Monday, February 2, 2009

The Colors of Reunion

1 Fevrier 2009. 1:12pm. Steps of the bibliothèque (library).

You may be wondering why I’m on the steps of the library, and not inside. Well, it’s Sunday. The entire island shuts down on Sundays. No markets, school services (including the library), stores, restaurants, even the kitchens on the dorm floors are locked. It definitely takes getting used to. I’m slightly peeved that I can’t do much of anything on Sundays. Moreover, the internet never works consistently, so this is being written in a word document to be uploaded later. Lesson #87523 of Réunion: patience, patience, patience.

Yesterday we went to the beach. I invested in a snorkeling set and explored the coral reefs all afternoon. It was the best 9€ I’ve ever spent. It was so amazing! I saw fish that were straight out of Finding Nemo! The brightest colored beings God ever created, I’m convinced, live in coral reefs. I saw lots of fish, sea cucumbers (I think), an eel, and sea urchins. I can’t wait to go back. The European students go all the time and know the good places to go and what to look for. I’ll try to take some pictures with an underwater camera. I wish you guys could go snorkeling with me.

On the way home, the sun began to set. Our university is on the north side of the island, and mountains block the west side from our view. So, since we were on the beaches on the west side, we had a spectacular view of le couche de soleil (sunset). First, the sun began to sink very slowly in front of us. Its light projected the slightest tinge of melon onto the clouds. Then, it was more intense. Les nuages (the clouds) absorbed it until they were positively tangerine. Their complexion was slightly pink as well. Rose on the edges, and then smoked salmon and a simultaneous hot pink and lobster at the sunset’s zenith. The sky itself reflected that wonderful time of day when it’s both orange and blue- a visual anomaly my brain will just never comprehend. Then, slowly, after its peak, the colors reverse, and the sun finally fades beyond the mountains. All we can see is its echo on the omnipresent, always-perfect clouds. Orange sherbert, then bubblegum pink. Later, the sea and the sky exchange colors, and the sky is painted a soft, cornflower blue. The clouds are a steely gray edged with lavender and infused with ribbons the color of a robin’s egg. The space above grew deeper and deeper blue, as though all the mystery and life of the ocean projected into the endless vista. And then, rather quickly, it was done. The painting was wiped clean, and the colors were packed up for another day. All that remained were the clouds. It is true: they are always present and they are always perfect. Last night, as I watched this evolution of season and color, it seemed as though God had inhaled a giant breath of the island of Réunion-its sounds, people, smells, tropicality- and exhaled them into his hands, molding and prodding and feathering at them until He was satisfied. They stand guard over the island, opposite the great rock cliffs and the yuccas’ tall flower shoots, like sentries facing off. The clouds are perfect. Their whiteness accepts and graciously reflects every color and mood of the island, from the raucous Créole music jams and cookouts in the Cirques to the shouting mango and vanilla bean vendors at the downtown markets to the sinking sun that casts its personality over the enormous and intricate white canvases. This is discovery.

5 comments:

  1. Gorgeous passage Chelsea, it makes me feel like I'm there. I love all of the color/cuisine references. I know you probably think this everyday, but it's through these words that we can all experience the absolute wonder and "special-ness" of where you are and what you are doing. This is once-in-a-lifetime girly. I'm so happy you are soaking it up to the max.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If shutting everything down means you have time to write so beautifully about a sunset, then I'm all for it! It's been snowing here! MC even canceled classes yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chelsea,

    I love hearing about your adventures and I am SO glad that you FINALLY have the chance you've been looking for. We miss you here at MC--but I am so glad (and jealous) that you are where you are!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Chelsea, sounds So beautiful. I'm happy that you get to see SO many fish.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hey whats up. I was an ISEP student at L'universite de la reunion. je suis americain et je suis reste sur le 6em etage. Quand j'etais la bas tous les americains etaient situes sur le 6em parce c'est la plus belle vue est la. La reunion me manque et je reve de l'isle chaque jour. Il faut que tu profites en etant la parce que c'est un isle genial. Si vous avez les questions, ne hesitez a me demander. il me ferra plaisir de vous aider parce que je connais beaucoup d'endroits et beaucoup des gens reunionaisse gentils. Envoyez un email a moi si vous voulez. bdcarr24@gmail.com

    salut,

    bret

    ReplyDelete