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I have just finished reading a wonderful book called 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'. It was very long (1006 pages!) but as I was approaching the end of it I felt that it wasn’t long enough and I wanted it to go on forever. In fact now that I have finished reading it I feel a little lost!
I don’t really want to talk about it too much just in case any of you decide to read it! It was just wonderful!!
MUM – I really think you should buy it and read it. I’m sure that you will like it and I would love to talk to you about it.
Anyway the book was recommended to me some time ago by a wonderfully insightful man called Martin Fallon (I am so pleased that he shared it with me that I believe it is important to credit him in this way). Initially he lent me a hardback version of the book (which was huge) but I just didn’t have the time to read it. So I purchased a paperback version and took it to The Gambia with me.
Now I would never want to accuse Martin of being in anyway cynical HOWEVER just to prove that the book actually made it to The Gambia I have gone to the trouble of taking some pictures as ‘evidence’. Should Martin doubt that I have read the book (which I’m sure he wouldn’t) I would be thrilled to talk to him about it!!!
I've been trying to take pictures of all the people who live on the compound with the hope of devising a final version HOWEVER this is proving impossible because at different times of the year there are different family members here.
These pictures were all taken around September and since then most of the people have remained but some have left and more have returned. Therefore I have missed quite few people out (children mainly).
Anyway, the top row shows Dad and then Step-dad, followed by Dad's two wives and then Step-dad's two wives. The next few rows are their children (in no specific order). There are more children than this but some are grown up and have left the compound and others are studying or live elsewhere (Dad has two sons in America).
The last few rows show the people who rent on the compound (Paul and I included). I will try to update this and take photos of some of the people who I now see daily but just haven't photographed yet!!
At the weekend, Nathan (the peace corp based in Kerewan) came over to the house asking if I would give him a haircut. Initially I was really excited; the idea of taking scissors and snipping away at his hair (Edward Scissor Hands-like) filled me with delight.
I soon came back down to earth though and felt duty bound to tell Nathan that I had little to no experience in cutting hair and the only time I had attempted it (once at Uni) it was a disaster and became one of the contributing factors to the demise of a friendship.
However this was Nathan that I was talking to and he didn’t seem overly concerned about my slight lapse in confidence. So off I went to Nathan's house where the cutting commenced.
It took me a while at first to regain my spark (the evil friend at uni had deterred me from cutting hair ever again) and then I was off. Snip, snip, snip. It was so much fun, I really did feel like I knew what I was doing.
Once I had completed both Nathan and I were pleased with the cut! I did however spend the rest of the day looking at his hair when we were talking and once, mid-conversation I even gave it an extra snip!
What a huge success!! SO I have posted some pictures to show a BEFORE and AFTER cut so you can see my handy work. Incidentally Nathan's facial expression was a little, should we say 'vacant' on the first picture therefore adding to the contrast on the second!
I have shared my house with a mouse (or two) for some time now and though I’ve seen it a couple of times and occasionally heard it running around and scratching through the night - I was just beginning to accept that having a mice in your house was a way of life here. That is until the mouse started pushing the boundaries.
Initially on discovering the mouse I put down a 'humane' mouse trap. That was unsuccessful but at that point I wasn’t seeing any mouse droppings around the house so I’d deluded myself into thinking that it left. A few weeks later my family sent me out some 'sonar mouse repellents', these are plug in devices that give out a disturbing noise that only mice can hear. When I used these in England they worked a treat but for some reason the Gambian mice don’t seem all that bothered about them (possibly because the electricity is not on all day so therefore they only have to stay out of the house when the power is on, after that the noise has stopped and they are free to roam).
Since plugging in these the devises the mice have stepped up their game (maybe payback) and now the scuttling around on the floor at night and the scratching has increased. Also when I get up in the morning there are mouse droppings all over my cooker, clean dishes and books (I think they are going for the things that they know will annoy me the most).
Well recently I have not been well and therefore I just didn’t have the energy or desire to tackle the problem however yesterday I decided to make a start on the mouse eradication process. I moved the two key items of furniture that I know they run around in, I swept away all of the mouse droppings, re-washed all the dishes and bleached everything. I even rearranged my house to make mouse movement between key furniture less convenient. (Rearranging the house was particularly difficult as half the compound was sat in my house watching what I was doing)! During this massive de-mouse I glimpsed the tail of one but it got away in our mutual panic!
When I had finished my sweeping, rearranging and bleaching I was very proud of myself (not to mention hot and sweaty) and I decided to have a wash. As I walked into the bedroom I glanced over to my bed and there, right in the middle of my bed was a mouse dropping!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes. The cheeky little bugger had vacated the room I had been cleaning and was spending its free time running around on my bed leaving its little droppings as souvenirs. A few nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night thinking that I saw a mouse in my bed but then I put it down to my crazy dreams!
So now it is war. I will be content with nothing short of mouse genocide. The mice on my cooker - disgusting, the mice in my clean dishes - gross, the mice on my books - annoying, the mice in my bed - HELL NO!
Later today I hope to do a detailed inspection of the mattress and pillows (sometimes they make little nests in the mattress). When I next go to Kombo at the weekend I am going to buy some material (to fill the gaps under and around the door frames) and some masking tape (to cover up the holes in the ceiling). I will also have to buy a sealed container for my clean dishes. My family have purchased some UK style traditional mouse traps (which I haven’t seen anywhere here) and they will be sending them out shortly.
Hopefully within the next few weeks my house will be mouse-free. I don’t know if that is just a dream (one of the girls on my compound who was bemused by my de-mouse efforts told me that you can never get rid of them). Who knows? Maybe the mice in my house will be hard to eradicate (especially as the travel through the ceilings and holes in the wall) HOWEVER I will try. War has commenced! (At a very slow Gambian pace - as I can’t actually do anything until I get to Kombo and my traps arrive!!)
On a recent trip to Kombo (yet another medical visit!) I decided to take some pictures of the boats that I took across the Gambia (as mentioned in a previous entry). It was starting to get dark and as the ferry was working, the boats were virtually empty but I thought it might give you an idea of what they looked like. Remember they pack these boats with people and livestock (and a lot of people at that).
I will keep this as brief as possible as not to relive the horrors of that fateful night. As the title suggests there was a ‘disaster’ that involved a croc. I will temporarily relieve your anxiety by telling you that no individual was left physically hurt by this incident and it did not involve a large green coloured animal but in fact a small black shoe – a croc.
On the evening of Saturday 9th October I (Vicky Anderson/Kaddy Ceesay) went out to the pit latrine wearing two black crocs, one on each foot. After concluding my business in the pit I fumbled slightly with my clothing and accidently knocked one of my crocs into the latrine.
It was too dark and far too dangerous (so many bugs, frogs, mice, rats and lizards around) to address the matter that evening so I had to resign myself to investigating the possibility of a croc rescue mission the following morning. Needless to say I had a restless night.
Early the next morning, I spent a considerable amount of time on my hands and knees peering into my latrine. I located the croc and using a coat hanger and piece of string I embarked on a rescue mission. Sadly to no avail. With a pain in my heart I accepted that the croc was lost forever and sealed its fate by completing my morning ‘business’.
The only good thing about this whole story (because really it was a disaster and a great tragedy as I used the crocs on a daily basis, they were my house shoes and they were only a few months old and they were actually ‘crocs’ – not replicas!!) is the fact that my crocs were black so therefore I have to really focus to see the one in the latrine and hopefully in time I will come to forget it is there! (Will have to hide the other though as it serves as a constant reminder!)
The remaining croc by the latrine (a very sad sight indeed - was almost reduced to tears taking this picture)
Last week it was necessary for me to go back to Kombo (Senegambia to be more precise) to visit my doctor (the rashes on my hands and arms were just getting out of hand - excuse the pun). VSO cover our health care costs and ask that we register at a place in Senegambia called 'Africmed'. It's not a particularly big place but they do everything there! They have a room which serves as a ward, another that they use as a labour ward, they have an x-ray room, 3 doctor consultation rooms, a pharmacy and even a room which they use as a laboratory (they do all the blood, urine etc sampling onsite as there is no central place to send them to).
I made the decision to leave Kerewan on Wednesday afternoon and after work I went home, packed my bag and made my way to Barra. It was particularly hot that afternoon and I had to wait for ages for a gelly to Barra and when one finally came it was very crowded and exceptionally slow! From the gelly park I made my way through the market to the ferry only to find that all crossings had been cancelled due to docking problems at Barra. (There wasn’t a notice explaining this information - just huge queues and it actually took quite a while to ascertain what was going on).
I was really disappointed, I wanted to get to Banjul so that I could go to the doctors and couldn’t face having to get a gelly back to Kerewan (from Barra you have to wait until the gelly fills up before it will set off and that can take hours). Suddenly I remember Paul telling me about the 'boats', an alternative to using the ferry so I decided to locate the boats.
I discovered the boats on the beach close to the ferry port. The beach was really crowded and lots of men had circled me and were asking me questions and telling me things in a variety of languages. I managed to block most of their chat and concentrated on what was going on on the beach. There were around four boats there and each was like huge rowing boat (what people might use as fishing boats here). One was 'unloading' and the others were 'loading up' - all of them were floating in the river about 20meters from the shore. At first I was confused and was wondering how people got on to the boats and then after some close observation I realised that people were being carried through the water to and from the boats!!
Panic set in and at the thought of someone having to carry me on their shoulders to the boat (I was worried that they wouldn’t physically be able to lift me and that I might cripple them, not to mention the risk of falling off their shoulders and getting completely soaked). I was really torn. What should I do? How badly did I want to get to Banjul?
I watched for a little longer and finally decided that the boat was my best option. I looked around at the swarm of men all offering to carry me to the boat (obviously for a price) and selected the biggest, strongest looking man that I could. He came up behind me, put his head through my legs and lifted me onto his shoulders. He then waded through the water and threw me onto the boat!
The journey itself was a bumpy one. I was sat in such a position that it meant that I couldn’t actually see anything so I had no idea where we were and how far away we were from land! I spent the whole 45 minutes rocking from left to right watching a little man with a bucket trying to scoop out the water that was filling the bottom of the boat! I think that was actually his job!! Anyway eventually I made it to dry land and though getting off the boat at Banjul was tricky it didn’t require me climbing onto anyone’s shoulders and potentially crippling yet another Gambian!!
I spent all of that evening (and most of the following day) at the Africmed centre waiting to see a doctor and then waiting for blood tests etc (apparently something they so routinely in the malaria season). I was worried that by the time I left I would actually have picked up something more severe than the skin rash I went in for!
Anyway, you will all be pleased to know that I am fine! He doctor believes that I was having an allergic reaction to the anti-malaria tablets that I was taking and after applying some cream and changing tablets my rash has virtually gone! Since returning from my boat adventure I have told many people about it and have gained serious respect (not strictly true as many people thought I was crazy) for braving the boats across the river!
An action shot! Boys in the compound enjoying playing with the ball that Lucy sent
Bubble madness on my porch!! The children love these (thanks again Lucy). Going to have to start making my own solution though because they've got through all 3 bottles!!
Basi and little sister Kaddy playing on my bike
Children playing outside the compound. They use plants to create a 'high jump' style game
Me and Paul (picture taken at work at the Regional Education Office)
Last week at work was very busy. We had a workshop at the office all week, the purpose of which was to explain what ‘learner centred methodology’ was to key education people in the region. The workshop was run by the Curriculum Department. It was an interesting and busy week and I found myself both involved with the workshop as well as completing other work I had to do, so I was very very busy (even took work home and worked until 10:30pm on a couple of evenings!)
Working in the heat can be very difficult and it really is very hot (it’s humid too because it’s the rainy season and at times there is so little air it even feels difficult to draw breath!) The electricity goes off during the early hours of the morning (3am) and the moment my fan goes off I wake up! Within minutes I’m wet through with sweat! The electricity comes on again at 9am but I am in work by then so from 3am until 7pm that same day I have no electricity which means getting ready for work in the morning is a sweaty task! Everything takes so much longer here because of the heat (even simple tasks like washing the dishes has to be done more slowly otherwise you’d be rinsing them in sweat)! I think I am getting used to it though and the only thing that really gets to me about the heat at the moment is my skin irritations (can’t wait to sort that out!)
Normally my house is very busy, it’s like the compound hangout and I’m rarely in there alone however recently big sister Lucy sent me some toys (a bat and ball set, a ball, some small children’s toys and lots of bubble making apparatus) and now I’ve managed to keep a lot of the children outside happily blowing bubbles and playing games with each other (well as happily as a group of children can do those activities together)! It does mean that my house has become more of a teenager hangout now (they love listening to my i-pod) but I can get rid of people as and when I need to (which isn’t really very often!)
Sadly though, many of the children on the compound have been ill with malaria over the last few weeks due to the rainy seasons (as there are many more mosquitoes around). The local health centre seems to be able to provide them with adequate medication though.
The weekend just gone was another fun weekend. Paul’s wife Courtney came to visit and brought a friend with her (both Courtney and her friend are American but not peace corp). I invited Priya over and on Saturday night we all went down to the pier and made a fire. We spent the evening there chatting and making ‘s’mores’ (apparently this is a well known American thing where you melt marshmallows over a camp fire and then sandwich them between biscuits with chocolate in the middle). They are called s’mores because people always want ‘some more’. They were nice but a bit rich for my otherwise chocolate-free diet so after having two I had to say ‘no s’mores’!
All the guests left on Sunday and I spent the remainder of the day chilling. I even watched a film on my net book (with the fan on full blast pointing directly at me) ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’ and for a short while I forget where in the world I actually was! It wasn’t long though before the house guests came over wanting to listen to my new collection of Gambian music!
All in all things are good here and I am happy and life is treating me well. It’s nice to know that people back home are thinking about me and I’m actually quite jealous that you guys are going to get a winter and be cold! The closest I get to a cold chill these days is that first jug of water that I pour over my head whilst washing in the morning. It’s just cold water but it’s been outside in the bucket all night so it’s usually heated up a little. Very occasionally it catches me off-guard and it is actually colder than I imagine and that shiver sensation, whilst stood naked under the sun in my open-top pit latrine, is both the best and worst experience in the world!
Apologies for such a lengthy gap between entries it’s just.....er....well it's really hot and at work I’ve been very busy and then when I get home I just can’t be bothered to write my blog!! The 'really hot' excuse might sound lame but seriously it drains you of energy! Not only that but I spend most of my 'free time' wiping sweat off my body! Since coming to The Gambia my skin has never stayed dry for longer than about 30secs! I'll go out to 'shower' (pour water over myself), dry myself with a towel and by the time I’ve walked 5 metres back into my house I’m sweating again! I currently have an open wound (just minor so nothing to worry about mum!!) and horrible heat rashes on my hands, arms and feet, the problem is my skin just doesn’t stay dry long enough for them to heal or clear up!! The time has come to seek medical advice! So I am planning a trip to Kombo next week!
So, back to my update! A few weeks ago I had my first 'official' house guest. I have had many other guests in my house since I’ve been here, mice, ants, spiders, cockroaches, a lizard and a frog but this particular guest I invited! Her name is Priya and she is a Norwegian student. She is doing her thesis on an aspect of 'maternal health in the Gambia'. She is based in the hospital at Farafenni (which is about an hour away from Kerewan). I met Priya in Kombo through a VSO called Marcus who was communicating with her on another VSO's blog. (If you go back to the bbq pictures in Kombo you will find her there). Anyway as she was living quite near to me (relatively) so I thought that I would invite her over and also that weekend a 'peace corp' in Kerewan (a guy called Nathan) was having a birthday party at his house so it would be a good chance for us both to meet more people (networking as big sis Lucy calls it)!!
It was nice having Priya at the house and interesting watching her struggle with some of the things that I’ve become so accustomed to now (such as the en-suite facilities and the other house guests!) I have to note that Priya has been to my house again since that first visit and is now adjusting better to my accommodation!!
After showing Priya around Kerewan (which took about a whole 15mins)!! I introduced her to the people on my compound. Everyone got on marvellously. We all sat round on my porch chatting and drinking attayh. Later that evening, we headed over to Nathan's compound to join the party celebrations.
When we got there the group were a little tipsy (I think I’m being generous when I describe them as merely tipsy) but still welcoming. Also at the party there was another guy from the 'peace corp' and 4 other 'peace corp' girls. We had a pleasant evening and played a few card games and even had a couple of games of twister!!
Nathan (who is based in Kerewan) is a nice guy and a good laugh. He likes to drink a lot (spirits usually; that he gets from Kombo) and he likes to play poker (Texas hold'em) of which I’m always up for a game.
After the party, Priya, Paul and I all walked home and the following day we all went back to Farafenni with Priya. Paul went by motorbike and took Lamin (a guy on our compound) to watch the football. People here go to 'video clubs' where there is an average sized TV (connected to satellite dish) at the front of a room full of rows of benches. People then pay to enter and watch the games; they are often very crowded and hot! Lamin (with the help of Paul) has set up a video club on our compound so there is no escaping the premiership here! (Or the Spanish league which seems exceptionally popular). Priya and I took the 'gelly' (an over-crowded minibus that works like a bus service following set routes).
Whilst in Farafenni I purchased some material which I took home later that day and used to improve the furnishings in my house (I actually stayed up until gone midnight making curtains)!
A week after Priya’s visit all the new volunteers were summoned back to Kombo by VSO in order to apply for and pick up our bio-metric id cards (all very impressive, they even have finger prints on them)!
I had to make the trip alone which was a new and slightly daunting experience as it involved a ferry crossing. At the ferry terminal in Barra I met more (but different) peace corps (those guys really are everywhere)! Sadly when we arrived at Banjul the customs and immigration officials identified all 5 white people (myself and the other peace corp) as potential drugs traffickers! We were taken into a little office and had to hand over lots of identification documentation and we also had our bags searched. I thought the profiling system was quite interesting! Upon release I took a taxi and met up with the other new volunteers.
It was nice to see the other VSO (though to be honest I felt quite sad leaving Kerewan because I’d only been there a couple of weeks and was starting to settle). Kombo felt busy and hectic and really expensive (you can buy 2 cokes and a bag of sugar in Kerewan for the price of one coke in the Kombo)! Though I was keen to leave Kombo and head back up-country I was appreciative of the things that you could buy there that I couldn’t get in Kerewan. So whilst there I purchased a kettle, a pan, some more cutlery, a metal bucket (to burn rubbish in) and a covered bucket (always need buckets!)
I was really lucky when it came to leaving Kombo and managed to get a lift with a group of people attending a VSO conference further up-country. It was Marcus that found out about the vehicle going up-country and suggested that we try and tag along! This really was a life-saver because I had purchased too many things to be able to carry them all back on the gelly! Also it turns out that some of the people travelling with us were very important including some MPs and the Deputy Speaker so on the way back good we also got priority ferry boarding and crossing!!
Marcus had arranged with Paul to collect his house keys (Paul was spending the weekend with his wife Courtney in Kombo) and then on the way back from Kombo Marcus stopped off in Kerewan for a couple of days. It was great. Once again I got to show the visitor around (the people on my compound always refer to my visitors as ‘your stranger’ which really makes me laugh). We went to a local football match, drank attayh, Marcus even got to watch me strap baby Mama (that’s the baby’s name) to my back African style and then later we had a few (and then a few more) drinks at my house with peace corp Nathan and played poker until 3:30am!!A super weekend!
