Image: weheartit.com
Dear Isom88n,
It’s truly both hilarious and unfortunate, yet ironically very fortunate, that I was both born and subjected to extensive living in this island which I consider a lazy cousin to Hades.
Hilarious, in the sense that my very being physically and spiritually, never ever resonated with the culture or people of this complex nation. Literally, an alien on the surface I am, as a so-called citizen here.
Unfortunate, in the sense that my very being physically and spiritually, never ever resonated with the culture or people of this complex nation. Literally, an alien on the surface I am, as a so-called citizen here.
Yet, actually very fortunate, in the sense that being born and raised in a place that I would consider to be the very antithesis to who I am, would actually serve as a great school. A place of learning that ultimately showed me time and time again where I should be pointing my life roads towards – away from here. Also fortunate in the sense that this place has always served me well as a jailhouse school of life that taught me the toughest of life lessons (or the tough life lessons I’ve needed so far).
I think it was when I was 10 years old, and I along with my mother and younger brother, were on a lay-over in London en route to Syria. This was 1999, and the lay-over was for… actually, Isom88n, I can’t remember if it was a stay the night occasion or if the connecting was the same day. Every time we travelled to Syria, it was always via London. The lay-over was never consistent, either an over night or a same day flight. Anyway, my first time doing this London then Syria travel pattern was in 1993, though at that time I was too young to fully process that I didn’t resonate with this island, or that spending a night London was a different atmosphere altogether (though I slightly understood it). This particular time in 1999, in London, is when I felt the proverbial fire under my ass set ablaze. Gazing out at the London scenes, I just thought “Yeah… fuck that island… my life will bloom it’s brightest and widest flowers in places like this.”
Fun fact, Isom88n, this island has one of the highest emigration rates in the world. Though I’ll tell you, even the people who emigrate are my antithesis. If they could stay they would, they love their island, their culture, their nationalism – they try to create a microcosm based off of it wherever they wind up. Not me!
When I moved back here in 2010, after three months or so, my sinus began to behave like I had the cold.
“No no, this isn’t some cold. You have chronic rhinitis. Hay fever” my family doctor said. “Really? So why is this coming up now? I didn’t experience this while I was living in Canada,” I asked. “I have it written here on your record that you suffer from this, this is dated 2006. The reason why this is probably manifesting now is due to the fact that you’re back here on this island. The allergens here affect your sinus more than in Canada it seems.”
Two years on, my skin grew a condition of some sort. Red chicken skin is what it looks like… and it itches! It drove me crazy, I even thought it was some sort of STD. I tried tea tree oil, neem oil, antiseptic creams and a plethora of herbal remedies to ingest.
I finally saw a dermatologist, who would speak on her phone while examining me. Big mistake. I pay attention to professionalism, and that was deeply unprofessional. She suggested I had erythrasma and folliculitis.
What did she prescribe? Antibiotics. Did it work? Fuck no.
The second dermatologist I saw was so high in demand that my appointment was 2 months after I made the call. “It’s either keratosis pilaris or eczema. And I’d say for certain that this has everything to do with your chronic rhinitis.”
What did she prescribe? Steroid cream. Did it work? Yes – albeit a temporary solution. Still, it gave a result, it gave me relief.
Isom88n, what I’m trying to tell you is that… I’m allergic to this island.
I truly hope that all my intuitive and gut feeling are correct, and that these discomforts will diminish once I get to my next destination for the end of December: Vancouver.
Here’s hoping to that!
Love,
M88N
