I've come to accept that when we move to a new country unusual illnesses will strike whilst my body is being introduced to all the local bugs.
In Saudi I don't get the familiar Western-style colds or flu, instead I get savaged by Arabic superbugs that take a perverse delight in attacking my ill-prepared European body. When they strike I'm either bed-ridden or toilet-ridden and in classic male style I end up feeling very sorry for myself.
On one occasion when I felt really ill the impact of my wife not being able to drive suddenly hit home. "My God, I'll have to drive myself to the hospital! Can I drive whilst sitting on a potty?! Is this why the driving here is so crazy? Because lots of men with diarrhoea are rushing to their doctors?!"
It's another consideration when pondering a move to Saudi, especially if you’re Western as the shock of the climate often makes new arrivals ill. Don't be surprised if your kids struggle for a while.
We do have 24 hour pharmacies here, but for me drugs are no substitute for having a medicinal whisky...
Being a "ninja" has its advantages. I had to go out last weekend flushed, feverish, and filmy with Kleenex stuffed up my nose and no one was the wiser.
ReplyDeleteAn additional warning about those Arabic super-bugs...not only do they strike hard, they strike often. Kind of like joining a "virus of the month club".
Europeans, with their condensed cities, are the nastiest people. In fact, thanks in big part to their nastiness and germs, they were able to infect people around the world and conquer their lands.
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