that I still need to finish out of necessity though. I neglected to bring that one with me though.

I don't have much else to say but now I'm gonna scoot as I think the illness might be upon me as well now. I guess I spoke too soon yesterday when I said I wasn't sick YET. Hah. I cursed myself. I brought my own Cipro so I'm totally set as far as that goes. WOOOO I love being prepared for anything and everything. Just goes to show how awesome I really am at traveling. I am also the only person here who got shots. But the one I neglected to get, was probably the only one I NEEDED to get. Yellow Fever. I won't be catching it wihle I'm here but I also might get questioned while abroad. We will see... I might end up getting a shot in the airport when I arrive in Chicago. I am SO looking forward to being back there for another big fat juicy Chicago dog. Mmmmm. Thats the way to go. Chicago style.

Click the link I embedded! Its a great song greatly covered! So glad my buddy sent it to me :) Thanks JP!

Fabulous link that a friend sent me.