…or, maybe Jon’s workmates did not know exactly what they were asking for when they inquired about my work and living in Malawi. So, over dinner conversations and 12-piece silverware settings in the Crystal Dining Room, I wound up talking about the details of HIV transmission, the severity of poverty in Malawi, and the inequalities of drug access for people in developing countries. I would argue that I was fairly innocuous, especially given my predilection for exaggeration and the rather-cruel juxtaposition of the cruise lifestyle with my Malawi life (and knowing that 98% of all Malawians do not live as I do in Malawi). In fact, I think that Jon’s big boss and the big boss’ wife actually liked me! Really. Still, over glasses of wine, veal (for cruel people like Jon), and souffles, I am sure the whole dining room heard me talk about HIV risk per sex act, sexually transmitted infections, violence again women, and the gory details of palliative care for late stage AIDS patients in Malawi. I was asked those questions, I promise. In the end, I am not sure if I enlightened anyone, scarred them all, or just sounded like guilt-struck hippie, but the wine blurred those lines well for me anyway. Should I wonder why the same people never sat with us twice? Does syphilis not go well with lobster tail?
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