It's been a year

Well that's it been almost a year since I went to Edinburgh sat on the plane, and then ... never took off. The wee hiccup at the beginning seems like such a distant memory but then arriving here feels like only yesterday. I remember before I left some people were saying I'd be away for more than a year, and I refuted the possibility of such a situation. But as it turns out, I'm staying another year, or there abouts. I will be changing jobs though, moving from child protection into some educational research which will hopefully be interesting.

So after a year I've decided to have a little reflect on the ups and downs and what on earth I'm playing at by deciding to stay longer – I'm not entirely sure what that's all about, I'm a bit concerned I'll have to become serious when I come home so I'm putting it off!

Arriving during rainy season was hot and sweaty, the bugs were biting we all got funny tummy's and generally things seemed a wee bit bewildering. I have to admit the first night in my house by myself seemed scary, the hundreds of cats howling outside (sounding like babies with something seriously wrong), no light, the bathroom outside (although it's not far but I'm lazy and the darkness is scary), and I think this all seemed worse cos I didn't know anybody around. It seems funny, now I hardly feel like I live on my own, one of my best friends here is Mariama next door, so I spend a lot of time round at her house, getting fed and watching the telly – its pretty nice! Or her little son is visiting me trying to destroy all my belongings, intertwined with moments of cuteness, or the up country volunteers are staying with me. And when I'm by myself I have me wee pet cat, who I possibly like a bit more than I used to.

For a lot of people here life is not easy and that can be very difficult to get used to. At times the poverty seems so visible, the people begging are the mother with her small children, the blind man being lead by a child, others with disabilities whose life chances of education and employment have probably been limited for some time, or the old old lady who mustn't have a family to support her. That's the most visible end of things and it can paint a rather bleak picture. But then all efforts are trying to push towards development, rural electrification is in process, girls education is free up to secondary level (although many still have to leave school early to become someones second, third or fourth wife), there are street lights and the roads are getting better so long as these moves can be sustained and built on then things will really be on the up.

Things I never knew before I came to the Gambia I would be able to handle having a maggot in my leg, hot water could seem like such a luxury, running water could seem like such a luxury, my stomach could handle so much chilli pepper, two prong plugs fit in three prong sockets, concrete roads with good drainage is an excellent invention (maybe on some level I knew this but I never had full appreciation for this fact)

Favorite weather phrase of the moment - “It's more than the word hot”

And finally I'm needing to issue another VSO disclaimer, these views are representative of me as an individual and not of VSO or the work it does (they've sent another rules of blog use round us)