A busy week!

Since coming back from ‘up country’ I’ve had a really busy week. I was given the day off on Friday, and so I spent it relaxing and catching up with friends, body boarding, drinking wine at Leybato, and later having a few beers at a bar known as the Scottish Embassy.

Nic and Helen drinking pints of gin and tonic.

On Saturday I went to the launch party for a friend’s magazine – WaZoBia. It’s a magazine for the Nigerian diaspora in The Gambia, and the launch party was attended by some suitably important Nigerian people, including the Nigerian Ambassador, Her Excellency Mrs Esther Audu. I somehow found myself being invited to sit at the high table, and spent the evening feeling a little bit bemused as I tried to follow along with the Nigerian speeches and jokes.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were unseasonably cold, grey and cloudy, and it felt like a lot of people went into hibernation mode. I had to sleep with a sheet and wear a cardigan – very unusual! I thought it must be 10 degrees or less outside, but apparently it was about 21 degrees, so we must have acclimatised!

On Wednesday I was asked, along with Helen, John and Aloysious, to go on a march to support International Volunteers day. The start time was 8.30am, but being wiser to Gambian Maybe Time now, Helen and I turned up at 9.15… and the march began at 10am! Proudly (ahem) wearing our very lovely free t-shirts, we walked to the beat of the police marching band all the way up Kairaba Avenue to Serrakunda stadium. There we were seated in rows to wait for the speeches to begin. We waited, and waited, and waited, and after hearing a few painful speeches, and a few apologies about the fact that nothing had arrived on time (food, display tables, the people scheduled to speak etc) Helen and I decided to make a break for it. We casually sauntered to the exit, quickly stripped off our t-shirts and almost broke into a run as we fled the scene! Our legitimate excuse for going was that we needed to help another volunteer who was leaving that week, so we met her, and then headed back to Helen’s to eat cheese, drink tea and relax before heading up to Aso Rock for our regular Wednesday dinner night.

Waiting for the speeches

The dinner was good fun – we had about 11 medical students on a visit from Swansea, as well as our usual crowd of 12 or more, plus a few others, so it turned out to be a really good night. The dish of the day was plantain and ladyfish – a big hit – and after the food we all had a bit of a dance.

The medical students

Friday afternoon was spent at Leybato again, for more body boarding and wine. We were surrounded by butterflies all day, and the in the evening they were swarming around the lights like moths, or resting on all the trees and tables around us.

Nicola's black eye from body boarding!

On Saturday afternoon I found myself at a naming ceremony in Brusubi, for the Police Commissioner’s granddaughter. While there we greeted some people, ate some benechin, and were given sweet doughnuts – typical at naming ceremonies. In the evening I went to a Christmas party at Gaya art café, where the staff were wearing Christmas hats and handing out mulled wine! I confess, despite the effort, I still didn’t feel very Christmasy! However, I was excited by the finger food – hummus, tzatziki, stuffed vine leaves, and meatballs with spicy tomato sauce – all flavours that I haven’t had for quite a few months now!

At the naming ceremony

Huge bowl of benechin

Helen and Danni at Gaya

After that I went to Aso Rock for a live band, joined by Jasmine and Graeme – which was a lot of fun. The special dish was goat pepper soup – with the goat slaughtered fresh that day for the occasion, but unfortunately I was so full of hummus and mince pies I couldn’t eat any!

Yes I really am wearing a hoody
- something I never dreamed of a few months ago

Jas and Graeme

And finally on Sunday I met Josie and Dan at Alliance Francaise at 11am. They are on holiday in Kartong, not too far away, so arranged to meet with me. We walked to the beach, brewed ataya with our friend Carl, swam and ate some lunch. The weather has really improved and it was a lovely hot day, with a beautiful sunset. Before I knew it it was time for them to go home, and time for me to get some sleep before the start of a new, so far, very hectic week.

It was lovely to see Josie and Dan

A beautiful evening