Spring camp and chicken pox

Sumava, a must-visit place in the Czech Republic according to Lonely Planet, for its "large and tranquil forests undamaged by acid rain." It's where I was for four days, the longest four days of my life. Read on.....

I’m down with chicken pox right now. I didn’t survive the week in the countryside with the kids. The camp experience was a total nightmare for me—--the food, all that drama between the kids, being up on your toes all the time,the works. The food served to us was disgusting. I really didn’t mind working so much because it was somehow expected, being with the kids 24-hours a day. The food was totally a different story. Ketchup as spaghetti sauce? Oil on mashed potatoes instead of butter? Rizoto that tasted like nth class rice? What on earth....? I was never grossed out with Czech food in general before but those four days in Sumava certainly drew the line. Or maybe I am just too negative right now because I have a burning temperature as I write this.

Yesterday morning at the camp I woke up shivering and my face burning. I thought I was just really tired and I must have been sunburned because it was extremely hot the previous day. Then at breakfast we noticed that this lovely kid sharing the room with me had red spots all over her face and neck. We knew immediately it was chicken pox. A few minutes later, we found the same spots on another kid. We had an outbreak.

The view of the countryside from the window of my room.

I knew I never had it before. I also knew I wasn’t vaccinated against the virus. Up until yesterday I completely forgot I could have it anytime. Still it took another couple of hours before it hit me that I was shivering and my face was burning because I was already having a fever. I immediately went upstairs to check my body and sure enough, there they were, three red spots on my face and several more on my back and stomach. I was turning into a cheetah right before my eyes.

"I saw a boy cow with horns!," exclaimed Katka after cycling to another village past several bulls grazing on the fields. Above pic: My co-teachers and the kids looking at the cows.

The camp was 150 kms. from Prague. A couldn’t fetch me right away for some reason. Good thing the father of one kid who has the virus arrived almost immediately after being notified. He was very kind to offer me the ride back to the city. During the two-hour ride I learned that the Philippines is the only country he hasn’t been to in Asia, that he loves everything in Asia—--the people, the weather, the culture, everything. What’s so funny is that he said it must be difficult for me to adjust here, the people being not so warm in general like us Asians. So true but then again, that’s culture for you.

So I’m back home now trying to get as much rest as I can. I’m also trying so hard to ignore the mirror or else I will freak out at the sight of myself. Does anybody know of an ointment or a cream to later leave me spotless?

PS: I just learned that another kid got struck with the virus. The mother is on her way to fetch him at the camp. One downside of this job is you are so vulnerable to all the illnesses the kids can pass on you. Sometimes it only takes one sneeze to get you down.