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on Lynn Sellwood (The Gambia), 25/Sep/2010 09:04, 34 days ago
Just when you think you have got it sussed then something unexpected happens!Walking down the side of the golf course I came across these bricks and could see that before you build your house you have to make your bricks first. These are made from sand, earth and cement and put in frames, knocked out and left to dry in the sun. No London redbrick here!Bricks drying in the sunThis made me think about starting from first principles which is what I seem to be doing nearly every day. I am starting over, learning how to live differently for a while. Everything in my life has been shaken up, including domestic arrangements, working practices, socialising and making friends as well as having to slow down in the heat.  This new life is becoming normal so I thought I would capture what I mean.A naming ceremony is held for children when they are 10 days old. It is quite a big affair. Aunty Lucy (my landlady) hosted one for a relative and I got to watch the preparations as well as eating the food! I was worried about the goat tethered in the compound the day before and hoped that the slaughter would take place while I was at work. It did!Just one of many potsYou can see that friends and relatives set about preparing food to feed about 60 people, twice in one day.Brave VultureAs the women were preparing and cooking the food, the vultures started arriving, sitting on my roof and occasionally venturing near the pots for scraps. I was mesmerised by them. So ugly! Everything was prepared outside in huge pots with wood fires. There were four of these going at any one time. The food was magnificent and I enjoyed the goat!One end of the compoundPestle and Mortar, Gambian styleI have spent time meeting new people, one of whom I mentioned in a previous post, Lawrence Williams, who is leading the Wide Open Walls project due to start on 12th of October for two weeks. The artists, from UK and USA, will create street art in villages, work with schools and decorate a wall inJufereh, home of Alex Haley’s (Roots) ancestors, the Kinte family. The artists are of serious reknown, including Ben Eine whose work was given to Barack Obama by David Cameron. Orpington colleagues will remember that I tried to get something smaller scale but similar for the ugly fire escape leading onto the square in Orpington but we couldn’t get the buy-in. perhaps we should have thought bigger! Look atWide Open Walls Facebook page for more info. Do have a look at the artists’ venue at Mandina Lodge.At makasutuMandina Lodge Bar After a meeting at the lodge I was amazed to see a troupe of about 40 baboons walking down the track. I was so excited and a bit frightened, too!BaboonsAnother way of meeting people is to join in social events at the Fajara Club. A first for me was the darts night. I met some new people, but hardly impressed anyone with my” arra” skills!I think I was going for double 8 You’ll see from the photo that I was so hot and sweaty that the darts kept slipping from my grasp! I took Max, another volunteer from The Philippines, and he was amazing for a first timer and beat this guy in the photo who had been in the army (Irish) for twenty odd years and rather fancied his skills as a dart player.MaxDanger and fear really occured as we were leaving when another big storm started so I was offered a lift home to my compound. Imagine the scene when I got to the door; thunder claps, lightning, torrential rain, pitch black, standing at my compound gate, up to my ankles in rainwater, trying to move the metal bolt on a metal door while lightning is striking all around me. I was screaming and no-one could hear me. By the time I got into my house I was wet through and shaking!Today is "set settal" which is a morning set aside every month whereby everyone has to clean and tidy their compounds and immediate living area. No-one is allowed to travel from 9am till 1pm and the whole population has a clear-up. great idea, huh?As a final idea, why don’t those intrepid readers look at thePlymouth Banjul Challenge?Keep posting your comments, I really do appreciate them and it does make me feel better if I know people are reading this.