Choral masterpiece

On Tuesday mornings, we have a teaching session which starts at 7:00 am. This can be on any topic. Last week it was on the current HIV management guidelines (I prescribe ARV (anti-retrovirals) many times a day in OPD and it seems half of our patients are HIV positive- so this session was very useful) and this week it was on using our ultrasound machine.

Anyroad, yesterday, Shabana (the other UK doctor) and I were waiting outside the ultrasound room for our tutorial. By 7:10 am it was becoming clear that Bird (one of the doctors providing the tutorial) had forgotten. So, we decided to wait in the middle of OPD. This was because there was the most incredible choral masterpiece going on. All of the OPD staff (as well as patients – a good 30 people) were singing Zulu in the most amazingly harmonious fashion. Shabana and I sat with them and enjoyed the incredible singing. Then, they stopped and asked us to sing a prayer song. Momentarily I considered taking up the challenge. Their songs had inspired me to believe in my own ability to produce beautiful sounds. I felt like Frauline Maria. I saw the Swiss Alps all around. Then reality bit. A) I do not know any prayer songs. B) I am tone deaf. I tried in vain to volunteer Shabana. She looked suitably horrified. Fortunately we were rescued by two of our colleagues who arrived to take us elsewhere. How I wish I could have joined in!