THE 7 HOUR DRAGON!

 SPUTNIK 5 - SLAYING THE 7 HOUR DRAGON! 

Inculturation in Bolivia Includes the God given grace to slay the dragon of surviving long queues. And my experience in a massive queue for 7 hours to get my second dose of the Sputnik 5 vaccine  testifies to this Grace. 

I arrived at about 5.45 am at the Gabriel Rene Moreno University, and slipped into the line; a clerk approached me, took his black marker and wrote number, 409, on my left wrist. He didn't say a word. 

I left the University, dazed more than tired, but, fully vaccinated at 1.30 pm. 

Surprisingly I didnt feel drained inspite of the long wait this time around when compared to the tiredness after a 6 hour wait for my first Sputnik dose a few months ago. 

I felt psychologically prepared for a very long wait, this time around. Also, the pleasant weather today offset the previous experience of standing in the queue under the wretched heat. 

A lady behind me yakked away endlessly and LOUDLY throughout the wait trying to attract attention; someone wanted her to shut up, but he bit his tongue. Lord only knows where she got the energy to annoy us with her commentary on politics, scandals, culture etc. 

The growing queue overflows and takes up space in the pavement; people had begun to line up since 4 am this morning. 

Folk know how to hustle in Bolivia: vendors sell coffee and curry puffs for breakfast; young ladies offer to photocopy documents; men rent stools n chairs to those waiting in the queue; and we had an incredibly talented blind singer who put great emotion into his singing. He deserved every cent his assistant collected for his incredible performance. 

I couldn't see a single policeman controlling the massive and growing queue; people sit on rented stools and follow the person in front of them when it's their turn. We're restless, funny, angry and calm, but also nasty at anyone wanting to cut the queue. You get the sense that this extraordinary collective effort at maintaining discipline in the queue might fall apart if a small number decide to get into a fist-fight. 

His Grace n Mercy holds everything together; and more than props up the fragile discipline of the queue. 

I finally entered the dispensary to get my Sputnik 5 second dose with others. The admin staff and the nurses greet us with a smile and do a great job in administering the vaccines to the masses with patience and skill. I leave the dispensary relieved, jaded but also  grateful for His grace. 

Get vaccinated! These vaccines strengthen us in the fight against COVID-19. 

Michelle gets her 2nd dose of the vaccine next week.  👩🏻👩🏻 

In the Lord's hands we continue to slay the dragons in battles that leave us in a daze! I have no side effects from the vaccine yet... God is good! Amen! 🍇🍇🍇🍇💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼