Gem fights a scorpion in the African bush...

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Yesterday was an awesome day, it was really hot and sunny for a change. So Gem and I decided to go to the township's shopping mall to get some vegetables (which don't seem to figure on the menu here) and to have an early lunch at the local fast food place. Unortunately the meal was interrupted by some nutter who kept on trying to kiss Gem (I think he thought I was out of his league). He wouldn't go away even when Gem hit him, so I had to stand between them like a bodyguard, but secretly hoping that he would leave! Even when we hopped in a taxi to escape he leant in through the window and tried to get my drink.

The afternoon was spent lazing around playing Scrabble with Jess and reading the papers. I left the sports section with the review of the rugby out so the Aussie volunteers could read it too. In the evening there were some huge clouds that had lighting striking inside of them. It was really bizarre so we decided to go down the track outside our house to get a better view. As we were walking Gem suddenly stopped saying that something had bitten her and it was really painful. I had been bitten by an ant a few days ago and had received little sympathy so told her not to be wet. But apparently the bite was really burning so we stopped and I looked around to see if there was a big ant. In fact there was a huge scorpion squatting right in the middle of the track. Gem's first reaction (amongst a string of expletives that I'm not entirely sure I can spell) was 'Why didn't it sting you?!'

We called the college nurse to see if she could help but she only had antihistamines which Gem couldn't take because of our malaria tablets, so we went to the local hospital. The initial reaction of the woman who seemed to be in charge was 'I'll put you on a drip', followed by 'or maybe I'll just put ice on it'. I'm not sure where she went to train as a doctor. In the end we got a load of painkillers and stuff, but not before waiting for nearly two hours. Whilst we were waiting they dragged a bloodied body through the waiting room, a woman ran off presumably to give birth and two workers wandered through who looked like psych patients, with one finishing off his boiler suit outfit with a pair of ladies knickers hanging out of the top pocket!

Definitely an exciting weekend, and one that has given Gem a lot of kudos amongst the boys, one of whom took the scorpions body away to show his friends!

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