I'm not dead.

I'm still kicking.  I had another day off school today, as my head teacher said I needed another day to rest.  Then I got an email from Educators Abroad saying that if I miss another day of school, they'll need to give me another placement for a week to make up the time?  Seems silly, eh?  In any case, there's only 5 days of school left for the term so I think I'll make it.

My face is still red and puffy, as I'm still taking amoxycillin.  It's not pretty, but only 3 more days!

Can't wait to go back and see the kiddos tomorrow.  They probably think I went back to America without telling them!

Update.

Went to the doctor again today.  He was an idiot, but basically said that if I've taken amoxycillin before and  it was fine then it should be fine now, regardless of the adverse reaction to the penicillin.  So I got amoxycillin.  Took it.  Red puffy face, hives, and an itchy neck is what I have now.  And that doctor's appointment cost be £50!  So I'm sucking it up and taking it.  Another day off school tomorrow as well, as my head teacher said not to come in.

Back to dying.

I spoke too soon.  A little while after my last post, I got a puffy, red, itchy, hot face, probably from the penicillin.  I must have developed a penicillin allergy in the last few years?  So now I can't take that, and my throat is still disgusting, and I have a hot face to go along with it.  I just can't catch a break this weekend!

I do have to say that Mat has been an absolute angel.  I would've killed me by now if I was him.  He went to the grocery store at 4 in the morning to buy me medicine the other night, he made me chicken noodle soup, he took me to the doctor, he put up with my crying.  Seriously. Angel.  I think he's a keeper! :)

Not actually dying.

Turns out I'm not actually dying (a little dramatic, I know).  I do have tonsilitis though.  I went to an NHS walk-in centre and told them my name, and gave them Mat's address and waited for an hour and they took me back.  Then the nurse took one look in my throat, told me I had tonsilitis, went and got 3 boxes of medicine, gave them to me, and that was it.  No charge.  No heart rate checking, no getting weighed, no blood pressure.  That was it!  She did say I have blocked ears as well? Who knows. She told me to put olive oil in my ears, but I think I'll pass on that.

Now I'm teaching Mat how to make the staples of American sick diets - Chicken Noodle Soup and grilled cheese.  How can you be 27 years old and not know how to make grilled cheese?!  British people are weird.

Dyinggggg

I'm pretty confident I'm dying.  Okay not really.  But I'm really sick.

It started on Wednesday night.  All the boys were back in our house, and 2 of the 3 were vomiting a lot.  I mean, a lot.  So of course, I wake up in the middle of the night Wednesday and vomit.  I call my head teacher in the morning to tell her I'm not coming to school.  Then I realize my throat kind of hurts too.  Little did I know that that little sore throat would turn into the worst sore throat of my life.  I've been miserable since Thursday.  I can't swallow, I can't sleep, I cry a little every time I take a drink of water.  I can't eat.  I'm pretty confident it's tonsilitis (they apparently don't get strep here?).

I'm going to attempt to go to a doctor today, but I'm in London and my passport is at home in Dorking, so I'm not sure they'll take me.  If not, I guess I'll have to go back to Dorking and try to find a walk-in centre there (but I don't think there are any).  The only thing that's helped at all is ibuprofen with codeine (which you can buy over the counter).  And that's just minor relief.  I still feel like someone took a cheese grater to my throat.

Hopefully the doctor works out today!

Update!

Last weekend - 

Mat and I just hung out on Friday night.  Saturday, Kate, Mat and I went to Westminster Abbey.  Mat was thrilled about sightseeing in London on a Saturday (siiiiike).  It costs £16 to get into Westminster Abbey!  Crazy!  We did get to hear the choir sing while we were there though, so that was good.  Mat went off to work and Kate dragged me to the British Museum.  I only say dragged because I've been there before.  We saw the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles and LOTS of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian statues.  LOTS of statues.  The Olympic medals for next year were there too, but we got lost and couldn't find them to see them.  

Here are some pictures!

Westminster Abbey.

Kate and I in the cloisters at Westminster.

We couldn't open it...

I just love this.

The expression on my face tells me that Mat was probably being annoying.

British Museum.  

Just a pretty picture of London.

Saturday night we went out in Soho in London.  Kate and I went to a pub called something Irish and met some Australians.  It was a pretty fun night.  Took us ages to get a taxi back to Mat's though.  Pretty annoying.

School is going well.  It's much more relaxed now that I'm done with my observations.  Also, our school time has been taken over by Christmas play practice, so there isn't much learning going on.  The parents have started saying things to me like "Jack sure is going to miss you when you go back to America!"  It's so sad to think that I'll be leaving in 2 weeks =(

Funny story:

Last week, Jenny (my teacher, who's 33) is helping 2 little girls (Farah and Lilly) make puppets on the carpet.

Jenny: I probably won't be able to get up cause I've been sitting on the ground so long!  I'm getting old!

Farah (completely serious): Yeah sometimes I have a hard time getting up too.  Maybe it'll be easier when I'm 6.

Me:  No I think it's all downhill from 5. 

Kids are so funny.

Much better day!

Today was SO much better than the rest of this week has been!  Tony came this morning for my observation and it went really well.  He then informed me that he's seen so much improvement over the last few weeks that he doesn't need to come next week.. so today was my final observation!  SO EXCITING!  Also, a little girl's mum this morning told me that I'm her daughter's favourite teacher and she talks about me all the time.  So nice to hear after such a rough week! =)

I got to leave school right after today, and I came to London.  I managed to find my way from Dorking to Mat's flat (in Hackney) all by myself on a Friday afternoon!  My trip was a train from Dorking to Waterloo, then the tube from Waterloo to Bank, change at Bank and go to Bethnal Green, then a bus from the station to Mat's flat.  So complicated.  Now Mat's making dinner for me.  Today is shaping up to be a good day!