Random Journal Entries of Strange, Funny, Amusing, Frustrating Encounters
All entries are random and in no particular order. Deal with it.
25 September 2007
approximately 3:15pm
Police officer and man get in Fulabantang ambulance on my way back from Bansang. It is not until 15 kilometers when we stopped at the police Post that I realized the man being accompanied by the police officer is HANDCUFFED and sitting right behind.
The ambulance driver laughed at me when I discovered the silver bracelets fastened upon the man's wrists.
20 September 2007
Listening to BBC-new reality show on CBS-children have to build their own society. It's called under question for child exploitation and I say----COME TO AFRICA!
23 August 2007 (an angry day---they happen on occasion)
1. Don't stare at me. I may be white, but I don't live in the middle of nowhere here in The Gambia. I know you've seen others like me before.
2. When I ignore you for 10 minutes, that's a sign that I 1) am busy; 2) don't like you; 3)have anything to say. (ie. SCRAM!)
3.If you tell me I can't speak Mandinka, just remember that you've been learning English for 8 years and you still can't speak it properly.
4. When you're in my house and my phone beeps, I know I have a text message. You don't have to tell me 3x that I have message.
5. Heaven help me if I pick up the habit of burping aloud and not saying excuse me, or farting and letting everyone know it was me (I'll still stick to not revealing that I did it.)
6. Heaven help me if I interupt other people when they are speaking or continue to greet even though there is clearly a discussion taking place.
7.If you stare at me, I will time you with my watch that I'm STILL not giving you, even after you've asked me 20 times for it. I still haven't changed my mind.
8.Again, Europe and America are not the same place. They are not synonyms. There's a big (freakin') ocean that separates the 2 continents.
9. If you have your bed nets treated, don't bring your small 6 year old child to carry three poisonous dipped nets home.
10. Your 6 year old child is clearly not strong enough to carry your 1 year old.
11. If your child is sick with malaria, don't let them sit outside so more mosquitoes that are possibly infected with malaria can bite them.
12. Yes, there are flies in America and weeds and rice.
13. I can't emphasize enough---learn your pronouns.
14. Don't say an English curse word if you don't know what it means.
15. Don't destroy my things...or else I'll just want to hit you and I'll resent you more. (Parents, if I give you something for your children to play with...remember I gave it to them through you. It belongs to me.)
16. Just because you see something on my couch, it doesn't mean you can do what you want with it. Instead, ask, "May I look at this?" That's polite.
17. I am not free labor.
18. A child under 10 should NOT carry a 20L jug on her head.
19. Don't say let you go after you've sat in my house for ten minutes, and I've ignored you. I'm, by no means, keeping you hostage; I don't want you here!
14 September 2007
Please tell your child that peeing where we eat dinner is not okay.
Approximately around 5:15pm yesterday, I was bathing after having a rest during the many sessions I had at the latrine (I had a bout of gastritis). A few boys on a horse cart, a high horse cart, rode by and I was in lala land (thinking of America) and after they passe (after making loud hissing sounds that I must have blocked out), I realized they passed and I pray that they didn't see me completely naked over my concrete wall.
25 September 2007
approximately 3:15pm
Police officer and man get in Fulabantang ambulance on my way back from Bansang. It is not until 15 kilometers when we stopped at the police Post that I realized the man being accompanied by the police officer is HANDCUFFED and sitting right behind.
The ambulance driver laughed at me when I discovered the silver bracelets fastened upon the man's wrists.
20 September 2007
Listening to BBC-new reality show on CBS-children have to build their own society. It's called under question for child exploitation and I say----COME TO AFRICA!
23 August 2007 (an angry day---they happen on occasion)
1. Don't stare at me. I may be white, but I don't live in the middle of nowhere here in The Gambia. I know you've seen others like me before.
2. When I ignore you for 10 minutes, that's a sign that I 1) am busy; 2) don't like you; 3)have anything to say. (ie. SCRAM!)
3.If you tell me I can't speak Mandinka, just remember that you've been learning English for 8 years and you still can't speak it properly.
4. When you're in my house and my phone beeps, I know I have a text message. You don't have to tell me 3x that I have message.
5. Heaven help me if I pick up the habit of burping aloud and not saying excuse me, or farting and letting everyone know it was me (I'll still stick to not revealing that I did it.)
6. Heaven help me if I interupt other people when they are speaking or continue to greet even though there is clearly a discussion taking place.
7.If you stare at me, I will time you with my watch that I'm STILL not giving you, even after you've asked me 20 times for it. I still haven't changed my mind.
8.Again, Europe and America are not the same place. They are not synonyms. There's a big (freakin') ocean that separates the 2 continents.
9. If you have your bed nets treated, don't bring your small 6 year old child to carry three poisonous dipped nets home.
10. Your 6 year old child is clearly not strong enough to carry your 1 year old.
11. If your child is sick with malaria, don't let them sit outside so more mosquitoes that are possibly infected with malaria can bite them.
12. Yes, there are flies in America and weeds and rice.
13. I can't emphasize enough---learn your pronouns.
14. Don't say an English curse word if you don't know what it means.
15. Don't destroy my things...or else I'll just want to hit you and I'll resent you more. (Parents, if I give you something for your children to play with...remember I gave it to them through you. It belongs to me.)
16. Just because you see something on my couch, it doesn't mean you can do what you want with it. Instead, ask, "May I look at this?" That's polite.
17. I am not free labor.
18. A child under 10 should NOT carry a 20L jug on her head.
19. Don't say let you go after you've sat in my house for ten minutes, and I've ignored you. I'm, by no means, keeping you hostage; I don't want you here!
14 September 2007
Please tell your child that peeing where we eat dinner is not okay.
Approximately around 5:15pm yesterday, I was bathing after having a rest during the many sessions I had at the latrine (I had a bout of gastritis). A few boys on a horse cart, a high horse cart, rode by and I was in lala land (thinking of America) and after they passe (after making loud hissing sounds that I must have blocked out), I realized they passed and I pray that they didn't see me completely naked over my concrete wall.
posted by Stephanie at 3:11 PM
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