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“So. what's It like to be back in civilization? I am often asked. What an innocuous but loaded question! Surely we, in the "developed" world, are not the only ones whomaylayclaimtolxsingcivilized? Thelast tune I was asked this question, I was in Waterloo Town Square, with the Christmas season in full swmg I wonder whether a visiting West African would usetheword"eivilimftoasctiteourir,mzied dashing around in malls for those "perfect" ISO-dad sNttcor?u.rdut'fulh'ateyimrtojirifngbe11smme mmmerdals trying to sell LB good-knows-what? Tome.thisseaaonmorethananyodieremphasizes the perverse nature of the inequities that exist between developed and lens-developed countries. Oh, tokahletoeethehtmoflittieslerrauoneanehsi dreniftheyweretobepreaernedwidibutoneofthe 1ttle stocking stutfem" given mulet'rCamdianaoun- terpans. I'm not suggesting a Toy Drive for Africa". I'mjustthinkingoutloud Chrisstmasisgrirgtobe very difficult fbr me this year. Iretnetnt)ervividlymyhstgtir-theAtriean continent. Fimntheplanewindtm,Icouidiseethe peaks of the Atlas mountains of Morocco straining to reachateetheelouathatwerehidirxrthem. Only axasiortallytouldIseethesandsotthegaharadeek -thecloudswereobscunngthemaswell. Almostone year later, I now reflex on that moment, and wonder f perhaps It was a very fittirxr first impression. My expenence m West Africa has taught me that the con- unent dos not reveal her secrets easily, and that one must look very carefully through the mists that enshroud western notions of "the dark continent" in ordertoaeetruth. lwasthereonly foreightmonths- igtXbutagiimpse. Butwlmtldidseehasgivenme plenty of food for thought since I have returned to M O D E R N ELEGANCE Explore the possibilities of our Modern Elegance collection! ara/tsara' Cameron Douala a m graduate from the Uni. versity of Waterloo, returned three month: ago after spending four months working in Freetown. Sierra Iarme, and fner montlu crowding thrmgh neighbourv we Wesththam countries. He was a participant with Canadian Crossroad: International, a non-partisan non-religions NCO which promotes cross-cultural otderstandingandeduattitm. Thiaiathelastina acne: of articles appearing in the “Comment" aectitt Anyone wishing information about the Canadian Cwmdapngram iaentmumgedtocull 725-3921. PAGE 8 _ WATEFAlg) W03. ENEMY. DECENSErt r, 1m Merry Christmas To All! Back to civilization 56 sr, GENES 611nm i't%ili'" ammm. WM“ ’9 r -.- ' 'i'vtj,stjs,,il)f,',11ii 'airatitil 'riiil.iPrert"ii'ir miuAittuAvatsamii'i';'ii"iiii'i'Gt, TheWaterttxsCltrmtieltuolauedtomageadorta. tiettot.htyanrMiedrttrmirtgDeuxvmetttsget through Canadian CW International represen- tattuthmmmrhmrlas It has now been three months since I left Sierra Lone, but the memories ofmy final moments at the airTmrtarestillvivid. Iwillneverkagettltelookin my friend Joaephine's eyes, as she watched an air. plane take off for the first time, carrying the privi- leged class back to their land of plenty. And I remember only too well the walk across the tarmac from the tiny airport to the awaiting plane. It ended too quickly. I paused at the bottom ofthe steps.” long as the crew would let me. The looming, shiny piece of technology in front of me was a stark reminder that I was about to reenter a very fast. paced, complicated and at times impersonal world. My eyes watered then, as they often do now. My b'rurrtey" had come to an end. Or perhaps it was just beaming. &metmedslhatn anotherCamdisnwhohasspent agoodportionofherlifeinvariousreachesofWest Africa seem to capture the essence of my present thoughts. Joan Baxter, in her book Graveyard hr Dreamers: 'Mythettrntsrregt*al...Thesrnuerpietur- more slowly than the heart-wrenching new: clips from Rwanda,Somalia-themsudG. Theyfion in remote villages with inspiring African friends and aremorethanjustgiirnmersofhope. Theyarebloe- Emtingdreamsthatnoamounteatityeinuttout. 1hetPettion)arttewhetherttteohtipetteAtra, 1u.twheu.tertttireitshoeearthe_ Weareallin ... HOME APPLIANCE CENTER M COLUMBIA ST. E., WATERLOO BATE'S MAYTAG "We Sell the Best and Service the Rest" Wash-lr-tum/mat-thut-ttmoan- - w. I0 , 1-930 pm. 5.; no a n no pl, Sunday m p... -- ..______ -____ 2960 Kingsway Dr, I ANSain d Fairview Park Mall ”VIN-“‘5 KitchenetM3 u -_ Specializing in al/mmone . 1llMr1ut00t V FBIGIIIAIIIE q 6.E. 0 “WAG Jupa Junior Clothing ic, 29", ap & SO" OFF "iii, Sales . Service 0 Parts 5mm mm Rttro, since 1959 noiurar' ' Award Winners 3 Years in a row! WE SERVICE MAJOR BRANDS Mame