This is the ants in my office carrying off part of a cockroach.

This is our next door neighbour cooking her dinner.

This is me not being eaten by a hippo.

Since being in The Gambia Pete has had a strange growth on the side of his face.

Today's news

I literally haven't had a conversation with a Gambian in the last 48 hours that doesn't concernWayne Rooney.  I am trying to learn the Wollof for 'Alex Ferguson needs to reassert his authority in respect of the younger generation of players'.

Broken bikes

Pete bought a bike, but the pedal fell off so he took it back to the shop to get it mended. And then the other pedal fell off. And then the saddle fell off.  And then the wheel broke. My bike has fared slightly better, with only the handlebars coming off. However other things are thwarting my cycling career, namely the change in weather. When we arrived we were warned not to cycle on the main roads, which are not safe. (In fact, two people I know have been hit by cars since I’ve been here, and I don’t know that many people.) But it was not a problem as I kept my cycling to the back roads. I say back ‘roads’ in the broadest possible sense, since almost all the roads here are unmade, except for a couple of major thoroughfares.  Anyway, I was happily cycling down these back roads when the weather turned, and it stopped raining, and now all the paths which were previously wet sand are now very dry and very thick sand which is impossible to pedal through.  And it’s not just my cycling which has been affected by the lack of rain (which, so you get a picture, only finished three days ago). We now can’t direct anyone to our house, because we used to say we lived just beyond the two massive puddles (and when I say massive, they had tadpoles in them).  Now they are gone so we will have to find new landmarks to mark where we live. (And where are the tadpoles?) The roads round here don’t have names – I have absolutely no idea what my address is. So you have to describe where you are going by using landmarks, and the main landmark in the capital, where we live, is the traffic light.  Yes, that is correct, there is just one set of traffic lights in this great city.  But as Gambians aren’t all that keen on using the definite article, the correct way to arrange to meet someone is ‘at traffic light’.   

The dreaded travel BLOG.

Aha, the dreaded travel BLOG. If you’re reading this you are either (a) avoiding doing something really boring at work or (b) my mum or Pete's mum (hi mum!).

We’ve been here over a month now. Pete started work after two weeks and the idea was that I would be a lady of leisure and have free time to do yoga, organise our house and write a witty, insightful and occasionally moving blog. Instead, in a recruitment process which may not have passed UK standards,  I got a full time job (for which see below), hence (a) the delay in writing the blog, and (b) the lack of wit or insight.  So to spare you the horrendous detail I’ve divided this into headings so you can jump to the part of interest to you.  Only the truly dedicated need read the whole thing (hi mum!).

For reasons outside our control we now have no cameras (mine broken Pete’s stolen), so no photos on this blog as yet … but I’m working on it.

As this blog is vaguely connected to VSO we are requested to omit any political content.  Polly Toynbee-style insight will be available on from me on my return.

LEAVING LONDON

On reflection, trying within 4 days to leave work, pack for the Gambia, have two leaving parties, and get the flat ready to rent out was a little over ambitious.  So we left somewhat sleep deprived but with a warm glow remembering how lovely everyone had been to us before we left.  Thanks so much everyone for all the cards, gifts, lunches, parties, and help.  We are lucky people with amazing friends. 

GAMBIA LIFE

We arrived in the middle of a double whammy, it being both Ramadan and the rainy season.  This means there wasn't much food, and everyone was hungry and wet.  Now Ramadan is over but it still rains all the time, and when it rains there is no electricity, no internet, and, get this, no water.  I had never really considered the implications of having no running water before, but as you can imagine it means no shower, no washing up, but also no flushing the toilet. Nice.  The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a feast called Koriteh.  It was pouring with rain and Pete and I were wandering the streets looking for some food, feeling a bit left out because everyone else was at home with their families, when we stumbled into what we thought was a restaurant with some diners. It turned out to be the owners’ family feast, but they insisted we join them and we spend a great afternoon with eating their amazing food. People here are, as promised, very very kind and generous. We live in a compound which is like a little collection of houses with a Gambian family and three young single Gambian guys.  They have been very helpful in showing us the tricks to make it in Gambian life, for example what to do when there is no water in your toilet.

JOBS AND LAW

So, one Monday I was in the internet café and heard a couple of young Canadians saying they were over here lecturing in the law department. I went over to introduce myself and find out if there were any other jobs and by the Wednesday (for once I am not exaggerating) I was sitting in my own office. 

The University of the Gambia has only been around since 1999 and the law course only the last 3 years, so the 4^th year students, who will graduate after this term, will be the first generation of Gambian lawyers. Previously all lawyers had to go overseas for education and training. Hence why most Gambian lawyers have better things to do than teach at the university (hence employing me).  So it’s a pretty exciting and crazy time.  At the moment there is just one board pen for the whole faculty, but I'm told we are buying some more.  If any lawyers want to come and lecture here, let me know. If any lawyers have any resources that their firms would donate (anything!) please let me know. And if anyone is a documentary-maker and wants to make a film about the making of an African law school, also let me know. (Form an orderly queue, you documentary-makers).

In Gambia they practice customary law and Shari’ a law, as well as having their own statutes and case law and they (to a greater and lesser degree) rely on English common law, but only before a certain date, and equity, and also certain English statutes, but not all of them.  Opaque.

WILD LIFE

We share our house with a nice gecko who we like (named Beckham) and lots of cockroaches (who we don’t).   Outside for the past two nights we have heard mewing and when we went outside and found a tiny abandoned kitten.  We couldn’t bring it into our home as to raise it and then abandon it in a year would be even crueler. It was very sad. On the bird front  I won't get specific but there are lots of vultures which circle the beach at sunset, and we have also seen a red-cheeked cordon-bleu bird, a pied crow, lots of different vultures. The bull frogs and the wild dogs keep us awake at night, but not as much as the mosque calling for prayers at 5am.

SPORT

This section is for my running buddies. I haven’t been out with the running club as I’ve heard it’s only for the very old and they mostly walk instead of run. (I'm not quite sure what the point of it is). We play touch rugby on the beach with some Gambians who are incredibly athletic but don’t really understand the rules, some Europeans who get the rules but aren’t that athletic, and then me, who can neither throw nor catch.  For the next 4 weeks Pete is going to fulfill his dream of being a yoga teacher as he’s filling in for our teacher while she’s away. Om shanty, people.

We live near the national stadium and last week went to see Gambia v Namibia in a qualifier for the African Cup.  Namibia lost 3-1 and weren’t the losers as we and some friends got fleeced for all our possessions – wallets, mobiles, cameras. They saw us coming. Despite that, we had a good time. Despite that, and sitting in the heavy downpour for 90 minutes. Despite those things, and the terrifying crush to get out, we had a good time. Actually, thinking back, it wasn’t all that great.

LANGUAGE

This bit is for the seriously geeky linguist only (as opposed to, er …) They don’t conjugate their verbs here, instead they conjugate their pronouns. Except sometimes they conjugate their verbs as well.  For the amusement of my nephews and the less mature amongst you, the word for “ten” is fuka, and the word for “want” is buga.