To the left is a picture of one of the beautiful beaches of my country, Sierra Leone. The amazing beauty of our beaches was a huge tourist attraction before the rebel war destroyed my country. Sierra Leoneans flocked to the beaches every weekend and especially on Boxing Day and Easter Monday to swim, hang out and just have a good time. Tourists went to the beaches to admire the deep blue, clear waters and feel the clean, pale, warm sands filter through their toes. My once peace-loving country was blessed with natural beauty, beauty that has been destroyed by the ravages of the war and the cries of the wounded and the bereaved.
I love my country, despite the problems (an understatement) it is facing at the moment. Sierra Leone is the one place in the world that I have ever felt trully at home, the one place that has the highest concentration of my loved ones (my parents, my brothers, my friends), and the only place that I have always called "home" and will probably call "home" for a long time.
Growing up was fun in Sierra Leone. Oh yes, life wasn't as exciting as over here because we didn't have a television station or cable or cinemas or arcades or a Macdonalds but we had fun. Indeed, no one can party or have fun like Sierra Leoneans. No party in England, Canada or the U.S. has ever come close to parties at home. Going to schools' sports or occasionally spending time at Aqua Sports Club was a great social event for my friends and I. Hey, we didn't have to worry about being shot or raped or mugged(most of the time).
Christmas break was the best time. Sierra Leoneans never forget the religious origins of this blessed holiday; we went to church on Christmas Day, the Sunday after Christmas, New Year's Eve and the Sunday after New Year. The good Lord was definitely honored a lot during the holiday. Then, there were the parties and the "jams" (as we used to call them) on New Year's Eve and throughout the holiday season. All the "just-cams" would come home from studying abroad and would show up at parties in the latest fashion, hoping to outdo the locals but oh no, we gave them a run for their money.
Sierra Leone may have been a little country in West Africa but we had all the latest fashions, recent music and videos almost as soon as they came out in the United States and definitely before England heard of them. Being current and staying current with the rest of the world in these aspects was definitely important to the youth. Unfortunately, the country as a whole could never keep up with the rate of development of the rest of the world but we were trying to, until the war became the only item on our agenda.
I haven't been home in four years, as unbelievable as that sounds. When I left home four years ago, I really believed that I would be seeing my family again the following summer. Unfortunately, I didn't verify this with the greedy, power-hungry, insane people who have been prolonging the war. All I have heard and keep hearing is "Don't go home Sade. You can't come home Sade. It's not safe." Well, Sade is getting desperately homesick and missing her family a lot so she might just put on a bullet-proof vest, say her prayers and head home soon. We'll see.
There is a lot more to say about Sierra Leone, however, I do have limited space so I must conclude. If you want to know more, click on the "Sierra Leone" link above or contact me at sadeharmony@hotmail.com. I cannot conclude without mentioning a few of my most memorable moments in Sierra Leone. -Being the UNICEF representative to Sierra Leone on The Day of the African Child-June 16th, 1992. -Hosting a great Xi Psi Gamma party at Phase II with Angella, Desiree, Shetu, Harriette, Mirabelle, Eamon, Melrose, Nadim and Velma. -Raising funds for the party, having a church service and donating school supplies and clothes to Daisy Bona's school for displaced children. -Receiving my award from the vice-president for best results in G.C.E O'levels -Meeting Kekuda at the Rose Cafe -Having my dad wait in the car for me at a Brookfields Hotel jam -Leaving school to watch the African Nations Cup at Eustace's house, Sierra Leone lost 6-0 -Going to my first Aldemics Outing with Matilda -Saying goodbye to my mum, dad, Hakim, Matilda, Dalton, Nadia, and Bigger at the ferry terminal etc. etc. etc.
A picture of my mum and I in Yvonne's house in England is to the right. I have spent part of three summers in England, visiting relatives, hanging out with friends and of course going to the NottingHill Carnaval. The first time I went to the west Indian carnival, I accompanied my mum and my aunt. I do love their company but not at a carnival. I had no fun and wasn't going to go again. Well, the next two times changed my mind. This time I went to the carnival with Georgeanna, Pierre, Jason, Susan and Jennifer, Samantha, Mide and some other people and we had a lot of fun dancing in the streets of London. I can't wait to go again. It is all about the right crowd.
The second time I went to London, I went to an International Girls Guide Camp and to serve Yvonne Macfoy as a bridesmaid in her wedding to Tunjie Caramba-Coker. I had fun then and really enjoyed the wedding. Being a bridesmaid, I could drink as much champagne as I liked and I love, love champagne. I don't think I got drunk though my mum kept frowning at me every time I picked up the champagne glass.
I don't like England a lot because I think it is a very cold and bleak place but I think if you have friends who know how to have a good time, England can be really fun. I did spend a lot of time at my Aunty Ada's place, taking care of my dear cousins, Crispina and Nadine. However, I did visit Madame Tussaud's famous wax museum, go to Chessington Zoo, go to a night club with Yemisie, go shopping at Argos and Elephant and Castle, visit my relatives in my Wales, Surrey and Mitcham, go horseriding, go to the movies with friends and watch a lot of "Blind Date" and "Saved By the Bell". Yeh, England was fun the older I grew and as more of my friends moved there. I actually miss the place sometimes and really looking forward to spending a few weeks there.
When most people think of Canada, they think of snow and eskimos and the cold and more snow. I figured that a picture of my friends and I skiing will be an appropiate picture representing my time spent in Canada. Angela, Nono, Ramya and Moliehi and I were learning to ski on the Mt. Washington slopes in Canada. It was second year ski day at Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific. Just before the IB exams, all the second years piled on large buses headed to Mt. Washington for the day. The experienced skiers braved the steep slopes and the very inexperienced like myself had ski instructors. That myth of male instructors being gorgeous was really just a myth for my friends and I (what a disappointment). Skiing on the beginners' slope was a lot of fun although I lost one of my gloves and had to freeze. I didn't dare go on any steeper slope though. I am so terrified of going down any steep hills and after my first few attempts, I decided to seat inside and read a book. Not impressive at all, right?
Being in Canada was an interesting and often enjoyable experience. I spent two years of my life there studying at Pearson College , one of the first United World Colleges established by Lester Pearson, a Nobel Peace prize winner in Victoria, B.C., Canada. I stayed on a resort-like campus with our own docks on Pedder Bay with approximately 200 other students from 70 countries. I wasn't on campus all the time. I was lucky enough to have an excellent host family, Ann and Vernon Whittaker, and a wonderful host mum, Olivia Barr. I spent a lot of time, especially during the holidays at their houses. They were very hospitable and would often take students on trips such as to Bucharat(forgot the spelling) Gardens, or to a Christmas concert or even camping in a motor home.
Memories of Canada include the ski trip of course, One World concerts in Victoria and Vancouver, doing gumboot in the streets of Victoria, Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership, surprise birthday celebrations, seeing students jump in the Bay after the IBs, firefighting, dancing to songs from "Grease" soundtrack with the girls of Japan House in my first year, waitressing at the European National Day, chereographing a dance to Boys II Men's "Motown Philly" with Wambugha, Ikechi, Moliehi, Collin and Symballa, steering a small airplane from Vancouver to Seattle with Mariama in the back seat, Christian retreat at Allison and Peter Gardner's house, going into Victoria for the first time with Abu and seeing a bus with "Sierra Leone" written on it, African National Day and dancing on the table with Symballa, rehearsing for "The Crucible" on an island with just the main cast members( I was Tituba, figures, right?), spending a week in Montreal and going to a Nightclub with Yinka, rain, rain and more rain etc. etc Oh I almost forgot the deers, racoons and going for walks with Nono or Moliehi. Click on the picture to your left for more of me and my Canadian experience
This picture was taken during my first winter (with actual snow) in the United States of America. I had actually spent Christmas of 1996 in San Francisco but it rained instead of snowed. I am standing in front of McCabe Library at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania wearing my favorite (and only) Gap sweater. Bubu, Kwaku and I were waiting for a ride to church on this cold wintry Sunday. Actually, I don't think it snowed much that year (1998).
I have spent a lot of time in the United States, much more time than I have ever spent in another place (other than Sierra Leone of course). As I mentioned before, I spent Christmas of 1996 in San Francisco, California with Manueli from Fiji(May he rest in peace) and Dorota from Poland, summer of 1997 in Cleveland, Ohio, Atlanta, Georgia and Silver Spring, Maryland, and Christmas of 1999 in Los Angeles. I have also spent a couple of days in Connecticut and New Jersey. Of course my college, Swarthmore College is in Pennsylvania, a few minutes away from Philadelpia (home of Will Smith, my favorite actor) so Pennsylvania is the one state that has had to tolerate me the longest.
Christmas in LA was unbelievable and unforgettable, my dream holiday that I will never regret going on and sometimes wish I could repeat. Of course Victor and Memuna's wedding in Connecticut was the best, great music + great food + great company + great relatives = great time. Yeh, I have enjoyed my time in the United States (some of the time). Oh yes, I have encountered discrimination and ignorance, the stereotypes and the assumptions. However, I have met a lot of wonderful people at Swarthmore College, at Kaufmann's in University Heights, Ohio, on the bus, in the street and at church. I have been deeply hurt by the callousness of so -called friends and deeply touched by the unselfish kindness of strangers. I have reached the depths of depression and attained the heights of happiness, peace and contentment. I have had more sad moments here than in any other place yet I could never regret the opportunities I have been given in the United States or my experiences. This country is indeed the land of opportunities where some dreams come true but you have to look hard for those opportunities and work hard for those dreams to come true.
Coming soon will be pictures of my trip to Grenoble, France and of course my little write-up about my time spent there. I have yet to scan the pictures.
