Awa

I can’t help but be in a reflective mood this week. We have made it through our first year, our first year in Africa. “Rejoice for this accomplishment”, a little voice says inside of me. It really is an accomplishment! To have been uprooted from our abundant Canadian lifestyle and parachuted in Conakry, one of the top 10 failed nation states and have survived it is a major achievement.

School’s out and with it comes an immense sense of relief. As I look back at my year in Conakry I am grateful for all the life lessons learned:

1) The first of these lessons was to experience life in its simplicity. I can live with very few material possessions. I don’t need a bunch of stuff to be happy. I can do without many things. I can live very well with my beautiful, white bare walls in my simple apartment on the sixth floor in Conakry.

2) The second life lesson was to evaluate the way I live my every day life: is a life of high-speed- internet style really that fulfilling? I’ve learned that Africa-slow-down-and-smell-the-roses style has many benefits. The first benefit is a richer, more interesting life and a life with less stress. I am learning from my Guinean brothers that relationships are foremost important. Everything stems from the relationships you have with people. In order to establish relationships, you need to take TIME to connect with people. This means talking to the tailor for 30 minutes before asking him to sew up a new outfit. It also means asking Myriam, the girl at the fruit stand how her life is going, how school is going for her before purchasing the fresh produce she is selling and it means checking in with the clerk at the store on her family and her kids. It all takes time, but it is very important time.

3) Being vs Doing. I have struggled with these two concepts most of my life. My father used to say Avoir et Etre, the two most common verbs in the French language, but they determine how you choose to live your life. He is SO right. I threw myself in a whirlwind activism as I arrived at a new school, new job of teaching Middle School and new place to live in the world. I worked and worked and worked. On the weekends, everything stopped. There was NOTHING TO DO, really nothing to do. This is when the Being started to make its way in my consciousness. It is ok to just Be I would tell myself. So used to moving about and DOING stuff, I struggled with this for most of the year, but I have learned to tame the notion of being comfortable with Being.

It was a very challenging year, an intense experience of dealing with culture shock, poverty, a national election, riots in the streets and living with a curfew and trying to find my place in this place that at times shook me to my core and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d me as a human being. I questioned my values and beliefs and struggled to find an answer to what’s missing in my life (see earlier blog).

In my other overseas experiences I took language courses so I could communicate with the local population. Here I never did. There are so many dialects spoken that it is mind boggling, so I chose none. However there was one word that I kept hearing over and over. The word was “awa”. My curiosity got the best of me and one day I asked ”What does it mean?”. I learned that awa means yes. So now after a year in Africa, I can say awa; it is true that I lived a very enriching, challenging year. Awa it was an intense year, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Awa to the many beautiful people I met at my little school with the big heart. Awa to all the relationships I made with the people in my neighbourhood.

I learned. I grew. I learned more. I grew more. Now after this time of reflection I say awa to another year.

7:20AM

Monday morning June 6, 7:20AM and I just got to school. My head is prioritizing. What to do first? Well, first things first. Photocopies for my first class at 8:30. That was easy. I walk over to the computer lab and greet my Malian fellow colleague Issa. He always brightens my day. He has such a positive outlook on life and is goodness incarnated, compassion on two feet really, caring and generosity all rolled into one great human being. So after our usual small talk of the weekend’s ventures, I start to make copies…..Vram ! The photocopier gets stuck. Issa immediately rises from his chair and comes to help me. We work out the few kinks from the antiquated photocopier and start again. First, second and third try…..and I give up. The machine jams every time. Issa reminds me in his usual practical philosophy that the machine is tired, after all it is over 10 years old. “Just like human beings” he says, “elle a de l’age.” « I’ll go see Ruth, » I hurriedly tell him and walk over to the office copier. Same thing with the same results. Aggggghhhhh ! By now, I am sweating and my stress level has gone up a few notches. Two machines to make copies at our school and they both are on the blink. For those who are not teachers, photocopiers are our life line. So many lessons are planned around having handouts for students so NOT photocopying is not an option!

I walk over to my classroom, unlock the door and as I walk in, the heat hits me in a huge wave. I flick the switch for the air conditioner and hot air pushes out…..OH NO! I say out loud ! Not again…the AC does not work ! I walk back to the office at a quick pace and now sweat runs down my back. Nothing works this morning….AGGGHH ! I get to the office and tell Ruth in a frazzled voice that the air conditioner in my classroom which by the way was not working either on Friday, is still not working now Monday morning. I glare at her….isn’t she supposed to get things fixed. Ruth stammers: « I called the guy on Friday but he never called back she says. I’ll call him now….yes please I said ! It’s urgent…you are dealing with someone who has serious hot flashes…And a soon to be room full of complaining, smelly teens.

Running around like this at such an early time in the morning over stimulates my bladder so I head off to the bathroom. The toilet does not flush….aghhhhh ! I open the tap to wash my hands and no water comes out….I wait a few seconds and brown water sputters out……yuck I say ! Finally clear water barely trickles out, but there is no soap. I rinse my hands. There is no paper towel to dry my hands. Agghhhhhh !

I look at Raymond and fire comes out of my eyes…. « Nothing works this morning » I practically scream…..AGGGGGHHHHH! It is 8am and I am not ready for my class. We start with morning assembly; announcements and then we walk over to our classrooms. I have to get to my classroom door before my dear Middle School students, otherwise the day starts chaotically. They are usually as high as kites on Monday mornings….excited to see each other after a weekend deprived of each other’s company. I head off at a quick pace, ahead of my teenage tribe, but Raymond stops me. I look up and see him with a mother and two kids. The oldest looks like a possible student for my class. I walk over and in my usual cheery voice say « Bonjour! « They are from Cote d’Ivoire so I know that French is their first language. I imagine that they are visiting the school and want to inquire for the August start up of school. NO!! To my surprise the young girl is coming in today to visit and will stay till the end of the school year….she speaks no English at all! Aghhhhhh…what will I do with a new student when there are 10 school days left. I walk with her over to my overheated classroom with the already hyper students who have been screaming and laughing, because of course I have been delayed. She has no desk, speaks no English is evidently uncomfortable, completely lost in this sea of noisy, overzealous teenagers.

I try to make her feel comfortable and speak to her in French. I ask my students to introduce themselves and I introduce the young girl. I find a chair for her to sit on. My students are now even more excited to have a new student in class and are showing off by being even more boisterous. « But its too hot to stay in the classroom, » they complain. « I know, tell me about it » I said…trying to keep calm. I wait for everyone to calm down and look at me. « Looks like things are not working well this morning. I want you all to find your inner Zen, your inner peace right now. Think about the day you want to have, will it be positive or negative? You all have the choice to decide which one it will be…will your actions will be positive or negative? » As I hear myself say those words, I am finding my inner peace, SOMEWHAT. I can’t believe what I have been through since this morning and I haven’t even been at school for one hour yet. I’m exhausted! And yes there are only 6 school days left….whew! My students file out of the room with me as we seek out to find the nearest air-conditioned room. Comfort at last…. we decide to go to the Library. The air conditioner is humming as we walk in and the cool air is refreshing; it becomes immediately a wonderful oasis…..even with the smell of rotten mice and mold in there …..Sigh! This is my little school in Africa…..and I’m not used to the dysfunctionnality after a year. Will I ever be? I wonder.

The day ends on a more positive note. Once I arrive home, I walk over to the supermarket. I buy $70 worth of food items. The polite man at the cashier says that he will help me bring my bags home and I accept his offer as it is a 5-minute walk. We chat along the way and exchange ideas about the lack of expatriates which makes for a poorer Guinea. “They do bring in a lot for the economy, “he says, in a matter of fact yet sad undertone in his voice. Then he explains that his salary is 200,000 GF a month…I am speechless. I repeat 200,000 GF a month to him as if I did not understand; “how can you make ends meet,” I say? This is $30 a month and he needs to feed himself and his family of four. He says that it is difficult, « mais c’est comme ca. » Guineans are eternal optimists. I thank him as he leaves me at my door and I add an extra amount of money in his hand. I have nothing to worry about, don’t I? I have no right to complain about my life..….