Simple, Social Pleasures
on Fiona Craven (Guyana), 07/Feb/2012 23:39, 34 days ago
I recently read an article on the BBC world service about adjusting to life back home after a stint away. This article had testimonials from people like“Colin” who found it hard having to do things for himself again after having everything done for him while living abroad. Hmm, I thought. Then there was poor “Liz” who missed all the embassy lunches. I’ll bet I thought, as I turned on our gas bottle to begin toasting bread over the flame.When I return, I will have the opposite to deal with. I will have to get used to putting my clothes in a washing machine (remind me how that works again), hoping in my car to go wherever I want, walking into Tescos and figuring out what of the huge variety of produce am I going to buy.The volunteer life is very different to the expatriate life. Here inGeorgetown, I mostly socialise within the volunteer and local communities, though I do occasionally mix within the expatriate community. In my community we celebrate simple pleasures. Someone’s back fromJamaicaand they’ve bought real cheese, come over for a cheese party. Someone’s planning a trip to the interior, come over with travel guidance and join in games night. Someone’s got a work deadline and needs all hands on deck to help finish a project, come on over and lend a hand in return for free rum! There’s always somebody’s birthday to celebrate, or a new volunteer to welcome, or someone to wish bon voyage to. Living in the interior may be very different to town, but here in GT I rarely have an evening without some social event to go to.So Colin and Liz, you can keep your housekeeper and your fancy private lunches because I’m loving this life of cheese fondue and fun times!Speaking of cheese and simple pleasures, I'm off to Suriname later this week so looking forward to good wine, nice cheese and a cinema!