Material World
on Phil Bradfield (The Gambia), 26/Jul/2010 10:31, 34 days ago
(Written 24/07/2010 14:30, My House, Janjanbureh)We in the West are used to having a lot of material possessions. It’s the way we live our lives. Here it’s different: quite apart from the fact that most people can’t afford to buy things, even those who can are quite happy without them. To give an example, my neighbour is a well-educated man who works for the national electricity company in what (I presume)is a reasonably well paid job. Yet the only furniture in his house is a television, a few plastic garden chairs and a foam mattress on the floor. And no-one, himself included, bats an eyelid, because it’s just normal.Although my house is furnished by VSO, so I have a table, chairs, a bed etc, there are many things that I’d take for granted in Britain which are simply not available here. I live a much simpler life with much fewer possessions, and I’m certainly no unhappier for it. Material wealth doesn’t bring happiness.Or... does it? I think everyone has some things which, while they are still luxury items, can make a surprisingly big difference to their perceived quality of life. And I’ve been fortunate enough to recently come into possession of two things which, to me, fit into this category.Item 1: CafetiereAs many of you know, I like my coffee, and while I will drink instant coffee without complaint, I really appreciate being able to drink good coffee. Gambia, however, being an ex-British colony, is not a coffee-drinking nation; apart from one or two posh cafes or hotels in the Kombos, the best you’ll get is Nescafé instant. But now, thanks to ex-volunteer Fiona, I have a cafetiere, and current volunteer Courtney very kindly brought from Kombos some ground coffee to put in it! I used it for the first time yesterday, after getting home from my morning’s work. Relaxing after a working weekwith the first real coffee that I’ve been able to make myself in six months... bliss!Item 2: BicycleAs lovely as Janjanbureh is, living in a very small town, on an island, with no means of transport beyond the unreliable gellis, can get a bit claustrophobic. No longer though! VSO has a few spare bikes that they lend to volunteers who need them, and I’ve talked them into giving one to me. I took it over the South Bridge for a test ride yesterday, and it was such a liberating experience, being able to independently take myself off the island and into the rest of the country. And it’s beautiful country as well, especially now that everything’s lush and green from the rain. It’ll also make it easier nipping around town or going down to the office. OK so the bike’s not perfect – whoever serviced it obviously didn’t test-ride it; if they had they’d have known that the front gears are faulty – but I’ll get that sorted and thenme and my trusty (I hope) steed will be off sampling what else Central River Region has to offer!So, my life has taken a significant turn for the better thanks to the simple acquisition of two material objects. My question for all of you to think about is: if someone took all your possessions away except your house and basic furniture, and said you could have only two of your things back, which two would they be?