Gunjur Beach Lodge

... Most common question asked of Mr and Mrs R (i) Can I have your mobile 'phone number?(ii) Can I have your address?(iii) Can I buy you a drink? (we wish)  Drinks (i) Cold fizzy beer(ii) Cold fizzy beer(iii) Warm flat beer  Average ...

... at his nemesis. As I entered his line of vision, his whole face lit up with inspiration - he had figured out the problem... - Me! It was obvious; he explained with great solemnity, that I was opening it wrongly. "You women" he declared with some passion "you do not have the touch for these things. You are too gentle". I disagreed, pointing out that when the problem last occurred I had been with "a big strong man" and he couldn't open it either (ok, so it was actually my ...

... Jennie and I left for Tungbun Art village to meet a couple other St. Mary's students (home of Etu, and the subject of previous entries) after a rather hectic meeting with the Child Protection Alliance (CPA) one Saturday afternoon. The rickety gellies (if I haven't mentioned this before, these are large, cheap forms of transportation that are very convenient, as long as they don't break down on their route) took us along the coast, away from the city and towards the beautiful ...

... Jennie and I left for Tungbun Art village to meet a couple other St. Mary's students (home of Etu, and the subject of previous entries) after a rather hectic meeting with the Child Protection Alliance (CPA) one Saturday afternoon. The rickety gellies (if I haven't mentioned this before, these are large, cheap forms of transportation that are very convenient, as long as they don't break down on their route) took us along the coast, away from the city and towards the beautiful ...

... negotiating, left me thinking second hand goods hold their value well here. 40 pounds for a pile for junk, a glimpse at the perished tyres, brake blocks down to the metal, cables hanging off and componentry worn out. 15 shops later we went back to a place where we had seen a new one for sale for 55 pounds. Its only got to last 14 days I thought and I test rode it. The gears ground, the pedals snapped off and bolts ...

... which soon turns into a free-for-all as everyone in the room joins in. My Wolof not being up to the challenge, I feel rather left out and am delighted when they notice and thoughtfully switch their argument to English for my benefit. Gambian police could clearly give English police a lesson or two on inclusiveness and inherent racism. Eventually I finish the paperwork and am informed that I must now head to another police station on the other side of town to ...

... today during our Poverty and Development Class. I sat down expecting to fill my notebook with doodles as usual, jot down some observations about Gambian style or society that I might have during class, and maybe some notes on any new, interesting information that actually managed to seep its way through the lecture. But no, this was one of the few classes that included a substantial number of Gambians, and after the mention of just a couple bits of controversy ...

... weekends. It is impossible not to think often of race (beyond just the clear remind** that comes from little voices screaming 'tubab'), being a v**y conspicuous white minority for the first time in my life, and sometimes receiving diff**ent treatment based on the assumption that we are rich because we are white. If anything needed could s**ve as a warning not to let this sense of diff**ence have too much of an effect on my int**actions with oth** Gambians, it would be the attitude of that man.

... off that project. one very important thing we have learned is that "Canadians have watches but Gambians have time" I am in a new time zone, GMT or Gambia Maybe Time. if you are told to be somewhere at noon, finish your lunch and be there by 2ish and you will be early. unfortunately the counters in the Internet cafes arnt like that and i have to finish up. I just want to say thanks to everyone who helped me out with this journey, I am having an amazing time

... I am not authorised to treat anybody who just feels sick without a doctor's confirmation. I can treat asthma and HIV/Aids and the cure is a day's treatment. Within three days the person should be tested again and I can tell you that he/she will be negative. After the treatment, they have to go to the RVTH for a test again. As I said, I will not treat anybody who is not diagnosed as asthmatic or a HIV/Aids patient by a doctor. I don't want to give my medicine ...