The clinic visit

I have been turning my energies more towards painting and drawing lately.  Even my PC came off second best and my writing has lagged behind badly.  But here goes…a few interesting observations during the last month or so which were amusing enough to record.

I had to visit the local clinic, due to a bout of asthma, which turned into an interesting experience, (the clinic, not the asthma). Just wished I had my sketch pad with me.  I had to wait outside the doctor’s room and was second in line after a Nigerian lady with a baby.  Soon after me a very distinguish looking white man arrived in a flowing Muslim kaftan with a very smart beautiful Nigerian lady, probably his wife.  They had an air of importance about them. When the doctor opened the door for the next patient, she (yes a woman, and Nigerian!) gave us all a look over and chose the white man to be her next patient.  A little later a whole bevy of pregnant Nigerian ladies arrived at various stages in their pregnancy, most of them beautiful dressed in their lovely close fitting Nigerian dresses with headscarves.  They must have been to a prenatal class and was due to see the doctor for a checkup afterwards.  Extra chairs arrived for them –which I thought very considerate of the hospital staff.  They were twittering amongst themselves about who will follow who in the line (all seem to have numbers) when the door open and sure enough, me with my white skin was asked to be next. I pointed out that the lady with the baby was before me. This meant I had to wait a bit longer which I did not mind as I was enjoying the scene. I could not help wondering about this unfair system and this from a female doctor.

Once inside, the doctor listened, asked a few questions and punched diagnosis and treatment into the computer – no paper work.  From there I had to go to the chemist down the passage and pay for the medication prescription that the pharmacist received online.  After that there was time for more observation while waiting for treatment (again from online prescription - the patient can be dumb or mute as long as he or she can pay the bill). The clinic sister’s little room was small and not private at all.  Nurses and patients walked in and out the whole time without knocking and treatment inside just carried on in this chaos.  I had to get an injection and she waited until it was quieter before escorting me in and closing the door.  She then stood with her back against the closed door to prevent anyone coming in and asked me to turn my back to her so that she could give me my jab.  Nobody tried to come in but I just visualized what could happen if someone would suddenly have pushed that door open with force. Ouch!

I got tired of our South African ladies complaining that they just want to go home and started organizing activities for them.  We went to the Nike arts and crafts centre to do some tie-dying and we are now doing beading once a week at someone’s house. Then I challenged them to start painting.  The first lesson of two were a bit uncertain until I gave a lesson on colour.  Now they are hooked.  We went to the local art shop where I directed them what to buy. I am actually amazed once again to see what  total beginners can do once they experience the joy of mixing colour and discover the freedom of expressing themselves on paper.  It is lovely to see how each individual’s character comes out in their work. They are very reluctant to leave my appartment on Thursdays and linger on and on. This must make a difference to them as I know from my own experience how you may be anywhere in the world, but when you create you are actually in …another world.  Shall I call it heaven? 

Expat ladies painting



 Swimming was next on line and I have been pushed into giving swimming lessons this morning for two Indian ladies and one South African lady who have just discovered the joy of cool water in this hot climate.  They all battle with water fobia and my main task was making them just relax in the water.  To see the joy they experience once they start moving around in the water is worth the effort, and we had great fun

A Dutch artist, Marthe van den Heyde has a small studio group on Saturday mornings, to which I managed to be invited.  She teaches a bit, but it is more like discussions, some directions and suggestions and the opportunity to work together with other like minded people.  I absolutely love it and can now experience what my students always experienced.  And yes I am also to experience the disappointment they felt when I left.  Marthe is leaving in May and I am to take over the class.  I don’t mind, actually I am delighted,.. except now I can’t paint in it any more.

Marthe is more than just a painter.  She is a photographer and managed to get some freelance work from the Nigerian government while her husband was stationed here.  Currently she is busy with a documentary on education for girls.  She flew to Columbia last week to record a system which worked very well there and which they want to introduce here.  In Columbia they started paying the mothers a small amount, (a big amount in the eyes of the impoverished) if a girl goes to school and attend more than 80 percent of the time.  The potential of changing a society’s mindset is enormous: such as combating child labour, respect for women, potential higher income for the girls’ later on and knowledge which will be passed on and improve the life of a whole community.  It is a system that has been implemented in quite a few underdeveloped countries where children and especially girls get no education.  Yes there are pitfalls but they have conditions in place and if run properly could be very effective.  Whether it will work here in Nigeria , will still have to be seen.  But something had to be done as over eight million children in Nigeria get no education at all at the moment.