"Charlotte Charlotte"

For anyone who knows my Dad, you probably know why we sometimes affectionately call him "Terry Terry". For those who don't, my Dad is very hard of hearing. So when you try to get his attention with one "Terry", it usually needs to be swiftly followed up by a second. Hence "Terry Terry". This provided us with hours of amusement as kids. But I'm currently getting a taste of my own medicine.

This morning I woke up with a splitting headache and two very sore ears, one of which was (and still is) completely blocked and I can’t hear anything out of. I blame it on the rooster. Let me explain. You see, even though Freetown is a city, it often feels more like a farmyard, and the flat where I've been staying is particularly farm-like, with chickens, dogs, cats and said rooster. The dogs bark a lot, the cats fight a lot, the chickens scratch around a lot and the rooster seems to have no idea what appropriate timing for his cock-a-doodle-doo-ing is. Some mornings, he starts as early as 3:30am, so I've gotten into the habit of wearing earplugs, which (I think) has caused the nasty inner ear infection I now have. 

Sierra Leonean hospitals are not the most fun places in the world. But I count myself luckier than others. One Austrian woman was in for malaria and looked so sick I wish I could have done more to help. She was with someone from her embassy who was trying to arrange to medi-vac her home. When I did make it into see the doctor, he was really good and totally worth the expat rate consultation fee. We may moan about the NHS at home but seriously, I’ll never take free healthcare for granted again. Anyway, he checked my ears, made a joke about trying to get around Freetown with my Oyster card (which was tucked into my passport from when I passed through London) and then packed me off with some ear drops, antibiotics, a warning about using ear plugs and an order to rest (jokes aside, being sick in a place like Freetown really takes it out of you).

Just noticed I’ve started to do that thing Dad does, tilting my head to one side to hear what anyone’s saying, so heading home now to try and get some R&R. Who knows, by the time this has cleared up, maybe I’ll even be “Charlotte Charlotte”?!

The cock-a-doodle-doo-ing culprit

And his family