Blogs from Kololi, Western Division, Gambia, Africa - page 3

It’s been a whirlwind week. Between working and school work, bouts of the runs and fevers, cleaning, and trying to find my kitten (he ran away for two days), I’m glad for the long weekend. Dad, I know you’re reading these since you’re a rock star and subscribed to my blog, so don’t worry, I don’t have malaria. Also, my iPod blew up. As an aside, let me just say that iPod’s generally blow. They break, and then you can’t fix them, and if you’re outside your warrantee, you’re screwed. I plugged it into the wall (with out a power converter…whoops), got a few shocks, and then it was dead. The shocks weren’t as bad as the time my desktop blew up. It was making weird noises and sending funny signals, so like a dumb ass; ... read more

Perhaps one of the primary reasons I am not interested in having children is because I know I’m going to have “embarrassing parent syndrome”…all the time. I got a kitty yesterday, his name is 3pac. Like 2pac the martyr rapper (who is still alive, like Elvis) only with a 3. He is gorgeous, white with grey splotches and big Yoda ears. Anyway, I was chasing him all over the house yesterday to try and get him to take a picture. I took about 20 pictures of the friggin cat. A symptom of embarrassing parent syndrome for sure. My compound friend, Fatou, had a son on Thursday. He came home from the clinic today, and what do I do? I march myself into their bedroom and take photos of the child, like it’s my kid. Perhaps these ... read more

I'm only going to put a quote in this posting. I'm tired, and hot, and hungry, and I haven't showered in four days. And besides, sometimes people can say things better than I can. So today, I will gladly let them. Quote of the day- “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman ... read more

Hei igjen, vi er fremdeles i Kololi i Gambia, og har som vanlig noe aa fortelle dere. Ikke det at vi har begitt oss ut paa store eventyr, de siste dagene har vaert ganske slappe, med soling og bassengbading som hovedaktiviteter. Men i gaar var vi paa utflukt til Bakau, som bare er noen minutter unna. Dit dro vi med Live, og vi besoekte noen venner av henne. Ene av dem var trommelaereren hennes, som bodde i bydelen Oslo (og hvis bror har spilt tromme sammen med storheter som Youssou N'Dour og Dr. Alban). Han ble med oss ned paa stranden, der han og Live spilte litt djembe mens vi hoerte paa, saa paa krabber og gikk oss en tur til et posht hotell og drakk en alvorlig overpriset ananasjuice. Etterpaa fikk vi proevet oss paa ... read more

The Gambia synthesizes in few thousands of Km² all defects and virtues of the young independent Africa. On one hand it builds a tourism industry thanks to the callback of kilometers of white beaches and iridescent markets, on the other one, seems incapable to fulfill whichever undertaken plan, including the one of a repressive dictatorship. You get a first morsel as soon as you reach the border, arriving from Senegal. In that country, agents wear uniform and are efficient (by African standards) in carrying on their duties. On this part of the line, instead, customs officers show up in worn out uniforms lacking of identification or flatly in civilian clothes, and every encounter with those who have had the bad luck to be born white seems necessarily to be concluded with the passage of some ... read more