It’s rainy season here. A couple of days ago, when we got a break in the rain I decided to ride my bike to a neighboring village to go to a yoga class there. The road there was partially flooded, and as I rode through the water, my shoes and feet got wet. I didn’t think anything of it, especially since I was preoccupied by having to put the chain back on my bike 5 or 6 times, as it kept slipping off! The next day, I was seeing patients in the clinic. One man had an ankle problem, and as we were examining his bare feet, I realized there was a stench in the air of dirty feet. But after the patient left, the stench remained. A little later, it dawned on me that it was MY feet that stank! I was horrified when I realized that I was wearing the same shoes that had been drenched in the bacteria-laden floodwater, and this must have been why Dr. Pott had kept glancing at my feet and scrunching up his nose. Not only was I humbled, I learned two valuable lessons: keep your shoes clean, and don’t assume it’s the patient who stinks!

I ate freshly-caught barracuda for dinner last night. My yoga teacher and good friend, Dorman, had been out fishing and gave me three different types of fish he had caught, and I fried one up last night. It was some of the most delicious fish I’ve ever tasted!