Back to the future – 18 December 2009

Days 233 – 242

Jane Furse / Marble Hall / Midrand / Johannesburg (South Africa)
Perth / Melbourne (Australia)

“I’ve been to cities that never close down,
From Jo’burg, to Jinga, and even Stone Town.
But no matter how far, or how wide I roam,
I still call Australia home.”
–         Peter Allen, after his 8 month trip to Africa

Living in deepest, darkest Africa can often make you feel like you’re living in the past. Technology is obviously not as advanced, education standards are inconsistent while living conditions are sometimes deplorable. Furthermore much of Africa is at least nine hours behind Melbourne, giving you that constant impression that you’re not quite up to speed with what’s going on abroad. Flying back to Melbourne meant I could finally put history behind me and start looking towards the future…

Returning home was far from a one-step process. On the contrary it took me over a week to get from my placement to the beautiful surrounds of my bedroom. Step one was the hardest part – saying goodbye to St Mark’s College.

In typical fashion, Mpho arrived late and received a speeding fine during his drive from Jane Furse to Johannesburg, however his swift door-to-door service should not be condemned; I have complete respect for anybody willing to drive me four hours for no charge.

To be honest, there is not much to write home about in regards to my ultimate week in Africa, however it would be a mistake to erase it completely from my travel memories. Based at the home of the Colletts in Midrand – where I had previously been accommodated in July – I spent my final days compensating for my prior lack of internet, sleep and Nine’s Wide World of Sports. My brother – deep in the jungles of Mozambique may have frowned on my perceived laziness – however after eight long months of ‘experiences’ I couldn’t handle another adventure. I just needed to relax.

The week in Jo’burg also allowed me to complete my grand assignment of Africa, which was of course… what, you don’t know?!?

Recently in the media there has been much debate concerning the moot issue of ‘What was the intention for Kevin’s eight months abroad?’  Well, now I can boldly reveal that the reasoning behind my trip to Africa was not related to curing diseases, nor eliminating poverty or even sabotaging the South African cricket team. On the contrary, KevInAfrica was merely the consequence of writer’s block; I desperately needed inspiration for some new songs. In Midrand I managed to put the finishing touches on a few tunes before I unleash them on the Australian populous. (Watch out for Kevin Hawkins Trio’s ‘Sounds of Africa EP’, set for release in late 2013.)

Just when I was beginning to forget that I was still in Africa one final piece of drama managed to fit its way into my itinerary. An airport is generally not the most ideal setting for tension, but there was little I could do.

Upon arriving at OR Tambo airport at 5pm I was more than prepared for my 10pm flight. A slight shock came my way when the departures board revealed that my flight was due to leave at midnight, however a confident employee at the check-in assured me that no delays had taken place. Four hours later news came through that the flight had indeed been postponed by two hours. You’re probably wondering ‘So what? Another 2 hours in Africa isn’t going to kill you, is it?’ but it was much more complicated than that, as my flight was Perth-bound; this new arrangement meant that I would have less than an hour in Perth to go through immigration, baggage claim, customs, airport transfers and various check-ins/baggage checks required for my Melbourne flight. TIA (This is Australia?).

Thankfully all was resolved ten hours later; conveniently another thirty people were in the exact same scenario as me. A sick Singaporean boy inadvertently delayed the Melbourne-bound aircraft by almost an hour, allowing everybody to board. A sigh of relief came to my face. Now that I was back in Australia; surely nothing could go wrong, could it?

The last time I played a significantly well-planned prank I almost ruined a couple of close friendships and became grounded. Hence this time around I was a little more careful to tie up the loose ends. As part of a big surprise I informed my family that I had recently shaved my head. Furthermore when I left the domestic terminal at Tullamarine I donned a pair of sunglasses and walked straight past the mob awaiting my arrival. The plan of walking past everybody unnoticed failed horribly, however my Mum’s reaction to my wild hairstyle – which, for those who haven’t seen me since my return, is the antithesis of a bald head – made it all worthwhile.

Being greeted by a generous crowd of church friends was a delightful way to recommence my life in Melbourne. The chance to re-acquaint myself with such close companions was quite a weird experience; despite having been separated for so long it was somewhat easy to converse with these strangers with vaguely recognisable faces. Huge thanks go to Ellen, Bek, Grace, Nick, Steve, Luke, Zoe, Xanthe and, last but not least, Mum!

Re-adjusting to a lifestyle that is so familiar yet different has likewise been uncanny, yet not as difficult as I imagined it to be. My first week back seemed to last forever; my busy schedule of trying to catch up with as many people as possible whilst trying to sort through the many kilograms of souvenirs gave me little chance to rest, not to mention an incredibly messy bedroom. Invitations to speak at public events, a brand new summer at Campion and a bit of modelling on the side have since added to the noise, however at the moment the number one priority is simply trying to settle down and re-gain my bearings. In unrelated news I returned to discover that the Australia post service was on strike. Perhaps Australia and South Africa aren’t so different after all…

* * * * *

Given all that has happened over the past eight months, there are obviously a few questions that need answering. The most obvious one is ‘How have I changed?’ Has eight months away from home changed me for better or worse? Have my values, perceptions, ideas and opinions been moulded by my experiences, or am I still just the same sarcastic kid I was in April?

To put everything in perspective eight months is an incredibly long time. Before I left Michael Jackson was a living legend, swine flu referred to when pigs gets cold, and Metro was what you called people who dressed a little too fashionable. Meanwhile Melbourne was on the bottom of the ladder and Australia was looking vulnerable in the cricket… I guess some things just don’t change!

In answer to the question I am actually not sure. Having lived with myself for the last eight months it’s obviously hard to notice subtle changes, while during my first week back people don’t seem to have noticed any significant differences in my behaviour or personality. Internally, however, I sense that Africa has enabled me to mature in terms of confidence and independence. From a worldly perspective I now rely less on ignorant perceptions and stereotypes; I’d much rather make my own judgement about people and places than gain my opinions from secondary sources. My initial objectives of broadening my comfort zone and challenging myself have certainly been met; the concept of travelling to a foreign culture no longer scares, but excites me.

The other question on everybody’s lips – or at least every African’s lips – is ‘What next?’ Will I return to Africa in the near future, or have I fulfilled my Africa fix for the rest of my lifetime?

As I revealed to many South Africans that I wouldn’t be returning for next year’s World Cup, confusion and shock overwhelmed them. In fact, I probably won’t be returning for a long time; expenses and the opportunity to discover the rest of the world currently stand in my way. Nonetheless it’s impossible to predict how the cards fall; for all I know I could be back in Africa in a few years time. After all, I’ve merely seen parts of the sub-Saharan region; the northern riches of Egypt and Morocco, in addition to the often-forgotten west still remain unseen by my young eyes.

I still intend to explore the roads less travelled before coming in contact with the rest of the Western World or Africa though; the intriguing options of South America, South-East Asia and perhaps even the Middle East are probably the next items on the menu. Regardless, my eight months in Africa were hopefully just an entrée. I’m pumped to see the entire world because, the ways things are going at the moment, there’s only so much time left.