A BIT OFF BALANCE

In case you are wondering how our adventure with the police ended, I must tell you it hasn't. However, after two visits to the insurance company ("Don't change your drawing, you're tampering with evidence!" and "Even if he hit you from behind it could've been your fault... did you leave enough space for the taxi?") and one visit to the police station ("You must fill in this form. However, we do not have a copy. We do not have a copying machine either."), we decided to just abandon the matter. Nobody will notice anyway.

And so, we work, we go to the gym and we go to the beach. We attend parties, have lunches, go for walks, see films and concerts and the French Cultural Centre and also try to decorate the flat. Everything's back to normal, I suppose, and the life is good. Gabon is a beautiful place and we are really lucky to be here. In spite of all this, I do have my blue moments. They are mostly due to two reasons:

1) French. I have reached a point where I can communicate my basic needs, have a conversation at a party and make small-talk with the guardians of my building. It's still not enough, of course. Many times I'm simply mute in this country. The frustration related to this is beyond description and I'm pretty sure I'm driving the people surrounding me absolutely nuts. For which I venture to hereby apologise in public.

2) I miss Poland. And Galicia. And when I leave Gabon, I will miss Poland and Galicia and Gabon. I miss Polish, too. A lot. But most of all, I miss the people. Here yet again, for the third time in two years, I must struggle to meet new friends and, fascinating as it always is, I feel a bit tired by the constant changing of milieu.

I sometimes get overwhelmed and forget about all the positive aspects of being here. I stay in bed, sulking. It's easy, it requires no effort. There are many people here who want to leave, who are very unhappy and frustrated. But it's not my intention to become one of them, no sir! This is a valuable, amazing experience and I will not let it become anything else. So let this post be my anti-sulking device. I promise to myself and my five faithful readers that I will do my best to stay positive. I will learn French, enjoy the beach, eat cookies, go to parties, have all the brochettes my organism can absorb and always remember that I have no real reason not to be happy. The life here is not exactly simple but that was what I signed up for and, after all, I have always been consequent. The promise has thus been made. I'm sending you a big smile.