Big day at the Beach

Saturday 12 March

Today was one of the longest days yet and not only because I am pretty jet lagged. On Thursday night I arrived in Bata where I was greeted by my sweet husband. What a joy to see him. It’s hot here! As in water-doesn’t-dry-on-your-skin hot.

This morning we went and had breakfast at the Spanish Cultural Center with some of Simon’s colleagues who told me the ocean was warm like piss. Then I did a taped Spanish lesson while he was in a meeting. Then we went to the beach! And to what is known as the Spanish bar. There are lots of animals on strings there, like a baby crocodile tied up near a largish puddle, a couple of monkeys dancing around a shell of what looked like a fallout shelter, an extremely dead looking boa constrictor with a chicken in the same cage that was walking ON TOP of the boa. Apparently the boa has dental problems…The driver was poking him with a stick and then jumping away, laughing and saying “I’m so scared!” I was like, you’re the one poking the boa dude. But of course that’s what I would have said if I spoke Spanish.

One thing that I love and hate about learning a new language is that I have to give up control a little and let other people help me. Here are a few situations today where I would have liked to speak better:

When ordering. Cajoled by the waitress and a miscommunication I ordered 2 lunches instead of the 1 that the Pad and I wanted to share. He was upset when it came and again when it was time to pay because it was WAY too much food and expensive. Then he told the lady that we did not want to pay for it because we did not order it. I felt ashamed and mad that I sat by because I could not say what I wanted. When we tried to pay, they wouldn’t let us pay for anything. Seriously. The lady said no pasa nada and ushered us out. We both felt really bad and are still wondering if we are allowed to go back. First lesson on that – always be gracious, no matter what. Money isn’t really that important.

Then we stopped to say hi to this American doctor that I met on the plane who is the on-call emergency guy for one of the big oil companies here. He works 28-days on, 28 off. Oil is pretty much what happens here. I got a tour of the compound which was on the beach with an enormous groomed lawn, tennis courts, a 5-a side soccer pitch, swimming pool, weight room and game room that stank like stale air-dried mold. (like the wedding house before we aired it out folks…humidity by the sea). The clinic was nice – they are in the middle of a blood donation project to get more safe blood for emergencies. Since there is not really refrigeration here, the blood just goes from one person straight into the next with hopes that the type will match.

On the way home from there we were stopped by some ladrones dressed in military garb, one with a gun and the other lit to the high heavens. This was one of the things that I was scared would happen. And it’s actually not so common here. I didn’t have my passport and they chose that point as the opportunity to extort money. It really could have been anything though. I just sat there in the back with my seat buckled wishing that I could be filled with love instead of fear. The one guy with the red eyes kept opening the back door and telling us about how the US and Guinea are brothers, no problem. Simon tried his hold-on-while-I-call-my-embassy trick and also tried to talk our way out, but it just ended up with us engaging for too long. The thing the driver told us later – direct them to me, don’t talk to them. It was scary, but just annoying/scary not omg scary. Except at one point where they told me to get out of the car and Simon shook his head and said, don’t.

When we got back I was exhausted and crawled into bed. Then the Fang Prof called to arrange a meeting. So back we went to the Spanish cultural center to meet him and set up a date for our first lesson. Tomorrow we go to Evinayong.

The most interesting part of this has been how to let it all go. I tend to beat myself up over mistakes that I’ve made, but today I thought, this time I’ll go a little easy. It’s okay to make mistakes, as long as I make new ones every time.