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Christmas & New Year

Happy New Year to you all
Christmas has been an interesting diversion for us after three months in Basse. This is the tourist season in the Gambia and although tourists are few there was some attempt to put up decorations and even Christmas trees or lights. We spent the first two weeks in another volunteer’s compound while he visited the UK. We have since moved to live with a second volunteer until our immigration papers and alien cards are renewed. Feeling a little like the wandering tribes of Israel can in itself be tiring but it has been a pleasant break. The time up to and after Christmas I spent working in the IT and planning department of the education department in Banjul. It was a real eye opener. What I saw made me think that perhaps region six is not as bad as I thought. I spent a lot of time “Capacity Building” which is actually a major part of our role in the Gambia although we may not have mentioned it. This involves trying to get people to think strategically, to use finance and resources more efficiently to work proactively and to consider the impact of their decisions. Quality assurance is not part of the Gambian psyche.
We spent Christmas Day as guests of our Director who held open house for family and friends during which we were offered turkey, pork, ham and chicken. Whilst it was all cold and lacked the trimmings that we commonly associate with a Christmas dinner it was a welcome change and a regular meat fest.
On New Year’s Eve we had dinner with other volunteers and met a fellow scot complete with kilt with whom I had my first conversation of the year about rugby and the six nations. It may have been the rather large whiskeys that we shared but by the time we parted we were assured that Scotland could and would win the six nations if not the world cup. Just before midnight Lynn and I left the younger volunteers who were going to the beach to celebrate the arrival of 2010. We decided to party the night away with a quiet cup of Horlicks and a bar of chocolate.
We were delighted that today the President altered his journey from the airport so that he could drive passed us with his full entourage en route to the palace with the Senegalise President. It was almost impressive. (Photo soon) Our last few days have been preparing for our return and we hope to be back in Basse by Friday. Strangely after looking forward so much to being back in a ‘civilised’ part of the Gambia we are both now looking forward to returning to the slower pace and demands of Basse.