This week has been very frustrating thinking of what meals to cook especially when you only have a two ring gas burner and have to try to adapt meals which we can all eat together, hence Abi and Bradley have tried their first prawns, which although they ate them I don’t think they would like to repeat the experience. We have had many trips to the supermarkets as they differ so much in price, jars of sauces i.e. chicken tonight can cost an expensive £2.00 which on a Gambian wage we will not be able to afford. I am sure we will find our best buys on where to shop but it will just take extra time and effort, like having to go to the bakers for bread and butchers for your meat instead of everything in one store like Tesco’s. So we have spent time visiting the market to buy our fruit and vegetables with plenty of variety when in season, up to now we have seen banana’s, carrot’s, mango’s, cabbage, tomatoes, chilli pepper’s, sweet potato, courgette, cucumber, lettuce, yams, and aubergine to name just a few as well as some I have not seen before such as bitter tomato which you boil and eat. Eggs are also sold on the market stalls at 5 dalasi each, usually in a tray of thirty, so we have used these to cook Spanish omelette’s. There is also a very good bakers store where you buy the presidents bread at 5 dalasi (13p) and is very much like a baguette but half the size but fatter, very tasty.
We have just finished our second week of language training and for me it will be my last as next week I will be looking after Abi and Bradley so will be unable to attend (Ye Haa) I don’t think I will miss it as we have both found this week very difficult, and unlike me Paul didn’t get any homework. Alongside the language training we have had various meetings on; Gender Issues, First Aid, Culture, and Child Protection, of which some were very interesting especially the Culture meeting which was presented by two existing volunteers who put across their perception of living in The Gambia and it’s people which was presented in a fun way, with mobile phone being answered under the table all of which is likely to happen in the classroom when Paul will be teaching as well as women teachers turning up with babies strapped to their backs ready to learn. The first aid was presented by a Texan from the Peace Corps, again he was very friendly, and Paul is hoping to get himself hooked up with them on a 14km cross country acclimatisation hike probably towards the end of our stay so his gear doesn’t rot.
The highlight of the week was today when we visited the British High Commission, which was just a trip next door from the VSO Office. On entry we handed in all mobile phones and camera’s which we later found out was due to them being electronic devises which can trigger off bombs. The commissioner was a very down to earth guy who chatted a little about the work of the high commission within The Gambia, and on leaving did announce we would be invited to a reception party for the army unit later on in the year and we had a reputation to withhold as all the previous VSO Volunteers have drank him out of house and home. He then passed us over to his deputy and I suddenly felt as if I was one of the cast from The Office he spoke and acted just like Ricky Gervais very funny guy, he highlighted all the issues we might come across whilst living here and how they were there to help, on finding out we had come as a family even more so was the case.
Paul has spent some time with Ebrima from the VSO Office visiting garages looking to purchase a car to make his journey to Brikama easier and also for us to use on weekends. We have been surprised at the price of cars as we thought we could pick up something relatively cheap, which we have found is not the case, however the car insurance makes up for this as it is a minimal cost. On Friday we did have a brief look at a Renault which was brought into the office by one of the staff who was selling it for his friend, it looked okay so will get a better look on Monday when we have more time and make a decision.
Had to rush back home for 1.00pm as Jenny was due to leave for the airport, surprise surprise the taxi which had been ordered didn’t arrive so Paul had to walk to the end of the street to pick up another. Said our goodbyes to Jenny who will be sadly missed and has been a great support for us all with the household tasks such as washing our clothes however the whites do not come up white, sweeping the floor which is a daily job because of all the sand and dust, boiling and bottling the drinking water and finishing the sewing of the lounge curtains and throws for the chairs. Also keeping the children amused for the last two weeks with trips to the supermarket off which today the children were given sweets by the owner, visits to the beach with buckets and spades in hand and not forgetting the safari garden pool of which Paul and I have joined them after our ICT, I think Jenny will be glad of the rest certainly not a holiday.
We have just finished our second week of language training and for me it will be my last as next week I will be looking after Abi and Bradley so will be unable to attend (Ye Haa) I don’t think I will miss it as we have both found this week very difficult, and unlike me Paul didn’t get any homework. Alongside the language training we have had various meetings on; Gender Issues, First Aid, Culture, and Child Protection, of which some were very interesting especially the Culture meeting which was presented by two existing volunteers who put across their perception of living in The Gambia and it’s people which was presented in a fun way, with mobile phone being answered under the table all of which is likely to happen in the classroom when Paul will be teaching as well as women teachers turning up with babies strapped to their backs ready to learn. The first aid was presented by a Texan from the Peace Corps, again he was very friendly, and Paul is hoping to get himself hooked up with them on a 14km cross country acclimatisation hike probably towards the end of our stay so his gear doesn’t rot.
The highlight of the week was today when we visited the British High Commission, which was just a trip next door from the VSO Office. On entry we handed in all mobile phones and camera’s which we later found out was due to them being electronic devises which can trigger off bombs. The commissioner was a very down to earth guy who chatted a little about the work of the high commission within The Gambia, and on leaving did announce we would be invited to a reception party for the army unit later on in the year and we had a reputation to withhold as all the previous VSO Volunteers have drank him out of house and home. He then passed us over to his deputy and I suddenly felt as if I was one of the cast from The Office he spoke and acted just like Ricky Gervais very funny guy, he highlighted all the issues we might come across whilst living here and how they were there to help, on finding out we had come as a family even more so was the case.
Paul has spent some time with Ebrima from the VSO Office visiting garages looking to purchase a car to make his journey to Brikama easier and also for us to use on weekends. We have been surprised at the price of cars as we thought we could pick up something relatively cheap, which we have found is not the case, however the car insurance makes up for this as it is a minimal cost. On Friday we did have a brief look at a Renault which was brought into the office by one of the staff who was selling it for his friend, it looked okay so will get a better look on Monday when we have more time and make a decision.
Had to rush back home for 1.00pm as Jenny was due to leave for the airport, surprise surprise the taxi which had been ordered didn’t arrive so Paul had to walk to the end of the street to pick up another. Said our goodbyes to Jenny who will be sadly missed and has been a great support for us all with the household tasks such as washing our clothes however the whites do not come up white, sweeping the floor which is a daily job because of all the sand and dust, boiling and bottling the drinking water and finishing the sewing of the lounge curtains and throws for the chairs. Also keeping the children amused for the last two weeks with trips to the supermarket off which today the children were given sweets by the owner, visits to the beach with buckets and spades in hand and not forgetting the safari garden pool of which Paul and I have joined them after our ICT, I think Jenny will be glad of the rest certainly not a holiday.
Jenny's last night at Francisco's
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