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.