Shereef’s Kiva Blog

The last couple of days have been interesting in a deeply personal way. You see, I can only explain them in terms of a thousand little electric shocks - some literal and some figurative.

Lets begin with the literal. In many parts of the world hot showers are the result of some jerry-rigged faucets and electric heating coils. Generally safe and reasonably priced, why would anyone have reason to fear what lurks behind those crimson-tiled walls? Just flip on the current and turn on the water.

I was starting to believe that I had scraped my elbow or knuckle without noticing. Sometimes when water would touch those parts of my skin I felt a sting. Then it dawned on me one day when I felt a zp in the middle of my forearm that was held above my head - the water closest to the shower head is slightly electrified, and slightly electrifying me on a daily basis. This might explain my healthier than normal skin and conditioner-commercial shiny hair.

On to the figurative. I woke up the other morning as a result of what I can only describe as a thousand little electric shocks spreading through my stomach lining. Now, issues surrounding regularity and digestion in general are to be expected when living, eating and drinking in South America. But clutching oneself in fetal position while being slightly blinded by the pain - that’s new to me.

My eat-once-a-day diet from the last week includes rice, acidophilus and the playfully named ‘diarex.’ I tried eating a piece of chicken today, god help us all.

The nice thing about having traveled and wrestled with both infrastructural inconveniences and disruptions in bodily function is that my current set of circumstances is more hilarious to me than anything. But unfortunately for those who irritate me, I am more prone to ’speak my mind’ at questionable volume when I am in a state of necessary starvation and partial electrocution.

And yes, keeping with the theme of this adventure most of my room is painted ‘Kiva green.’

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09.18.09 - a thousand little shocks

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