Lucid Hallucinations

It has begun. . .My trial prescription of mefloquine, more commonly known as Lariam. Lariam is used as a defense against protozoan parasites which invade the red blood cells and cause a fever known throughout the world as "Malaria". Where I will be at in Bangalore is an area which is considered an at risk zone for this febrile illness. The keyword in the opening sentence is "trial", yes this is a two week trial run of this preventative measure. The reason for this pilot study stems from the fact that Lariam often has disadvantageous effects on the user, in this case. . .Me. Located on the pill bottle itself is an offering of advice: "Call your Doctor immediately if you experience mood changes, such as new or worsening feelings of Sadness, Depression, Or Fear". I ingested my first pill yesterday, awaiting the possible side affects to come, which according to the CDC can include: headache, nausea, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, vivid dreams, and visual disturbances. A difficult restless night awaited me as I woke numerous times after having nightmarish dreams. Deleterious experiences from my past coupled with fictitious situations of the present came alive within my encephalon. Today I have been experiencing a quasi-dream state, and a feeling in my chest which resembles the sense one gets after imbibing one to many cups of coffee. There are alternatives however, and after discovering that I am susceptible to the side affects which Lariam provides I am now looking towards the other possibilities. In the mean time however, I have a weeks worth of Lariam in my system and will now be able to experience lucid hallucinations for an unknown number of nights.

In an unrelated note, just for your information, anyone reading this post right now is able to leave a comment for me to read. All it takes is moving your mouse down to the text at the bottom of any post which says " x Comments". The "x" will vary depending on the amount of comments already left. Click on this and a window will pop up, leave your comment and your name and Voilà! You do not need to be a member of blogspot to leave a comment. I would enjoy hearing people's feedback and will most likely respond.

~KOV

An Evening Fit for a King...

Unlike some things in life that get easier over time, such as running long distances, or doing pushups, or even playing guitar, Leaving people you have grown to love, no matter how often you do it, never gets easier...

More Later,

It is late, and I need to get to bed...

Indiamike

So in getting ready to make a trip across seas, many questions have come to my mind. A lot of things that you take for granted here in the states suddenly become major issues that you have to think about. Clean water, electricity, malaria and other communicable diseases which aren't a threat in our sterile nation. Will I have to wear insect repellent all the time? Will I really have to drink bottled water the whole stay? (My uncle, who is from India, has told me me that over time I will be able to drink a little of the native water and build up an immunity, how cool is that!) Food, transport, money, clothing, all of these things which we have a system for obtaining which is burned into us since the day we were able to breathe outside of our mothers womb, suddenly become strange foreign practices which will have to be re-learned. My trip, it seems, has started even before I have left the continent. In my quest for knowledge about living in a country such as India, I have stumbled upon a highly valuable resource which goes by quite a unique monicker: Indiamike. This is a travel forum dedicated solely to exploration in India. Upon perusing through the thousands of topics which have been posted, I have stumbled across many threads which have proven to be quite useful in my search for answers to various queries of mine. One such thread however, has proven to rise above all the rest in relation to its entertainment value. This thread highlights some of the crazy photos which travelers have snapped of various translation errors and cultural oddities which prove to be quite humorous. One such example is posted above. I hope you enjoy browsing through the many laughable pictures. I shall warn you, there are a few which cross a line some may not be comfortable crossing, so do take caution in following the link. I hope this makes you smile!

I thank you all,

~KOV

Bangawha?

Well It's official i'm going to Bangalore, India for a year of study. This is exciting for many reasons as I am going to be completely submerged in India culture, both living it and learning it. But first, however, as I wrap up the school year here in Overland Park, Kansas, I'm going to be moving my earthly possessions to my parents house in Nebraska, heading to my cousin's wedding in omaha, and then my younger sister and I are off to give a summer of service for the Baha'i faith at Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, Maine. We will arrive on the 28th of may, and I will head out to India from Boston on August 14th. I will arrive, if on time, in Bangalore around midnight on the 16th of August. Oh how exciting it is indeed! I hope to update this periodically throughout the summer with happenings going on at Green Acre, and then fill it full of wonderful tidbits regarding my stay in India. Welcome all, to the adventures of KOV in India.

Just seeing what this is like!