I received my third rabies vaccine jab today. One more to go, next week. Honestly, with the ongoing crisis facing Sri Lanka, I feel fortunate to be getting the treatment I need to keep from frothing at the mouth after my run-in with a Komodo beagle (hat tip to a TGN listener for that one) last week. There have been dire warnings in the papers here about shortages of vital medications and medical supplies due to the country’s paucity of foreign currency. Judging by the queue of people I see in line at the hospital rabies clinic, I imagine the stocks of anti-rabies vaccine might be going fast. I hope not.
I’m carrying a stick on my morning exercise these days. I’m not keen on the idea of hitting a dog. But that’s the overwhelming advice I’ve gotten from everyone to avoid further run-ins. I’m told simply raising the stick will ward off all but the most mad Cujo. So I found a downed limb from some nameless tropical tree, brought it home and whittled off the bark to smooth it down (after checking it over for biting red ants), and I carry it like some ridiculous colonial era officer with his swagger stick. All I need now is a pith helmet and some khaki twill.
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