More from the Project Doctor

Part of my hand-over strategy for my work with MSF includes finding a new blog site for people to follow. I believe that the “Project Doctor” is a worthy (and my only) candidate. The only problem is that she hasn’t started posting stories. However, she has been an active user of both email and cell phone text messages and I am happy to steal a few of her gems:

Commenting on her general state:

Decided not to go to the pilots bar as I have been feeling tired all week. Woke-up with some bad dreams and got depressed after meetings to discuss bombs going off in town. I think I might be losing the plot thanks to the malaria prophylaxis. Or maybe I am just not in a very nice country at the moment. I am also getting a bit frustrated with the oppression of women here.

On her first experience socializing at the “Pilots’ Bar:

It was an interesting evening, experiences included laborious explanations to an American security officer from the US consulate why we are not allowed to attend the American Club (...) for "security reasons" (dancing around other reasons why we wouldn't want to go there); discussing Aussie rules football with a South African pilot who was quite literally leaning on me during the conversation; being offered the Mystery Brew of contents unknown, passively observing the numerous probably not too hygienic pilot hands that dipped in the brew bowl to scoop the floating shot glasses out of with theprized fluid in them; reminiscing about my early high school years while watching a grown man "chug-a-lug", incompletely finish his hefty drink, and proceed to run out of the room, vomiting behind me on the way out; and later coming into contact with the previously mentioned Leaning Pilot again who had proceeded to get jugs of water to throw over the crowd at the bar, but predominantly over the women there.

My initial review rating of the place was 0 out of 10, but after my experience today of vomiting my breakfast and loose motions subsequently, I have revised the score to -4 out of 10.