As we draw closer to Christmas quite a few of the friends I've made over the last few months are heading home (that's my charisma!). Some are just popping back home for a few weeks while others are heading back for good. Ashley who painted a map of our region headed back a few weeks ago, north-sider Priya (based in Farafenni) headed back to Norway last Sunday and fellow compound in-mate Kate heads back to Blighty the week after next. I would definitely have started getting a complex about things had Lucy (my other neighbour) not told me she would be returning in January.
I have decided to extend my placement for another six months taking me through to July 2011. My IT officer (a local chap called Lamin who I'm training) is proposing that we trek to every school in the region to extend our IT services. This of course will require the use of a motorbike to tackle all those dusty jungle paths! Our region contains the Maniama Forest which is one of the largest areas of unspoilt jungle in The Gambia. Sightings of leopards and hyena (which I heard the other night from Soma) have been known! I've yet to see a VSO motorbike do more than 50kph so the odds aren't that good if I need to make a quick getaway.
I will have a break in February/March to squeeze in a bit of skiing - the difference in temperatures from The Gambia to Canada/France will be a major shock to the system. Evenings/early mornings here are now a very pleasant 18-20 degrees Celsius, the temperature still manages to get to the high 30s by mid-afternoon though. All those pictures of the heavy snow in the UK made me feel quite jealous - well OK for perhaps 10 minutes!
We had a small fire in the compound last week with one of the best excuses. As it hasn't rained for almost two months the vegetation is tinder dry, so perhaps not the best time to try and clear it with a fire. A young lad in a nearby compound had found a six foot snake is his living room and decided he'd make sure there weren't any bushes for further snakes to live in. The result was a singed latrine (we thought Mr Fatti was still inside!) and the rest of the compound having a distinct volcanic look. On the plus side we're only 5 minutes from Soma fire station so we weren't overly worried.
Our rather charred compound following the capture of a 6 foot snake
I have decided to extend my placement for another six months taking me through to July 2011. My IT officer (a local chap called Lamin who I'm training) is proposing that we trek to every school in the region to extend our IT services. This of course will require the use of a motorbike to tackle all those dusty jungle paths! Our region contains the Maniama Forest which is one of the largest areas of unspoilt jungle in The Gambia. Sightings of leopards and hyena (which I heard the other night from Soma) have been known! I've yet to see a VSO motorbike do more than 50kph so the odds aren't that good if I need to make a quick getaway.
I will have a break in February/March to squeeze in a bit of skiing - the difference in temperatures from The Gambia to Canada/France will be a major shock to the system. Evenings/early mornings here are now a very pleasant 18-20 degrees Celsius, the temperature still manages to get to the high 30s by mid-afternoon though. All those pictures of the heavy snow in the UK made me feel quite jealous - well OK for perhaps 10 minutes!
We had a small fire in the compound last week with one of the best excuses. As it hasn't rained for almost two months the vegetation is tinder dry, so perhaps not the best time to try and clear it with a fire. A young lad in a nearby compound had found a six foot snake is his living room and decided he'd make sure there weren't any bushes for further snakes to live in. The result was a singed latrine (we thought Mr Fatti was still inside!) and the rest of the compound having a distinct volcanic look. On the plus side we're only 5 minutes from Soma fire station so we weren't overly worried.
Our rather charred compound following the capture of a 6 foot snake
During the middle of last week I received an email from our VSO programme office informing us that as new volunteers we had been invited to a reception at the British High Commission. It would be a shared function between us and the Gibraltar Regiment - nibbles and a free bar would be provided. As it was short notice and a week before our educational conference in Kombo many volunteers couldn't make it. It's a four/five hour trip from Soma so I needed a long hard think about it. When a free lift in an air-conditioned VSO vehicle turned up I jumped at the chance. We had celebrated "International Volunteers Day" in Soma that Sunday so dignitaries/volunteers for across the country had attended. I was actually on the planning committee for the celebrations - things must have gone so well at the initial meeting they didn't need me for any more! The reception was held the following Monday at the High Commissioner's residence high on the cliffs above Cape St Mary. Getting the chance to drink proper G&Ts and red wine was a real luxury - and all courtesy of HM Government! We ended the evening with a ride home in what appeared to be either a diplomatic or special army SUV. With discretely hidden strobe lights all of a sudden we didn't have to worry about traffic lights or road-blocks, we were coming straight through! It definitely wasn't a five-five taxi trip!
Our VSO pickup vehicle leading the International Volunteers Day parade
Benachin (or "one pot") food-bowl following the celebrations
No mention of watching football this week, is that because Stoke got turned over by the mighty Blackpool??
ReplyDeleteDid Liverpool suffer a similar fate? I've been busy attending an educational conference so it's been all work...Arsenal v Stoke is on TV next weekend so I'll be watching (and suffering)!
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