A weird and wonderful weekend
This place is weird. I feel like I always have to say that to myself and other people just because there is no other way sometimes to explain things. A few weeks back with my class, we wrote descriptive essays about a day in the life. We discussed at length that this place is weird and that it seems so strange to outsiders but to us, who become so used to it become boring sometimes. But this weekend was one of those kind of weird weekends, great but weird. This past week was a three-day weekend on ship Friday was a ship holiday. On Friday a group of us set out to walk to the fabric street. We have done this before and were prepared to have to argue a little over the price but knew for the most part what things should cost and were ready for a day out. We ended up getting a lift into the city with a few girls going across town for the weekend to stay at a beach hotel. We were able to get into their Poda and drive most of the way to the street. Whenever I get in a Poda a send a quick prayer for safety, this one was no exception. I ended up on the backbench that was not welded into place. When ever we would stop and start and hit a bump, which keep in mind we are still in free town is all the damn time. So using the ceiling and the seat in front of us, not as wobbly but definitely not strong we held our self’s upright for the ride. I was happy we only went for about 10 min as opposed to the girls going an hour. We jumped out and after a quick silent prayer for the girls to get their safely in the Poda the group and I set out the last few streets to the fabric street. When I say street I really mean an ally, there are stores on either side of the ally that are open but then there are stalls in the “street” that sell fabric and other things you might want.
We split up into two smaller groups to make it easier on ourselves and went on our way to shop. When we were walking down the ally we noticed a film crew ahead of us with a white women talking to a local women. If we are on the ship it is not that strange to have film crews, its not an every day thing but not that strange. But out on the street here that was kind of strange. We kept walking and shopping as normal and then got a look at the women walking, it was Eva Mandes from “Hitch”. We where a little excited, seeing as she is a celebrity but also that she is in Freetown, who the hell comes here. We went over and talked to a producer and said we would love to have them on as guests. We are only allowed guests on Sundays and the forms would have had to been in the day before but we would worry about that latter. It ended up that they where flying out on Sunday but we got to talking and the women was amazed as out little group, what we were doing and what we had left behind to be able to do it. They are filming a documentary for PBS based on the book “ Across half the Sky” it is about women’s rights in developing nations. I have heard of it before and actually think Tessa tried to talk me into reading it once… Maybe now I will. We met up with the other half of our group and filled them in on what was going on. We all were probably more excited then we should have been but it was so random. Eva ended up walking by when they where not filming and started talking to all of us. She was pretty surprised how long we had been there and thought the work we are doing is great and that in fact “ we are fucking rad” . Not gonna lie, I swear all the time, I am working on it but not that hard. She dropped like 6 F-boms in about 3 minutes. I was startled to hear it so much, and so where some of the others in the group who have much cleaner mouths then I do. Unfortunately non of had cameras on us as you know we wanted to keep them. Just kidding mom its not that bad!!! We finished our shopping and walked to have lunch. We went to the bakery in town that has pretty great food. Of course there where other Mercy Shippers there, and we could not wait to recount our celebrity sighting.
After lunch we did a bit of shopping at the craft market, I go home in a little over a month for a friends wedding so I am trying to make sure I have some small gifts for people back home. It was not the most fun shopping experience, we are leaving soon-ish and people know and are desperate for our business. The people selling crafts have become much more aggressive and persistent. The craft market is split, one side is men selling crafts who are normally fine, they always want you to look at their stall but understand when you say no. The other half is women who are aggressive and so loud, they want to show you everything and kind of block the path sometimes. This time they were all aggressive and it was not that fun. We all did our shopping fast, I would have loved it to be faster especially after I saw a rat run across the isle.
We went back to the bakery and caught a ride with other shippers back home. Our rover broke down a little bit away from the ship, luckily we were in a quite section near the port and were able to push the rover safely to the hope center where it could sit with out anything happening to it for the night. At one point I almost slipped in the mud, and was waiting to end up face first in a mud puddle, it would be classic, and my Toms did not have a lot of traction. We were all so excited to share our celebrity sighting with others, some did not believe us and thought we were lying. But come on why would we not have picked a hot man then?!?
That night my ship life partners and I watched a few movies. I am sure that name seems strange but that kind of explains it. We are pretty co-dependent and mostly always together. Saturday morning a group of us got ready to go to the beach for the night. A friend on board Rob, his dad and godfather are on board so he wanted to let them have a weekend experience off ship. We went to the beach we normally go to, I go pretty often for the day but not normally for the night. A few reasons, I am cheap, I like my bed and I love a nice shower. But it was fun, if it is only once and a while its fun. On Saturday we had crazy rain and thunder and lighting. At one point when it cleared we all went for a swim when we heard thunder we all started running out, again no worries mom it was far off. But a friend had never seen me move so fast, I was brought back to a time snorkeling with my brothers in Hawaii when an Ele hissed at me and a swam back to shore as fast as could. The afternoon was spent playing cards and when the rain cleared more swimming and walks on the beach, trying to find shooting stars and laying by a bonfire on the beach. There are moments here that I get really frustrated at myself, I start to think about work and what I should be doing and what the hell I am going to do with my life when I leave here in June. I have to stop myself and think to enjoy this moment make it a memory. At one point we were sitting on the porch at the beach and the rain was coming down so hard on the tin roof that it was hard to talk but it was a great moment.
Sunday was bring and early with a damn roster who thought we should be up before the sun. The rest of the day was spent swimming, tanning, reading, and laying in the hammock reading with a nice breeze, my favorite.
Monday was a teacher workday, these normally start with breakfast as a staff and this time I volunteered to be in charge of that. It evolved from muffins to quiche and muffins, to quiche, muffins and cookies for after lunch. Needless to say that was gonna be a lot, thank God for friends because they came saw how much I had to do and each took a task. We were all done in a little over an hour. Enough time left to do laundry and play a round of hand and foot, my new card addiction. I have to say the quiche where not as good as my momma make them but they where good. It is so nice just to be able to sit down and have a meal together like a family and it is equally fun to cook and feel homey by spending time in the kitchen and hanging out in their with friends.
I have been reading this book and in fact just finished called “ The lost girls: Three friends. Four continents. One Unconventional Detour Around The World” I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who has the travel bug. It has made me want to go to South America so badly, I have always wanted to go and now it is an active goal I am trying to work towards. As well as Antarctica, I don’t really know why but I have a huge desire to go. Maybe because it is changing so quickly with global warming or maybe because on the list of a 100 things to do before I die visit all 7 contents is number 1, 3 down and 4 to go.
But I think the real reason I loved this book so much was because I saw myself a little in each of the girls. They where 27-28 year old women from NYC who wanted to see the world before they where tied down. I get that, because that drives me also.
“ We were searching for answers, but as we’d learn along the way, the ones you uncover are rarely those to the questions asked.” I came here searching for something to do for a year, why not. As mom had said you can do anything for a year, but I loved it so I said what the hell and stayed a second. I don’t think that will be happening again but I will forever be grateful for this place and the questions it has made me ask of myself, people and God.
There are so many quotes from this book that I really connected with and the life I am leading and the one I want to continue to lead. I will leave you with two although I am dying to put them all up but that would dilute the point.
First: “ You can’t know when there’ll be an unexpected detour that’ll take you to the place were always meant to be.” Had it not been for Tessa causally bringing up Mercy ships some 14 months ago randomly as I was half listening in my hung-over, sleepy, no coffee state I would never have come here. I cant wait for the next detour.
Secondly: “The only leaps of faith you’ll ever regret are the ones you don’t’ take.”
October, 10th 2011
