"Do not Distrub."

I have learned this week a huge difference in our American culture and the culture here. I have been sick this week and I stayed home most of the week. I quickly learned I would be "well taken care of". Here when a friend is sick it is customary to go to them. Not to just call them. That is considered by some people to be rude. It is important to visit with, sit with, cook for them, etc. Of course to me this is quite uncomfortable.
So, there I am on the couch not feeling good, in my pjs, my hair a mess, no makeup, and visiting with my friends. Everyone takes the responsibility of caring for their sick friend very seriously. Now, I will say it is very normal for women here to wear pjs all day long. They come home and quickly change and then change again if they go back out. So it is really normal from them to see their friends in the pjs. I feel very uncomfortable with this however. I like to be somewhat prepared when I am going to have visitors. I am used to the unexpected drop ins, but at least when I am feeling good, my house is clean, and I look half way decent.
So I have learned two things from this past week; one being that I will not have very much privacy when I am sick if I admit to being sick. I thought by telling my friends I was ill I would be avoiding visits. Wrong!
Secondly I learned that in the future if I want to be a true friend I need to always give kind gesture to my friends. Even if that means just sitting with them watching t.v. Here no one wants to be alone if they a sick.
I am grateful even in my discomfort, that I know people who want to care for me and show their friendship to me. I think I will be forever learning all the cultural differences that exist here. I am trying to understand and adjust the best I can.