As much as I love being in Sierra Leone, there are definitely perks to being back in Holland for a few weeks. I forget about some of the simple joys of home. And it's nice to be away from a few of the annoying things in Salone, although having said that I am very happy to be going back tomorrow. I suppose every place has it's ups and downs. Below are some of the differences I noted while in Holland:
- Being able to drink water from the tap (and not risk getting sick!)
- Walking to town on my own without getting hassled
- Not being asked “Will you be my friend?” by strangers
- Riding a bike to town
- Getting on a train to visit friends
- Absence of car horns honking in the streets at all times
- The quietness in the neighborhood
- Eating cheese and drinking milk
- Good water pressure in the shower
- Not being asked for my phone number by anyone
- No loud music during the night
- Grapes and Pears (of course I'm perfectly happy with pineapples and mangos)
- No malnourished children seen on a daily basis
- Not needing to plan when to charge my phone based on availability of electricity
- Lovely brown bread
- Fast internet
- No random phone calls waking me up at 2 am
- Washing my clothes in a machine (not looking forward to the handwashing!)
- Wearing winter clothes (I’m not a fan, can't wait to pull out the flip flops)
- Seeing family (love you guys!)
- No need to lie about my marital status to avoid marriage proposals
- Watching television (although I don’t miss it at all when gone)
- Getting my blood tested including iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid levels (wow!)
- Lots of green grass
- Feeding ducks and petting well-groomed dogs
- Countryside with cows, sheep and horses
- Daring to get in an elevator assuming it won’t get stuck due to a power cut
- Traffic lights that work
- Well-organized public transport (although not nearly as adventurous)
- Not being confronted with children dying every day and the sound of mothers wailing
- Enjoying the outdoors
Ah. So many wonderful things. I've left it all behind now as I am in transit to Freetown. I am ready for all that awaits me there and eager to get back to work at the hospital. There are so many great things about Sierra Leone - just to mention a few off the top of my head - sun, beaches, friends, great colleagues, purpose in my work, adventures - lots of good and challenging times ahead. Salone, here I come...
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