"This is Africa!!"

I am truly enjoying learning about Sierra Leonean culture. Kenyan culture too, the ex-pat nursing staff is mainly North Americans and Kenyans. Here are a few colloquial sayings in Sierra Leone that were entertaining to me:

"Only a courageous woman can fry a bunch of plantains without tasting any."

"Any man that uses his teeth to cut meat from pepper soup with his eyes wide open, is not afraid of anything, he's a witch."

"Any man who chew & swallow bitter kola without squeezing his face is capable of murder." (A kola is a nut from a kola nut tree and is apparently quite bitter though I haven't tried it).

I have also heard quite frequently, "This is Africa!! In Africa, we improvise!!"

Today (Wednesday) was a downer of a day. Our newest patient is extremely ill and the majority of our pediatric patients have taken a turn for the worst. And one report showed 21 new cases country-wide today.

Asante for praying for us. (My newest language lesson was in Swahili.) and thank you in Krio is "thankie," to which most people respond, "thank you too," even though they may not have anything to thank you for; it's almost an instinctive response. Sierra Leoneans are extremely polite. They raise their voices quickly but generally out of excitement not anger.