Time to say goodbye Pt II…

… but not for me yet, I’m still around for a while!

Thursday, 25 July: After a, let’s say turbulent journey, Fina arrived in Lambaréné today. And while I was so looking forward to finally see this sister of mine, our hug felt just like normal. It was so good to start catching up!

Friday, 26 July: We were planning the statistical analysis for my project today which made it a bit more real that this is going to be a publication one day. This dry season, even though apparently it is raining more than usually, our tap water is gone a lot lately again. Today however, water was back for a bit. In the evening we went out to eat in Atongowanga from a lady by the road we named Mama Chicken – Fina immediately gave up on being a vegetarian while staying in Gabon.

Saturday, 27 July: In the afternoon, Christina, Fina and I left to watch a Cermel soccer match. It’s been a while since I last (and for the first time) watched them play here in Lambaréné and it made me realize how much my life and relationships have developed since then. In the evening, we officially celebrated Sarah’s birthday party with a dinner at Zenith bar and an obligatory outing to Summit with lots of friends and colleagues.

Sunday, 28 July: Fina and I used this rest day for walking by the river and were invited for dinner at Ayo’s place with some campus people and colleagues.

Tuesday, 30 July: Today Lilith arrived in Lambaréné, the technician from Tübingen who welcomed me also on my very first day here. Yes, I was happy to have someone who would stay over the upcoming leaving of Sarah and Fina – but little did I know what a blessing it would be to have You here.

Wednesday, 31 July: Today I attended an Ethics Committee meeting again to ask for an amendment of our blood sampling to be approved. It was much shorter and relaxed than the first presentation to have the study approved. Around this it was a busy day doing visits.

Thursday, 01 August: And as everybody calls us sisters already, why not have matching tops made?

Friday, 02 August: This morning we all went to Libreville. Lilith and I spent the afternoon having braids made. In the evening we went for Christina’s birthday dinner, as our granny turned glorious 30 today!

Saturday, 03 August: The reason for our weekend trip was a stay at Nyonié. This is a nature parc/resort. Getting there included a 1h boat ride plus 1h truck ride, before being accommodated and then going for another game drive. The facilities were apparently made for French people and it was good to have some other food again. I have seldomly filled my stomach with olives this much…

Sunday, 04 August: In the morning we still had a walk around the parc again before having lunch and returning to Libreville. As there was five of us it was quite difficult finding a car home and we had to fit into for spaces, late and most uncomfortable ride back to Lambaréné ever… but we got there. Today a short-term intern from Germany, Marten, arrived.

Wednesday, 07 August: As this is arguably the fanciest place in town with the possibility to try Gabonese meals beyond chicken and rice, we went for Mangrove dinner with Fina and Marten tonight.

Thursday, 08 August: And as it only hadn’t been a few days, today we were leaving early again for Libreville. This afternoon, we celebrated the traditional wedding of my colleague Dr Lia. We had dresses made in the fabric she had sold us, while her groom’s invitees wore another fabric. There was a whole procedure of dancing performances and negotiations and (symbolic? or actual?) bride price gifts to the bride’s family. I don’t dare to state I would have really understood it, so I will leave it at this rough description. Luckily Dr. Wilfrid was also attending so he could help us understand. After the meal, we went with my boss Ghyslain to an after party at his place. To my surprise, we found Germans there. Friends of Ghyslain’s who form a reggae band and so we spend some really enjoyable hours first singing a bit ourselves and the listening to them before going home exhausted.

Friday, 09 August: After a slow start into the day, Fina and I went to Mbolo to have pictures printed and some little shopping made. From there, Verlin and his girlfriend Tatiana picked us up. He is actually the first Gabonese I ever met – at my church in Hamburg. Originally, he is from Libreville, and he was on holidays to see family (and me). We took the opportunity to look at the new Arts and Traditions Museum which sadly doesn’t display its proper exhibits yet but is very nicely located in the former US embassy. Afterwards all of us joined Frédérique and friends of hers at a bar and restaurant with a very nice traditional setting.

Saturday, 10 August: While a court wedding doesn’t sound the exciting part, this was definitely a joyous experience. The mayor who did the ceremony seemed more a MC than a state official and it had all the families’ dancing for bride and groom respectively, bride being walked in by their father and so forth actions. I particularly liked how Christian songs and prayers, parading of the wedding ring, choice and proclamation of a monogamous over a polygamous marriage (which would be legal) and more were woven into the normally official ceremony. As the afternoon had only begun, we went to join our Cermel team for another soccer match, before returning and getting ready for the wedding party in the evening. While we thought we were already good at African time by being 2 hours or so late, we were still among the first to get there and the actual program started around maybe 10pm. This last part of the wedding marathon included handing over gifts and taking pictures with the newlyweds, a dinner, artistic and musical performances from friends and family, often including the couple and a party. And as if we hadn’t had celebrated a lot already, we then joined the soccer team (who had Sarah with them all along) for their after party and sharing the hotel with them.

Sunday, 11 August: This morning we all went to the beach before driving back to Lambaréné and still sharing a meal until the evening. As the whole weekend as well as the bus ride in our overcrowded vehicle had been draining, Fina and I just fell into the bed super exhausted.

Monday, 12 August: I finally got my certificates for my Malaria and Loa Loa slide reading competency! Sarah’s departure is really getting super close, so tonight was her last time eating at one of her/our favourite places Escale du Pont.

Wednesday, 14 August: Three weeks sounds a lot, but it felt way too early to see Fina leave this noon. Afterwards Sarah and I proceeded to party preparations for Sarah’s farewell. I was on driving duty today to get all the foods and drinks to campus. And also, as her guests should not forget about their second favourite German girl ( 😉 ) there was meat loaf and potato gratin to be made. We set the tables outside for everybody to come, drink and eat and share some words of appreciation before, in true Sarah-style, we went for a last long night at summit.

Thursday, 15 August: After the party night, we were just relaxing outside campus while waiting for Sarah’s driver to come. It’s just unfair how after having lived Your life with each other for six months, within a few seconds she could sit in the car and be gone. You might have wondered how come we can do parties and chill in the middle of the week like this – it was a long weekend due to Ascension day and Independence day. For this occasion, there was a local soccer tournament on the Schweitzer soccer ground which we watched – and actually I finally saw our team (well, they played together with the Schweitzer team) win.

Friday, 16 August: In the morning we spontaneously did a thorough campus cleaning. Not the start into the day I had planned (well I had planned to sleep after these last times of activity), but it sure was necessary and luckily most people were participating so it was quick. In the afternoon, Cyriel and Franck took Lilith, Christina, Marten and me for fishing in Isaac and I finally got to see the main fishing centre of the town. This took a while, so today unfortunately we only made it to the last minutes of today’s soccer game – but we made it to the final. As it was her birthday, Mahiné shared a meal with us tonight at campus.

Saturday, 17 August: I could finally really sleep in and in the afternoon, we watched the final. Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but still there was a little social gathering in Abongo afterwards which was very enjoyable.

Sunday, 18 August: Again, on Cyriel and Franck’s initiative we were cooking fish today and taking it to the beach (just to recall, that is the river sandbanks visible during dry season). We that is Cyriel, Franck, Christina, Lilith, Ayo, Marten and me. We spent hours and hours, playing games, dancing and it was just a bliss. To admire our dancing skills, check here.

Tuesday, 20 August: What I enjoyed so much in my first weeks in Lambaréné had a (temporary) comeback – lunch break on the veranda! As Lilith is being housed were Suzan and Dearie used to be accommodated. In the weekend we went out with virtually all of CHU as the band we met at Ghyslain’s in Libreville, Reggaeneration, and local apparently much-beloved artist Didier Dekokaye had a concert. It was great fun, we had a good time and also danced until 2am (laugh with or about us here).

Wednesday, 21 August: My study is advancing slow to the dry season which causes less malaria transmission, but today I could finally include another participant.

Thursday, 22 August: We got to spend a nice long lunch break with Franck, Lilith, Christina and Frédérique where You can see the sign were, they had paraded past Saturday for Independence Day. This was just good to mentally prepare for the night shift that awaited me…

Friday, 23 August: Next month the dry season, as well as Lilith, will be gone so we enjoyed a break on the beach. I just mustn’t ever forget the beautiful surroundings I work in.

Saturday, 24 August: I had breakfast with Lilith and then went on to finish some work that had piled up over the last few busy weeks. In the evening, for her upcoming departure and to introduce him to it, Lilith, Nathanael and I went out for dinner at Mangrove. At campus we spent a nice and calm movie night with Gédéon and Frédérique.

Sunday, 25 August: “I’m happy to say” (as Dearie would say) that I could finish all my backlog of work today, as well as having brunch and a movie night with Lilith – You’re so precious.

Monday, 26 August: This week is very calm for me as there’s crucial meetings for studies I am not involved in. As I know hectic times will come again, I just tried to take it easy, enjoy time catching up and chatting with colleagues… writing this.

Wednesday, 28 August: And to stay true to this article’s topic – Tonight was Lilith’s farewell dinner with the Research Lab colleagues…

Thursday, 29 August: … and today her departure. See You soonish!

Friday, 30 August: But hey, most of my colleagues are and will be around.

Even more than usually, these past few weeks my social network got mixed up again and the sayings that nothing’s as certain as uncertainty and that everything will pass becomes perceptible. I feel I have a routine in my study and reflections about long-term plans for my research and university work, as well as for my life generally after this project come up again. The craze of socializing and meeting everybody in my first weeks here seems very far now and I think I kind of figured my life here out, as far as that is possible.

There is a few professional as well as social activities coming up which I will happily talk about on of the next times.

See You, take care,

Doro

204 days in Gabon