Today, the 2nd August 2010, I was unexpectedly invited to lunch and if this didn't turn out to be the most random collection of lunch guests I would like to know. It's a long story that involves a Catholic Father from Senegal who has been working in a school that I have visited a few times. He has been recalled to Senegal so this was a farewell gathering.
Picture the scene if you will - outside in an open roundhouse with thatched roof, sitting around the communal food bowl containing rice, fish and vegetables were the following: Bakary Darboe - VSO, Omar Leigh – Education Officer, Jean Francois - Catholic Father, Matthew Gomez - Head Teacher, Name unknown – head of local power station, 6 chickens, 1 guinea fowl, 1 duck and 2 cats. And, in this Alice in Wonderland scenario, the chickens would chase the cats away for any dropped scraps of food. The languages spoken around the bowl were English (understood that), French (understood a little) Mandinka (understood a very little) and Fula (understood not a word!)
In my wildest imagination I would never have created this scenario – great fun and bewildering all at the same time.
A short BLOG I know but I hope you have enjoyed reading it. It's August now and the rains are almost daily and with them new visitors to our back yard – FROGS, they are OK because they hop away from you when you approach – this is my favourite sort of animal.
So my morning jug shower is now shared with my new found croaking friends who have the added benefit of tucking into the many winged creatures that now also abound, it must be an absolute feast time for anything that likes to dine out on insects. It seems a little harsh that having waited a year to hatch there are so many things just waiting to have them as a tasty snack.
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