al gal - Ali

This is my "journal" through my second stint in The Gambia (West Africa). Brutally honest and forthright, I'm trying to let people into my real life and experiences in Africa. In the words of Stephen Colbert, in his beautifully genius book "I am America (and so can you)"...
I laughed,
I cried,
I lost 15 pounds,
I highly reccomend this book.

Here's about me in a nutshell. I am undoubtely sarcastic. I lick the lids of jello-pudding snacks. I believe in sugar, not sugar substitute. I'm not a hippy, I'm a "non-conformist". I hate feet. I have an irrational fear of whales and deep water. Music exploration- try it. I'd like to start walking my cat. I live to stick my foot under the faucet when the shower is done and hot water dribbles out. I think moist may be one of the greatest words in the English language. I don't believe in tradition. Who doesn't love Llyod Dobler? I live for today, and for Africa. Favorite quote: To dream of the person you could be is to waste the person you are.

Always remember, never take life too seriously. It may cause cramps. Enjoy

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Joined on: January 11th 2008
Last Login: October 19th 2009

Blog Entries: 34
Photos: 0
Recommended by 7

TB Code: [blogger=57137]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by al gal, order by Date newest first.

By al gal
October 19th 2009

The one about the wack attack North America » United States » Pennsylvania » Chester County » West Chester

I have to tell you, if you’ve never been followed while driving by a crazy person, you just ain’t livin’. Whilst on a weekly gallivant to a reggae show, I had the fine priviledge of encountering my first criminally insane driver. Apparently I am such a bad driver that the following behavior was absolutely necessary to show me how bad of a driver I am. I’m put-putting through the streets of West Chester to find the ever desired evening parking spot. As I go to pop a left onto a side street, I “cut” someone off. I use the term “cut [View Full Entry]

By al gal
October 13th 2009

The one where I begin to live North America » United States » Pennsylvania » Chester County

It is amazing what the body can do when the MIND is able. As most of my readers know, I spent a year traveling and teaching in Gambia. I got back to the US last July, and I spent almost a year in culture shock, bordem, and depression. I thought life was boring if it wasn't spent overseas; useless, and a burden. I had days that I couldn't seem to find the strength or will to get out of bed, because I thought I sold my soul to corporate America. Caught in a tailspin of confusion and doubt, I decided to [View Full Entry]

By al gal
September 10th 2009

The one about Suburbia North America » United States » Pennsylvania » Chester County

Thanks to all loyal readers who have inspired me to keep blogging, despite my lack of interesting travel. My last blog posts were about my life in The Gambia, and although I have been settled down into a "mundane" suburban sprawl for about a year, I have realized that life can be interesting anywhere you live it. I have decided to continue my blog, in efforts to show others, and make myself believe, that life is spectacular, interesting, and funny as hell wherever you live. After all, "Life is not a destination, but a journey". [View Full Entry]

By al gal
June 23rd 2008

The one about Bintang Africa » Gambia » Western Division » Kololi

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 [View Full Entry]

By al gal
June 23rd 2008

The one about Pork Africa » Gambia » Western Division » Kololi

One day I was hanging out at my friend Iris’s compound and a pathetic looking little street cat wondered in, looking for food and love. He was tiny, probably not more than 3 weeks old, scruffy, and terribly bug infested. I wanted to take him home and rehabilitate him, give him a bath and some food, and so I did. He hid under my kitchen counter for quite a long time. After my friends and I pulled him out we gave him a bit of a bath, it needed to be done or he would be horribly ill from all of [View Full Entry]

By al gal
April 17th 2008

The one about the hilarities of education Africa » Gambia » Western Division » Kololi

Working in a school that is not in your culture is a sure fire way to get some good times out of life. Sure, it is difficult and proves to be challenging everyday, but the shear hilarity I get from it surpasses all trials. Take for example when I was in the middle of a lesson, and a boy comes to me, taps me on the shoulder, and says, “teacher, can I urinate?” I didn’t understand what the boy was saying under his thick Gambian accent, so then the peanut gallery chimes in and says, “HE NEEDS TO URINATE”. I wanted [View Full Entry]

By al gal
April 17th 2008

The one where I pretend to speak Mandinka Africa » Gambia » Western Division » Kololi

I live in the Tower of Babble. With multiple different local languages, mixed with some form of English, and a bit of French, it is a sure fire way to get lost in a sea of translation confusion. As Bill Murray and Scarlet Johnason were, I too am lost in translation. Take last week for example. I went to Sukuta (a village about half on hour from where I live) to visit friends. Most of them speak Mandinka (which I know only greetings and basic phrases in), Wolof (which I am SEMI proficient in), and “Gambian English”. When white, non-local speakers [View Full Entry]

By al gal
April 17th 2008

The one about my cat Africa » Gambia » Western Division » Kololi

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. [View Full Entry]

By al gal
April 17th 2008

The one where I force my students to play a game Africa » Gambia » Western Division » Kololi

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 [View Full Entry]

By al gal
April 17th 2008

The one where I want to quit Africa » Gambia » Western Division » Kololi

Notice: I write my postings in the comfort of my own home so I don’t have to watch 20 year old bumsters talk to their 70 year old tourist girlfriends through Skype at the internet café. Also, the internet is too slow and frustrating to stay on it for very long. Thus, you may have noticed I post several entries at one time- they are not necessarily to-the-day-current. My life isn’t THAT exciting that all of these things can happen in one day… Smoking is an enjoyable past time, but also a strange habit. Why do people start smoking, and why [View Full Entry]

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