the Plastic

I've got my own Corporate American Express card.  Plastic green. One step further to having my identity taken over completely by the "man".  Wow, is it nice to know that I can just swipe this sucker and someone else is going to pick up the bill, though...This week I have really been forking it out. Over $1000 spent on a professional wardrobe, shoes, luggage, vitamins and toiletries for the trip.  Then, I get the great news at my oil change appointment that my tires are bald.  $850 later.  Poof went my sign-on bonus!

Today my body was at work but my mind wasn't.  Every mouse click was zombie-like...I'm wondering/hoping the fatigue is a result of the three vaccinations I had like bing, bang, boom yesterday.  H1N1, Seasonal flu, and Polio all in the left bicep.  I had my travel consultation at the Cleveland Clinic - wow, is that place incredible.

The Cleveland Clinic deserves its own special paragraph.  What a beautiful, deep and moving place that is.  It is all white with clean lines and smooth surfaces, architecturally designed into what appears to be an art museum more than a hospital.  To make it even more like an art museum, there were statues and amazing artwork throughout the entire building.  I think a lot of famous hands touched that place.  It is truly remarkable to walk through the tunnel leading to the main entrance, with all of the colored lights delicately changing from one calming tone to another, while sensitive music notes permeate the hallway.  It really makes you reflect on your situation, thoughts and feelings, and also makes you curious about those around you.  I found myself wondering what everyone's purpose for being in that building was.  Most people were fully clothed with their thoughts not on their pace or direction, but somewhere else - about what was happening behind those doors in the hospital to their loved ones.  I thought that this place has to be one of the most emotion-filled places on earth and also one of the most beautiful places I have been.  Each person in this building was a true work of art, with a complex composition of emotional layers.

I felt ashamed that I had to consciously restrain myself from rudely passing a woman that was moving a little bit slower, as she was taking a break from her bed-- pushing forward step-by-step in her hospital gown with knotted hair in the back, pushing her IV cart which had about four other liquids feeding into her veins.  I hope spending so much time behind a computer is not turning me into one - uncaring and unemotional.

The rest of the story about the Cleveland Clinic is boring - I got enough malaria pills for 6 months stay...I have to take one a day.  I also got plenty of anti-diarrheal and sleep medicine for about 40 trips to India.  I should be set.  I was also informed to not have sex, wear bug spray every day (with DEET), to not let monkeys sit on my shoulder, not to feed dogs, not to drink the tap water, not to eat vegetables (or anything for that matter that is not either steaming hot or straight out of a package that I open from a reputable source, like Coca-Cola).  I am going to take it one step further and not even drink the tap water if it is boiled and not drink Coca-Cola.  The water probably has heavy metals and the Coke, fermaldehyde.  I think I will just try to buy a ton of Chia seeds and survive on them while I am there.