an·ec·dote 1

Like I mentioned in my blurb, I am going to share whatever is on my mind, which includes random occurences that happen while I am here. I decided to call them anecdotes (definition of an anecdote: a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person). So here is my first one, enjoy! 

an-ec-dote 1: 50 Naira and Love in the Parking Lot.

So yesterday I drove myself for the first time to the hospital I am supposed to be doing my research at (LASUTH). When I get there I learn I have to pay for parking (300Naira-less than $2) and I was not a happy camper!

The parking warden in charge of directing cars into the car park signalled for me to roll down my window and shouts "THREE HUNDREDDDD!" (For those who have never been to Nigeria, esp Lagos, it's all about haggling the price, so in my "Lagos State of Mind," I'm thinking why pay 300Naira when I can pay 100Naira)
Of course my automatic respone to the warden was "Oga (boss) I don't have 300Naira, I only have 100Naira."

The look on the parking warden's face after I spoke was out of this world! His eyes got really big and he looked at my face, and said "give me 250Nairawheredoyoustay?" He said it so fast and all in one breath, I had to ask him to repeat himself. Once he repeated himself I thought "YES!!! I saved 50Naira, but whY is he asking me where I stay?!"I reasoned that he either mis-spoke or his English wasn't too good and meant to ask me, what building I was going to. So I gave him the 250Naira and told him the pediatric department. After which he was so gracious in following me and finding a spot for me to park my car, he waited for me to descend from my vehicle to again ask me where I stay. When I did not answer he yelled "YOU KNOW I LOFE (LOVE) YOU!" At this point I'm thinking I need to get the heck out of there, but before I could take two steps, he's on the road on his knees asking me where I stay and begging for my number -__-

When I'm nervous I SWEAT!!! So of course at this point I'm sweating buckets, while people passing by are looking, pointing, and laughing. My exchange with the parking warden went on for about 3 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. I finally convinced him to get up from the ground, by collecting his phone number, and promising to see him before I left.

When I finally made it inside the building, the doctor I came to meet asked if I walked far, because of the MASSIVE sweat stains I got from my parking lot ordeal. I didn't have the energy or mind to tell her the story, so I lied and said yes I walked a far distance, though the parking lot was literally a few steps away from the pediatric building.

Nevertheless, yesterday was a good day, I guess. I saved 50 Naira and found love in the parking lot, all at the same time.


SIDE NOTE:
Now that I think about it, the parking warden should have let me park for FREE if he really loved me!!!! Next time I see him I am going to have to tell him about that.

The Strike of Life

So you may or not be aware of the doctor’s strike involving Lagos state resident physicians. The ongoing strike is separate from the more well-known ASUU strike (public university strike) which is affecting medical students and other students across the nation. The ASUU strike has resulted in public university students being out of school for over 3 months and counting.

Nevertheless I digress. The doctors strike started the day I landed in Nigeria (my luck, right?) and is still ongoing. When I asked the doctor's when they thought the strike was going to end, they just laughed...so I'm not too sure how to take that response --> --> -->

The doctors are demanding for "non-skipping of salary grade level CONHESS 1O," along with a few other requests. The overall gist of it, is that they are demanding for payment of salary; some doctors have recieved 10-20% of the salary they are supposed to recieve or have not recieved any payment of salary at all for over 6 months. 

The strike or “the strike of life” as I’ve affectionately named it does interrupt my proposed research, because the hospital I am supposed to be carrying out my research in is a federal hospital, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). As a result, I have been trying to keep busy by conducting preliminary research (which has been slow because internet is slow) and canvassing the city for potential alternative places I can conduct my research. 

Through my random searches, I discovered the Sickle Cell Foundation located in Surulere, though it is also associated with a federal hospital (LUTH), it is considered a separate entity and thus has not been shut down due to the strike.

Soooooo though the strike of life continues, the Sickle Cell Foundation in Surulere may be an answer to my stagnant research attempts. As the days go by and Lagos continues to stylishly throw me her many curve balls, I am learning to adjust and make due with what is available. 

CUCKOO-ROOKOO!!!

 

CUCKOO-ROOKOO!!

Anddddd... I’m up in Lagos, a rooster’s crow literallyyyyy woke me up this morning and for some unexplainable reason, gave me the energy, determination and will power to finally try to put up my first blog post! Soooo Greetings from Lagos, I’ve been here for almost three weeks now, but it feels like three months. And with that… I bid you adieu until, I am mentally prepared to battle with my expensive and dreadfully slow Internet connection.