Goodbye NI

Hi there,

This is the last one of the series.These have been my last two weeks in Northern Ireland as an ESC volunteer.

Some of the recent arrived volunteers had asked me for a Belfast tour, as it made its round that I do that with passion (there were around 2,3 different group constellations and in one of them I could finally visit Stormont-from the outside- and it would have been such a shame to be here for so long and not see it), a library visit to return the books. One of the girls had the idea to bake some cookies and decorate them accordingly to the saison approaching. Some cookies had even a contemporary touch.

I have been to Donaghadee once in June, and we went to the coffee place, where two of my friends are working with one of my closest friends from this experience. As the restrictions were still quite strict during the time my co-volunteer and me didn’t spend that much time in the café but enough for the French to talk to each others, and kind of say goodbye. We went along the shore, enjoyed our coffee and tea.

Lisburn- Once we sneaked out of the community to wish our tutor a happy birthday, and the second time around I got to met his grandchildren. Talking about Xbox, Playstation, not watching a TV in a year, we had some hot chocolate, and I was briefly in another household. The third one in a year. These were my conversation topics on a Thursday afternoon.

I already started early to say goodbye to people.

One of the weekends we also collected the apples from the ground so they can be used to make apple juice! It was also the third Advent, so in our community we have bell ringers and they would go from house to house and play one or two songs on Advent Sunday mornings. Due to the given circumstances they opted for a little concert outdoors this year at different places in the community. As I have just mentioned it was raining a lot, they had to cancel the concert, but someone had told our house that they moved to the hall (but didn’t say they moved there to practice). I had arrived with a resident and another support worker with two residents was meant to be coming too, but they were not allowed after me. The bell ringers asked me to record their performance but after two songs I had to leave as the resident I was with wanted to go.

The daughter of our coordinator is a pastry chef and would be in charge of delivering bread, and once in a while cinnamon swirls- vegan!- She knew I was leaving soon, so she had promised me to bring some cinnamon swirls but asked me if I could actually come to pick them up, no bother at all!

As Christmas was approaching, there was a Christmas gathering in the house I volunteered: And it was strange to see all of the colleagues and the group leader in one space. One of the support workers was not well, so he didn’t come, and we had a whole portakabin booked for us, so it was easy to space out and keep the distance, but still unusual to see all these people that I spent my year working with in one space. I love the residents I supported, but I also love the superb team. K, you were my rock during this year, and I can’t wait to see you and the rest again!

One of my friends and me met at the Ormeau Park- where I’ve never been before and only passed it a few times on my way to somewhere. Christmas songs were playing, non-Christmas songs were playing, we were talking a lot about what is going in our own lives- she was about to move back to Paris but would eventually return to Belfast over the summer time, we were talking about our backgrounds as children of the diaspora, and we were talking about Belfast- as usual!

I also spent my last week in the house I was volunteering in- and for me it was such a special thing. From being this volunteer asking about every single move to the superconfident “let me handle that” person. I said goodbye to a few more people in Belfast, and as my flight was quite early in the day, I just said good night to the residents. Even without explaining they knew I was leaving for good.

My last full day was a Sunday. Two of the volunteers, and definitely by now my friends, and me went to our „local café“ place to enjoy a cup of coffee and a piece of cake and spend some time together. It was raining a lot on our way, but I am so glad we got there and had an early call for the day!

Some people were calling down to say farewell from Bangor, from Helen’s Bay, someone even returned even from their way towards Newcastle! Lots of goodbye hugs.

I dropped some goodbye cards as well, had a last stroll in the community, went to the beach for a last time, the house I help out in went for a car ride with a resident and I was asked to come along.

The last few days or even weeks I could not wait to leave NI. It was a combination of lots of factors, most of them were due to the fact that almost all of “our” group had left, it was the fact, that I did not see a single face from home in over a year, and it was also due to the fact that living on year in a community setting was completely sufficient. Homesickness was accompanying me every day more and more.

I would like to share some things from instagram that I wrote:

The year in Northern Ireland is coming to an end. It has been 368 days since I have arrived last year on the 6.December. To document this experience I wanted to write and keep a blog, and than I opened this profile and having in mind why I had joined instagram in 2012: to have a platform to share my pictures! Random pictures. Things that make the day, instant snapshots. So far, I published +500 pictures. and I get to know and even met people from here!

It was not an easy year, especially during and after the first lockdown (mentally for me), the organisation I volunteered in had/has some structural issues. And add the restrictions, and isolations, and quarantine to it- it was hard at times.

I was tested positive in the first week of October. I had difficulties booking my flight. One doesn't get along with everyone. We were stuck for over three months in the community. But now looking back the blessings and good experiences are weighing much more than the negative aspects.

Last year when i arrived we had supper (it's not called dinner anymore), we were talking and I went to my room to sleep as it was already approaching midnight- I sat down and started crying(sobbing?) for good 10minutes: I realized that I said goodbye to my family that morning, boarded a flight and arrived for my home for the year. And it just hit me there.

Now i am saying goodbye to my room in Causeway, sad cheerio to some people already, and I am glad I came here to volunteer, experience and spent A WHOLE YEAR IN NORTHERN IRELAND.

Also, this is what I’ve heard yesterday "you have been the highlight of the pandemic" a very strange but nice compliment: go raibh maith agat!