oh, africa

Africa is kind of like medical school in that it is nearly impossible to describe to anyone who hasn't experienced it. After you've been here for a while, you eventually go from saying why, why, why to why not? Why wouldn't there be a man chasing a goat that is darting back and forth in the street, on your way to work? Why wouldn't there be a live chicken in the front seat of your taxi? Why wouldn't there be a man selling perfume out of a crate on the back of his bicycle at the hospital? Why wouldn't the bovie stop working in the middle of a mastectomy or flies be landing on the sterile field? Why wouldn't there be a viper in Dr. Daniel's house last night, "attacking my son"? (His wife killed it because he is afraid of snakes. Oh, by the way, I live right next to him in a duplex sort of thing. Good thing they have antivenom here at the hospital.) Why wouldn't our landrover get stuck in deep sand and we all have to get out and push for 50 meters? After a while, it somehow all just starts to become normal. You fall into the rhythm of craziness, and just have to say "Oh, Africa" and continue on with your day.