I could definitely get used to this life. I've often thought over the past few years that sometime, just to get a break from compound living and all that entails, I would check myself into a hotel for a weekend to enjoy all that entails - air conditioning, a nice breakfast, a hot shower, and 4 walls. Unfortunately, the average price for a hotel with just those basic amenities averages $125 - $175/night in these parts. Hence, it's a bit unattainable.
Enter my friend, who used to live in these parts. Before, she lived on a little compound, in very basic conditions (rats and other critters in the rafters, cold outdoor shower, limited electricity...), so she knows what it's like. This month, however, she's come back to work with a different NGO, and they've put her up in a pretty nice hotel during her stay here. Hot showers, a/c, and even a little swimming pool! This weekend, since it was American Thanksgiving, she got a few days off, and decided to go visit some friends in a neighbouring country.
Since she knows all about what it's like to spend most of your life in "basic" conditions, she offered her room of luxury to me for the weekend! Her NGO was still paying for the room (and the included breakfast!), so she asked the hotel management if I could move into her room. No problem, they said!
There were too many things that kept me on our own compound on Saturday, but once the evening rolled around, Jackie very kindly let me borrow her car for the weekend. So off I went to check myself into the hotel!
The first thing I did was have a hot shower to scrape some of the grime off my sweaty little body. The water pump in our bore-hole had gone kaput on Friday night, as well, so we didn't have any water in the water tank on Saturday, so this was extra good timing for me to be able to get away! For the rest of Saturday night, I watched part of a movie, did some reading, listened to some music (without having to worry about which of my nieghbours or housemates I was disturbing!) and even slept under a blanket in a room with 4 whole walls! Truly an amazing night.
This morning, a good friend came to join me for breakfast, which was good fun. The bacon was a bit disappointing, but the banana smoothie was pretty good :) Once our breakie was finished, I went back to my a/c room, and sat on a real couch (not a wicker patio "couch"!) all by myself. I listened to a really good sermon by John Piper (which, ironically, was about how we, as Christians, are called to GIVE of ourselves to others, and not retreat into our rooms and close ourselves off from the rest of the world - actually, it was a really encouraging and refreshing sermon). I also just had some really nice quiet time on my own to think and pray and sit and "be", without anyone else disturbing me. I even got to swim and sit by the pool. All by myself. I took myself out for pizza at the restaurant next door, and enjoyed sitting and eating what I wanted, when I wanted. All by myself! I must have seriously needed some time alone, because normally, this extrovert needs some people around to have fun. But this weekend, it's all about being quiet and undisturbed.
My friend is coming back tomorrow, so I shall sleep here another night, enjoy another breakfast, and go back to "real" life tomorrow morning. I don't know if I can bring myself to leave, though!
Enter my friend, who used to live in these parts. Before, she lived on a little compound, in very basic conditions (rats and other critters in the rafters, cold outdoor shower, limited electricity...), so she knows what it's like. This month, however, she's come back to work with a different NGO, and they've put her up in a pretty nice hotel during her stay here. Hot showers, a/c, and even a little swimming pool! This weekend, since it was American Thanksgiving, she got a few days off, and decided to go visit some friends in a neighbouring country.
Since she knows all about what it's like to spend most of your life in "basic" conditions, she offered her room of luxury to me for the weekend! Her NGO was still paying for the room (and the included breakfast!), so she asked the hotel management if I could move into her room. No problem, they said!
There were too many things that kept me on our own compound on Saturday, but once the evening rolled around, Jackie very kindly let me borrow her car for the weekend. So off I went to check myself into the hotel!
The first thing I did was have a hot shower to scrape some of the grime off my sweaty little body. The water pump in our bore-hole had gone kaput on Friday night, as well, so we didn't have any water in the water tank on Saturday, so this was extra good timing for me to be able to get away! For the rest of Saturday night, I watched part of a movie, did some reading, listened to some music (without having to worry about which of my nieghbours or housemates I was disturbing!) and even slept under a blanket in a room with 4 whole walls! Truly an amazing night.
This morning, a good friend came to join me for breakfast, which was good fun. The bacon was a bit disappointing, but the banana smoothie was pretty good :) Once our breakie was finished, I went back to my a/c room, and sat on a real couch (not a wicker patio "couch"!) all by myself. I listened to a really good sermon by John Piper (which, ironically, was about how we, as Christians, are called to GIVE of ourselves to others, and not retreat into our rooms and close ourselves off from the rest of the world - actually, it was a really encouraging and refreshing sermon). I also just had some really nice quiet time on my own to think and pray and sit and "be", without anyone else disturbing me. I even got to swim and sit by the pool. All by myself. I took myself out for pizza at the restaurant next door, and enjoyed sitting and eating what I wanted, when I wanted. All by myself! I must have seriously needed some time alone, because normally, this extrovert needs some people around to have fun. But this weekend, it's all about being quiet and undisturbed.
My friend is coming back tomorrow, so I shall sleep here another night, enjoy another breakfast, and go back to "real" life tomorrow morning. I don't know if I can bring myself to leave, though!
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