Quiet Observations of a cardiologist's clinic

*As I wrote the observations of this day, I was sitting in the corner of a cardiologist's clinic. At the time, I was quite bored, concerned, and on the verge of laughter. Weird combination, I know. Concerned because my father was a patient that day; bored because I forgot to bring a book; and on the verge of laughter because of all the characters that have been walking in and out of this office*

These are my quiet observations...

Sitting to my left is a Kenyan father and son and to my right is an Indian family (both father AND son are patients). We all are sitting here listening to phones ring, the receptionists scrape their tap-less heels against the tile (it is QUITE annoying), magazine pages being turned, cell-phones are buzzing, and people are greeting each other like long lost friends... By now the office is pretty much completely full.

Beegie Adair is keeping me great company as I try to ignore the stares of the other patients (did I mention that I'm the only white chick sitting in the waiting area??).

ARGH! An elderly gentleman has just sat down next to me, and is making the most horrid mouth noises I have EVER heard... and believe me, I have heard my fair share! OH THANK YOU LORD! That didn't last very long... as Mr. Mouth Noise has just vacated his chair. Ladies and Gentlemen... Mouth Noises have left the building.

LORD!!!! I thought you were helping the situation! ANOTHER elderly man has just occupied the chair... well he is not so bad after all... just yapping on his phone. Mr. Mouth Noise has just returned, and now is swapping personal health statistics with Mr. Yapper. Heart rate... blood pressure... weight... and the list goes on. HELLO! I do NOT need NOR want to hear this!!! Lord... help... AGAIN!!!! Finally Mr. Yapper is once again enthralled with his phone and Mr. Mouth Noise has so graciously stopped the noises. *Thank you Lord!!*

So here we are... the chair has grown teeth (I've been here for two and a half hours and we STILL are not done), Beegie Adair continues playing her soft jazz, and I continue to wait to leave this hospital.

I have this uncanny knack for laughing at the completely WRONG time.... and now would be one of those times... A 'Crazungu' (crazy white person) has just walked into the office. Now a crazungu is a person who thinks that short shorts and knee-socks looks great, or maybe a tie-die mu-mu is the latest in fashion.

ONLY in NAIROBI! Seriously, I have seen more mullets, short shorts and knee socks, mu-mu dresses than I have EVER WANTED! WHY?! Why must people dress like this?

Ok, enough ranting... back to the quiet observations.