I’m Back

“Taxi!”  A sound that is frequent in the dark night.  It is a warm and humid night.  There is a strong sense of familiarity.  My hair is in a ponytail, my feet fitted with sandals and a backpack filled with mosquito repellant.  I hear a low and very loud sound – a night creature.  I find it curious as the sound is different and takes me away from familiarity for a moment – I would guess it must be some sort of frog.

There are few other cars around. The road, at times, is lit – sometimes by the light of the American Embassy or the occasional streetlight but it is mostly dark.   It is quiet, no barking dogs or roosters protecting their hens – only an occasional ruckus bar and that ever present creature croaking in the darkness. 

The Faculty House is about a mile from the campus.  Teaching is high energy.  The brisk walk home burns the excess energy and gives pause to reflect. 

The classrooms are bright, clean and well equipped.  The students, mostly Ghanaian (I have one Israeli student), are engaging, energetic and serious about learning. During discussion, they ask more questions about the material rather than giving an opinion about a concept; a difference from teaching in the United States.  They are there to learn but not to show me what they know.  I like that but realize they must formulate opinions to strengthen the depth of the concept and their knowledge.

I come to an area of near complete darkness.  There are few footpaths and those that do exist are uneven bricks reminiscent of my days in Saint Lucia.  There are also the familiar wide and deep drainage ditches on the side of the road.  My eyes adjust and the walk continues. 

A man rides past on a bike; another is repairing his car.  Unlike Saint Lucia, there are no greetings of “Good night” or any other sort. I wonder how he sees while laying on the ground beneath the car and holding a wrench.

After a few days of serious adjustment and stress I begin to feel the complete peace I felt as a volunteer.  Living in a developing country with few possessions and none of the cares of the life left behind is liberating.  I had forgotten how the clutter in life could be a disturbance.  It’s nice to be back.