Hello World,
I’m back in Cameroon!
Totally kidding. I am sitting on my couch, poking at a fire, and indeed, half listening to doc-talk. Seems all my dreams have come true, right?
Well, I guess we should start from my final moments in Cameroon. On our final moments in Douala, I could not have imagined a more accurate drive to the airport. Between the plane letters, me having to pay an outrageous amount of money for my guitar, and subtle tears, we said goodbye to our dearest friends who made the trek with us, and jumped on the plane.
The travel home itself was fairly uneventful, apart from the stark culture shock of the lines and the level of disinfectant used in Istanbul airport. But I power stomped all the way to Starbucks before double fisting pizza and nearly died it made me feel so ill, but it was ok. I jokingly thought to myself “Well, it seems I am already readjusting pretty well!” Then I got on the airplane to Toronto and I needed to get the stewardess’ attention…and my natural reaction was to make my ‘Cameroon kiss’ sound and the ‘come, come’ hand motion. I felt pretty bad about that, but was able to feel normal again when they were asking for a doctor on the plane and naturally hid in my seat and made sure that no one was looking in my direction. A skill I have acquired over many years of never being around doctors you understand.
I’m back in Cameroon!
Totally kidding. I am sitting on my couch, poking at a fire, and indeed, half listening to doc-talk. Seems all my dreams have come true, right?
Well, I guess we should start from my final moments in Cameroon. On our final moments in Douala, I could not have imagined a more accurate drive to the airport. Between the plane letters, me having to pay an outrageous amount of money for my guitar, and subtle tears, we said goodbye to our dearest friends who made the trek with us, and jumped on the plane.
The travel home itself was fairly uneventful, apart from the stark culture shock of the lines and the level of disinfectant used in Istanbul airport. But I power stomped all the way to Starbucks before double fisting pizza and nearly died it made me feel so ill, but it was ok. I jokingly thought to myself “Well, it seems I am already readjusting pretty well!” Then I got on the airplane to Toronto and I needed to get the stewardess’ attention…and my natural reaction was to make my ‘Cameroon kiss’ sound and the ‘come, come’ hand motion. I felt pretty bad about that, but was able to feel normal again when they were asking for a doctor on the plane and naturally hid in my seat and made sure that no one was looking in my direction. A skill I have acquired over many years of never being around doctors you understand.
After hand delivered poutine, from Natalie at the Halifax
airport, and far too little sleep, Dana, mama and I headed back to the ‘nish.
Antigonish has been a home to me for many years now, so I was happy to be
returning, especially this time with the influx of students that surrounded us.
After many beautiful reunions, and almost before I even knew it, I had gotten
into the swing of life back in Antigonish. It was a glorious, though majorly
sleep deprived time. I reunited with some of the greatest people, even if it is
the night before a chemistry exam (love you), and Katie even allowed me the
great honour of being her one true love on December 3rd. Thank God
Paula’s mom was there to get her in.
But, in all seriousness, debrief in Antigonish was
essential. I didn’t even realize how much so until now. The ability to be with
people who understand, to learn how to handle all the things from ‘I cant
remember if I eat this with my hands or not’ to ‘can we just stay home tonight
because there are too many people out’. It was so nice to be able to talk to
people and exchange stories with people that were interested, and were able to
ask specific questions other than ‘How was Africa?’ where almost the only
response I can give is ‘I don’t know man, Africa is a pretty big spot; but
Cameroon is sweet. You should check it out. A lot of unreal moments there.’
After debrief, I spent a couple nights with Shila and her beautiful family. That
helped to transition both of us into our post Coady lives. We then soaked in
our last hope of physical contact for an undetermined amount of time, and I
left Halifax.
So, then I got home. And it was over. I didn’t have the
safety net of falling asleep on Blake, having whomever I had tricked into
rubbing my back that day doing a masterful job, no mom’s…ugh, Nathan wasn’t
around to make all the decisions, and there were no more wing night performances.
Just the stark, bright, bland, towering isles of the grocery store looming over
me. It took me 3 days to be able to go downstairs in my own home, and about the
same amount of time for Shila and Neek to decide they were coming to St. John’s
for New Years Eve. I won’t dwell on the transition back into Canadian life, but
I will just say that my transition wasn’t easy. It sometimes still isn’t easy,
and I have been home for 4 weeks now.
When I say this people say ‘well, why didn’t you feel
culture shock in Antigonish?’ Well, I did, but I don’t think I really noticed
it totally. Though I did have to ask the woman at Dooly’s a million questions
our first time there. I think a big part of it was structure, the ease of
everyday and knowing exactly what to expect. But I think the bigger aspect was
being surrounded by Adam and the other interns- all the time. A place where our
international house lounge was a place where you could try your Amharic, or
Pidgin, or Xhosa, while eating with your hands, and wondering how toilet paper
gets that soft.
In our return trip to Antigonish, it was established that
before we left Canada our world was yellow. Everything we saw was yellow; sky,
trees, life. We knew yellow, we were used to it. But we knew we were going
somewhere new and had prepared for it. So, we arrived at our various placements
at the end of May, and all of a sudden our world was blue. Everything we saw
was blue; sky, trees, life. Yeah, it was a little weird sometimes, but we were
ready for it and for me anyways, it was almost always new and exciting. Then I
got used to it, and I didn’t remember how different blue was until Natalie came
to visit. Then I got home, back to Canada where I was excited for my familiar
yellow world. I stepped off the plane, and everything was green; sky, trees,
life. I notice things I didn’t before,
and I see things a little differently. Though it took some getting used to, I
like green. It is starting to become paler, but I am thoroughly hoping that my
world stays green.
This seems sad, but I promise it isn’t. I bet all the
boosters I have ever had on that fact. It is hauntingly beautiful. It is like I
went through something that feels like a dream (though still a dream where I
wake up laughing – thinking about the things that Dana and I did). People always ask me if my time in Cameroon
changed my life; and I think the answer is yes, but in ways that I don’t
understand yet. All I know is that my world is green.
I hate to be that person that quotes Nelson Mandela, but I
am going to anyway, so: “There is nothing like returning to a place that
remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
So, how am I now? I am pretty good. I saw my family over
Christmas, and Shila and Neek came for New Years and it was just what I needed
because I had an entire year’s worth of change in one night, and I wouldn’t
have been able to do it without them. Then I went to Calgary so I could reunite
with my brothers, which is just what I needed to re-charge, and even got to
spend some time with the beautiful and alluring Carmen. My hip is as sorted as
it can get medically, so I will just keep creeping around Wedgewood Park pool
and stretching it out and getting it healed myself as much as I can. Because my
life is so difficult and busy (It isn’t. At all. Please, please, someone find
me a job), I am going to Hawaii for a week with my mama and sister. They have a
conference for the family business, and I will be surfing, tindering, and
trying to find Dog the Bounty Hunter. When I get home, who knows. Probably lurk
around Ontario for a bit to sort out some things for the family. Mostly I just
need a job because I am starting to go stir crazy. To the point where I am
redecorating my room right now. Seriously. Thank goodness I have a degree
because my hand is certainly not steady enough to cut it as a painter.
So, to everyone who sent love while I was away, and almost
even more so in my transition back into Canadian society, I will forever be
indebted to you. Thank you, I genuinely am so very grateful.
In other news, here is a secret tumblr that Dana and I
started when we were in Cameroon, but then the internet situation really went
out the window so couldn’t update it anymore:
Hopefully I will remember password and upload the other
photos I have saved soon.
Here is hoping I’ll never have my roommate in the back of a
police car where I don’t speak the language and have to play it off like it is
totally normal ever again.
So, here is a song to end our time together. It also gives
you accurate representation as to how I want to dance every time I go out now:
Until next time, my friends and cyber stalkers, until next time.
All my love,
Maura
