Dr. Strangeworm; or, how I learned to stop worrying and love giardia

(Alex, I blatantly ripped off your email title :)
You may recall me mentioning that one person lost their passport during a night of carousing. Today, that girl went to the american embassy in order to get a replacement and we were all reminded of why americans are so popular abroad (If you hear a dripping sound, that is sarcasm). First, she showed up a the embassy with Batsi, our program director, who they would not let within the gate because he was not an american citizen. They then looked at hayley, who told them she lost her passport, and they then asked her if she was, in fact, an american. (Hayley is a very tan, blonde, blue-eyed girl from oklahoma with a distinctly southern twang) she regretted not saying, "no, but the libyan embassy turned me away." They eventually escorted her through three security checkpoints which all involved bag searches at which point she ran into the marine who had been buying her drinks the night she lost her passport; he nearly bust a gut laughing when he heard what had happened. (in the end she got a new passport).
In other news, I decided to risk giardia and I ventured outside of the school today to buy lunch from the women on the street. They have vegetables, tastier food, and a lot more to choose from for the exact same price as lunch at the cafeteria. Unfortunately I forgot that I had bought cellphone airtime earlier to when I arrived I had 12 pula and was 3 pula short after I had already filled my plate. I had to run back to my dorm, get my wallet, and run back (which took 45 minutes because the campus is so huge) all for the equivalent of 38 cents. FML I am currently eating, however, paleche (porridge), morogo (stewed greens), beet root, and some unidentifiable orange veggie with chili powder. I'll keep you posted if I pick up any interesting new life forms in my gut.