Blogs from Gambia, Africa - page 11

Here are just a few snapshots of the to and from...... read more

A few of my groupies and myself felt like taking a little weekend getaway up country, so I opened the travel book, flicked a page, and so we went. Bintang is a small little village, primarily Mandinka, on the south bank of Gambia. We all had a blast in our little bungalows on the bolong. I thought it might be a good idea to jump into the water straight from my porch, and it was a good idea, until I hit the oyster filled bottom with my bum. The water was deceptively high looking, which left me looking a bit like a battered woman in a swim suit. Apparently the water was safe to swim in, but I ended up getting some sort of parasite and a worm in my leg, go figure. We took ... read more

It’s two o’clock in the morning, and instead of being in a sweet little slumber after a long day, I’m awake. Why you ask? At approximately 1:30am I jolted out of my bed after watching an episode of Roseanne, to a bitterly disturbing sound coming from my window. Previous to this incident, my friends and I were scared out of our minds when 1) my cat made the sound that incredibly resembled a human being and thus 2) made us think someone was in the house. After doing a once over, armed with a broom, we decided the coast was clear. I popped in some Roseanne to settle my nerves and give me a laugh, and was all ready to rest my sleepy eyes when BAM 1:30am rolls around. At this point in the evening, it ... read more

My students were being naughty stubborn children this week. It doesn’t help that they have a hard time understanding me, but they never listen…to anybody. This does not surprise me as they are 5th graders and are in the prime time for weird behavior. Lord knows I was a disobedient little hell raiser when I was that age. I gave them a spelling test this week; their only homework was the study for the test. It went awful. To spare them from whipping, I decided to impart a different kind of public humiliation on them. Simon Says, in the middle of the school court yard where everyone could see. For those of you who are not familiar with this game (you should be ashamed), a leader- “Simon” is appointed to instruct the rest of the group ... read more

A few weeks ago my school participated in the Commonwealth, a federation of formerly British Colonies. Each grade was assigned to give a small performance about their designated country. My fifth graders were assigned Jamaica. Because I am “unbiased” in the school, I was picked to judge the competition. We all gathered in the open sand area and I had a desk set up for the serious judging of it all. The students were supposed to dress like their native countrymen, tell a bit of information on the country, and sing a song, recite a poem, or do a traditional dance. In come the 5th graders. I was supposed to be an unbiased member of the performances, but it was really difficult not to favor the 5th graders. They came to school dressed like Rastas and ... read more