Freedom!

I will never forget the feeling when Leonie handed me the set of car keys this morning. 'What are they for?' I asked stupidly. 'For you, to drive yourself into town... you can have the car for the morning.'




I am not sure winning a million bucks on the lottery could taste as sweet! I didn't need to be offered twice. So for the first time since arriving here 6 weeks ago, I left the gates of the campus under my own steam, at a time of my own choosing and at my own pace. Now here was a luxury I had not previously known was anything other than a basic staple. As I drove down the road, weaving my way around the potholes in my wee grey Toyota, I had to remind myself to stop singing to myself and to concentrate on the road conditions.


It felt fabulous to be driving again, to have the sensation of being in control. My first stop was the Air Niugini office to book and change some flights. I found it relatively easily from the directions, "It's right in town, you can't miss it," and so it was. However, given that I was keeping an eye out for its location, watching out for holes in the road, milling traffic and pedestrians perhaps it is no surprise I missed the discreet "No entry' sign and attempted to drive the wrong way up its one way street. Everyone was very relaxed about it though - no signs of road rage at daft mistakes like that here!

Mission accomplished, I left the office only about an hour later, with flights to Rabaul and Kavieng in East New Britain and New Ireland respectively booked for a long weekend at the end of my stay. Given my own ethnic background, it occurred to me there were the makings of a good joke in there somewhere.....


I don't know whether it was just my new found sense of freedom shining through, or whether my being on my own made the sellers at the market even friendlier than usual, but today for the first time I was being offered tastes of their wares and tips on how to cook some of the veggies new to me... white carrots!? - (you fry them apparently). I was on a positive high as I tripped around the supermarket too, inured to the absence of all and any cheese, rapt at the presence of yoghurt. Oh, and did I mention that my shiny new tin opener purchased last week does not work? I am starting to suspect that in a nation which loves its bush knives, a namby pamby wee opener may be seen as verging on the softer side of wussy, hence the country-wide conspiracy to sell only faulty devices....



So after a fine drive home along the coastal road by the sparkling sea, I reluctantly had to relinquish the car keys. I did make a point of pointedly pointing out that if the car were to become available again at any point, I would be happy to look after it on behalf of the university again, out of the kindness of my heart.



Something (the begging, the tears, the threats of a hunger strike, I'm not exactly sure) must have worked, as half an hour later Leonie came to my office, and without a word, but with a huge smile, handed me the keys (to the kingdom!). The shiny grey charger is mine now for the next 2 weeks, mine... all mine, mwahahahahah!!!!

I took it for a spin this evening down to the Lodge and even picked up a similarly isolated friend. So there were two types of joy for me today: one was being able to catch up with friends this evening, but the other, more unexpected pleasure was in being out on my own out in the world again. Aaaah, freedom!