monkey reflections

Just wanted to quickly report that my first day of work was fantastic! I can't say I'm anywhere near knowing the 50 Gambian names of people I work with, but I am thankful that there are so many Lamins and Modous... This is a picture of my asobi, the common fabric that a group might wear, each tailoring it to their liking. This is our blue batik for the admin unit, worn on special occasions, like volunteer swearing in ceremonies or maybe the arrival of a new Director of Management & Operations!  :)

We had an outdoor lunch with speeches, benechin (rice & meat dish) and soft drinks, and then I proceeded through a busy day with plenty of new situations and opportunities... The Gambian staff is also working on a new Gambian name for me by Friday. Heather is too much of a mouthful.

For those of you needing an animal fix, here's my first monkey, a green vervet spotted under the bantaba in the medical officer's backyard. It's semi-enclosed with glass, so he was really working himself up challenging the other male monkey threatening his territory (in the reflection). Enough teeth-bearing for them to put their dog in the house!

And finally, the pig on my street who greeted me on my walk home.