Rabies
So we've had a bit of a scare and a wake up call about living in a tropical country.
This was in the beginning of November. On November 9th, Milo went to play with the puppy and all was well.
The following Monday, both Max and Milo came down with a flu bug and were off school all week so they didn't have contact with the pup, bless them they were really unwell and even stayed in bed.
Then, on Saturday 16th, we had invited a few people over for pizza and our friends brought the puppy. So everyone touched the pup apart from Andrew and I because we were cooking.
On Monday 18th November the pup started to go off its food and on the Tuesday it was showing signs of aggression so our friends took it to the vets.
The vet thought it was rabies.
He recommended that everyone who had come into contact with the dog needed to be vaccinated.
At this point, I was quite calm as I thought that you had to be bitten to get rabies. Of course, I 'Googled' :-
I was no longer calm as the virus can live in saliva and live for 2 hours on a dog's coat. If you then rub your eyes, the virus has a way in. If the dog licks you, the virus has a way in. There is no cure for rabies and, basically, you die a painful death quite quickly.
On the Wednesday morning, I made appointments for the boys to be vaccinated. Milo was convinced he was dying that morning from having his heavy cold and then I had to tell him that he needed an injection ( or 5 !) I had been telling him that you don't need injections for a cold/flu only for this to happen. He was so upset that he thought he was then dying from rabies.
We waited for Max to come home from school and set off for the hospital. I got Andrew to come with us in case we had to pin Milo down.... Our friends turned up at the same time to be vaccinated too. It meant that Milo didn't scream quite as loudly as they injected him in his leg.
Weigh in time prior to the vaccinations!
For the rabies vaccination you have to have 5 injections post exposure on set days. ( 0,3,7,14,28)
On the Thursday, the dog died and the vet did a post mortem.
The dog definitely had rabies.
Meanwhile, everyone who had been to our house was trooping to the hospital. The doctor stopped asking what had happened and just prescribed the vaccine as soon as they said we touched a dog ....
I am not vaccinated but thought I may as well get the 3 jabs for rabies ( preventative) so I went to the hospital too, on a day that the boys weren't being vaccinated.
I saw an immunologist who absolutely frightened me to death. They don't know enough about rabies to even guarantee that the vaccine is 100% proof! They are not 100 % sure exactly how it is spread.
I told him that I hadn't touched the dog but he didn't care, I was prescribed the 5 doses too and I had to have tetanus and he told me all about that terrible disease too! So double whammy!
We are nearly finished with the course of jabs but it was a bad move getting them on different days as it has meant numerous trips to the hospital when we could have all gone together .
Never mind, at least we've made friends with some very kind nurses and Milo has realised that he is not dying ( although he's still not in top shape )
Thanksgiving
We have some very kind American friends and they invited a few people over to celebrate Thanksgiving with them at their home. They had managed to find a supplier for two fresh turkeys and caterers to make other important elements of their famous dinner. It was a very entertaining evening. We were very proud when both go our boys stood to stay why they were thankful to the roomful of people. They both spoke confidently and clearly to their audience.
Weather
It's been very cloudy for about 2 weeks now and we've actually been forced to put on jumpers at times. The locals are very concerned as usually once Diwali is finished, the sun comes out and everything is good with the weather ( just cooler nights) But the clouds have stayed as the second monsoon, that comes from the East, has lasted for longer. The temperature is about 23 degrees in the day and drops to 18 at night. If the sun does come out for a brief moment the heat is overwhelming. We've got swimming pool and sunbathing withdrawal symptoms.
The sun should be out again soon.
Factory
Mala
Mala is on a roll at the moment. I don't think she's getting married but her mind is not on the job. She's very absent minded. Everyday she asks what food we want for the evening or during the day. She always makes bread and things like coleslaw and whatever we fancy for our evening meal. If I try to do something, she eases me out of the kitchen with cries of "you'll be tired , Ma'am''
I keep explaining that I am able to make a meal without getting exhausted but it's just met with a sigh ( because Mala sees it as her job and not mine)
The other day she was making coleslaw and said she'd put it in a bowl in the fridge. I went to get some and there was just some shredded cabbage in mayonnaise. As I was thinking carefully how I how I could approach this matter without upsetting her, she noticed her mistake. Lots of arm wailing ensued, much pacing up and down the kitchen and then she began opening and shutting cupboards, obviously looking for something. Apparently she had cut up the carrots and the onions but couldn't remember what she'd done with them.
"I'm thinking, thinking ...it's terrible " she kept repeating.
The searching went on for some time and nothing was found ( I think in her constant clearing away she may have thrown them away by mistake )
I tried telling her that the fact that 2 carrots and an onion were missing was not that bad in the grand scheme of things and to just do some more and not to worry.
That set her off on her no wasting campaign speech and about the poor people outside the gate.
There was no way out of this one, Mala kept saying she was sorry and how awful it was.
When she had calmed down, I went over the fact that everyone makes mistakes and for her not to worry so much ( and to me it was not a worry)
She carried on with her other duties, still tutting and muttering under her breath.
Later, when I tried to have some coleslaw again, the cabbage in mayonnaise was still there all by itself. It actually doesn't taste that bad.
I'm hoping that whatever is bothering her eases or I'll have to start making things in secret when she's not looking.
