It is difficult to explain exactly how excited we were to have some visitors from home at last, all the way from Finchley!
We are slowly recovering our spirits following the departure of Jeanne, John, Alessia and Marnie as we had a fabulous time. It soon became obvious that with four girls aged five and under the more adventurous plans (dawn bird watching canoe trips, forest hikes around Makasutu) were going to be put on the back burner and we concentrated on the more child friendly activities that involved lots of sand and water.
The highlight of the sand/water play was a trip to Footsteps, an Ecolodge near the southern border with Senegal. The owner organised a beach fishing trip for the boys while the many girls (plus one token Brazilian male not so into fishing) stayed around their freshwater pool. I cannot do justice to Aubs’ excitement around the fishing and current his disappointment that the fish he caught were whisked away so quickly by the chef so you only have our word for the size of captain fish that he managed to catch.
There were also some wildlife adventures. We were all educated by John who actually had a “bird book of the Gambia” with him and so we finally learned the names of the birds we see on a daily basis (though we over 550 species there are quite a few to remember). We re-visited the reptile farm where Alessia (aged 3 years) surpassed Amelie’s previous bravery by diving straight into the python cage to emerge with a striking reptile necklace. This also gave Elise a chance to show that she has grown more courageous since our last visit – not quite brave enough to have a snake round her neck, but she was very happy to stroke the non poisonous ones and salmonella ridden terrapins (much to her father’s horror!). Jeanne and John did what we have failed to do in 4 months and made it to the sacred crocodile pool that is less than 5 mins drive from our house. Their descriptions have left me torn – they reported that the crocs are really very approachable and very well fed (aka docile), but some concern lingers as there are apparently several hundred crocs in close proximity to where we live that appear to escape into the local sewage system with alarming regularity.
The second half of November has also been a time of holiday/festivities with lots of time off school! The middle of November was Tobaski, the Muslim holiday remembering when Abraham’s son was spared as a sacrifice and replaced by a ram. It is a very family oriented time with people travelling back to be together for the holiday. Poeple also splash out on new outfits keeping the tailors very busy. Most strikingly it is marked by the killing (DIY style at home) and cooking of a ram – the bigger the better. Amelie embraced the getting dressed up part of the festival, but wasn’t so sure about the ram side of things. She spent a lot of time the day before Tobaski trying to persuade me to rescue, and bring home, the large ram that was tied up in front of the administrative buildings at the MRC for the day.
Last week was Thanksgiving which Amelie celebrated in full through her American School. She was a bit happier with the food there (everything apart from the cranberry sauce I think). I am still in awe of the teacher who managed to get hold of and cook a turkey for all the children and staff. Unfortunately, we were slightly lacking on the dressing up front. Amelie was cast as a pilgrim, but we discovered that a five year old’s wardrobe is not abundant in dark coloured, plan, long dresses – she may have been the first pilgrim to have been seen in pink leggings.
We are now starting to look forward to Christmas, though this has brought one of my stranger experiences in the Gambia: a local shop with a huge fake Christmas tree adorned with tinsel and Christmas pop tunes blarring out. So it looks as if we will have a tree after all this year!
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Monday, 25 October 2010
Venturing out
Although I am really enjoying not having to drive more than 10mins in any direction on a daily basis, it has been nice over the past few weeks to venture slightly further afield.
Our first trip out (outside of the more touristy coastal area) took us south along the coast towards the border with Senegal. Between the last two villages on the Gambian side (Gunjur and Kartong) is a reptile farm run by a Frenchmen. By farm we mean someone’s garden off the main road filled with a series of pits, and some larger cages, cement or glasshouses containing a variety of snakes, tortoises and lizards. Although it was slightly disconcerting that the puff adders (very poisonous) were kept in the same sized pits as the more benign snakes with only a loose wire covering, this didn’t hold Amelie back. She went with the intention of emulating her friend, Jean Maurice, who had a picture of himself with a snake round his neck from the same farm and came away having had a python hung round her neck and having caressed a very large, but sleeping rock python (these are enormous). Elise was a little more suspicious, or some might say sensible, only daring to touch the tortoises. Still we learned a thing or two about when to run and when not to worry too much – at least in terms of snakes. Gambians are terrified of snakes so the farm actually has the aim of serving as a valuable educational resource for children trying to lift some of the ingrained myths, though part of me thinks that being scared of snakes is not always a bad thing.
Yesterday we headed towards the River Gambia, which runs through the middle of the country, to visit Matasutu. Makasutu, or “holy forest” is a mangrove forest sitting on a tributary of the river Gambia. Makasutu is called a “culture forest” as the daily tour involves traditional dancing, fortune telling with a traditional healer and a visit to the in-house craft market. However, as high season is not yet here we did not get the full cultural experience. We were the only people there which meant 1) it was incredibly peaceful, a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the coast and 2) the more touristy activities (craft market, dancing etc.) were stripped away leaving us more time to just enjoy the surroundings. We definitely adapted the Makasutu experience from the norm – shortened canoe trip as Amelie was petrified in the boat, shortened forest walk for the girls plus the poor guide ended up carrying the huge lump that is Amelie back to the camp, and lunch at the exclusive Mandina lodge attached to Makasutu. Usually the day tourists get a buffet at base camp, but as we were the only people visiting we were allowed to drive up to the lodge, which only houses 16 people at a time in floating river houses. We therefore got to enjoy some very salubrious surroundings that we think may usually be out of bounds to children. Despite, the abundance of nature with baboons roaming with their babies, kingfishers swooping down from the mangroves, crabs scuttling around in the mud at low tide; the girls were most excited by the pet dog, Yassa, who followed us around for a lot of the day. The cats at lunch were also much appreciated so from now on we are sticking to the local streets where it is never difficult to pick up a stray dog or cat!
In between these trips Amelie had her half term. This mainly involved lots of swimming, but was wisely used as she learned to swim underwater low enough and for long enough to swim through my legs. Unfortunately, she has developed expensive tastes and managed three trips to Coco Ocean which is one of the nicest hotels on the coast with spa, 5 star restaurant. She has shrewdly made some good contacts at school and her friends Tiguara is in turn friends with the hotel owner’s niece which means it is never a problem to use one of the three very nice pools. It wasn’t too much of a chore to take her there several times, but I am thinking it will be hard to come back home to the Finchley Lido!
This week is Elise’s half term – I am now acclimatised enough not to be surprised that schools do not co-ordinate their holidays. At least it means more time to prepare for the Halloween extravaganza that is belonging to an American school community – pictures of costumes and much pumpkin paraphernalia to follow.
Our first trip out (outside of the more touristy coastal area) took us south along the coast towards the border with Senegal. Between the last two villages on the Gambian side (Gunjur and Kartong) is a reptile farm run by a Frenchmen. By farm we mean someone’s garden off the main road filled with a series of pits, and some larger cages, cement or glasshouses containing a variety of snakes, tortoises and lizards. Although it was slightly disconcerting that the puff adders (very poisonous) were kept in the same sized pits as the more benign snakes with only a loose wire covering, this didn’t hold Amelie back. She went with the intention of emulating her friend, Jean Maurice, who had a picture of himself with a snake round his neck from the same farm and came away having had a python hung round her neck and having caressed a very large, but sleeping rock python (these are enormous). Elise was a little more suspicious, or some might say sensible, only daring to touch the tortoises. Still we learned a thing or two about when to run and when not to worry too much – at least in terms of snakes. Gambians are terrified of snakes so the farm actually has the aim of serving as a valuable educational resource for children trying to lift some of the ingrained myths, though part of me thinks that being scared of snakes is not always a bad thing.
Yesterday we headed towards the River Gambia, which runs through the middle of the country, to visit Matasutu. Makasutu, or “holy forest” is a mangrove forest sitting on a tributary of the river Gambia. Makasutu is called a “culture forest” as the daily tour involves traditional dancing, fortune telling with a traditional healer and a visit to the in-house craft market. However, as high season is not yet here we did not get the full cultural experience. We were the only people there which meant 1) it was incredibly peaceful, a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the coast and 2) the more touristy activities (craft market, dancing etc.) were stripped away leaving us more time to just enjoy the surroundings. We definitely adapted the Makasutu experience from the norm – shortened canoe trip as Amelie was petrified in the boat, shortened forest walk for the girls plus the poor guide ended up carrying the huge lump that is Amelie back to the camp, and lunch at the exclusive Mandina lodge attached to Makasutu. Usually the day tourists get a buffet at base camp, but as we were the only people visiting we were allowed to drive up to the lodge, which only houses 16 people at a time in floating river houses. We therefore got to enjoy some very salubrious surroundings that we think may usually be out of bounds to children. Despite, the abundance of nature with baboons roaming with their babies, kingfishers swooping down from the mangroves, crabs scuttling around in the mud at low tide; the girls were most excited by the pet dog, Yassa, who followed us around for a lot of the day. The cats at lunch were also much appreciated so from now on we are sticking to the local streets where it is never difficult to pick up a stray dog or cat!
In between these trips Amelie had her half term. This mainly involved lots of swimming, but was wisely used as she learned to swim underwater low enough and for long enough to swim through my legs. Unfortunately, she has developed expensive tastes and managed three trips to Coco Ocean which is one of the nicest hotels on the coast with spa, 5 star restaurant. She has shrewdly made some good contacts at school and her friends Tiguara is in turn friends with the hotel owner’s niece which means it is never a problem to use one of the three very nice pools. It wasn’t too much of a chore to take her there several times, but I am thinking it will be hard to come back home to the Finchley Lido!
This week is Elise’s half term – I am now acclimatised enough not to be surprised that schools do not co-ordinate their holidays. At least it means more time to prepare for the Halloween extravaganza that is belonging to an American school community – pictures of costumes and much pumpkin paraphernalia to follow.
My half term by Amelie
I have just had my half term holiday. My favourite thing in half term was our visit to Makasutu. Makasutu is a safari park (mummy says a forest park). They had a pet dog there called Yassa. Yassa and I played a lot together. There were also cats that we fed at lunchtime. We went on a boat trip at Makasutu (as it is a mangrove forest on the banks of the river Gambia). The boat was a hollowed out tree trunk, but it wobbled a lot and I didn’t like it. We saw mud skippers, which were like little tadpoles that shot away into the mud, and lots of crabs at low tide. There were also lots of baboons. They were big, but not scary and had lots of babies with them riding on their backs.
Half term was a good week as I went swimming a lot with my friend Tiguara from school. Tiguara’s dad is from Brazil and her name means bird of the water. It is a good name for her as she is very good at swimming. My mum even took me to have my nails painted, but the pink colour came off as I went swimming straight afterwards.
We are planning a big Halloween party this Friday at my school. My mum and I are helping with some of the stalls – the slime one is going to be the best: you have to put your hand in slime and pull out a scary prize! I am very excited about Halloween and have been making a skeleton costume with my dad. My sister is going to dress up as a pumpkin.
Half term was a good week as I went swimming a lot with my friend Tiguara from school. Tiguara’s dad is from Brazil and her name means bird of the water. It is a good name for her as she is very good at swimming. My mum even took me to have my nails painted, but the pink colour came off as I went swimming straight afterwards.
We are planning a big Halloween party this Friday at my school. My mum and I are helping with some of the stalls – the slime one is going to be the best: you have to put your hand in slime and pull out a scary prize! I am very excited about Halloween and have been making a skeleton costume with my dad. My sister is going to dress up as a pumpkin.
Friday, 24 September 2010
My new school by Amelie
My new school is called the Banjul American Embassy School (but is a little bit outside of Banjul in Fajara where we live) and all my friends are very nice. I am in the kindergarten class. It is not a nursery class, but just that the American names are different. There are only five children in my class and they come from the United States, Gambia and the Lebanon. My class has its own playground with a slide, swings and a climbing frame. My teacher is called Mrs Sohna and she is from England. She is very nice and never puts anyone in “time out.” We have a raffle every Friday where we can win prizes. Every time we do something good we get a raffle ticket and Mrs Sohna picks the winner each Friday. So far I have won a game of snap and a big, shiny dice.
At the moment we are learning a lot about fish and have a tank with goldfish and a tank with guppies in our classroom. We have to help look after them, feed them and change the water each week. We got to name the goldfish. The girls chose the names “grace” and “nemo” and the boys chose the name “Ben Ten.”
I have a lot of the same lessons as at Manorside. We learn letters, reading, maths and music. I have some new lessons like golden time (playing) and French. I have PE lessons, but the games are different. We play Chinese football and dodgeball. In Chinese football you have to hold you hands out in front of you and try and hit the ball with them (like in volleyball). If you miss and the ball goes through your legs you have to put one hand behind your back. If you miss again you have to put both hands behind your back and then I am not sure how you are meant to hit the ball. This week we did gymnastics and I learned to do forward and backward rolls.
The best thing about my school is that every Friday is a half day!
Things that are the same:
1) We do reading, writing, maths
2) We have computer lessons
3) We have PE
4) We go outside for playtimes
Things that are different:
1) We do not wear a uniform
2) There are no school dinners, you have to bring a packed lunch
3) School starts very early (just before 8am)
4) There are swings in our playground
5) We can win a prize every week in the raffle
At the moment we are learning a lot about fish and have a tank with goldfish and a tank with guppies in our classroom. We have to help look after them, feed them and change the water each week. We got to name the goldfish. The girls chose the names “grace” and “nemo” and the boys chose the name “Ben Ten.”
I have a lot of the same lessons as at Manorside. We learn letters, reading, maths and music. I have some new lessons like golden time (playing) and French. I have PE lessons, but the games are different. We play Chinese football and dodgeball. In Chinese football you have to hold you hands out in front of you and try and hit the ball with them (like in volleyball). If you miss and the ball goes through your legs you have to put one hand behind your back. If you miss again you have to put both hands behind your back and then I am not sure how you are meant to hit the ball. This week we did gymnastics and I learned to do forward and backward rolls.
The best thing about my school is that every Friday is a half day!
Things that are the same:
1) We do reading, writing, maths
2) We have computer lessons
3) We have PE
4) We go outside for playtimes
Things that are different:
1) We do not wear a uniform
2) There are no school dinners, you have to bring a packed lunch
3) School starts very early (just before 8am)
4) There are swings in our playground
5) We can win a prize every week in the raffle
Amelie’s medical adventures
It appears that topics covered by five year olds have moved to a new level in the Gambia as Amelie spent her last trip to the swimming pool discussing experiences of rapid malaria blood tests with friends. She lasted about an hour at school last Friday before rapidly developed a temperature. Given the location and the appetite local mosquitoes seem to have for female Cunningtons we thought it wise to run a quick test – at last Aubrey’s contacts came good a hidden stash of kits became available and an expert slide reader offered his services to check that Amelie’s blood film wasn’t swimming with parasites. She was absolutely fine, if only all was cured so quickly by a spoonful of strawberry calpol.
This was Amelie’s second medical story in a week following on from her concussion. That episode has consigned me to the house FOREVER given what happened during a two hour absence. Some of the girls from Aubrey’s lab had taken pity on me and invited me out for dinner. During that dinner, Elise chose to have a complete meltdown about my leaving (that’s what two months out of nursery does for you!). She had shown her disdain for her dad by weeing all over him. Her aim wasn’t exactly perfect so a lot ended up on the floor. Amelie found this hysterically funny and decided to show her excitement by running round, but unfortunately slipped in the wee and hit her head on the hard tiled floor. Everything calmed down initially, but about an hour later she woke up complaining of a headache and started vomiting. In the UK this would be grounds for a CT scan, but given the lack of CT scanners in our local area we just had to hope for the best! Again she was absolutely fine, though the story aged my mother several decades!
Other than various medical traumas; our main news is that we finally moved into our permanent house on the compound. It was worth the wait as the house is great – very spacious especially as we have a minimum of belongings to clutter it up with, hot water on tap (as long as you remember to turn the water heater on), an oven that works though we have yet to master (the gas kind seem very tricky), garden with swings to fight over (and a trampoline once the rain stops). We are right on the edge of the compound and the garden on all sides of the house gives a nice feeling of seclusion, unusual for compound living. At the same time Amelie has several friends from school living on our road and the distance is such she can literally pop round on her own without any worries. We are on the side of the compound where all the houses are very long and thin – excellent for diffusing fights and sending children to opposite ends. It also means it seems very easy to lose a child as there is quite a distance to cover end to end.
The move came at a good time: For the past two weeks we have had a break of only a couple of days from continuous heavy rain. The combination of sandy ground and tarmacked roads around Fajara means that we haven’t had too many practical issues with the rain other than some associated cabin fever, though up country there has been some serious flooding and people cannot wait for the end of September when the rains should abate. We moved over the Koriteh (end of Ramadan) holiday weekend which combined almost four days of holiday closures with continuous rain and so proved a welcome activity for all.
The girls are both doing really well. Amelie seems really happy at school and her class and teacher are just wonderful. I am in heaven, as the neurotic parent, as with only five children in the class I can accost her teacher for a nice long progress report every single day! Elise is just finishing her second week at her new nursery and absolutely loving it, so much so that yesterday she told them that when she grew up she wanted to be Kris (the nursery’s owner). The funniest thing about Elise at the moment is her hair – it is completely crazy with the humidity and so, so curly (which she is very proud of especially as it is so different from Amelie’s which remains without a kink) – have no idea what to do with it, but an interesting experiment to watch.
We are feeling very unadventurous at the moment, having down very limited travelling at the weekends. However, given the rain we think any upcountry adventures will be better appreciated once the rainy season is over – hopefully in another month we will have some more interesting stories for you!
This was Amelie’s second medical story in a week following on from her concussion. That episode has consigned me to the house FOREVER given what happened during a two hour absence. Some of the girls from Aubrey’s lab had taken pity on me and invited me out for dinner. During that dinner, Elise chose to have a complete meltdown about my leaving (that’s what two months out of nursery does for you!). She had shown her disdain for her dad by weeing all over him. Her aim wasn’t exactly perfect so a lot ended up on the floor. Amelie found this hysterically funny and decided to show her excitement by running round, but unfortunately slipped in the wee and hit her head on the hard tiled floor. Everything calmed down initially, but about an hour later she woke up complaining of a headache and started vomiting. In the UK this would be grounds for a CT scan, but given the lack of CT scanners in our local area we just had to hope for the best! Again she was absolutely fine, though the story aged my mother several decades!
Other than various medical traumas; our main news is that we finally moved into our permanent house on the compound. It was worth the wait as the house is great – very spacious especially as we have a minimum of belongings to clutter it up with, hot water on tap (as long as you remember to turn the water heater on), an oven that works though we have yet to master (the gas kind seem very tricky), garden with swings to fight over (and a trampoline once the rain stops). We are right on the edge of the compound and the garden on all sides of the house gives a nice feeling of seclusion, unusual for compound living. At the same time Amelie has several friends from school living on our road and the distance is such she can literally pop round on her own without any worries. We are on the side of the compound where all the houses are very long and thin – excellent for diffusing fights and sending children to opposite ends. It also means it seems very easy to lose a child as there is quite a distance to cover end to end.
The move came at a good time: For the past two weeks we have had a break of only a couple of days from continuous heavy rain. The combination of sandy ground and tarmacked roads around Fajara means that we haven’t had too many practical issues with the rain other than some associated cabin fever, though up country there has been some serious flooding and people cannot wait for the end of September when the rains should abate. We moved over the Koriteh (end of Ramadan) holiday weekend which combined almost four days of holiday closures with continuous rain and so proved a welcome activity for all.
The girls are both doing really well. Amelie seems really happy at school and her class and teacher are just wonderful. I am in heaven, as the neurotic parent, as with only five children in the class I can accost her teacher for a nice long progress report every single day! Elise is just finishing her second week at her new nursery and absolutely loving it, so much so that yesterday she told them that when she grew up she wanted to be Kris (the nursery’s owner). The funniest thing about Elise at the moment is her hair – it is completely crazy with the humidity and so, so curly (which she is very proud of especially as it is so different from Amelie’s which remains without a kink) – have no idea what to do with it, but an interesting experiment to watch.
We are feeling very unadventurous at the moment, having down very limited travelling at the weekends. However, given the rain we think any upcountry adventures will be better appreciated once the rainy season is over – hopefully in another month we will have some more interesting stories for you!
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Amelie's first impressions
We (mummy, daddy, me and my little sister Elise) moved to the Gambia at the start of August. The Gambia is a very small country in the west of Africa. It has a long river (with crocodiles) and lots of lovely beaches.
We are living in a big compound with houses, fields, a playground, a hospital and all the offices where mummy and daddy work. The best thing about where we live is the bakery round the corner which makes delicious baguettes and the owner lets me go behind the counter to choose my baguette and croissants. We also have great neighbours: three boys (aged 8, 5, and 3). The boys all go to the same school as me and have been helping me to settle in. I love playing in their garden which has an amazing tree house and a tyre swing. There is another playground opposite my house, but there are lots of biting mosquitoes there so my mum does not like me playing there for too long.
The best thing about the Gambia is that it is very hot so we go to the swimming pool a lot. There are lots of different swimming pools to go to, most belong to hotels. I prefer the swimming pools to the beaches as the water is deeper helping you to cool down more quickly.
I also like going to the markets where I have bought some African dresses. I love all the different patterns and colours. I did find the market in Banjul (the capital of the Gambia) a bit scary, though, as there were lots of people and strange smells (mainly from the smoked fish) and insects.
Here is a list of what things are the same as living in England and what things are different:
The same:
It rains a lot (every day)
I go swimming a lot
We get a lot of our food from a supermarket (though fish and fruit from the local markets and bread from the local bakery)
We are friends with our next door neighbour and go round to play.
Different:
There are lots of ants and termites
There is a family of monkeys where we live (in the same compound)
When it rains it always rains really hard
When it is not raining it is really hot and sunny (which is most of the time)
The names of the classes at school (as I go to an American school).
We are living in a big compound with houses, fields, a playground, a hospital and all the offices where mummy and daddy work. The best thing about where we live is the bakery round the corner which makes delicious baguettes and the owner lets me go behind the counter to choose my baguette and croissants. We also have great neighbours: three boys (aged 8, 5, and 3). The boys all go to the same school as me and have been helping me to settle in. I love playing in their garden which has an amazing tree house and a tyre swing. There is another playground opposite my house, but there are lots of biting mosquitoes there so my mum does not like me playing there for too long.
The best thing about the Gambia is that it is very hot so we go to the swimming pool a lot. There are lots of different swimming pools to go to, most belong to hotels. I prefer the swimming pools to the beaches as the water is deeper helping you to cool down more quickly.
I also like going to the markets where I have bought some African dresses. I love all the different patterns and colours. I did find the market in Banjul (the capital of the Gambia) a bit scary, though, as there were lots of people and strange smells (mainly from the smoked fish) and insects.
Here is a list of what things are the same as living in England and what things are different:
The same:
It rains a lot (every day)
I go swimming a lot
We get a lot of our food from a supermarket (though fish and fruit from the local markets and bread from the local bakery)
We are friends with our next door neighbour and go round to play.
Different:
There are lots of ants and termites
There is a family of monkeys where we live (in the same compound)
When it rains it always rains really hard
When it is not raining it is really hot and sunny (which is most of the time)
The names of the classes at school (as I go to an American school).
Will we ever move?
We have now been in the Gambia for a month (well me and the girls) and we are still in our temporary accommodation. As nice as this is, and as much as the girls adores our neighbours (for Amelie her new 8 and 6 year old playmates and for Elise their dog as she tends to fight over bikes with the 3 year old), the itch to more somewhere permanent is taking hold. I am simply yearning to hang something on a wall and Elise is yearning to bake a cake (as our current oven does not work ) – strangely baking seems much more attractive to me as well! The Gambia may not be known for its desserts and baked goods, but we may yet pick up some tips as the girls have been invited to the local bakery for a cookery lesson. At first I thought the owner was just being polite – they love children (and the smaller the better it seems) here so Elise gets a lot of attention – but after the third invitation I am ready to hand the girls over for the morning with the expectation of picking them and a tray full of chocolate croissants up later.
We were hoping to move into our permanent house on the compound at the end of this week, though this is now moving into next week. I think we are on the home stretch, though in my enthusiasm to test everything out I may have shorted all the electrics on a visit earlier this week – I may not pack quite yet!
The main news is that Amelie has started school. Her school is a lovely space - large play areas and roomy classrooms. The head teacher greets you every morning and afternoon, and it is a genuinely personal greeting - for example today a conversation about Elise’s mosquito bites and our experience of heat rash - though with only 50 pupils (aged 3-14) personal attention is much easier. There are only five children in Amelie’s class and she is certainly enjoying all the attention! We are only a week in, but it doesn’t seem too claustrophobic and the classes all mix at breaks and for PE which means she has a wider pool of friends and there are older children from the compound whom she knows, can see at break and have helped her settle in.
School has also been good for meeting the neighbours. Amelie’s school appears to have three main groups of clientele: MRC, diplomats and other. People appear to like to identify their own kind and so I have been approached by several people whom I had no idea lived on the same compound opening the opportunity for some more social interactions – after a month of solo childcare in a foreign country during the holiday months I am fairly desperate for some adult interactions.
Elise is completely desperate for her nursery to begin. Every day she trails after Amelie into school and has taken to carrying an empty lunch box or school bag as well. Unfortunately for her she has another week of mummy’s company until she can start nursery. I feel slightly unadventurous in having chosen the most British of the nurseries that I visited, but the facilities seem so good and Elise fell in love with the place immediately (I had to work through a large list of bribes to extract her). The nursery is run by a British lady and her daughter who came highly recommended (and I think you need a recommendation to get in which the family network at MRC luckily provided). They are both artists so the nursery is beautifully and very colourfully decorated and I am hoping to pick up a batik or two which seems to be a side line. From the start, both Kris and Katie completely engaged with Elise and did this so successfully that she talks endlessly about her new “friends” (if Elise doesn’t know a name the person is automatically called “friend”) and when she is going to see them next. It is a very small place and only takes 15 children aged 2.5 - 5 years. They only do morning sessions so our wonderful maid is going to turn nanny to give me some extra working hours in the day (see below).
I know that some people (who will completely know who they are) were very interested in staffing matters so here is where we are at. We currently have the most wonderful maid, Perinne. I hate the word “maid” as it really doesn't do Perinne credit and she certainly does not need anyone to tell her what to do. In England I often gave up asking a cleaner to do various tasks (mainly dusting) as it just seemed beyond them to work out how to do it properly. Perinne is the complete opposite and usually comes to me telling me what needs to be done and regularly turns up with a new implement needed for the smooth running of the house – my birthday present was a laundry basket! She really is a star – she can cook (has been teaching me some classic Gambian dishes), can iron a mean shirt, is wonderful with the children (having six of her own) and so babysits and speaks 5 languages. We are currently plotting how we can entice her home with us! This week we also took on a gardener. I am hoping Alex will also show a lot of initiative as I am completely clueless as to ideas for landscaping a garden in this or any climate – my only vision is for a tree house for the children which are popular around here. My other concern is that he has picked up that I speak French and being originally from Senegal now will only speak to me in French - I am not quite sure my gardening vocab is up to scratch though. Elise is completely mystified and keeps asking me "what are all those strange sounds coming out of your mouth - speak properly mummy" - just as well I didn't send her to the local French school!
We were hoping to move into our permanent house on the compound at the end of this week, though this is now moving into next week. I think we are on the home stretch, though in my enthusiasm to test everything out I may have shorted all the electrics on a visit earlier this week – I may not pack quite yet!
The main news is that Amelie has started school. Her school is a lovely space - large play areas and roomy classrooms. The head teacher greets you every morning and afternoon, and it is a genuinely personal greeting - for example today a conversation about Elise’s mosquito bites and our experience of heat rash - though with only 50 pupils (aged 3-14) personal attention is much easier. There are only five children in Amelie’s class and she is certainly enjoying all the attention! We are only a week in, but it doesn’t seem too claustrophobic and the classes all mix at breaks and for PE which means she has a wider pool of friends and there are older children from the compound whom she knows, can see at break and have helped her settle in.
School has also been good for meeting the neighbours. Amelie’s school appears to have three main groups of clientele: MRC, diplomats and other. People appear to like to identify their own kind and so I have been approached by several people whom I had no idea lived on the same compound opening the opportunity for some more social interactions – after a month of solo childcare in a foreign country during the holiday months I am fairly desperate for some adult interactions.
Elise is completely desperate for her nursery to begin. Every day she trails after Amelie into school and has taken to carrying an empty lunch box or school bag as well. Unfortunately for her she has another week of mummy’s company until she can start nursery. I feel slightly unadventurous in having chosen the most British of the nurseries that I visited, but the facilities seem so good and Elise fell in love with the place immediately (I had to work through a large list of bribes to extract her). The nursery is run by a British lady and her daughter who came highly recommended (and I think you need a recommendation to get in which the family network at MRC luckily provided). They are both artists so the nursery is beautifully and very colourfully decorated and I am hoping to pick up a batik or two which seems to be a side line. From the start, both Kris and Katie completely engaged with Elise and did this so successfully that she talks endlessly about her new “friends” (if Elise doesn’t know a name the person is automatically called “friend”) and when she is going to see them next. It is a very small place and only takes 15 children aged 2.5 - 5 years. They only do morning sessions so our wonderful maid is going to turn nanny to give me some extra working hours in the day (see below).
I know that some people (who will completely know who they are) were very interested in staffing matters so here is where we are at. We currently have the most wonderful maid, Perinne. I hate the word “maid” as it really doesn't do Perinne credit and she certainly does not need anyone to tell her what to do. In England I often gave up asking a cleaner to do various tasks (mainly dusting) as it just seemed beyond them to work out how to do it properly. Perinne is the complete opposite and usually comes to me telling me what needs to be done and regularly turns up with a new implement needed for the smooth running of the house – my birthday present was a laundry basket! She really is a star – she can cook (has been teaching me some classic Gambian dishes), can iron a mean shirt, is wonderful with the children (having six of her own) and so babysits and speaks 5 languages. We are currently plotting how we can entice her home with us! This week we also took on a gardener. I am hoping Alex will also show a lot of initiative as I am completely clueless as to ideas for landscaping a garden in this or any climate – my only vision is for a tree house for the children which are popular around here. My other concern is that he has picked up that I speak French and being originally from Senegal now will only speak to me in French - I am not quite sure my gardening vocab is up to scratch though. Elise is completely mystified and keeps asking me "what are all those strange sounds coming out of your mouth - speak properly mummy" - just as well I didn't send her to the local French school!
Saturday, 21 August 2010
First Impressions
Progress on the blog seems to have been painfully slow over these first few weeks probably due to having the two girls to look after solo in a new country and Aubs’ computer having been ruined by one of the hundred or so viruses that it acquired through some un-networked connections.
We have now been in the Gambia for 3 weeks (well Aubs for a bit longer) and are now officially Gambian residents (with biometric ID cards to prove it). We are lucky enough to be living on the MRC compound. As well as being a lovely green space, beautifully and safely enclosed so the children can have the run of the place, it provides those essentials like a back-up generator and instant access to the gas canisters when you run out. Things are not perfect, for example we don’t have any hot water, but having the ability to see after 7pm outweighs all minor issues. The other bonus is being two minutes walk from work, or at least this seems like a bonus after having had an hour plus commute, each way, for the last 7 years! There is even the possibility of popping home for lunch.
I have come to realise we are truly lucky in our temporary accommodation which used to be the house of the head of MRC and is therefore very spacious (though sparse in places – Amelie currently has a single bed only in her fairly spacious room). After three weeks we are feeling quite at home so I am sure it will be a wrench to have to downsize which we are expecting to do in another week or so. Still, we are lucky enough to be remaining on the compound which is especially good for the children given the friends they are making around the place.
The MRC is found in Fajara, the diplomatic district of the greater Banjul area. I have found the main attraction of Fajara to be the shops – we have an excellent bakery with delicious almond croissants round the corner which I love all the more as the owner used to live in Crouch End (Elise has been invited for a baking lesson so I will be bringing back the recipe) and an even more excellent book shop (touted as the best in all of Gambia and Senegal).
Fajara is just off one of the main Gambian highways which takes you between Bakau and SeneGambia. These are two of the busiest tourist destinations, though at the moment it is very low season so it can be very surreal visiting the hotels – our main treat for the girls given the lovely swimming pools on offer – which are virtually deserted at the moment. I am tending to head towards Bakau which is still a fishing village and has a large craft market and renowned crocodile pool therefore offering more than just the tourist hotels and beaches. That said, the SeneGambia strip does have some hidden gems like the Bijilo forest park where we had a lovely walk and managed to see lots of the new green and red colobus monkey babies – once our computer is sorted we will get some pictures of the little ones being carried around on their mummies’ tummies.
It does feel slightly surreal living between these tourist hubs, though it only takes a 10 minute drive up to Serrekunda which is the busiest centre in the Gambia to get a feel for the hustle and bustle (especially of goats and if you are lucky the odd horned cow) of urban life. Aubs managed to escape this all this week with a trip to one of his study’s village centres which was inland towards the river. He said the difference was amazing in terms of the lush green and tranquillity of this small rural village which cooked the visitors a feast freshly caught from the river. It has definitely given us the itch to explore outside the local area, though we are wondering how adventurous the children will be given the slow down the heat and humidity has brought – still we have 9 more months to adjust and explore!
If moving to the Gambia, one good thing to know is that August is not the best month to arrive. As well as being one of the most humid months with the most rain (though I am told I have October to look forward to which is equally oppressive, but without any rain to bring relief); everyone tends to be away on holiday – I think the two are linked! It was always going to be a bit of a challenge entertaining the girls with the two puzzles and handful of books we brought in our suitcases, but having an empty compound, empty pools etc., basically no other children around, has added to the feeling of being challenged. I think our next door neighbours are currently feeling our desperation given the amount of time their three lovely boys have spent playing with our girls since they touched back down in the Gambia last weekend. Other than needing some company their own age, which is coming closer now, the two girls have settled down well greatly helped by the long hours spent in the pool and on the beach – I don’t think these pastimes are set to change over the coming months.
I am hoping all will become dramatically easier from now on as Amelie starts school next week and we seem to have a good lead with a highly recommended nursery for Elise. I will just have to get busy at the MRC to fill my time!
We have now been in the Gambia for 3 weeks (well Aubs for a bit longer) and are now officially Gambian residents (with biometric ID cards to prove it). We are lucky enough to be living on the MRC compound. As well as being a lovely green space, beautifully and safely enclosed so the children can have the run of the place, it provides those essentials like a back-up generator and instant access to the gas canisters when you run out. Things are not perfect, for example we don’t have any hot water, but having the ability to see after 7pm outweighs all minor issues. The other bonus is being two minutes walk from work, or at least this seems like a bonus after having had an hour plus commute, each way, for the last 7 years! There is even the possibility of popping home for lunch.
I have come to realise we are truly lucky in our temporary accommodation which used to be the house of the head of MRC and is therefore very spacious (though sparse in places – Amelie currently has a single bed only in her fairly spacious room). After three weeks we are feeling quite at home so I am sure it will be a wrench to have to downsize which we are expecting to do in another week or so. Still, we are lucky enough to be remaining on the compound which is especially good for the children given the friends they are making around the place.
The MRC is found in Fajara, the diplomatic district of the greater Banjul area. I have found the main attraction of Fajara to be the shops – we have an excellent bakery with delicious almond croissants round the corner which I love all the more as the owner used to live in Crouch End (Elise has been invited for a baking lesson so I will be bringing back the recipe) and an even more excellent book shop (touted as the best in all of Gambia and Senegal).
Fajara is just off one of the main Gambian highways which takes you between Bakau and SeneGambia. These are two of the busiest tourist destinations, though at the moment it is very low season so it can be very surreal visiting the hotels – our main treat for the girls given the lovely swimming pools on offer – which are virtually deserted at the moment. I am tending to head towards Bakau which is still a fishing village and has a large craft market and renowned crocodile pool therefore offering more than just the tourist hotels and beaches. That said, the SeneGambia strip does have some hidden gems like the Bijilo forest park where we had a lovely walk and managed to see lots of the new green and red colobus monkey babies – once our computer is sorted we will get some pictures of the little ones being carried around on their mummies’ tummies.
It does feel slightly surreal living between these tourist hubs, though it only takes a 10 minute drive up to Serrekunda which is the busiest centre in the Gambia to get a feel for the hustle and bustle (especially of goats and if you are lucky the odd horned cow) of urban life. Aubs managed to escape this all this week with a trip to one of his study’s village centres which was inland towards the river. He said the difference was amazing in terms of the lush green and tranquillity of this small rural village which cooked the visitors a feast freshly caught from the river. It has definitely given us the itch to explore outside the local area, though we are wondering how adventurous the children will be given the slow down the heat and humidity has brought – still we have 9 more months to adjust and explore!
If moving to the Gambia, one good thing to know is that August is not the best month to arrive. As well as being one of the most humid months with the most rain (though I am told I have October to look forward to which is equally oppressive, but without any rain to bring relief); everyone tends to be away on holiday – I think the two are linked! It was always going to be a bit of a challenge entertaining the girls with the two puzzles and handful of books we brought in our suitcases, but having an empty compound, empty pools etc., basically no other children around, has added to the feeling of being challenged. I think our next door neighbours are currently feeling our desperation given the amount of time their three lovely boys have spent playing with our girls since they touched back down in the Gambia last weekend. Other than needing some company their own age, which is coming closer now, the two girls have settled down well greatly helped by the long hours spent in the pool and on the beach – I don’t think these pastimes are set to change over the coming months.
I am hoping all will become dramatically easier from now on as Amelie starts school next week and we seem to have a good lead with a highly recommended nursery for Elise. I will just have to get busy at the MRC to fill my time!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
The Cunningtons Arrive In The Gambia
The family have moved to The Gambia because of Aubrey's work. He is doing research at the Medical Research Council Laboratories in Fajara, not far from the capital city Banjul. Aubrey arrived on 13th July and Marianne and the girls arrived to join him on 30th July. It was great to be reunited with the sweaty girls (suffering in the humidity at Banjul Airport). Elise made several bids for freedom through the immigration queue and when she finally broke free, promptly lay down in the middle of the floor and tried to go to sleep.
We have spent the last week getting orientated to the local area, and trying to set up home. We are very lucky to be staying on the MRC compound at the moment. The MRC has a very large site with several playing fields, labs and administrative buildings, a hospital, residences, plenty of beautiful wild birds, and even an occasional monkey. People have been very friendly and welcoming and we are slowly working out how to do all the things we need to do for day to day routine.
The girls are settling in well, particularly because it is just a short walk to the beach. Even so, they are getting very tired because the humidity saps your energy quite quickly and they are waking up each morning when morning prayers are called at around 5.30am. Hopefully they start to sleep better before school starts at the end of August.
We'll add more as we explore over the next few weeks and hope to add some good photos soon.
We have spent the last week getting orientated to the local area, and trying to set up home. We are very lucky to be staying on the MRC compound at the moment. The MRC has a very large site with several playing fields, labs and administrative buildings, a hospital, residences, plenty of beautiful wild birds, and even an occasional monkey. People have been very friendly and welcoming and we are slowly working out how to do all the things we need to do for day to day routine.
The girls are settling in well, particularly because it is just a short walk to the beach. Even so, they are getting very tired because the humidity saps your energy quite quickly and they are waking up each morning when morning prayers are called at around 5.30am. Hopefully they start to sleep better before school starts at the end of August.
We'll add more as we explore over the next few weeks and hope to add some good photos soon.
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