Training Village

Bumari


Bumari was a very small village, about 300) on the south bank about three hours east of Serekunda. It is very conservative but my family was very nice and I miss them already. I stayed in Saamaatee Kunda, a family compound in my own room attatched to the rest of the family. I had four host mothers (3 of which are named Fatou), one father, off course, and 12 host brothers and sisters. We had two hand pumps in village so I can now carry my water on my head without spilling it and the entire village (the entire country) is full of donkeys, goats dogs, chickens and there poop is absolutely everwhere (I wonder why there is so much disease) My name in training village was Naanke Saamaatee which not even Gambians can say for some reason...and I ate rice three meals a day for the 59 days I was there....and I'm still eating it now although the thought makes me ill.

Things I learned in training village;
Gamians spend a majority of there lives greeting each other
They dont sleep...hence now I don't sleep
Roosters crow at EVERY hour of the day, not only sunrise
Goats stay awake all night knocking on doors...I stay awake all night listening to them
Donkeys make the most disturbing sounds, as if they are being raped, ALL night
A dead goat on a string is a toy for young boys
Old batteries are toys for babies
Cashew fruit is delicious and very juicy and does not come out of your clothes
I don't really like pizza and burgers in the States but I love them in Africa
You really appreciate life and the people you love when you don't have them around anymore
EVERYTHING is different in Africa

Things I can count;