Well, since I leave the Gambia on Tuesday, and fly home Fridy morning, this will be the last time I write here. I can't believe its already almost over, it has been an amazing experience. But first, a few re caps.
School has been interesting. The students talk a lot and there are so many of them it is very difficult to get them to listen. I tried to do a pencil reward system, but that just made most of the students tell me they don't have a pencil which isn't true. Some days it is very difficult to be teaching there, since they do not listen to me b/c i don't beat them. I tried to take them to the library the other day, and they were all pushing and pushing and not listening, and it was a bit much. One on one though, the students are really sweet, and always giving me bits of food and little presents, which is so nice. They also will ask me about America, and quiz my Wollof skills. Monday is my last day, and my teacher will not be there, so it should be an interesting day. Hopefully all goes well.
Every morning, they have an assembly where all teh students listen to morning prayers, and normallly a teacher or head mistress makes some announcements. On Friday, my teacher sent me to get my camera and then we went "on stage" so they could thank me for coming, and mention some cultural diffferences, like "not using the cane." (to hit students when they misbehave). Then one of the students in my class gave me a dress that they had pooled money to buy, and presented it in front of the school. Then I was asked to give a speech, which was awkward, and then they all sang the Gambian national anthem to me. It was awkward but really, really nice and I have some good pictures and a great video of the anthem.
In non- school news last weekend a friend and i traveled to kartung, a town further south on the coast. We traveled using local transport, which was interesting but luckily people are so nice here so they helped us find the right van/ pay the right amount of money. Then we stayed in a BEAUTIFUL hotel, litteraly 10 steps from this beautiful beach with palm trees and NO people. It was so relaxing. During the day, we walked into town, and there was a naming ceremony, which we were invited to. So we went in, and ate some porridge (which is like oatmeal and peanut butter.. quite good), and then we were introduced to everyone, and saw all the women cooking to prepare for the meal that evening. We had to start heading home, unfortunately, so we went to an italian restaurant on this beautiful quiet river where a real italian had taught this woman to make real pizza. So we had pizza with mozzerella cheese from a brick oven. Then we started our journey back, which was a bit long, but the worst part was leaving somewhere quiet and peaceful, to have to walk through a noisy market in a city. I wished we could have stayed where we were. It was a wonderful weekend, and I was very glad we did it.
Other than that, I have been preparing to come home, buying gifts for people and souveniers for myself. I am getting my last few outfit mades, including a skirt with a fabric that has giraffees on it. My students also put braids in my hair, so I look very interesting which I am hoping will last until I come home.
Hope all is well at home, and I will be back before I know it!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
So 3 weeks of pictures is a lot
Heyena!
Monkeys!!
My class in the library.
My students in the classroom.
Some of my students working outside of the classroom.
Even more pictures
A beach near my house. 
Our roof top concert when we got stuck by the side of the road.
Stuck on the side of the road.
An amazing women's co operative where women recycle plastic bags, to make other bags. Its really amazin gwhat they have been able to do.
More pictures
Wassu stone circles (like Stonehedge)
A picture of me and some children... and me in my African outfit!
Hippos. Really far away, and under water, but hippos none the less.
Our boat that we took a trip in on the River.
A Gambian sunset.
PICTURES
Some of the children who chased after us in Jufuree, on our up country trip.
Our boat to James Island, also up country. (PS, i also have the number 9 football (soccer) jersey of the national team).
Me touching a crocodile at the pool!
Me, newly named Sako Sanneh, with my namesake, the original Sakko Sanneh. Also, a glimse at forced African dancing, which is always awkward, but enjoyable.
My first attempt at African dancing. I'm not very good.
Another "update"
Well hello! I heard that lots of people are asking when I am going to update my blog, so I will write more even though I don't have much to say.
Monday all the students started back in classes full time again. There was a big assembly in the morning, where all the students stand outside and listen to a morning prayer, and then the headmistress and/ or a teacher will talk to the students. On this day, the headmistress gave a speech about how important it was to attend study sessions to prepare for exams, and other important issues. This speech was in English. Then she gave a speech in Wollof, and in the middle she said something about tubab (the Wollof word for white person/ foreigner) and everyone turned around and looked at me. I have no idea what she said, and all the teachers around me just laughed a bit and didn't explain anything. So, I'm not sure what she said, but it was a little bit awkward.
There are 53 students in my class, which is a huge number. There are a lot of differences between the classes here and classes in America. Beside the class size, the way work is completed is very different. The teacher teaches, and my teacher uses a good amount of student participation, but is certainly the one in charge of instruction. Then students complete activities from their workbooks into thier notebooks, and bring it up to the teachers desk to be checked. This can take about 30 minutes for 6-10 questions, so things move a bit slowly.
I have been teaching science (properties of matter actually, which is good because I just taught that to students at Leonardtown). I have been mainly using the textbooks the students have, and the department of education has written a lot of hands- on activities for the students into the textbooks which is great. The problem is, the students have no idea how to do these things. We were discussing man- made v. natural materials and they were to make a chart, and go out in the school grounds and list a material, whether it is natural or man made, and the uses of that material. You would have thought I had asked them to re- invent the wheel! My mentor teacher helped to explain it to them, but they kept asking me "teacher, is this right?"
I have also had some problems with the discipline, it is hard to get so many students to keep quiet! I also think they have less respect for me because I am white. We had a little "class meeting" the other day, and things have been a bit better. The students also all yell at each other and tell the others to be quiet, which normally works pretty well too.
On things not school related, I have been learning more and more Wollof which is good. We all went to meet with the mayor of Banjul, who was on our long journey here, so the 6 teachers already knew him, which was interesting. He is very nice, and it was cool to sit in on a semi meeting of the mayor and councilmen (and women) of Banjul. Yesturday, I went to a nature reserve that is close by, and has lots of animals, including monkeys that just hang out by the path. So that was really great.
I'm realizing that my time here is about to end, and I want to travel a bit next weekend. Tomorrow I am attending Catholic mass with someone from the house and a Gambian from the University. I'm excited to see what that is like, and am hoping that I may be able to go to a mosque before I leave as well. I also may be attending a wedding reception this evening, which will also be a lot of fun.
Miss you all, and I will be home soon!! I'd love to hear what you are doing, sorry if I don't reply, I try not to spend too much time on the computer!
Monday all the students started back in classes full time again. There was a big assembly in the morning, where all the students stand outside and listen to a morning prayer, and then the headmistress and/ or a teacher will talk to the students. On this day, the headmistress gave a speech about how important it was to attend study sessions to prepare for exams, and other important issues. This speech was in English. Then she gave a speech in Wollof, and in the middle she said something about tubab (the Wollof word for white person/ foreigner) and everyone turned around and looked at me. I have no idea what she said, and all the teachers around me just laughed a bit and didn't explain anything. So, I'm not sure what she said, but it was a little bit awkward.
There are 53 students in my class, which is a huge number. There are a lot of differences between the classes here and classes in America. Beside the class size, the way work is completed is very different. The teacher teaches, and my teacher uses a good amount of student participation, but is certainly the one in charge of instruction. Then students complete activities from their workbooks into thier notebooks, and bring it up to the teachers desk to be checked. This can take about 30 minutes for 6-10 questions, so things move a bit slowly.
I have been teaching science (properties of matter actually, which is good because I just taught that to students at Leonardtown). I have been mainly using the textbooks the students have, and the department of education has written a lot of hands- on activities for the students into the textbooks which is great. The problem is, the students have no idea how to do these things. We were discussing man- made v. natural materials and they were to make a chart, and go out in the school grounds and list a material, whether it is natural or man made, and the uses of that material. You would have thought I had asked them to re- invent the wheel! My mentor teacher helped to explain it to them, but they kept asking me "teacher, is this right?"
I have also had some problems with the discipline, it is hard to get so many students to keep quiet! I also think they have less respect for me because I am white. We had a little "class meeting" the other day, and things have been a bit better. The students also all yell at each other and tell the others to be quiet, which normally works pretty well too.
On things not school related, I have been learning more and more Wollof which is good. We all went to meet with the mayor of Banjul, who was on our long journey here, so the 6 teachers already knew him, which was interesting. He is very nice, and it was cool to sit in on a semi meeting of the mayor and councilmen (and women) of Banjul. Yesturday, I went to a nature reserve that is close by, and has lots of animals, including monkeys that just hang out by the path. So that was really great.
I'm realizing that my time here is about to end, and I want to travel a bit next weekend. Tomorrow I am attending Catholic mass with someone from the house and a Gambian from the University. I'm excited to see what that is like, and am hoping that I may be able to go to a mosque before I leave as well. I also may be attending a wedding reception this evening, which will also be a lot of fun.
Miss you all, and I will be home soon!! I'd love to hear what you are doing, sorry if I don't reply, I try not to spend too much time on the computer!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Dee deet toduma chicken
Salamaleekum! Well it has been another great week, including an eventful trip up country. My title means "no, my name is not chicken," which I had to say a lot during the trip because our driver started calling me chicken because they were trying to teach us how to say "chin" in Wollof and it is "shekin" and i kept saying "chicken." Such is life in the Gambia.
First, my cousin sent me an e-mail with lots of questions, that I thought I would answer here. Please feel free to send me any more questions, as a lot of people probably have them!
Do you have to speak Wollof when teaching the kids?
No thank goodness! The official language of the Gambia is English, but in thier homes and on the street Gambians speak either Wollof or Mandinka. So in school, I can use Engish.
Is it warm there?
Very HOT! We are very close to the equator, and the sun is very strong, which makes it very very hot. It cools down when we go into the shade, but it is very hot in the sun.
Is there much water there?
I live very close to the Atlantic Ocean, and there is a big river that runs down the middle of the country, so there is lots of water, and I could go to the beach every day. The water is not always safe to drink though, and we have little bags of water delivered to our house that we bite into and drink out of the hole we made (I will have to take a picture)
Are the animals a lot different then here? did u see any lions? R there lots of bugs?
Some animals are different. There are a lot of really cool birds, and so far I have seen hippos and monkey in the wild. There are a lot of bugs, particularly mosquitos which can give you malaria if they bite you, so I wear lots of bug repellant and take pills to keep me safe from malaria. We also have bed bugs, which according to BBC the US is trying to get rid of (which is funny on many levels). No lions here. There are also goats, chickens, cows, dogs, cats and donkeys that just walk around. When driving, a whole bunch may cross the road, so you have to look out.
What did the crocodile feel like?
rough and bumpy.
Do they have electric there?
Our house, and many other houses have electricity, but it is very expensive, and a lot of houses do not have electricity, they just light fires at night time.
Is is crowded? Are there farms there? Any dairy cows?
I live in a city, so it is crowded here. When we took our trip, we saw land that was not very crowded at all, and saw where all of the farming happens. There is a wet season and a dry season, and it is the dry season now so nothing will grow. During the wet season, they plant ground nuts, rice, cocoa, and lot of other things. I haven't seen any dairy cows yet... I think they get most milk from goats.
Did you do anything for Easter there? do they celebrate Easter?
On Easter we were driving back from our trip up country, so I didn\t really celebrate. Most of the country is Muslim, so they don't celebrate. There are some Christians in the country, so we had Friday and Monday off of school and work, so Christians could celebrate.
When are you coming home?
May 15. Then i have 3 weeks of class at St. Mary's and i graduate June 6.
We went on an upcountry trip, which was really cool to see different parts of the Gambia. On Thursday, we left happy camp and traveled across the river than to Jufure, which is the launching point for James Island. James Island is a place where slaves were kept before they completed their passage to the America's. Jufure is also where the movie The Roots is set, and the place where Kunta Kente traced his roots, so there is a lot of history for the triangular trade. Then we drove further east, and stopped at JangJangburre, which was called Georgetown during colonial times, and was the seat of the protectorate. We went on a boat trip and saw hippos (their heads and ears and backs from very far away) and monkeys and lots of cool birds. Then on the drive home, we saw Wassu Stone Circles which is one of many Gambian versions of Stone hedge. Then we went to a womens co operative where women take plastic bags and crochet them into bags that people can use.
Then came the fun part. On the drive home, our wheel sort of fell off the axel. So we sat by the side of the road while our driver and our guidetried to fix it. Then we got back into the van and drove very slowly, until it broke again. Then we got out again, and chased some children away from us (we were a little crazy), then we performed a van top concert on guitar and drums until our guide came with a public van to take home. We arrived 3 hours late.
It was a good trip, and I am getting used to everything here. My class has been interesting and i am trying to figure out the best way to teach and do classroom managment. Tomorrow my teacher is out so I'm flying solo. Hopefully it will go well!
First, my cousin sent me an e-mail with lots of questions, that I thought I would answer here. Please feel free to send me any more questions, as a lot of people probably have them!
Do you have to speak Wollof when teaching the kids?
No thank goodness! The official language of the Gambia is English, but in thier homes and on the street Gambians speak either Wollof or Mandinka. So in school, I can use Engish.
Is it warm there?
Very HOT! We are very close to the equator, and the sun is very strong, which makes it very very hot. It cools down when we go into the shade, but it is very hot in the sun.
Is there much water there?
I live very close to the Atlantic Ocean, and there is a big river that runs down the middle of the country, so there is lots of water, and I could go to the beach every day. The water is not always safe to drink though, and we have little bags of water delivered to our house that we bite into and drink out of the hole we made (I will have to take a picture)
Are the animals a lot different then here? did u see any lions? R there lots of bugs?
Some animals are different. There are a lot of really cool birds, and so far I have seen hippos and monkey in the wild. There are a lot of bugs, particularly mosquitos which can give you malaria if they bite you, so I wear lots of bug repellant and take pills to keep me safe from malaria. We also have bed bugs, which according to BBC the US is trying to get rid of (which is funny on many levels). No lions here. There are also goats, chickens, cows, dogs, cats and donkeys that just walk around. When driving, a whole bunch may cross the road, so you have to look out.
What did the crocodile feel like?
rough and bumpy.
Do they have electric there?
Our house, and many other houses have electricity, but it is very expensive, and a lot of houses do not have electricity, they just light fires at night time.
Is is crowded? Are there farms there? Any dairy cows?
I live in a city, so it is crowded here. When we took our trip, we saw land that was not very crowded at all, and saw where all of the farming happens. There is a wet season and a dry season, and it is the dry season now so nothing will grow. During the wet season, they plant ground nuts, rice, cocoa, and lot of other things. I haven't seen any dairy cows yet... I think they get most milk from goats.
Did you do anything for Easter there? do they celebrate Easter?
On Easter we were driving back from our trip up country, so I didn\t really celebrate. Most of the country is Muslim, so they don't celebrate. There are some Christians in the country, so we had Friday and Monday off of school and work, so Christians could celebrate.
When are you coming home?
May 15. Then i have 3 weeks of class at St. Mary's and i graduate June 6.
We went on an upcountry trip, which was really cool to see different parts of the Gambia. On Thursday, we left happy camp and traveled across the river than to Jufure, which is the launching point for James Island. James Island is a place where slaves were kept before they completed their passage to the America's. Jufure is also where the movie The Roots is set, and the place where Kunta Kente traced his roots, so there is a lot of history for the triangular trade. Then we drove further east, and stopped at JangJangburre, which was called Georgetown during colonial times, and was the seat of the protectorate. We went on a boat trip and saw hippos (their heads and ears and backs from very far away) and monkeys and lots of cool birds. Then on the drive home, we saw Wassu Stone Circles which is one of many Gambian versions of Stone hedge. Then we went to a womens co operative where women take plastic bags and crochet them into bags that people can use.
Then came the fun part. On the drive home, our wheel sort of fell off the axel. So we sat by the side of the road while our driver and our guidetried to fix it. Then we got back into the van and drove very slowly, until it broke again. Then we got out again, and chased some children away from us (we were a little crazy), then we performed a van top concert on guitar and drums until our guide came with a public van to take home. We arrived 3 hours late.
It was a good trip, and I am getting used to everything here. My class has been interesting and i am trying to figure out the best way to teach and do classroom managment. Tomorrow my teacher is out so I'm flying solo. Hopefully it will go well!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Greetings from Sakko Sanneh!
Well this week we had our naming ceremony, and we get Gambian names. My name is Sakko Sanneh, though I keep forgetting to introduce myself that way to other Gambians! We were named at a crocodile pool, where women who are infertile go and bathe to try and be fertile. Ironically, the women who we are named after and attended our naming ceremonies are all barren women. While at the crocodile pool, I touched one of the crocodiles! (Pictures will come later). The day before the naming ceremony, We traveled to a place called the art villiage and did batik or tie dye. In the Gambia, batik is a very common art form and they use the actual pigment, so the colors are really fantastic. I tie dyed a shirt and a sheet, and have some really great designs. The man who runs the art villiage is a Gambian artist, who studied in Holland and has made this village in a place where the local villagers believe is haunted with bad spirits. There were lots of trees, and a huge vegetable garden, and it was just generally a really cool place.
I have finally gotten to see teaching in my school! The students have 2 weeks of easter holiday, but I am in grade 5, and they have study sessions to prepare for national exams. There are normally 53 students in my class, and yesturday we had 8 students and today there were 9. Despite these different numbers, I think that the style of teaching I have observed is pretty typical. It is not quite as teacher centered as I thought it would be, though there is not a lot of student participation. My teacher is really good about asking questions of the class, and expanding into "teachable moments," rather than just covering the worksheet questions. Typically, my teacher gives the lesson (about 20 minutes), and then assigns workbook questions. When students have finished the questions, they put their journals on the front desk to be checked. This takes a long time, because a lot of the students spend more time talking and messing around than anything else. One of the biggest differences, is that teachers write everything on the board and then students copy it into their notebooks, since they do not have a copy machine. Students also do not complain about the amount of writing they have to do, and are very good at working through their exercises until they get the right answer (which is nice).
Tomorrow, we are going on an up country trip, to see more typical villiages, and hopefully monkeys and hippopotomauses. All 17 of us are travelling together so we are going to be a sea of tubabs (the word in Wollof for white people. Gambians scream it wherever they see you, particularly the children). I will be taking pictures and update soon!
I have finally gotten to see teaching in my school! The students have 2 weeks of easter holiday, but I am in grade 5, and they have study sessions to prepare for national exams. There are normally 53 students in my class, and yesturday we had 8 students and today there were 9. Despite these different numbers, I think that the style of teaching I have observed is pretty typical. It is not quite as teacher centered as I thought it would be, though there is not a lot of student participation. My teacher is really good about asking questions of the class, and expanding into "teachable moments," rather than just covering the worksheet questions. Typically, my teacher gives the lesson (about 20 minutes), and then assigns workbook questions. When students have finished the questions, they put their journals on the front desk to be checked. This takes a long time, because a lot of the students spend more time talking and messing around than anything else. One of the biggest differences, is that teachers write everything on the board and then students copy it into their notebooks, since they do not have a copy machine. Students also do not complain about the amount of writing they have to do, and are very good at working through their exercises until they get the right answer (which is nice).
Tomorrow, we are going on an up country trip, to see more typical villiages, and hopefully monkeys and hippopotomauses. All 17 of us are travelling together so we are going to be a sea of tubabs (the word in Wollof for white people. Gambians scream it wherever they see you, particularly the children). I will be taking pictures and update soon!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Salaamaaleekum (Peace be with you/ hello)
A few pictures as well. I will be taking more when I am a bit more comfortable with everything.
Gambian children, who came up to us at the beach because we had a kite
Paris
Students at my school, during the drama rehearsal (on top, sorry my computer was acting up).
Week 1
Ok, since I have had mutiple requests to post, i will do so. I am learning a lot of Wollof, the local language, which is certainly helping me in taxis and other social situations. But let me back up.
Our first day here we went to the beach, which was wonderful (be jealous). Then we started orientation on Monday. Orientation has included our Wollof lessons, interesting speakers from the Gambia about different topics, and trips around the area to get us more familiar. We have heard lectures about the history of the Gambia, Islam in the Gambia, local government, and health and safety issues. We have gone to two markets, and we went to Banjul to visit the museum and the "arch," which is one of the biggest buildings in the Gambia. It has been a little intense, but really exciting.
I have also gone to my school a few times. I will be in grade 5, which I believe has students who would be in 6th grade in the US. So far, i have met the headmistress and my teacher and many of my students, but the easter holiday is approaching and so they have not been doing anything. The first day, there was a drama performance at 4, so the students involved were rehearsing and all the other students were watching. Today they were cleaning up from the festivities, and then the teachers had a meeting, and then they left early for the Gambia v. Algeria game (more about that later). I have met many of the students, mostly the girls, and today they were showing me different books they read and work they do. I also saw the library, and it has all reminded me how lucky we are to be Americans. They have mostly picture books, and all the students speak English, but they are not as advanced in reading English, so I think i will buy a chapter book, and start reading in the morning.
Tomorrow has been declared a national hoiday, because the Gambian football (soccer for us Americans) team has won the Afrocup, beating the Algerians 3-1 today. And that goal was the only goal to be scored on the Gambians all season. You could hear everyone on our street scream everytime they scored a goal, and after the game was over, every car that drove by was honking and the people were yelling. It is pretty cool.
Besides that i have just been getting used to the routine. I stay in a room with 3 other girls, and one bathroom. Every morning we get french bread called "tapalapa," and we have peanut butter, jelly, butter and chocolate spread to put in it. All of our water comes in individual bags, which we bite to tear open and drink. Then I have been going to my school in the morning (school hours are 8:30-1:30) and getting lunch on the way home, or making it at the house. Then we either go out exploring, or rest until dinner is delivered at 7. Then we all talk or play games or read until we go to bed.
The taxis have been one of the most interesting things. There are taxi cabs and vans that drive specific routes, and you pay 5 delasi (the currency, about 20 cents) to get in, and they will drop you off anywhere along their route. Unfortunately, sometimes they are not clear about their route, and I have gotten very off track accidently. I take 2 different taxis to get to school, and the drivers are always surprised when they drop me off at a lower basic school (elmentary school), since they think I am a tourist. This is also why learning Wollof is helpful!
Overall things are good, but I am anxious for schools to get started so I can get teaching again, I really miss it! i miss everyone at home, and hope all is well. Feel free to send me anything, I would love to hear from you!
Our first day here we went to the beach, which was wonderful (be jealous). Then we started orientation on Monday. Orientation has included our Wollof lessons, interesting speakers from the Gambia about different topics, and trips around the area to get us more familiar. We have heard lectures about the history of the Gambia, Islam in the Gambia, local government, and health and safety issues. We have gone to two markets, and we went to Banjul to visit the museum and the "arch," which is one of the biggest buildings in the Gambia. It has been a little intense, but really exciting.
I have also gone to my school a few times. I will be in grade 5, which I believe has students who would be in 6th grade in the US. So far, i have met the headmistress and my teacher and many of my students, but the easter holiday is approaching and so they have not been doing anything. The first day, there was a drama performance at 4, so the students involved were rehearsing and all the other students were watching. Today they were cleaning up from the festivities, and then the teachers had a meeting, and then they left early for the Gambia v. Algeria game (more about that later). I have met many of the students, mostly the girls, and today they were showing me different books they read and work they do. I also saw the library, and it has all reminded me how lucky we are to be Americans. They have mostly picture books, and all the students speak English, but they are not as advanced in reading English, so I think i will buy a chapter book, and start reading in the morning.
Tomorrow has been declared a national hoiday, because the Gambian football (soccer for us Americans) team has won the Afrocup, beating the Algerians 3-1 today. And that goal was the only goal to be scored on the Gambians all season. You could hear everyone on our street scream everytime they scored a goal, and after the game was over, every car that drove by was honking and the people were yelling. It is pretty cool.
Besides that i have just been getting used to the routine. I stay in a room with 3 other girls, and one bathroom. Every morning we get french bread called "tapalapa," and we have peanut butter, jelly, butter and chocolate spread to put in it. All of our water comes in individual bags, which we bite to tear open and drink. Then I have been going to my school in the morning (school hours are 8:30-1:30) and getting lunch on the way home, or making it at the house. Then we either go out exploring, or rest until dinner is delivered at 7. Then we all talk or play games or read until we go to bed.
The taxis have been one of the most interesting things. There are taxi cabs and vans that drive specific routes, and you pay 5 delasi (the currency, about 20 cents) to get in, and they will drop you off anywhere along their route. Unfortunately, sometimes they are not clear about their route, and I have gotten very off track accidently. I take 2 different taxis to get to school, and the drivers are always surprised when they drop me off at a lower basic school (elmentary school), since they think I am a tourist. This is also why learning Wollof is helpful!
Overall things are good, but I am anxious for schools to get started so I can get teaching again, I really miss it! i miss everyone at home, and hope all is well. Feel free to send me anything, I would love to hear from you!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
WE MADE IT!!
Well we finally made it to Senegambia (Senegal/ the Gambia). Our trip started at Dulles airport, and then we were supposed to fly to JFK in New York, then to Dakar in Senegal. When the group went to check in they told us that the flight to New York was delayed, and we would miss our connecting flight. But the carrier (South African Airways) would not re book our flight to Dakar, because the flight to JFK was not theirs (it was United). Long story short, we flew to JFK only to miss our flight to Dakar.
Then United booked the 6 of us teachers, and 3 Gambians including the mayor of Banjul on a flight to Paris and then Dakar with Air France. But, our luggage was "somewhere in JFK." After a lot of wandering around looking for it, we found ourselves in the lost luggage claims office, and one of the other teachers managed to convince them to go out and find our luggage. They found 12 of our collective 18 bags. Of the 6 teachers, I was the only one to get both my bags back, most only got 1 and one teacher (the one who did all the talking) didn't get either. It turns out that our flight to JFK was over weight and sometimes they leave some bags behind. So we were assured that the bags would make it to Dakar. So at midnight on Thursday March 26 (2 hours before our flight was supposed to land in Dakar) we got on a flight to Paris.
That flight was uneventful, as was our 4 hour layover in the Paris airport. Then we flew to Dakar, and when we got there, the mayor took our passports and we got the "express train" through customs. Then 3 of us stood with all of our bags, while the 3 other teachers and the mayor went and talked to the baggage claim people at Dakar. About 30 minutes later, we left for our hotel in Dakar. All the girl teachers slept in one room, and the male teacher and our guide, Babukar slept in the other room. Then we woke up at 8AM to go BACK to the airport to look for luggage, which was still not there. Then we drove over to Gambia.
The roads are full of pot holes, and the drivers just weave back and forth, off the road, and on the wrong side to avoid the pot holes. We had lunch in Senegal which was really good, I had a dish with rice, beef and vegetables. The menu was written in French, which our driver could read, and translate to Wolof for Babukar, who would then translate it to English for us (very interesting experience). At the border between the two countries, there were lots of children who wanted us to give them money and things. They are VERY persistant, opening our windows and grabbing us, pulling on our clothes and things. Quite the interesting experience. Then we had to take a ferry over the mouth of the Gambian river, which between waiting in line and the trip across was about a 2 hour experience. Then we FINALLY made it to Happy Camp (the name of where we live).
There are already 11 St. Mary's students here, who are going to the University. They are all very nice, and I am sharing a room and bathroom with 3 other girls. They have been our tour guides, and today they took us to the beach, which was so nice, but I got a bad sunburn (the sun is very strong). I am learning how to take a taxi (they have certain routes, and you get in and pay 5 delasi and get out close to where you want to be), and how to avoid all the people trying to sell things.
I'm so glad to be here, though I already miss everyone. Please let me know how you are! clkoch@smcm.edu, we have wireless internet, so I can probably check my phone every day. Tomorrow we have orientation, where we will start learning some Wolof, so we can talk to some of the local people. I will try to put up pictures soon, but I wanted to tell everyoone about our trip! Now, off to dinner!
Then United booked the 6 of us teachers, and 3 Gambians including the mayor of Banjul on a flight to Paris and then Dakar with Air France. But, our luggage was "somewhere in JFK." After a lot of wandering around looking for it, we found ourselves in the lost luggage claims office, and one of the other teachers managed to convince them to go out and find our luggage. They found 12 of our collective 18 bags. Of the 6 teachers, I was the only one to get both my bags back, most only got 1 and one teacher (the one who did all the talking) didn't get either. It turns out that our flight to JFK was over weight and sometimes they leave some bags behind. So we were assured that the bags would make it to Dakar. So at midnight on Thursday March 26 (2 hours before our flight was supposed to land in Dakar) we got on a flight to Paris.
That flight was uneventful, as was our 4 hour layover in the Paris airport. Then we flew to Dakar, and when we got there, the mayor took our passports and we got the "express train" through customs. Then 3 of us stood with all of our bags, while the 3 other teachers and the mayor went and talked to the baggage claim people at Dakar. About 30 minutes later, we left for our hotel in Dakar. All the girl teachers slept in one room, and the male teacher and our guide, Babukar slept in the other room. Then we woke up at 8AM to go BACK to the airport to look for luggage, which was still not there. Then we drove over to Gambia.
The roads are full of pot holes, and the drivers just weave back and forth, off the road, and on the wrong side to avoid the pot holes. We had lunch in Senegal which was really good, I had a dish with rice, beef and vegetables. The menu was written in French, which our driver could read, and translate to Wolof for Babukar, who would then translate it to English for us (very interesting experience). At the border between the two countries, there were lots of children who wanted us to give them money and things. They are VERY persistant, opening our windows and grabbing us, pulling on our clothes and things. Quite the interesting experience. Then we had to take a ferry over the mouth of the Gambian river, which between waiting in line and the trip across was about a 2 hour experience. Then we FINALLY made it to Happy Camp (the name of where we live).
There are already 11 St. Mary's students here, who are going to the University. They are all very nice, and I am sharing a room and bathroom with 3 other girls. They have been our tour guides, and today they took us to the beach, which was so nice, but I got a bad sunburn (the sun is very strong). I am learning how to take a taxi (they have certain routes, and you get in and pay 5 delasi and get out close to where you want to be), and how to avoid all the people trying to sell things.
I'm so glad to be here, though I already miss everyone. Please let me know how you are! clkoch@smcm.edu, we have wireless internet, so I can probably check my phone every day. Tomorrow we have orientation, where we will start learning some Wolof, so we can talk to some of the local people. I will try to put up pictures soon, but I wanted to tell everyoone about our trip! Now, off to dinner!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Priceless?
Yellow Fever Vaccine: $192
Typhoid Vaccine: $150
Health Insurance: $65
Advil, Shampoo, Batteries etc: $212
Supplies for Students: $150
Teaching in the Gambia for 2 months: priceless
Well I'm leaving in 2 days, and I finished my shopping spree tonight, and needless to say it is all adding up!! I'm excited and nervous to be leaving, and will miss everyone here very much!!
Typhoid Vaccine: $150
Health Insurance: $65
Advil, Shampoo, Batteries etc: $212
Supplies for Students: $150
Teaching in the Gambia for 2 months: priceless
Well I'm leaving in 2 days, and I finished my shopping spree tonight, and needless to say it is all adding up!! I'm excited and nervous to be leaving, and will miss everyone here very much!!
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