San Francisco, CA – The docks at Pier 39 bob up and down with the tide like the foam blocks my brother used to play with in the bathtub. Sea lions cover every inch of the pallets’ soft wood, spooning each other in the delicious sunshine. The pungent smell of fish and wet fur is almost overwhelming. Occasionally, what I presume to be a young male, challenges a rival for a slice of prime real estate, barking and bashing his head into the opponent’s chest. Nearby, even younger sea lions flop across the backs of their kin, blissfully oblivious to the discomfort their trouncing causes the patient elders. When finally the little lambs find a soft spot to land, they quickly fall asleep.
Watching the sea lions is like watching a soap opera, only better because the family drama seems so relatable, so human. I want to stay longer, but I am afraid Tiffany and Hunter will get bored. They have been amazing hosts and I want to be a fun, considerate guest in return.
Tiffany and I met in Erbil, the capital of Kurdish Iraq. She and her husband, Frank, happen to also be hosting Hunter, who lived in the compound next to mine in South Sudan. But this is the first time all three of us have been in the same place at the same time.
It’s a small world, the aid one.
Both Tiffany and Hunter have the day off, so we spend it outside soaking up the sun. On the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train to the pier I ask Hunter about his first year in the U.S. Coming from South Sudan to study computer sciences, I wanted to know his first impressions. His observations surprised me, though they shouldn’t have.
“There are so many homeless people,” he tells me.
Having left a country torn apart by decades of war, Hunter wasn’t prepared for the high rates of visible poor. So many NOT living the American dream. That, along with the astounding urban architecture and obvious varieties of sexuality and identity were new experiences Hunter had to wrap his head around.
Connected by shared nostalgia for a place few have visited, our conversation turns to memories of South Sudan. Even though Tiffany and I weren’t there at the same time, it doesn’t matter. Our memories throughout the day are sometimes hilarious, sometimes sobering. With the onslaught of civil war in December 2013, displaced persons have become even more vulnerable, humanitarian aid even more vital.
On this episode of Story Hajj, Tiffany and Hunter tell me about a lighter moment – one of their craziest and distressing encounters with the bush wildlife of Jonglei State. In this story, they are met by an army of invaders – but not the human kind!
In this episode:
- Tiffany and Hunter explain the work of Non-Violent Peaceforce
- Tiffany and Hunter tell a story about the night they barbecued a goat and went to bed without properly disposing of the leftovers…
- Tips for how to avoid a similar invasion