No comment

This intersection really exists.
I want to say only in New Jersey.

But I suspect that there are intersections like this all over.

When I took this photo several months ago, I decided that I would save it for a day when I had nothing else to say.

That day has arrived.

Malaria pills

My other exciting adventure today was filling the prescription for Malaria pills. The pills that will hopefully, keep me from coming down with Malaria. Mind you, even with the pills, there is still a chance that I could get Malaria, so I will be carrying my DEET and some spray for the room (just in case). And every place we stay will either have good screens in the windows or bed netting. I'll take a picture of a bed with netting when I get to Africa and post it here so you will be able to see what I am talking about.

The organism (a protozoa) that cause Malaria are resistant to the old standard Malaria medications, so I am left with fewer alternatives. The inexpensive one, mefloquine (Lariam), is taken weekly but has a host of very scary side effects including neurological and psychotic effects. I decided that there was no way I would take Lariam.

Fortunately, there is an alternative, a newer drug called Malarone. The problem is that Malarine is taken daily, so it is more expensive. Many health plans do not cover it. I decided that it was a no brainer, it is worth the extra money ($200 or $300).

So, I go the pharmacy this afternoon to pick up the drug figuring on having to charge it because I did not have that much cash on me. I was pleasantly surprised when my pharmacist told me that he had a conversation with my provider and was able to get them to cover it. So, I got it for $10.00.

So, I have my Malaria pills and the antibiotics (Cipro) in case a get a bad case of the runs. And I will need to get Imodium AD to counter the side effect of the Cipro cause Cipro kills all the good bacteria and gives me the runs. I am hoping that I won't need the Cipro, but I have it.

And I have two prescription bottles with two labels for the two bottles of thyroid pills that I am taking with me. I don't have a thyroid, so I need these pills. Two bottles, one to carry in my pocket and the other in my carry-on. In other words, a spare bottle in case I lose one.

Yeah, not exciting. But that is what my life has been like recently. Taking care of all kinds of details.

Stay tuned.

13 pounds

While not exactly a frequent flier, I have flown a few times domestically over the last few years. So, I am somewhat familar with the carry-on baggage allowance for domestic flights.

I have this small knapsack that is designed for laptops with extra padding. I can put in my laptop and some other personal items, and it will fit under the seat of all but the smallest airplanes. And then I can have one other piece of luggage. I have a small suitcase on wheels or a small canvas duffle bag that just fits the dimensions for carry ons for most domestic air flights, Continental allows a total of 51 linear inches (length + height + depth). So, I can carry my laptop and a small suitcase. This is usually enough for most of the two or three days trips that I have been on. And I have never had to worry about weight. The 40 pound weight requirement for carry-on baggage has never been an issue.

I started out assuming, silly me, that it would be the same for my international flights. That I would be able to take my laptop and other electronic gear in my knapsack plus a small suiticase on the airplane in addition to my checked baggage. I would have enough clothes to last in case my checked baggage was detoured.

Not so, I start out on Virgin Atlantic. I am allowed one carry-on, 22" L x 14" W x 9"D that weighs 13.22 pounds (6 kilos). And it is weighed. When you consider that I am traveling with a laptop, that fortunately is very light weight for a laptop at around 5 pounds, that does not leave a lot of extra room for additional items. I figured out that I can carry my laptop and charger, the adaptor from Apple for the UK style plugs (that also work in Malawi), my digital camera, a small amount of extra (light weight and easy to dry) clothing, a book, and some personal effects. I can carry one electronic item on my person, and that will be my i-pod and my earphones. Although, I am going to play it safe and be sure that I can put the i-pod in the knapsack and be within the weight restrictions.

I know, I know, this is not very exciting. But that is the way my life has been the last few days as I get ready for my trip to Africa. I am so glad that I know about the weight restriction because otherwise I would have shown up at the airport with an over weight carry-on knapsack and I would have had to lighten the load. That would have been a pain, and I probably would lose my place in line to boot.

The last three weeks

The last three weeks or so since I last posted here have been taken up with taking care of various details relating to my trip. None of which are especially earth shattering and not necessarily worth writing about.

I have also spent a lot of time in my garden, taking care of spring planting and clean-up.

My time here is short today. I do want to say that as the time draws closer to my June 10 departure, that I will begin writing more about my reflections about the trip itself or about my preparations. Or perhaps about something that has nothing to do with Malawi.

More influences regarding my work in Malawi

I have already written about how my Dad's work has served to inspire me to travel to Malawi. I have also written that my upcoming trip is a natural outgrowth of my writing about Malawi. I have not written about other influences.

I wrote a few weeks ago about my work on the Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice Concerns for the Episcopal Church where I started to think about the very broad issue of our global water supply and an increasing awareness of global poverty.

In my graduate work, I did some, put not a lot, of work on international planning and development. But, I had no formal course in international planning and development. Most of my research and experience focused on domestic issues. As a result, I stuck to what I knew in my writing and research. My service on the Commission, coming at a transitional point in my life, gave me the courage to start to think about taking some risks with my writing. When I saw a call for articles in Progressive Planning for a thematic issue on the politics of water, I knew that I would be able to find something to write about. It took a couple of weeks of making various contacts through the Episcopal church, but eventually I was connected to Dr. Thomas Gebhard and the work that his parish was doing in Mindandti, a small village in a remote corner of southern Malawi. And the rest, shall we say, is history.

So, in some sense, I owe all those that I serve with on the Commission for giving me the courage to step outside of the safety and sanctuary of what was known and familiar, and to step into that which was, at least partially, unknown to me. As I began to research my article, I found out that I was not hampered by knowing very little "international development theory", that I have other things that I brought to my research and writing on Malawi.

I do not think that I would have answered the call for articles if I was not serving on the Commission. And without the article, I never would have made the contacts that eventually lead to my upcoming trip to Malawi. So, to all those that I have served with on the Commission, thank-you.