So I ended up staying with Helen for two nights, which
actually worked out quite nicely. On the first night we had no water or
electricity, and on the second night we had water but still no power, so it
felt like we were camping more than living in a house! But it was nice to be
there, and for both of us to have company as we adjusted to real life outside
of Safari Gardens.
After morning language lessons on Friday we finished for the
day and went for lunch at Leybato. We had some domoda (meat in ground nut sauce
with rice) and I walked back to Helen’s to start moving in to my place.
Fridays have a very different feel to them in The Gambia.
They are usually half days as it is the main day for people to go to mosque and
then spend time with their families. I think that some people go back to work
after Friday prayers, and some shops re-open, but mostly things quieten down and
the weekend begins. As well as finishing early, everyone dresses in very smart
clothes or robes – unlike England where Fridays are usually more casual.
Ebrima and Ba Sarjo from the VSO office picked me up and
drove me to my house in Bakau – where I met my landlady and compound family.
They all seem very nice; the landlady is the grandmother (Mam in Wolof) and the
granddaughter, Saffy, is very sweet. She gave me her number and told me that
she would help whenever I needed her, even if it was to go to the market or to
explore Bakau with, which was very kind of her. The house is great – much
better than I expected. I have comfy purple sofas and a good shower – two
things which make me happy… particularly as I have been taking at least two
cold showers a day!
After moving my stuff in I arranged for my mosquito net to
be put up and then went to buy phone credit and a coke. All simple things but
each activity involved lots of talking to people and figuring things out… as
they say in Wolof ndanka ndanka (slowly slowly) – nothing is rushed and nothing
is all that simple! I then met Helen for a quick drink, bought some corn from a
street vendor, and wandered home to have my first ‘meal’ in my new house.
On Saturday I woke early to go on a trip to Ndemban, a
village about an hour away from here. It was a great day and I will write a
separate post about it soon. As I opened my front door someone jumped up from
my doorstep and introduced themselves as my cleaner! Who knows how long she had
been sitting there, I am just glad I left the house at 7.30am and not any
later! She had already left me a note with her phone number, but had obviously
decided to come in person to see if I still wanted her to work for me. It is
very usual here, and in most of the countries that VSO work in, to have help
around the house. Often cleaners, and sometimes security guards, are
‘inherited’ with the property that the volunteer moves in to, and volunteers
are encouraged to keep them on. She will do my washing and clean for me, and I
will pay her out of my monthly allowance. Her rate is slightly more than I had
budgeted for, but I think I can afford it, and it will be brilliant to have
someone do my washing! She seems really nice, and cleans for the VSO shared
house and another volunteer that I have met who confirmed that she is very good,
so I feel happy to have ‘employed’ her!
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