New Place

I have now moved into my own two room apartment in Latri Kunda, attached to one of the NSA member's house. They feed me, and apparently they will do my laundry when I request it.
Other than that I'm pretty much on my own. Its kind of weird. They aren't yet ready for me to start teaching and there isn't really anything else for me to do, so I am reading through the various Baha'i books I brought, and slowly learning a little more about where to buy things every day. They have coke and sprite here, which is very nice every once in a while.
I got my phone today, so I had to find out where to buy minutes for that (its all prepaid), and again the place is very close. Actually there are about 14 places that are really close, eveyone that has a business in anything also sells mobile minutes for one or both of the cell phone companies. EVERYONE has a cell phone, and there are very few places where you can get a landline.
I hoping they get ready soon (they said today they might be ready in a week or so) beacuse I have lots of time right now to get homesick. :(
I said to one of my friends yesterday on MSN that everything here is different. It's not just the big things, and not just the little things, its literally everything. There is nothing you see that you think "Oh...that is just like at home", it just doesn't happen. Very strange.
Tomorrow I will be busy :) In the morning there are children's classes that I have been asked to help with, and after than we (the Baha'is) are all going to the beach! Its the Atlantic Ocean, but apparently it will be a little warmer than I'm used to it being!
Hoping Megan/mom will call tonight, so I'm sure megan will have more to post after that.
-Liam

Liam's Article in "The Register"

Hi all. Megan again.

Still no word from Liam, but I wanted to post the link to the article that was published April 27, 2006 in "The Register". Written by Sarah Keddy, it briefly describes Liam's intentions concerning his trip to Africa. Have a look!

-Megan http://www.berwickregister.ca/index.cfm?iid=1307&sid=9232

Megan's Update #3

Hi all. Megan again.
I read Liam's post recommending that I put some info from his e-mail to me, so here goes.

Liam says:

" ...The food is good. They like rice, lots and lots of rice! Most people buy rice in 50Kg bags (a little more than 100lbs) at a time, and most families go through 2 bags a month! The bread here (topolopa) is amazing. It's made fresh every day, and IF you keep it in a plastic bag will keep for about a day. It is just white bread, about the size of a subway bread, and is really sweet.

The convention was nice, about the size of our unit convention (not as big as Canada's National convention!!) but it was nice. Everything took twice as long because a translator had to translate everything into Wolof or Mindaka, or whichever of the languages they were speaking... (I don't know which one...), so it turned into a couple long days.

In general the people are really nice, everyone speaks enough enlighs to say "How are you?" "i'm good" "You're welcome" stuff like that. Not a lot of in-depth conversation with most people you meet. but there are lots of people who are quite fluent too.

I will have a phone within a couple of days now... It doesn't cost me anything to recieve calls, but is REALLY expensive to make long distance calls on... so if anyone wants to call me, please do. BUT wait a couple of days, because I don't have it yet. :) [Megan's edit: I will post the number once it is confirmed he actually has the phone, in a couple of days..]

...I'm fine through the day until I go to write in my journal, then I start to get a little home sick. And I always wish I was home in the mornings when I'm faced with a cold shower! :( not fun... but part of the experience!

...

-Liam"

I really want pictures, and from the comments so does everyone else. Hopefully he will put some up soon!

-Megan

short post

I don't have much time to write this, I've been looking at emails and time is running short. I emailed Megan with some information, so maybe she can post that here, or can pass it along.
Briefly, I went into town today with Barbara (my current host) and we took a Bush Taxi (12 people in a van, carreening around!). Quite an adventure.... Just to keep people keen!
I will post more about it when I can get to a computer again, may not be for a few days.
-Liam

First From The Gambia

Hello all. I have arrived in The Gambia, and it is a completely different world. I don't even know how to describe it. Everything is different. I don't yet have any pictures, i've just been trying to take it all in, and adapt to the culture, and just to get used to the things I see around me. Generally the Baha'is (at least the pioneers) live in houses surrounded by walls that are little pieces of almost-western civilization, but still not quite. Once you get out in the surorunding areas, a lot of people are extremely poor.
Gas is not always available for the cars. There are only about 4 or 5 gas stations in the area, and they seem to tend to all run out of gas at the same time. They are always busy too. Big line ups at all of them.
The flights here were long, but fine. I didn't have any problems anywhere along the way, and all of my bags arrived. It will be a few more days before I really get settled in and get to the place I will be staying long-term. This will be nice because then I will be able to settle into a routine of my own.
The biggest difference for me is that there isn't any hot water. Which means that showers happen very quickly.
Will post again when I can, missing you all
-Liam