There's Nothing Funny About This Post

It's true. There's nothing funny about this post. Except, in a weird way, everything is funny. Because life in Ghana is glamorous.

That's really all there is to say. I've recently picked up a heavy dose of Norwalk Virus & acquired a case of pink eye. All fingers point to the time I spent in the hospital last week as being the source of this new adventure.

I'd like everyone who still has misconceptions about Africa being a magical, wonderful land, to discard those now. Africa is a wonderful place, with challenges like any other. And horrible moments like throwing up all over your friend's lawn, biking home, and vomiting all over your own lawn, happen here just like any other place. Except they probably happen here more. And probably in any other place you wouldn't be hiding behind a tree, expelling any last traces of food from your system, while your host sisters, whom you haven't seen in a week, return home and stare at you with shocked faces.

In any other place you may not need your boss to drive you to the hospital because, 8km bike ride aside, he is your only means of transportation. On the way you may not be required to listen to him lecture you on the dangers of eating "wayward food" and the necessity of eating only at "reputable restaurants". He might also not accompany you to see the optometrist and speak rapidly in Buli to her, occasionally injecting the words "wayward food" into their conversation. Either way, this lecture on where to dine will feel derogatory, especially because the only other time you have had food poisoning in the past month is when he took you to eat at his favourite 'reputable' restaurant. Of course, this is something to keep to yourself. It's a losing battle to try to argue, and you're too tired to anyways.

That said anywhere else your boss wouldn't be able to call the hospital and get your name first in the queue so you don't have to wait in the overcrowded waiting room to see the specialist. And anywhere else your host sisters wouldn't come to check on you in the night, and then hand wash all the clothes you were wearing while you were getting sick all over their lawn. Your fellow interns might not bike into town just to buy you popsicles, or dare to check on you while you're laying on the bathroom floor at midnight. And certainly, these same interns might not be calling home to explain to everyone how hysterical it is that their colleague threw-up all over the place, and then stood and laughed with them about how ridiculous the display was. No, this is unique.

Africa isn't all that bad. It's just a place like any other, with flaws just like any other. And sometimes those flaws include puking your guts out. That's just life right? But it's only, sort of, kind of funny. Just like the sarcasm of your subconscious and having "Glamorous" by Fergie stuck in your head the whole time you are sick, is only sort of, kind of, funny.
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UPDATE: I am doing much better! I'm happy to be feeling healthy again, and be back at work.