n.
1. A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
2. The condition of being homesick; homesickness.
ORIGIN late 18th cent. (in the sense [acute homesickness] ): modern Latin (translating German Heimweh ‘homesickness’ ), from Greek nostos ‘return home’ + algos ‘pain.’
What an amazing weekend we had! I have been touched by the warm hospitality of the individuals we met in Moshi especially my CCBRT colleagues. They have opened their workplaces and homes to us by ensuring that our placement is worthwhile and inviting us for lunch and dinner with their families. Next up is Mama Alex's house...be careful, Jeff. You might not be allowed to go home after dinner.
As many of my CCBRT colleagues have said to me, "karibu, feel at home." Meeting their families really made me miss my family and friends. When the Tanza Crew went to my preceptor's house, her son asked us what "bittersweet" means. We explained that "bittersweet" is the experience of being happy and sad at the same time. I gave the example of going back to school...while someone may be happy to see his/her friends again after the summer, he/she is also sad that summer is over. The word "bittersweet" captures the essence of the feeling that I have now...while I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do my fieldwork in Moshi and to see Mt. Kili everyday, I also feel longing for the simple things from home that give me a sense of security and comfort.
- I miss my comfy queen-sized bed and my purple comforter.
- I miss waking up to the sun rising (sadly, sometimes when I wake up here, it's still dark out but I've been sleeping in until 6 am lately...no more waking up at 5:30 am).
- I miss hot showers!
- I miss Timmy's and Starbucks (yes, I said it, but the coffee here has been really good and Moshi is actually the coffee producing centre of Tanzania. We also have "chai"/tea break every day at work).
- I miss my walks to school. It's my "me" time to clear my mind. Some of the roads that we travel through aren't paved and are quite bumpy. Let's just say that the ride to CCBRT every morning is never dull.
- I miss seeing squirrels. Salamanders have been a welcome substitute especially the multicoloured ones.
- I miss my printer. I'm those old-fashioned people who enjoy reading papers and articles on hard copies than on the computer.
- I miss watching TV shows as they air. I've been lucky that the wi-fi has allowed me to stream shows while I'm here. I'm a TV junky!
- I miss the multicultural aspect of living in Toronto. Today, we had dinner at Taj Mahal, except it wasn't Indian food as we had expected. Nonetheless, it was definitely yummy...pineapple soda and beef skewers! We're branching out from our usual spots: Best Bite (Joyce is a loyal customer) and Pub Alberto (You can only eat "chipsi"/french fries for so long).
- MOSTLY, I miss physically seeing my family and friends and talking to them. Please know that all your emails and fb msgs have been great to read (sorry for the slow replies). As much as I am having a wonderful time here, I miss you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment