This weekend has been the strangest in a while, and if it was a glimpse of what future weekends hold in Tunisia and my life then it’s both “scary” (my favourite word at the moment) and exhausting. I feel that I’ve learnt a lot about people and found a renewed desire to be a positive influence to others.
The activities started on Friday night after work. I did not know what I was letting myself get involved in. Had I known, I’m not sure that I would have gone ahead with it. I agreed to join my aunt and some of her colleagues for a 20km run. Yep…craziness I know. Especially as the longest I’ve ran or walked is probably around a quarter of that distance. Nonetheless, I donned on the suitable attire, my old and faithful Rebok cross-training trainers and t-shirt and jogging bottoms and prepared myself mentally for the pursing challenge. I felt a little bit more at ease once I found out that the run would take place along the coast at
La Marsa. This would give me an opportunity to see another part of the city that I’m going to be spending the next few months in. However, what my informant failed to tell me was that the coastline does not lie on flat plains but rather mountainous pastures, which meant that our run took us up some rather steep hills. So you can imagine that the run turned into a walk on some occasions when the burn and side-stitches took hold. Despite this, I am proud to say that we completed it, in around 3 hours. Now, I have no idea if that’s good time or not for a first timer…but I know that it was around twice as long as our main man, Mr Zimbabwe takes when he does the same route on a daily basis!! Madness, although, I think that he has an unfair advantage being from south of the sub-Saharan and all – nah that’s just me hating. I would say to everyone that given the opportunity you should try it. It’s really easy to back down from challenges, because we’re unsure of where it will lead us, or even because we believe that we’re not capable to do it. But it’s amazing what a little determination and faith can do. It’s a lot easier if you take the first step, than not taking any steps at all and remaining on the peripherals. I guess what I’m saying is that, don’t be self defeatist.
On the same theme, I attended a farewell dinner for one of the VPs of the organisation. Speakers spoke of her determination, zeal, compassion and faith in everything she did. It was a real inspiration for a girl like me to see that young black single females can make a significant difference to others less fortunate than ourselves, simply if we apply ourselves. She reminded us that, we are all privileged. It is because of the opportunities given to us that we are where we are and have achieved what we have achieved. In reality, those opportunities are outside our control but much of it is in the hands of our parents, their parents, their parents etc. and the choices that they made. However the over arching control lies in the hands of God, the almighty. Now I can’t explain why some are given different opportunities than others, but I do know that it’s up to me to make the most of these precious gifts I have been given. So having been surrounded with words of wisdom, distinguished guests and people of God who genuinely want to improve the lives of every single African, I too feel that it is also my desire and my duty to join them in the fight. So I’m going to do my best to get the most out of this internship, asking God to guide me daily in everything I do.
Everywhere I go no, matter where it is, I get bitten!!! I don't know what it is! And it seems like I’m the only one. It's really starting to "p" me off. Right now, I'm nursing four bites, one on my finger - I mean what kind of insect decides to do that? I mean to be honest they are kinda smart, seeing as its really uncomfortable and irritating and it keeps itching coz it's just below the knuckle so every time it bends it stretches the skin which irritates it even more. Arghhhhh!!! They've also managed to get into other uncomfortable places like under the armpit. I hope you're all feeling the pain. The same thing happened to me when I went to Sierra Leone, and even to Maryland. In Sierra Leone, it got so bad that I tried to sleep with extra long gloves on. Now this was in the middle of their summer, so it made for very uncomfortable and sweaty nights. In the end I had to submit to the little wretches. In Maryland, those little things covered my legs in lovely red bumps. Wearing trousers just aggravated them, so I had to wear shorts IN PUBLIC!!!
