this is why i now carry things on my head

one of the requirements peace corps takes very seriously is the use of anti-malarial medication. the one i am taking can have some wacky side-effects, such as vivid dreams and nightmares. fortunately, i have not experienced much of these problems.
another side-effect of mefloquine, one they didn't talk about much, is a difference in sensitivity to sun. i only found out about this a couple weeks ago.
i had wondered how i had been living in ghana for so long, rarely wearing sunscreen, and barely getting burnt. somehow mefloquine decreases sensitivity to the sun.
which is quite the dramatic change for me, of course.
so, a couple days ago, perhaps i had grown lazy. perhaps it was carelessness. a sense of invincibility? anyway. i was outside FAR too long. in the direct sun. i didn't feel like i was burning, so i stayed out.
my back is now covered with GIANT juicy blisters. i can't even remember the last time i was burnt this badly. i can barely sleep at night because i have to lay on my back. i can hardly carry my backpack for the pain.
and yesterday, a random man named charles came over to us at dinner and introduced himself. he was very friendly and jolly and welcoming...
and SLAPPED me on the back as a greeting.
it was all i could do not to cry. or scream.