Rollercoaster!

Written by Mariu

You wake up.

Your first thought is: ”The end is near”. The freezing night has strengthened your cold, and removed all physical defence installations. As you head towards the breakfast table for a treat consisting of tea, bread, local super duper medicines and other skulduggery, you realize that all contents within are determined to exit as at fast as possible. Wise from experience, you change the current course and rapidly trudge towards the room of relief. Meanwhile the sun is rising, without a cloud in the sky to cool your day and mind.

After barely conquering the endless road to school, you are met with impatient student and annoyingly healthy colleagues. Overnight the students seem to have forgotten everything, the chalk breaks more than it writes, and between “to be” and “to have” you are constantly interrupted by interrupting interrupters.

The evening Arabic lesson feels like Greek, and as a military cargo plane roars overhead you wish you were an ammunition box flying away. Today you are less productive than a stone. Back home in the tent, you don’t even feel like socially lurking around, it is too exhausting. Eventually stumbling to bed, to the toilet and back to the bed, you wonder why on earth the earth has decided to fall apart today. You fall asleep, and dream about how you drowned in that something you had for dinner.

You wake up.

Your first though is: “Hellyeah!” You have slept like a baby, ignorant of everything but your own sweet dreams. They were something about swimming in chocolate after becoming the president of the world. The breakfast table welcomes you with freshly baked bread, nice coffee and smooth tea. Your stomach handles all this deliciousness with ease. Meanwhile the sun is rising, while the heat is blown away by a cool breeze.

After strolling to school, listening to a hyperactive one-bird bird choir and greeting the local merchant, you are met with enthusiastic students. One colleague is sick, but it could be worse. Yesterday’s test results show that your students have learned more than you have taught them, someone brought coloured chalk, and you feel that this is exactly why teaching is rewarding.

The Arabic letters are dancing in your mouth, Fathathain and Dammathain and Kasrathain jump into place almost by themselves, the UN plane buzzing overhead brings Sahrawi families together (temporarily) and perhaps some of those good WFP cookies as well. Back in the tent with your family, you watch Algeria beat Morocco in football, and the dinner is delicious couscous and camel meat. After learning new Hassaniya phrases, explaining the greatness of Gudbrandsdalsost, and playing with the kids, you are so tired that you are half asleep when you realize that toothbrush action might be advisable after 14 cups of tea.