Best diet ever?

Indonesia, and Southeast Asia in general really, ought to market itself as a diet-friendly place. Granted, the kind of diet I'm thinking of isn't really very pleasant, but most diets aren't. This kind of diet is very exciting-the intestinal parasite diet! Whoo-hoo!

Last Wednesday I came down with what I assumed was a case of the flu. I spent four days sleeping and feeling generally icky at home (we had staff workshops Thursday and no school Friday-Ascension of Mohammed or something) and missed out on a long weekend at a beachside resort with everyone else. I went to school on Monday, but quickly realized half a day was going to be all I could handle. By Wednesday afternoon, after a week of eating nothing more than two pieces of toast or so per day, I thought I'd better go to the doctor.

Wednesday evening we drove into Jakarta to the International Clinic. A few rather un-fun tests and some waiting around later, I was told I had bacterial enteritis. It's nothing serious-much less so than the typhoid, dengue fever or malaria they also checked for. It's basically a nasty intestinal and stomach parasite those who live here are just apt to get occasionally. I was given a series of antibiotics, told to stay home until Monday, and sent on my way.

I'm still sleeping about 18 hours a day, eating a few slices of toast and maybe some Jell-o per day and feeling generally blah, but I'm getting better. I'm also feeling considerably skinnier, so it's kind of a bummer I didn't get to go to the beach last weekend! I really should be a poster child or something. "Guaranteed to drop one dress size a week! It's the Indonesian intestinal parasite diet! Perfect for those who like toast!"