Gambian Toubab

This photo has nothing to do with my blog today but I thought I would upload it anyway because I don't have much else to show you. This is the beach that we walk along near our house. The photo was taken on a particular peaceful morning when all the bumpsters were still asleep so we weren't hassled. I apologise for the uneventful blog posts recently... the lack of adventure stories can be blamed on my back. Most of this past week lying has been spent lying on the floor watching Friends episodes.

I am worried I am turning into a rude person. As I have mentioned before, wherever I go people try to talk to me. When we first moved here I would talk to everyone who called out to me on the street... I didn't want to be rude... now I am perfecting the art of "Oh, were you talking to me? Sorry I don't speak English". In my defense the conversations are usually pointless and more often than not result in somebody wanting money or my address, both of which I don't hand around. However, sometimes it can be amusing. Today I walked to the supermarket wearing... picture this... a purple, slob hair covered tank, capris that I love so much they no longer look clean even when I wash them and my green spotty gumboots (it had been raining and there is mud everywhere). I forgot to put socks on so I was hobbling from blisters and need I mention the humidity which meant I was hot, sweaty and my hair was a little crazy. Yet as I was walking along a very kind gentleman (OK, perhaps he was more sleazy than kind) said "hey lovely lady, you're looking very smart today"... is he blind? I think he honestly expected me to talk to him because it was followed by the predictable "I just want to say hello, this is Gambia, it's nice to be nice!". I kept walking. However, I felt better on the way home when the man at the cigarette stand on the corner said "hello Gambian Toubab.. how are you?"... I smiled at him. Toubab is usually yelled at us by giggling school kids before they ask for mints - it means white person - however, in this case, I took it as a compliment, I guess now that he sees me walk past every day he knows I live here - or perhaps not, people just like to talk.


OK, so to finish off this exciting blog in which I have just told you pretty much nothing - and because Lang asked for a picture of the house - I will show you a photo of our new roof leak. So here is our lounge room, yes, I know we need to decorate more. Although they (they being the various workmen who are always here) fixed the entire roof, it still leaks right onto the only small patch of carpet in the entire house - smells like wet dog now!