Snakes, Synod, and sand!

I have been  somewhat remiss in this blogging effort, some might say downright lazy, I'd prefer to say that my priorities have been elsewhere and blogging had also become a chore.

So snakes, what is that all about?

Well some 6 months or so back the children ran to me door making hissing noises, and trying to get me to come outside.

I followed them to just outside the compound where there was a large crowd and a surprisingly large snake!

I'd estimate it was about 4 or 5 inches thick and around 10-12 foot long! At a guess it was some kind of python, one of the boys on the compound at seen it at the garden (vegetable patch), caught it and brought it home, planning to kill it in the compound, however Fanding (step-dad) told him no, so he whacked it a few times with his machete (no self respecting teenager should be without one when gardening), and chopped off it's head!

I was kinda expecting the chopping to continue and people to cook and eat it, but apparently they don't eat snakes in Kerewan... I was a little disappointed.

Synod? What is the story there, well I was asked by the priest for the church I occasionally frequent to come to the Gambian Synod as a parish representative. He had no educated parishioners, nor any whose English was up to the task.

I had high hopes for the Synod, however it turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment, still I did make committee chairman on my first day, I think I impressed the Bishop with my answer to a question.

Less said about the Synod itself the better however, as my comments would not be entirely positive! :o

Still we did get Guinness with lunch so it wasn't all bad! :)

Sand? It is everywhere, gets into everything, and means you need to sweep out your house two or three times a day!

Overdue, but not lost

So I figured it was time for an update, just so you know I'm still alive...

The past few months have been much of a muchness, with little to report, and less time to report it in.
I've been hard at work, most of the time, and my free time while extensive is limited by electric and the large number of people I know here in Kerewan making demands on my time.

I pop in for a quick chat to one compound and they want me to stay for hours, it is rude not to have food with them, and people here have so much free time that they nothing of telling you to stay for food knowing it wont be ready for 3 hours...

If I don't visit someone every day they tell me they miss me and sound upset that I am not visiting. Yet I am friends with people on 4 compounds, besides people from work, and random people on the street who invite me to have an ataya (china green tea).

If I'm at home my compound family visit me every day, some of them could visit 4 or 5 times, and this means most of my time when there is electric is spent talking to the people on the compound, or letting them use my computer for facebook, or computer lessons or transferring music to their MP3 players/ phones.

I generally have time to do my own thing in the afternoon between power off and on, (currently 1pm power off and 7pm power on), but it is too hot to run the computer without a fan, and my battery only lasts an hour or so now, so even if it is cool I struggle to have time for much.

Today strangely the power came on an hour early, maybe they have changed the schedule for a bit, or maybe it is just a one off.

So that is it for now, I hope this doesn't come off as a moan, as I'm still really enjoying life (other than my 5th or so stomach upset last week.

I have a few posts to make about the last few months when I get a chance, tentatively named "Snakes, sun and sangria", "Gambian Church Synod", and possibly a third one "Making a difference, can I?"

New years, Christmas and New Years!

Typo? No I had two new years celebrations, one for the Islamic new year in early December, and one on Jan 1st.

Islamic New years I was forewarned in a vague sort of way that I would need to meet the family at the front of the compound bright and early in the morning.

The time was not specified so as per Tobaski I was ready then nothing happened, then I was called when not ready. I went to the front of the compound sat down with the rest of the family and waited, every Ceesay in the village was there it seemed to me, but that can't be the case as there were less than a hundred there, so maybe 3 compounds worth.


It was pretty cold too, so we huddled together a bit to ward off the pre 8am chill, (might even have been below 20C but I doubt it) and eventually things got moving.

There was some praying, then sharing of gifts, which was sweets, nuts, and a flour/ sugar mix thing you kneed with your hand and take bites of...

When this was finished we all went back inside the compound, hung around a bit to chat and headed back to our respective houses/ chores etc. At some point later on in the day there was more food, and I sat with the family as I do several times a week to eat with them.
The food bowl is experience is not for everyone, but as I am particular not to get a very small child sitting next to me (who have poorer than normal hygiene standards), me using a spoon and others using there hands is fine.

Fatoumata and Aja-Bintou Ceesay

The whole crowd for New years.

Nyimansata  Ceesay , ?, and Madjula Ceesay

Jenaba Ceesay and Aja-Bintou Ceesay

Add caption

Lissa Dampha and Fanding (Step dad)  - Lissa is Fandings 1st wife (I think)

Christmas

I went down to Senegambia for Christmas, and stayed in a posh hotel - The Kololi Beach Club, it is dead expensive normally (£980 a week for a twin bedroom apartment with sofa bed in lounge), but I was there as a member of my parent's vacation club, so only had to pay for the utilities - £56 which worked out as £62 as I paid in dalasi (D2800). Though how they work that out I have no Idea, I pay D400 a month for electric in my compound (I'm on a meter), and this was for a week. Water bills come to approx D100 a month (though I don't pay that) so lets say D125 is my weekly energy cost, so D2800 is just a little bit of an exorbitant overcharge!

It was absolutely lovely to have a warm shower, I did this within an hour of arrival... and it took me about 45 minutes to get my apartment key!

The hotel was luxurious, but they had a strange policy on guests, my terms and conditions stated I could have guests up to the occupancy of the building, that is 4 people. Yet when I attempted to show my apartment to two of my VSO friends, I as told they needed to sign in at reception and get guest passes. So we just turned round and went back to a cafe.

The next day two of my Gambian family came to visit me, I took them to reception to get their guest passes, and was told they were not allowed in! I was allowed to take them to restaurant but no further! I was right narked, but didn't want to make a scene with them present. I asked for the manager even so, but he/she was not available and when I insisted they called someone who confirmed I could not take people past the restaurant.

I gave up and took my family to the restaurant for a soft drink.They were a little shocked at the food prices!
They liked the beach, though Nyimasata is scared of the sea!

Senegambia is very different to the rest of Gambia, and to some extent typifies the worst of The Gambia.
Bumpsters travel in packs (well not really, but you get several in a row), everyone wants your money, and everything is expensive. The police try their best  keep the bumpsters and others under control, but there is too much money in the area.

That said, as soon as people got to know that I could speak some Mandinka, I was greeted left right and centre.
I made lots of new friends, of note were a few Mandinkas from Baddibu (the area of the Gambia I live in), including Mariama a pub greeter from one of the many bars on the strip, and Mariama Jallow from the Police checkpoint,and Mariama Camara one of the maids at the hotel.  (It seems Mariamas and I get on well or something.)

While most of the strip is expensive for the Gambia, you can still get food for under £6, and beer for under a£1, or even about 60p in some bars.
It does have one cafe worth mentioning - Gaia art cafe, a little bit of heaven on the edge of the main tourist area, it makes it's own cakes, including some drop dead gorgeous cheesecakes, and some great drink, my favourite being a ginger cooler. :)

I did a bit of shopping wile there to, but maybe I should have thought how much weight I had before buying more. I estimated I carried 25-30kg in my holdall, 15kg in my backpack, 10kg in my laptop bag, and two 1.5L bottles of water in a plastic bag, making 53-58kg total, a fair pile fora journey in taxi to the port, 200 yds walk to the ferry, hanging around in the cage with hundreds of others, and fighting my way onboard, then a 300yds walk the other side to the gelli park and getting a set pass (an estate car converted to a 10 seater taxi - extra row of seats in the back), finally a 500yd walk to my house from the main road. I was plum tuckered out let me tell you.

I gave out most of my gifts within a hour or two, and took it easy for the rest of the day, thank you Mam, Dad, Dafydd and Emily for sending most of the gifts.

New years was a bit anti climatic, Nathan from the peace corps as too tired to do anything, and no one in Kerewan celebrates New Years, so stayed up on my own till midnight, phoned home, sang Blwyddyn Newydd Dda to my parents and failed to get hold of my brother for more of the same.

Chritmas day in Fajara, view from outside the church.

Bizzare find on a shelf in a local store in Senegambia

Nyimansata and Mariama Sibou Ceesay at my hotel.

Mariama Jallow at the local police check point.

Slightly overdue Tobaski update

I said a few weeks back that I would devote an update of its own to Tobaski (Eid_al-Adha).

This is a festival held roughly 2 months after Ramadan ends, and is the big thing in The Gambia, people head for their home villages across the country, travel chaos ensues and many places of work get very quiet or shut down completely.

For me it was a confusing jumble of events, not made any easier by partial and misleading guidance by various people around me.

I was under the impression that I should get up and get dressed in my best new African clothes, go to the mosque, slaughter some rams, eat lots of meat freshly roasted, sing, dance and give out sweets.

It was sorta like this, just not on the timetable i was expecting and not necessarily in that order.

I got up bright and early and made my breakfast (porridge oats, and a cup of earl grey), did the regular morning ablutions and got dressed in my best clothes, only to find when opening the door everyone else was dressed as normal...

So I changed back, went to get water, and twiddled my thumbs for a while, some time later someone came to say aren't I going to the mosque? So I changed quickly and headed to the gate to find lots of people waiting for me...

I had fallen victim to the misconception that everyone would be going to the mosque together... alas all the women / girls on the compound have work to do so would meet up at the mosque later, hence not getting dressed up yet.

So I walked to the mosque and was assigned to the care of Alieu from Bata kunda (a ~11 year old who speaks reasonable English), while the men went to the inside of the mosque, Alieu, the other boys and myself sat down outside on a plethora of prayer mats set-up just for this purpose.

Looking back at the vast crowd who arrived at the mosque after we did.

This is Alieu my guide for the visit.

After some time, the older men came outside, and sat in the front, and some time later ladies started to come into the back of the mosque compound, where they sat away from the men. One or two little girls sat with their fathers, but otherwise segregation was as normal for here.

The service itself was very quick (10-15 mins maybe) though I'd been at the mosque at least an hour and a half by this point, and so we walked home. I I hung around outside my house for a while expecting things to happen, and seeing not a lot happening, went back inside to sit down.

After a short while I got called to say people were waiting on me and they wanted to kill the rams.
Luckily I was still in best clothes so managed to get out of helping on this task (most of the men had changed clothes as the rams were inconsiderate in where they sprayed their blood while getting their throats cut and in their death throes).

One Ram trying to resist his fate

Rams dead, I sat down with the family, only slightly queasy from the spectacle I had just witnessed. I thought I'd hang around for a while in case I was caught out again, but for now it was just time for chatting. Soon the rams were cut up and people drifted away, I headed back to my house again. Fairly soon I was offered a big plate of freshly roasted liver and kidney, I quite like kidney and love liver, but there is only so much I can have as a pre dinner snack, 3/4 kg is a bit much... :)

So after my 'little' snack I waited around and was soon rewarded with a big pile (~2kg) of meat, for me to cook myself.

Nothing seemed to be happening for some time, so I settled down in my chair and waited to be called again. time went past, and I decided to go to the loo, so obviously this was when I was called as everyone was waiting for me... going to the loo  is not the fastest thing when using a pit latrine so a short while later I emerged to find people unhappy with me as they were waiting on me to start eating...

After some confusion and disagreement, I moved to join a nearby food bowl and ate lots of food, as per usual once finished I then had to eat from another food bowl, and eventually from a third! The eating over I returned to my house to contemplate eating way too much.

No sooner did I sit down and relax, just after I changed into my 2nd nice African outfit as pre warned to do, than I was summoned to the door, it was the start of 'salibo' a tradition similar to trick or treat where hordes of children go door to door asking for money/ sweets etc. I soon exhausted my small trove of sweets (I had bought extra for this occasion), so after I gave out about 60 sweets I starting  telling children 'minti a banta, fo saama' or sweets finished till tomorrow. Then I started giving out pens, though again I didn't have enough so it was 'peno a banta' this time.  (Salibo I had been advised was for two days, so I had to keep some things back for the 2nd day.)

Some of the Ceesay family

Vicky and Lucy

Safiatou Dampha and little Mama Ceesay

Mariama Ceesay, Mbassi Dampha, Jelica Ceesay, Awa Ceesay,  Sainabou Ceesay

Fatamatou Ceesay and Fatima Ceesay

This salibo business continued well into the night, and I still had little children at my door after 10pm plaintively calling 'Salaam Alekum' ('peace be upon you', the traditional greeting when meeting people or calling at their door) to which I ignored, and kept the lights off. :)

There was alas no signing or dancing (that I saw at least) and other than eating and chatting it seemed to be a bit anti-climatic.

Next year I will be better prepared!

Daily work routine

Partly in response to Pauline's request here is an update on my work routine.
Work.. hmmm...
Doddle definitely not, but explaining what I do...

My office is a regional education directorate, sort of like a LEA back in the UK...

Typically I get asked to do a small bit of work that after I look at it turns into a 2 or 3 day project, this happens pretty much every day.

About once a week people ask me to look at something that is anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months work, I have 3 of these on the go at present and another 2 waiting for free time to start.

Anywhere from twice a week to 5 or 6 times a day I get requests to help with Facebook, similarly with Skype, and listening to or ripping MP3s.

I have 15 or so computers to look after all but one is in a bad state, and I rarely get time to look at anything before I get interrupted with the next task.

Every machine has viruses, most have loads, I am struggling to keep on top of this, as USB stick use is over the top, and no one scans USB sticks before use. I generally get called to look at a virus scan report most days and clean one or two USB sticks a day too.
Every machine has a anti virus on it, but there are 6 or 7 different brands of AV, none of them up to date, getting an offline update is nigh on impossible as the internet is so slow (generally under dial up speeds, quite often 1-2k per second!), so my plan of installing the same AV everywhere and running one update which I copy to every machine once a week has not come to fruition yet.

Quite often I get asked to help other people with their work which is not technical at all but just an assumption that I can do everything, so I have been asked to interview staff, write project proposals, help write a speech among other things.

So work for me at least is a quite heavy workload, but I have no time to be bored at least.

It is frustrating as everything takes so long and I have so little to work with, but the office staff are all nice and I get on with everyone, who mainly treat me like a miracle worker / tech god...

It is close to what I expected.
And indeed closer to what I wanted, though only I can get on top of things and get some more peace and quiet to get on with things.

Daily routine

I thought I'd make a nice detailed post about my daily routine here in Kerewan for people's edification... :)

I get up at 6.30am, just around dawn, and use my phone (also my alarm clock) as a torch to find my way out of the mosquito net and open the back door.

I take my bucket, jug soap tray and toilet roll outside and make use of my wonderful pit latrine, the jug is filled from the bucket and subsequently used as my tap/ handwashing bowl.

Depending on how warm it is I take a bucket bath (the last few weeks have been too cold for this). Then go into my front room / kitchen and open the curtains.

I grab a 500ml bag of water from the fridge and drink most of it straight down.
I then fill up the kettle from a bidong (cooking oil 20L plastic container used for holding water), measure a cup full of water into a saucepan, turn on the gas  from the canister, and then light both rings on my gas burner.

One ring boils the kettle, the other boils the water for my porridge, as soon as they are both lit I get sugar out of a Tupperware container and add one lump for my tea, two for the porridge, then get some powdered milk, two teaspoons for the porridge, then finally add four tablespoons of Mornflake oats to the pan.

While intermittently stirring the porridge I put a Twinning's Earl Grey tea bag in my mug, and get some UHT milk out of the fridge, ready for my tea (I can't abide powdered milk for tea).

Note: there is no electric at this time of day, and the dawn light is kinda murky.


I then get my two vitamin pills and my Doxycycline out of the medicine drawer, and put them on the table, and I get my laptop out of its bag and switch it on.

By this time the kettle is boiled and my porridge is nearly ready, if I feel the need I add some syrup or cinnamon to the porridge, and put it a bowl. I finish making the tea, and replace the UHT milk into the fridge (which is off btw).

I read my emails, Facebook and BBC news while eating my breakfast and take my pills once its finished.

If I had a bucket bath I put a pair of shorts on, and start my daily chores, the dishes and saucepan go into a  bucket of water ready for washing. I sweep the floor with my local brush (made of dried grass), and open my front door. The brushing continues outside, and once finished I go and fill up any buckets / bidongs that need it from the tap about 15m from my from my door.

If there is a need I hand wash my underwear, and hang them on the line in my latrine / back yard area, if there is time I wash my dishes, then get changed into my work clothes (usually just a different pair of sandals and trousers instead of shorts). I aim to leave the house about 9am or when  the electric comes on (if it isn't 9am).

It is a 7 minute walk to the office, though sometimes I meet so many people on the way which necessitates stopping for a quick chat, that it takes a fair bit longer. Once at the office I open my room, switch the internet router on, drop my laptop off, then go say hello to everyone in the office, and after 30 minutes or so of that work through to 12ish when I go to get my lunchtime tapalapa (bread with egg or potato filling), I then eat at my desk while continuing work until 3pm when  the electric goes off most days, sometimes its 2 or 4pm).

I go round and say goodbye to everyone, then walk home stopping regularly to say hello to people again.
Depending on who is there, I stop to chat to the policemen sitting outside their station, or the nice people at Suarei kunda (kunda is compound it is the place where the Suarei family live), or Ceesay kunda opposite mine.

I usually get mobbed by children on arriving home, and have to stop to greet everyone in the compound while playing with the children. If I'm lucky  get into my house and drop my stuff off, otherwise I do a bit of mini mini salo (hold a child by the wrists and turn around and around till I and they get dizzy, then watch them try to stand up), until I can get inside.

I chat with my neighbours, play with the children, and while away the time reading if possible on my Kindle until the electric comes back on around 6pm.

At that point I turn the laptop back on, direct my room fan at the laptop, and consider my evening meal options.

If I wander near any of the houses on the compound near meal times I always get asked to come in and join them, sometimes they even bring a bowl with my food in to my house! If not I make something simple with pasta/ rice or boil some veg/ noodles. The dishes go into the washing up bucket and get washed at some point in the evening.

I occasionally watch a film on my laptop, otherwise I play a computer game or read some more.
Somewhere around 9pm I close my door and curtains, and have an hour or two of peace and quiet before I head to bed. I get my phone, using it as a torch I turn off the lights, and tuck in the mosquito net, and go to bed.

Some pictures II

Njaba Kunda school, where I went for a visit, and repaired some of their PCs.

The river (Bintang Bolong) towards sunset with the groundnut (peanut)
conveyor belt on the left

Action in the hotly contested Kerewan seniors football final.

The cup for the winners!

A very interesting ants nest, reminds me of a Tattoine (Star Wars) landscape.

Little Fatima looking like an angel (extremely rare for the girl known throughout Kerewan as being very stubborn (naughty)).

Omar Ceesay (my i thoma [namesake]) making Ataia (tea).

A view of the compound from outside.

The Banjul ferry terminal from the ferry.