A home away from home to remember
By Emmanuel Akli, 2006/7 Gordon Fisher Fellow

Next to my wedding day, my romance with Massey College was one of the happiest times of my life. Being airlifted, accommodated, fed and allowed to study for free, and getting paid on top of it, was the greatest opportunity I've had in my life.

I have Massey College and the Gordon N Fisher Fellowship to thank for that. I couldn't imagine saving enough to fly to places like Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Germany. Or to Canada, for that matter. Massey and the family of Gordon Fisher enabled this to happen, and I am grateful.

This momentous period in my life began in August 2006 when I left Accra for London en route to Toronto. I was granted a leave of absence of eight months to pursue this fellowship at Massey College, part of the University of Toronto. I knew nothing of Massey when college administrator Anna Luengo ushered me into its serene environment. It didn't take long to realise just how unforgettably special it is.

After spending a few days acquainting myself with the facilities and getting to know the junior fellows, some of whom would become my best friends, I got down to the business of selecting my courses. Prof Abraham Rotstein gave fatherly advice and helped me select three political science courses: Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Democracy; Human Rights and International Politics; and Law, Courts and Politics.

I took my studies seriously and never missed a class without a compelling reason. I enjoyed my courses and the Massey life, especially the journalism speaker series. But, as winter drew nearer, I worried about being able to cope, what with all the stories I'd heard about how cold it would get. Fortunately, winter came late. When it finally appeared, Geraldine Sharp, Massey's registrar, gave me a winter bedsheet to keep me warm. I had already purchased winter clothes and footwear using my fellowship allowance. Two of my journalism colleagues also gave me winter coats.

As Christmas approached, I longed for home and my wife. I tried showing courage and put on a brave face, but inwardly I was unsure. Eventually, another journalism fellow, Rob Warner, invited me to Ottawa to spend Christmas with his wife and their two young boys, so I was not alone. I visited the Parliament buildings, the Byward Market, a tiny neighbourhood called Rockcliffe and the Ottawa Citizen newsroom, where Rob is the city editor.

In Toronto I visited the CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame, which is decidedly more interesting and important to Canadians than Africans. My most memorable moment came in Trinidad on our first study trip. The hospitality offered us by Anna Luengo and her brother, Stephen Cadiz, and his wife Suzette was an unbelievable treat. I learned a lot about Trinidad in the week I was there.

Our second trip to Mexico City was also an eye-opening experience. Unfortunately, by the time I adapted to Canadian culture (where I was urged to use the words 'please' and 'thank you' more than a dozen times a day) my time as a fellow was coming to an end. I reluctantly bade farewell to my Massey College Master John Fraser, my sponsors and the Massey community as I left for Finland, Sweden and Germany on my way home.

My wife and I had been married two years when I left home and I was glad to return to her without regrets. I have expanded my knowledge and discovered a world that mere months ago was foreign to me. Massey College will remain a home away from home and I will miss it forever. It was a truly great experience and opportunity. Emmanuel Akli is a reporter and editor with the Accra-based Chronicle newspaper.