This phrase would easily sum up life here in Chad, and
probably in a lot of other countries too.
I think I’ve become so used to expecting the unexpected now that it
doesn’t really faze me. It’s now my
norm. I’m much less bothered by lack of
regularity and order since living here.
As such, trying to think up examples to tell you is proving difficult,
as they’re all just normal, everyday occurrences now!
In no particular order, here are
some recent examples of me needing to expect the unexpected:
One
I recently went on a two week holiday to Kenya, which was
much needed and which I enjoyed immensely – mainly because we were by the
sea. I got to the airport a good two
hours before the flight was due to leave, only to be told check-in was already
closed. Knowing that if I didn’t get the
plane I’d have to wait probably another couple of days for the next flights, I
was slightly panicked. But nowhere near
as much as I would’ve been five years ago.
Turns out that the flight had been brought forward by an hour but I
wasn’t aware (turns out an email had been sent, 30 minutes before the revised
check-in closure time…...). I wasn’t the
only one who’d not ‘received the memo’ and they kindly opened check in again and
checked us in. It was still an hour
before the plane was due to leave at its earlier departure slot. I had my quickest ever passage through
N’Djamena airport and got the plane. I
was very happy. Though not so pleased to
learn that the reason for the earlier departure was that we were off to Kaduna
(Nigeria) first, before Addis Ababa (Ethiopia, where I was transiting before
heading to Kenya). Those who know their
African geography will know why I wasn’t amused at this fact – yep, we were
going 1.5 hours in the wrong direction, to then head back again across Chad and
over to Ethiopia! The journey from
N’Djamena to Addis Ababa usually takes around 4 hours but it took us 7 hours
with this little extra bit tagged onto the journey. Fortunately I was staying overnight in
Ethiopia so the delay didn’t affect my ongoing travel plans.
Two
Just before I left for my holiday, I was sitting on my front
veranda reading, when I saw something moving outside out of the corner of my
eye. I looked up to see two ducks (and
upon further looking in the grass – yes grass, rainy season – about five
ducklings) just ambling along. Where the
heck did *they* come from?! We live in a
gated compound, it’s not freely open.
Who knows? C’est le Tchad (It’s Chad.
An explanation we use here for when there’s no explanation).
 |
| Ducks just wandering around |
Three
A week before I left for holiday, I was visiting a friend in
N’Djamena. A journey I’ve done many
times before, I know her house and the surrounding area well. After parking up outside I got out and was
locking the car door. A man approached
me. Nothing usual there, people often
come up to greet and/or try and sell something.
Then a handgun appeared. Wasn’t
expecting that. Well, I kinda was
actually, as there have been many muggings mainly on white women here in
N’Djamena recently. See this blog post
from my friend who describes her attack a month ago. I can remember thinking ‘it’s happening, it’s
happening’ as the gun pointed at me and I stumbled backwards into the mud
(still rainy season). The guy wanted my
bag, which was slung across my body in the way we’re all told to do so people
can’t snatch it off your shoulder. A
couple of yanks on the strap later (whilst I was screaming at the top of my
voice, thinking someone would come and see as it was only midday) and it was broken. Off he went on the back of a waiting
motorbike. Off I went shaking violently
into my friend’s house. I’m pleased to
say I’ve no major negative after effects from the attack although I am a bit
jumpy at times.
Four
I got back from holiday just under a week ago. In the two weeks I was away the rains have
really stopped and the ground has dried up considerably. I went behind my house to check my garden,
realising that I was going to have to start watering it again now for the next
seven months until it rains again. Two
of my plants we missing! Yep, just like
that, two have disappeared. Who knows
where they’ve gone?
 |
| Where did the plant go? |
Five
Yesterday we were clearing out one of the storage containers
to make some space. I’d enlisted the
help of two Chadian colleagues to help me and to take the rubbish generated to
the burn pit at the far side of the hospital compound. Due to the nature of what we were throwing
away, I said ‘make sure it’s well burned’.
A while later one of them proudly reports that he’s set light to it and
it’s burning well. Great, another task
completed. I was just off to check on
the second guy who was helping me out when I looked in the distance and saw
billowing smoke. Normal to see that
above the burn pit. Not however for
about 50 metres *outside* of the burn pit, complete with flames licking around
the now dried-out grass that had grown during rainy season. Cue frantic searching for people to put it
out. Frantic on my part. Not on the part of the Chadians! They have an uncanny way of remaining calm in
almost all circumstances. Not a lot
fazes them. I was shouting ‘rapidement!
rapidement!’ (‘quickly! quickly!). One
of them kind-of broke into a slow jog.
Twenty minutes, many buckets of water and some tree-branch-thrashing
later, it was out. Phew. I was grateful for the fact that the wind was
in the direction it was, as even though the fire was a fair way from any
buildings, if the wind had changed direction it probably wouldn’t have taken
long to spread towards the hospital.
First to have been torched would’ve been our new surgery centre building
that I mentioned in a previous blog.
 |
| Surgery centre coming along nicely |
Life is never dull here, that’s for sure.
My next blog will be question and answer blog, as I’ve not
done one of those for a year. Write any
questions you have for me about my life and work here in Chad in the comments
box on the blog, or send to me via email and I’ll do my best to answer them (no
promises though!).
