Frozen eggs!!!

 

Saturday July 24 2010 9pm

 

       Today was a slow day. We got up at 10:30am. I did not sleep well through the night; the jet lag caught up to me. My body thinks night is day and day is night. It will take a few more days to adjust to the time change. I remember this happened to me when we had moved to Belgium and also when we moved to Saudi Arabia. Just be patient I told myself, this too shall pass.  I also did not sleep well because through the night there was a loud storm, gusting wind, lightning  and sheets of rain pounding down. The rain in Vancouver is pissy compared to this!  During our conversation with D. at the Embassy yesterday I learned that there are no good places in town for breakfast, so breakfast “a la Madeleine on weekends” it was going to be! I had 30 eggs in the fridge and I was dreaming of whipping up a great omelette with   fresh onions and mushrooms. At the Super Marche Bobo yesterday, we had hesitated paying $10 for cheddar cheese but now every little shred of that cheese would be revered this morning. I couldn’t wait to make the best omelette ever. This was going to be such a treat. As I opened the fridge door,  I noticed the frozen jug of water. Oh no this is not good! I took the eggs out and sure enough they were frozen! I had never seen frozen eggs before and did not even know this could happen! To my astonishment, I looked at the temperature control and it was at its’ coldest! Now what? I decided to let the eggs thaw out. Can we get sick on frozen eggs? Probably not and I proceeded to make the omelette. Raymond said it was the best omelette I had ever made! I agreed!

        The rest of the day we moved our few pieces of furniture around to make our small apartment as cozy as possible. After all, this is home for the next 2 years!  We do not have TV or internet yet so we have a lot of time on our hands, time to ponder…and also to talk and process all  our feelings.  It is so good to talk and not be interrupted by phones, work, internet or other North American distractions.  Life has slowed down considerably since we have arrived here. We only have each other and I am cherishing all this good togetherness time. After the used Embassy furniture had been rearranged, I emptied out my suitcases. So much stuff…..why do we have so much stuff? I wonder if all the stuff that I brought here will be useful. Time will tell.

      I got homesick later in the afternoon and I wanted to  phone our children.  Saturdays were usually our times to phone Nadine in Winnipeg. I miss not knowing how she is doing and also how Patrick is doing in Vancouver.  In the evening, the noise level and commotion  on the street caught my attention. From our 5^th floor balcony, we watch our Guinean neighbours hustle about, carrying plastic patio chairs on their heads, the same kind of chairs I remember seeing at Zellers. Something is in the air, something is brewing for sure. I see a small van brimming over with tam-tams, djembés and women walking ever so graciously with baskets of bread on their heads, while others carry baskets of bananas. Little kids are running in the street. Music is coming from a covered area; maybe this is a community centre. Looks like a party is happening. I’m curious about this celebration. I wish I was invited. My need to make friends  and expand my little world is nudging me from the inside. I’m a relational  person and need to connect with others. I’m looking forward to making new friends. I feel very alone and cut off from my children, family, friends and the rest of the world!   Raymond and I are alone here, two souls in this new world that is not our world. I know this discomfort will ease off in its own time as we get used to this new place.

       Let’s just hope and pray that the political unrest subsides, that the elections  scheduled for August 1^st are positive and that this country in distress gets back on its feet. All this and much more will unfold in the next few weeks. So often back in Canada, my time spent with friends camouflages another need, that of quiet and solitude. Am I  running away from myself? Do I like being alone for hours on end and just be my own best friend? Am I comfortable with silence? Something I need to ponder.

 

11pm----phone call

 I tried calling maman in Winnipeg. It worked in an instant and she sounded like she was just next door! It felt great to talk with her. We chatted  a few minutes but it was enough to give me that sense of belonging in the world again and not feel so isolated. Then a few minutes after I hung up, Nadine called. Another boost of happiness. It was so important as we are really disconnected from the rest of the world right now. I can sleep peacefully now knowing that my family can reach us.