Sunday, 9th of August 09. My first blog entry......
Over the past week I've started to experience the usual symptoms that any person about to embark on a very unusual journey to a foreign and from hear say not so very friendly land would experience. This symptoms range from experiencing mini panic attacks in bed ,where all of sudden you realize that in six days from now you will be waking up in a completely new and foreign environment. Away from the comfort of familiarity, unable to reach friends or loved ones that would normally be reached via a simple phone call or a short drive, and most importantly, not knowing which coffee shop has the best coffee to help your mind, body and sleepy spirit begin its usual functionality. Oh, and did I mention the " No one speaks english....guess I best be learning arab quickly" factor? Other symptoms include utter frustration trying to hurry up non english speaking embassy workers to return your visa and passport so that you can actually leave the country and suffering under the maniacal sadistic touch of a way too eager nurse with a three inch needle prodding your arm fourteen times with a concoction of very expensive substances that will apparently shield you from any harm which may come your way. Friendlies such as yellow fever, malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, Hep B and A, Tetanus, Bad b.o, stinky breath, Mc Donald burgers and a whole other bunch of dangerous and menacing threats.
I asked Nazi Nurse if she had one that would protect me from being chatted up by extremely obese bikie women in a bar setting, to which the nurse grunted 'not funny!" and returned to plunging the needle deeper into my now swollen arm, sporting an even creepier smile on her deranged and contorted face. Someone needs a holiday.
So Yemen it is. Dont ask me why. Until two months ago I would have never imagined that one day I would travel to a country rated by news casts as a boiling pot of terrorism, but then again, like all things pertaining to the media and to what we are fed by it, what is to believe, and what is to give the benefit of doubt to? I guess Its one of those you dont know until you go scenarios , which is well, part of the reason why I'm going.
The major reason to my departurehowever is something I'm still not truly able to believe I have been given the opportunity to take part of, and the following is all largely due to my cousin/best friend/confidante who has been living there for over a year now and well, partly due to what I guess you'd call the subtle hands of destiny that guide our path in mysterious ways, mostly when we least expect it to. I have been blessed with the amazing opportunity to work alongside an organization in assisting refugees . To my understanding I will be teaching English to young orphaned children, and will be in charge of a group of 20 or so Somali youths where I will be trained and take part in organizing activities and well...whatever else may be of assistance. Its all so fresh I still dont really know much, but will update my blog as the days go on by. I'm getting really tired now, my eyes are blurry and my writing is getting worse and the sentences go on by, so I'll pull the plug and call it a night. It has been an incredibly busy two weeks preparing myself for the trip. I'm excited and a tad nervous, but what I'm mostly feeling right now is overwhelmed with sadness from leaving my family and loved ones behind. However, the show must go on, and as I've discovered in life anything worth doing always comes with a price tag , maybe one of sacrifice or loss, but if it is truly worth it, the gain will be immeasurable and the experience once in a lifetime. So, to all who've come this far, I appreciate your interest and would like to wish you the very best as you partake in this journey with me. This is Giovanni, over and out! Peace :)
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