The Untold Truth.

Homesickness set it. Why did I have to be away from familiarity? From my friends? I was hating every moment of this so-called "adventure," as my dad put it. Being only 10 years old, I never realized until that moment just how much we take advantage of the most simple things in life. Just to have a bowl of cereal, I first needed to mix the powdered milk and bottled water. What a chore! Needless to say, that was the one and only time I had cereal or milk for that matter. It was gross!

Upon settling in, we all got used to the guards making their rounds, around the house hourly. My dad went back to "camp", his workplace, every other week so we were to fend for ourselves back at the house. My parents decided we needed a tutor to help with our homeschooling. We studied 3 hours a day with a 1 hour break of watching "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" included in the curriculum. We went through many tutors. One I remember specifically having quite the argument with my mom about how all rivers are salty and that there were only 4 continents. He didn't last very long at our home.

My mother was also in charge of hiring a "maid." She had tried to do the cooking on her own however, when she seen the open market, she ran in the opposite direction. Situated directly in the downtown core, this open market consisted of just about everything. Booths filled with food, candy, clothes. The meat would hang from the roof of the booth, covered in flies dangling in the air. Completely unsanitary conditions but the only way to buy meat, vegetables and fruit.

We went through a few housekeepers. One of which ended up stealing jewelry. Finally, Sattie became a member of our family. She was soft spoken, calm, caring, almost fragile like. She had no children but was very motherly. Always wearing a dress, she walked quietly but with determination. Her culture was of importance to my family. We wanted her to feel like she was a part of us and we were a part of her.

I was introduced to the celebrations of Holi and Diwali. During Holi, everyone ran, drove, rode around the town smearing brightly coloured powders on others. It was almost like a paintball game without the guns and welts from balls. You would wear white and by the time you got home, you would be covered looking like a rainbow. Diwali was absolutely beautiful. The celebration of lights as it was called. I remember seeing in the early evening into the darknest night, my neighbors houses outside, lined with candles all aglow. Their walkways, porches, sidewalks and outside window sills, all lit up.

Walking along the seawall on Easter Monday was a beautiful site. The cloudless blue sky was covered with thousands of home made kites. You would not find any child searching for chocolate eggs or a bunny handing them out. Only kites and picnic baskets for a family lunch while watching the four eyed fish poking their heads out above the ocean. My feelings on this place seemed to be changing. Was I feeling better about living here? The beauty of the culture and the community had me looking forward to the next day.