August 5th, 2007

Where to
begin? I do so many different things, that it’s pretty hard for me putting it
on paper.

First of I
haven’t started working yet. Pa-Omar told me that I should go with him to see
the minister of sports and youth last Tuesday, but I haven’t heard a word from
him. I’ve tried calling him everyday for more than a week and it’s absolutely
impossible to get in touch with him. As far as I know he’s staying at a scout
camp near Sanyang (SW, Gambia)
but every time I call Ousman, the deputy secretary of the scout organisation,
he’s unable to give me new information. The information I need regards my
accommodation and the voluntary work that I’m supposed to do. Pa-Omar told me
that I could start working before the end of this week. Today it’s Sunday and
I’m still unemployed. I have to leave the family, where I live, since a
grandfather is sick and needs to be accommodated. He’s arriving tomorrow from a
small village in Senegal
and has to go to a hospital to be checked. They don’t know whether it’s TB or
cancer, so it might take a while. Meanwhile I’m supposed to stay somewhere
else, since the family won’t take the risk of having me and the small children
exposed to potentially harmful germs. Pa-Omar promised to find a place for me,
but as earlier mentioned, I still haven’t heard anything.

These days
I’m enjoying long walks around the neighbourhood. I’m doing my best to be
familiar with every street and every corner. I’m talking to a lot of different
people while strolling and find it amazing how the locals care. Sometimes they
care, to make their daily living but most of the Gambians just love to small
talk. I’ve started to draw a map of the area. No maps exist so this might be
the first map of Inner Serekunda. I’m walking, drawing and gets familiar with
an even greater area everyday and love it. Yesterday I walked to Westerfield
(30min.) and crossed the huge Serekunda market on the way back. I chose the
small and narrow alleys, where smoked fish, meat and vegetables are sold to
feed the population of the biggest town in The Gambia.

It’s nice
to be the only white boy in the crowed. I’m trying in every possible way not to
act like the normal tourist. I want to be as ‘local’ as possible and live the
‘local’ life, but it’s not easy since many Gambians believe that white skin
means pockets full of money.

I was
fixing Haddy’s toilet door the other day, using a chisel and a hammer. Then
this man popped up and insisted to help. I tried in everyway possible to tell
him that I wanted to do the work myself, but he wouldn’t listen. Then after
working for 10minuttes he suddenly ask me whether I will give him the tools he
was using. He told me that he needed them and that I could go and buy a new set
for myself. No way. Then Haddy kicked him out and I finished the job.

I have
mended the road to. Not the way I wanted to do it, but things are very
complicated in The Gambia so halfway solutions are often used as a compromise,
to avoid offending someone. Instead of building a concrete ditch in one side of
the road, where the water could run they just ad sand to the eroded streets and
this sand will then be washed away within a month or two. Then they might ad
some extra sand or gravel or they’ll give up. Some streets have sunken more
than 50 centimetres and are only passable by foot.

We only
have electricity when the family has got money for fuel to the generator. When
that happens Nigerian movies are rented and the whole family sticks together
for a cosy time in the living room. That’s when I flee. Nigerian are often
horrible movies. The acting is often poor and the stories pretty boring too.
There are some movies that have so many mistakes that you can’t stop yourself
from laughing. Yesterday we saw this movie that took place in a convent in the
Nigerian countryside, but every time the movie had indoor scenes, the hectic
noise of the city of Lagos
was to be heard in the background.

Normally I
use the movie hours to read and write about my daily living and doing.
Isolating myself to rest and have some privacy for once in a while.

I live in a
family with 7 individuals + guests and the family always has at least one guest
besides me, so privacy is rare.

I have
started learning how to drive. Taf and I have found some nice small football
fields, where I practice different driving skills getting started, gear
shifting and such. I even drove on tar road the other day. Soon we will buy a
learners licence and then I’ll be able to drive around and practice even more.

I will have
to leave you since I’m out off battery.

See ya

Allan