I'm Losing...

August 20, 2006

Where does the time go? We spent six weeks on vacation and now we are home.
Our last days in New York were awesome. We spent ten days in the mountains, relaxing. We canoed, rested, built fires, and did some good hard work. We split wood, and did some maintenance on the family cabin. My in-laws were there, including my brother-in law. It was extremely peaceful and grounding; a good preparation for the trip home.




Upon arriving back in the city, things got hectic again. There were people to see and more things to buy. We spent the last two days trying to cram everything into our six allotted bags. We carefully weighed each one, shifting some items and excluding others so each bag would come in under fifty pounds. After prolific sweating, we succeeded. Our friend Kevin drove us to the airport on Thursday afternoon. It was kind of him as it is a long drive full of traffic and tolls. We arrived at JFK, loaded our bags onto the cart, said goodbye, and headed inside. We were three hours early because of all the extra security. There was no line at the ticket counter. I placed each bag on the scale, gleefully noticing that each one was within a pound of the limit, counting them as I went; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…but wait; where is the sixth one? In the backseat of Kevin’s car. He has a cell phone, but doesn’t ever turn it on. Zachary’s suitcase is now tucked in at Kevin’s house. SHIT!!!

Our flight was uneventful and passed quickly. By midday Friday we were in Bamako. We broke the news to Zman. He took it well, but I think that’s because he doesn’t know that all of his beloved toy trains are in that bag. We spent some time researching retrieval methods, none of which are cheap for a fifty pound suitcase.

We had a five hour layover so we went to our friend’s house. It is the place where Anna, our new teacher, was staying. She was glad to see us and we were glad to see her. We spent some good time visiting and then we loaded her seven bags into the van and headed off to the airport. Once there we were told that there was not enough room on the plane for all of our bags so we had to leave nine of the twelve behind. Hopefully they will arrive later this week.

Mohammed greeted us at the airport and took us home. A new General Manager (his name is Richard Cox) took charge while we were gone. He determined that a new protocol was needed to assign housing. Since this protocol was not followed for Anna’s quarters, he denied her access. Instead she is staying in guest housing; a tiny room with a bathroom and no kitchen. We took her to our place where she has been sleeping in Zachary’s room. Carrie spent her morning meeting with Dick. He tells us that he will probably have a solution by Wednesday. Needless to say, we are all a little frustrated. Fortunately our boss is as peeved as we are.

Today is Zachary’s birthday. We bought him some tracks for the toy trains we left in New York. We have an alternate gift we can give him, but both items are in our bags in Bamako. Despite the desire to break down in tears, we are happy to be home. School starts tomorrow so we have busied ourselves in our classrooms.

I know that we will find solutions to all of these issues, but I can’t help kicking myself for leaving that bag behind. Maybe we were not designed for world travel after all. Maybe we should take the hint and stay in the States. You would think we could have one trip where nothing fucks up. You would think I might learn to slow down and focus on the moment. Time flies by and I always seem to be lost in its wake.
MJR

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

August 3, 2006

It’s another hot day in New York, makes me feel like I’m back in Mali. I’m a little tired of traveling, but I’m not sure I’m anxious to get back to the mine.

It’s been good to see folks here. Today I visited PS 226. Fortunately, my old principal wasn’t there. There were a few teachers I knew and some of the kids who had been in my class. It was fun to see them. I had some good conversations with my ex-students. They were very curious about Africa and why I would want to live there. It’s difficult to explain to an eight year old the pros and cons of living overseas. I do not regret having left.

Nothing has really changed. Everyone is still doing the same things, following the same routines, voicing the same complaints. There are many who say they are envious of our life. I suppose that makes sense. I mean it sounds so exotic doesn’t it? We live on a gold mine in West Africa. I have to chuckle because it really isn’t as exotic as all that. In reality it’s hot and lonely and a little mundane. I already miss our friends from the west and I haven’t even left the country yet.

We did some more shopping. We had to buy a new box to pack things in. There is so much we want to take with us; everything from underwear to prepared foods. Our next steps will be trying to pare down and leave behind the things we don’t really need. It will be a challenge. I know Cameron is right; once we get to Mali, the extra cost of baggage will be nothing compared to the excitement of having familiar things.

I must admit that shopping is pretty fun. It’s hard not to buy everything I see. There is so much to have and so much that is not available at the market in Sadiola. I still haven’t gotten my fill of lattes. Even Zachary gets excited by what he sees. I think he wanted every toy that Target had for sale. It’s all fun and games till the VISA bill shows up.

We were looking at pictures last night. As I viewed shots of my students, I realized that I do miss them, but at the same time I don’t want to go back to the middle of nowhere. I am anxious to see our friends there; I miss Reg and Wimpie and the rest of the fellows. The whole thing seems like a dream from which I have awakened. I know in my head that I will be happy to arrive there, but I can’t make this feeling of trepidation disappear.

I suppose the word I might use is melancholy. I feel melancholy today. I have had a great holiday, but I want it to start over again. I enjoyed our visit with friends and family, but I wish I could go back and see them longer. I am content, but sad that we are almost at the end. I don’t feel very exotic.
MJR

New York City

August 2, 2006

Here we are in New York City. It’s like we never left. The weather is hot and humid. Carrie says you can always tell when it’s summer in New York because the breasts come out to play. If that’s true, it is definitely summer!

We stayed two nights in a hotel in midtown. The room was tiny. We had to store two of our bags as there was no space for them. We sweated all night long; it felt just like home.

Yesterday Z and I slept in while Carrie went off to meet her friend for coffee. Her last words were, “meet me at Grand Central at eleven.” One might think that it would be impossible to find someone at such a vast facility with so little instruction, but we had only to scout out the bathrooms to find her. After a bagel and a cup of joe, we headed outside.

It was hot, but not oppressive. There was a nice breeze that helped out as well as the fact that the buildings create some shade. We went to Bryant Park where Zman rode the carousel. We then camped out in a bookstore until we were cool. We also got to ride the subway (a must do for Zachary) to meet Carrie’s sister-in-law at an Asian place for lunch. Sushi has never tasted so good!

We wandered around the East Village, purchasing CD’s, clothing, and sunglasses. Tompkins Square Park gave us a playground for Zachary, providing us some alone time with the S.I.L. We hugged her goodbye and climbed onto the subway headed for South Ferry.

The Staten Island Ferry is a must do in the city. First of all, it’s free. Secondly, it has some of the best views of the city, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. Third, the sea breeze is very refreshing. Fourth, they sell cold beer for only three dollars a bottle. After our round trip, we boarded the subway and went back to the hotel. Upon arrival we stripped naked, filled the bath with cool water and attempted to stop sweating.




This morning our friend Robert picked us up and took us to his place in Yonkers. Here we will visit our old neighborhood, hang out with some old friends, and buy more stuff before heading upstate to the cabin in the woods. I am looking forward to slowing down a little and being alone. I don’t even want to start thinking about the voyage home. We have way too much stuff and way too little space. I think there is a new suitcase in our future. We are tired, but happy.
MJR

Fast Cars, Good Food, and Great Friends

July 29, 2006

Man has it been hot! I think we brought Africa home with us. The difference is there is no air conditioning in Seattle. We have been super busy though. Holy cow! I’ll need a vacation from my vacation. We leave for New York in two days, things should slow a little then.

My cousin lent us the most bitchin’ car. It’s a Dodge Magnum with a Hemi engine. It’s fast; 0-60 in less than three seconds! She floats along at 85 and when you put your foot down, she hits 100 with no heavy breathing. It has been so much fun to drive. I can’t believe he lent it to me.

We have eaten some awesome food as well; fresh oysters, salmon, ling cod, crab, and chicken! Oh yeah, and ice cream too.
Two weeks ago we went rafting on the Wenatchee River and we camped for the whole weekend. We saw tons of friends, drank lots of beer, and warmed ourselves by the fire. I got to wear a sweatshirt and long pants! Everyone else complained about the mosquitoes, but we were thankful that they don’t make you sick. I even got to walk around outside without worrying about snakes.



The smell of the pine trees and wood smoke puts me in heaven. I had forgotten how much I like those smells. We cuddled up under the blankets and woke up cold. It was wonderful. The birds were singing and the water was rattling through the rocks. We even saw black bear and wild turkey. It was a completely invigorating experience.

We drove back out there several days later to go inner tubing on the same river. Our friend Dave runs a company and he hooked us up. We camped again in a different spot and then I went back to Seattle while Carrie and Z hung out with Steph and Aiden.

That night I went out with Cameron and Dan. We went and rode the go-carts at an indoor track down south. It was a blast. We raced around the track, passing and getting passed, sliding through the corners, and hanging on for life. It was awesome! We had a great time, just the three of us, hanging out and playing.
Last Sunday was Dan and Teresa’s wedding. I was the officiant. It was the first time I have ever done anything like that. I got ordained on the internet. I was pretty nervous; I mean it’s a heavy responsibility to marry someone. I feel like I did okay though, lots of people had good things to say about my words so I think they liked it. It was a spectacular ceremony, outside, with a great view of the Olympic Mountains and Elliot Bay.



Two days later we climbed on board the Victoria Clipper and hightailed it to Victoria B.C. to see my sister get married. Hers was a beautiful ceremony as well, on a bluff in a park overlooking the water and the Olympic Mountains. She and Nancy looked radiant as the vows were read. Both were glowing by the end of the service.





Our final Seattle weekend was spent with friends and family; first at a mountain retreat with tremendous views of the water, then at a West Seattle home with tremendous views of the water. Our plane took off at 8:00 Monday morning. We are tired, but fulfilled. Our visit was everything we had hoped for and more. It’s wonderful to have such good people around us. Our emotional fuel tanks have been topped off. Hopefully, it will be enough to get us through another year in the desert.MJR