A Day in the Life

A day in the life....

I thought it may be helpful to try and give you an idea of a 'typical' day at Balaba, although in reality every day is different. However, there is a broad overall pattern, although timings can vary a bit, and unexpected people dropping in (which happens almost every day) can throw things out too!

4:00 am

The first cockerel crows. Lamin keeps chickens, and they run around freely on the camp. The number varies considerably, as they are sometimes eaten! During one visit in the rainy season, there was no fish on sale in the local market, so we were planning just to eat rice and vegetables, but several members of the family turned up for a visit. Gambian hospitality demands that guests are given a meal, so Numo (Lamin's brother) and I were running round in the rain trying to catch two chickens!

5:45 am

The first call to prayer at the local mosque about 1km away in the little village of Madina Salaam.

6:45 am (ish)

I roll out of bed and dress, then head for the kitchen to collect up about seven large plastic bowls, plus a variety of buckets, and take them to the well ready for watering the garden. It takes about 25-30 buckets to water half the garden, and the well is deep so each bucket takes 22 pulls (I know cos I've counted!). Lamin has rigged up an ingenious double bucket system so that as one bucket is being pulled up the other is being lowered. This, combined with a new pulley, has made the task faster and a bit easier. The water is then poured into the bowls, and when that's done we open the garden gate (which takes a while – see the post on the garden I wrote earlier!). We then use smaller buckets to transport the water to the garden, and water the plants. However, Saffie will often put a large plastic bowl on her head to carry it – that is one Gambian tradition I don't intend to learn! If we are both there, Saffie and I share the pulling and watering, but if one of us is out (e.g. gone to Brikama), the other will do it alone. Sometimes Saffie has other jobs such as washing or sweeping the compound, so I will do the watering. The whole process takes about 90 – 120 minutes, but it's lovely to watch the sunrise and the birds coming down to drink at the bird bath Numo put up for me.

The men will often be out working too – maybe sorting out fencing, repairing the huts, or just general maintenance. They might be preparing the fields ready for the rainy season. It's often hard physical work!

9:00 am

Breakfast! As well as watering the garden,  Saffie boils water on the fire and puts it into large thermos flasks – we use this to make tea. Numo cycles to Madina to get bread (which is similar to french stick), and we usually have bread, peanut butter (locally made) and tea, with occasionally some fruit e.g. bananas. In the rainy season Lamin will often pick a mango and we can have that as well. Gambians usually have leftover rice and fish from the  previous day, and Saffie will often eat that instead. Sometimes she will make 'porridge' from leftover rice, by adding milk and sugar.

9:30 am

By now I am ready for shower! I pull water from the well, which is tepid and not too cold, and wash using a bucket and a jug. It's very refreshing.

10:00 am

Saffie and I wash the bowls etc. from the previous evening (water pulled from the well of course!), and then Saffie changes into her smart clothes to go to the market. I normally do any chores which need doing e.g. sweeping / cleaning our room, making the bed, washing clothes etc. Sometimes I try to get on the internet, as the speed is better during the day, but this depends on whether we have been able to charge the laptop. The wireless router has to be wired to a car battery with crocodile clips. Lamin will often put out a large solar panel to charge the solar battery, and we can charge one 'gadget' at a time (e.g. laptop, camera, mobile phone). Occasionally we put the generator on (if it's working) but the fuel is expensive (about £4 for an evening), so we don't do it too often. The men will return to their work too.

12:00 pm

Saffie has returned from the market, and changed into her 'wrapper' – working clothes – a bit like putting your apron on. I also change into mine, and we go to the kitchen to start cooking. I will write a more detailed post about the cooking one day, but it's all done on an open fire. Saffie will prepare the fish by scaling and gutting them (I am learning to do this but I am still very slow!). I pound black pepper, garlic, chilli and onions in a huge pestle and mortar – this is the base of every Gambian meal. Other things are then added e.g. tomato puree. I also peel vegetables to accompany the meal. We cook the fish and sauce first, then the rice, and cook enough fish and sauce for the evening meal too. This normally takes about two hours.

2:00 pm

Lunch is served. Gambians all eat from one dish, and it's usually placed on the floor. Everyone sits round and eats – the children will use their hands, and adults will often do so too, but at Balaba the adults tend to use spoons when I am there. However, Saffie uses her hands and breaks up and shares the fish out to everyone. Lamin will be given the fish head, as it is a delicacy given to the most senior person there – if he doesn't want it he will pass it to others, but if his father visits he gets the head!

2:30 pm

Lunch is finished. By now it is too hot to do much physical work, although Saffie will often be making soap or preparing it to sell (more about that another time), cleaning palm nuts, or other domestic tasks.

I usually rest for a while with a book or some needlework, or write some updates for the blog. Neighbours will often drop in, someone is usually brewing ataya (green tea), and there is often lively conversation.

Sometimes there is a naming ceremony or some other kind of celebration to attend, so Saffie and I will go out.

5:00 pm

Time to water the garden again!

6:30 pm

I pull some water for a shower, and get myself organised for the evening. I have learnt the hard way that it's not easy trying to get organised if you can't find your torch!

7:00 pm

Time to cook the rice to accompany the evening meal. Again, the rice is cooked on the open fire, and Saffie will often be multi-tasking by preparing her soap for selling.

8:00 pm

 Saffie and I serve the evening meal; by now we are working by torchlight, but it's amazing what Gambians can do when they have a torch wedged between their ear and their shoulder. Sometimes the men will be grilling fish, or if we have visitors, they will be preparing the fire and the drums ready for the evening's entertainment. Numo will also  refill and the light the kerosene lamps and put them around the camp.

8:45  pm

The evening meal is finished and we have cleared away. If we have visitors, there will be drumming and dancing round the fire. Often the neighbours will hear the drums and come along to join us! If there are no visitors, we could do several things. Sometimes we will sit and chat – this is often without lights. The stars are very beautiful at Balaba because there is no light pollution to get in the way. Also, the moon is very bright – when it's full moon you can read your watch in the compound! Sometimes we will wire up a small portable DVD player to a car battery and watch a DVD. If there are lots of devices which need charging, we will put the generator on, providing we have fuel. If the generator is on we can watch TV, but there is only one channel!

10:00 am

By now everyone is usually tired, so we will go to bed. I might read my kindle (using the battery powered light I bought so that I could read in the dark), but I am often too tired. We need plenty of sleep ready for the next day!