My days are numberd

Early saterday morning (04/24), around 10 o’clock Marjolijn picked me up in Zwolle and we went by train to Almelo, to visit her parents. On arrival at the train station her parents were there to pick us. They were really very lovely parents. We had lunch and later we did a bike tour through some parks and we arrived at a place where a shepherd was living there and taking care of sheep’s. Just on time we saw him coming with the flock of sheep and his dog. It reminded me of Josef in the Bible with his sheep. I could really see the smiles on the sheep. I think this is the best way of keeping animals, so they have some freedom! We also had the opportunity to walk closely. After a while also walking through the park we had tea and we went back to Almelo. We went to a church service where there was a celebration, with musical interludes. After 30 minutes we had to catch the train back to Zwolle, around 16.40. It was really very nice to see Marolijn and we had very long discussions and she promised to visit Ghana again some time.
In the evening in Zwolle was special for me, because that was the last evening. So we had to talk, discuss, analyse and drew conclusions of my trip in Holland. It was nice to do. It is really a great experience. We slept really late, it was almost around 2. We even had the neighbours, Mr Ben and his wife, they also came to say goodbye.
The next morning, Sunday (04/25) I had breakfast with Etje, Michiel, Johan and Lies. Shortly they had to leave for a program. Later I drove with Johan to visit them at the program in the sport centre and also visited the church where the same program was going on. We had to say good bye to some of the church members but Etje I didn’t say good bye yet, cause she is coming to Schiphol. We left the car at the train station and we used the train to get to Bussum.
Earlier on there was an arrangement to meet Rene’s parents in Bussum, so when we arrived in Bussum Rene’s parents were there waiting for my to pick me up. Then I had to say good bye to Johan. He was going back to school.
Rene’s parents drove me to their camping site in Volendam. Also Rene’s uncle and his girlfriend joined us. It was a nice afternoon and also the first time for me to see a campsite and to I could see the inside of a camphome while it looks like a second home. We had great afternoon, I had a Chinese dinner with them. After dinner they drove me back to Bussum, to Estelle’s place.
I met Estelle, we had a small talk about all the plans for this week, she made my bed and I went to sleep.
The next day, Monday (04/26), we had breakfast and we went shopping for some plant for Estelle’s garden. Estelle had to work in the afternoon; in the meanwhile I had to stay back to be the private gardener of Estelle.
Around 18.00 Louise came to join me to wait for Estelle to come back from work and to cook which she doesn’t like very much although she’s a good cook. We eat tilapia with vegetables and we had orange vla. We had time to talk to Louise about the school in Bongo and her bookshop in Terschelling. It was nice to see her again.
Tuesday (04/27) in the morning we worked in the garden, while we were waiting for Sofie to come from Antwerp. She arrived around 12 o’clock. We had lunch and we made a bike tour to Muiderberg to see the IJsselmeer. We had some drinks in the sun. We biked through Naarden back to Bussum. In the evening Pien joined us and we made a very nice meal with schrimps and prei in the wok, it was nice. We watched the dvd from “Dance around the world” that was organized by Nurses on Tour in Vlissingen. Around 22.30 Pien had to leave back to Enschede. When Pien left I went to sleep, I was tired of the bike tour.
The next day, Wednesday (04/28 ), around 10 Sofie, Estelle and I left by car to the Keukenhof. There was a lot of traffic for the Keukenhof but we had a nice other road along the beautiful fields with a lot of colours of all the tulips. It was nice to take that road. The Keukenhof was so beautiful, it’s hard to describe the view, so many different flowers, colours and smells! You have to experience it yourself. We spent almost like 4 hours, during this 4 hours we rested for 30 minutes on the fatboys on the grass inbetween the flowers. While resting I had a lot of thoughts about flowers in general what it really means to humans. In Ghana much of this flower industry is not seen. We have a different feeling about flowers though there are others who know the value of this but not very much of them. I made a plan to see how I can collect wild flowers and bring them closer to the village and also to encourage others to do the same. After the Keukenhof we made a nice nature tour through the dunes and along the sea side. During this tour with Sofie she gave us more knowledge about the birds for example the nightingale and the blackbird. At the seaside there were a lot of seagulls. There were some people sunbathing there, we even saw some people into the see although it was very cold.
After our walk we had dinner at a sea restaurant. We drove back and on our way we brought Sofie to Schiphol where she had to pick her train back to Antwerp.
We drove back to Bussum, after a whole day I was very tired and went to sleep. It was a nice day and I enjoyed it very much.
Early this morning (thursday 04/29) Estelle had to go for her sports and she returned around 9, then we had breakfast and immediately after it we went to the market of Bussum to do some shopping. We continued to the supermarket because we couldn’t get all we wanted at the market. It was in the preparation for the visit of Joyce and Lisette. We returned home and we organised our lunch and took it with us to a park close to Estelle’s place. We had lunch there, we also had some rest, I was sleeping under a tree, and Estelle was sleeping in the sun. It was nice to enjoy the shade because it was really a warm day, it was about 25 degrees in the sun. After 45 minutes we went to take a cup of tea. We decided to walk around the hei, after our walk we drove back home to wait for Joyce and Lisette. In one and a half hour they both joined us. We went for dinner to restaurant. This was a restaurant really very close to the railway, there was a lot of noise from the trains who were passing by every 5 minutes. I had a fish meal for dinner and I enjoyed it very much. I was also happy to see Joyce and Lisette. We had a nice evening and around 22.00 Lisette had to go back to Zeeland because she had to work the next day. I had to say good bye to Lisette but she said we will meet in Ghana again!
Today (friday 04/30) it was Queensday, a celebration in Holland because it’s the queen’s birthday. We saw her on television, she was in Middelburg in Zeeland. Joyce liked to watch it, because she’s from this place. Later we went to Amsterdam. When we arrived at central station, Annemarie and Floris were waiting for us, and joined us the rest of the day. It was very busy, with a lot of people. They were selling things and playing games and dancing on the streets. It was nice. We met Ingrid, she was selling things for the school for the deaf in Ghana. Then we also visited Estelle’s friend. After walking around for some time, we went to central station to pick Leroy and later also Abu. When we were all together, we went for dinner. We had a good time. It was really a great experience for me and also for the people of Holland I must say it’s a great opportunity for them to come together to celebrate. I’m happy it’s not been politicised like we do in Africa. I shell not forget of this day. After a long day we went back home, by train again. Now this is the last evening in Holland.

I also like to use this opportunity to reach everyone who has made all this important trip possible. Not only for me but for a whole community, I will sent, all that I have seen, learned and also experienced back to my people!
I had a very great time in Holland. I must say it’s the best place to be. Life in Holland is just directly the opposite of what we have in Ghana for example: when it’s very cold in here, the tree’s will drop their leaves; for us in Ghana the tree’s will drop their leaves when it is really very hot. And also it is normal to give or take something with your left hand, for us in Ghana it is a taboo to give or take something from somebody with left.

On behalf of the community I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone that has supported my stay in Holland and for those I couldn’t meet, I say we meet an other time! I wish everybody all the best, may God bless you all!

Ibrahim Salifu
gasbare@yahoo.com