Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Today (and tomorrow), I intend to be floating in the ocean somewhere with mama clutching a booster like a lifeline this thanksgiving day.
Life has changed drastically since this time last year. Overall, all is well and I am so grateful to have had/be having, this opportunity.
So, here is a list of things that I am thankful for. Obviously, (at least hopefully it is obvious) I am thankful for my friends, family, health, and education. I am thankful that I feel love from countless directions and have people I can call no matter the time or day. I am thankful that I have never had to worry about where my next meal is coming from, if I will have a roof over my head, if I am physically safe from warfare, or if I can afford to go to the doctor.
Since my time in Cameroon, I am still incredibly thankful for these things, and even more so than previously. Though the general themes have of course remained the same, there are some slight additions.
For example, not only am I thankful I have friends to call, I am thankful that they answer strange phone numbers. I am also thankful that I am able to keep my phone credit up enough to exchange a quick “hello, I am alive. I love you, and I miss you” with loved ones.
So, here is a list of more specific things that I never thought that I would be thankful for here, or crossed my mind in general to be thankful for to be honest.
1) My brief knowledge of sports. People here love to talk about sports. Mostly international and EPL football, both of which I have a pretty brief knowledge of. It makes it useful for making friends and filling awkward silences. (Though everyone is a Man U fan. The most unfortunate. Chelsea fans are picking up though since Eto’o has now joined the fleet, which is something I can support. Henry will always be my least favourite player, and France my least favourite team. No matter what French Cameroonian crosses my path. #bitterirish) It is normally a pretty good conversation topic, at least until I can think of something else to discuss.
2) My ability to say almost anything with a straight face. Now, this is one of those moments where I think my converse wearing days with all the improv kids were absolutely worth it. But my ability to say to a wanna-be suitor that I wont give them my number/date them/marry them because “my heart is with someone else”, “God has another plan for me”, “my boyfriend Scott will beat [them] up if [they] try to court me”, or my personal favourite “I have joined/am joining, the church”. It has absolutely kept me out of a few awkward situations (even if it has created several along the way).
3) The fact that I am not the only Coady intern here. Not because I don’t think I could cut it, or wouldn’t enjoy it. But, I tend to get myself into some hilarious situations, and it is nice to have someone to attest that they actually did happen. Besides, it is nice to have someone to dream about Kenny’s with. Also, that there are other Coady interns. I think once we all get back to the nish it ill be nice to have a group of people who, though have all had incredibly different experiences, many similar ones as well. Especially when it comes to the re-adjustment process.
4) That I am a Newfoundlander. Now, I am a proud kid from the rock any day of the week; I love my province very, very much. There aren’t too many other Canadians here, but I have met a few others (excluding the girls I came with), all about age 40 and up. Other than Dana who is from Nova Scotia, the most east you get is Ottawa. People are pretty surprised that a kid from St. John’s is here in Cameroon. Sadly, it clearly isn’t due to the population of my home being the same as Hamilton, they were all quite obviously harbouring old stereotypes about Newfoundland (because the people from Ontario clearly forgot who was helping them out via equalization payments…) The questions I have been fielding include everything from “what about the cod fishery?” to “I heard the Saint John river is beautiful and great for boating! Did you swim in it as a child?” (it is beautiful, I worked on a part of that river… when I was working at a summer camp… In Saint John, New Brunswick) to, “Newfinlind? What are you doing here?”. I feel like I am able to set at least a couple of records straight, and hey, if one mainlander says to another mainlander, “I met a girl from Newfoundland! She wasn’t a fisherperson and she seemed moderately intelligent!” I’d be thrilled. **(not that there is anything wrong with being a fisherperson, my grandfather and some uncles rocked that career, but not every single inhabitant of Newfoundland and Labrador is a fisherperson. The same way that not every single person in Quebec owns a maple syrup farm. Also, not everyone from the mainland is ignorant, it is just an unfortunate representation I have come across.)
5) Wind Willow. This I am not going to extend on; but I am so so thankful for such a beautiful addition to my life.
6) That I am in Bamenda. Going into this experience, I didn’t know much about Cameroon. I knew briefly about their soccer team, and could place it on a map, but that’s pretty much it. I have seen just a couple of other places in Cameroon, but Bamenda certainly seems to be the best spot, without question. Though people speak their dialect, and pidgin, most people in the city do speak English (and French). The people are welcoming, helpful and kind; and this is a fantastic spot to send a few interns. At no point have I been genuinely concerned for my safety, and it certainly a nice change of pace looking at mountains.
From this, there are also countless other things that I will never take for granted again; but there is no need to get into that now.
So, friends, family, and followers; I wish you the happiest thanksgiving imaginable. And I hope you all think of me as you eat your meal. The things would do for a turkey dinner are endless, but trading my time here on Kribi beach certainly isn’t one of them.
All my love,
Maura
Maura
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