do we have light? okay, how about cash?

It's the usual question upon returning from work. Is the national power on or off? The local kids seem to have the “schedule” down (they love giving me predictions), but so far I've found no rhyme or reason. "The light is off" when it is off. I have a generator, but it's a real fuel suck so I prefer candles if there's no good reason to have it on. I don't know that I've seen the power off for more than 8 hours. Totally manageable. Fridge even stays cool (enough) if kept closed. My guards think I'm looney not to use the generator, since they're trained in the customer service aspect of keeping westerners comfortable. Not sure if I've mentioned that we're required by the Embassy to have the same guard service they have as US employees, so that means a 12-hour guard from 7pm to 7am. I try to explain to my guards that I work for an agency whose relatively small budget was just cut $25million and we can't afford to waste fuel. Energy conservation has yet to take hold. If you have access to it, why wouldn't you use it? 

But I must say, I was inspired at our Green Team launch the other week. We now have an office recycling/reusing program and it's a new concept to just about everyone. It's been totally inspiring to watch it develop. We had a great opening meeting where we went through greater environmental reasons to recycle and the philosophy of choices we make everyday. Do I print at all? If I print, can I print on the back side of used paper? Do I need a clean sheet? But now we've formed some new habits and the recycling bins are decorated! (I still remember my WHIZ-Kid decorated recycle container in my office at the Pratt.) We even had instant results... we'd discussed putting “Turn off the light” stickers on every light plate and not 10 minutes after the meeting I left my office and there was already a colorful sticker on my light switch! They are running with it.... I love it.

Now if only my Gambian bank would be so efficient and responsive...

The following is an entirely-too-long account of my ATM saga, had you been wondering. Read on at your own risk... it surely will not be the last of my banking woes. I opened a Gambian bank account when it was clear none of my cash cards were going to work here. But it was no easy task.... first you need a residence permit. That took a couple weeks and a trip to immigration. Then you set up your bank account. Then you pray that a wire transfer will go through, especially when your US bank doesn't have Gambian dalasis on their list of currencies that work with wire transfers. So that means it will be in dollars and at the mercy of the Gambian bank's subjective exchange rate (lousy – I lost about $300 transferring $5,000). But even though the money's there, you can't have it. You wait for checks because you aren't allowed to make a withdrawal without them. Add another week. Okay, after a month here I finally got some money out at the counter (lucky I came with some cash I'd been exchanging up to that point). But what about the convenience of that Gambian ATM card I paid $20 for? Wait another 2 weeks. Pick up ATM card one hour before bank closes for a 4-day holiday. Must wait 2 hours to activate, so no help until Tuesday if something goes wrong. Withdraw more cash by check, just in case. The next day I delicately insert my new card into the ATM. Good sign! It flashes: “Good afternoon, Heather Beggs!” I enter my pin. It thinks. It thinks hard. Then it starts flashing: “Restricted Account!!!” and “We are retaining your card” (slow munching sounds of machine). Glad I have the back-up cash.

Back to the bank Tuesday (where I usually wait in three separate lines before getting help). The rep apologizes and manages to retrieve my same card and tells me to try again. I have little faith and wait until the next day. I try the ATM again. This time it allows me access to several options (checking balance, making transfers, etc) but no option to withdraw cash. But it's a cash card, right? I go wait in my three lines again after waiting 20 min for the bank to open. I'm told that the machine is just out of cash today. I give it another 48 hours before trying again and finally success! But it doesn't end there. The exchange rate for wire transfers into this account is such a raw deal I only want to have it as my back-up account. I've applied for a cash card from the States I believe will work. Wait one month. It finally arrives and I give it a kiss before throwing it to the fate of the ATM. A good sign! It recognizes me again and lets me enter a pin! But the options of cash withdrawal today are 100 dalasis or 200 dalasis (that's about $3.64). Well, that's what I withdrew, just to prove I could do it. A few days later I learned a secret to select the “Current” account to access larger dalasi amounts. Now I'm set. Two months into my service and I'm blessed with a working ATM card. I just can't count on cash being inside. At least I know what I'm dealing with (and to keep an emergency stash).

Now your reward for reading it all: a video from the Mama Africa anniversary concert a couple weeks ago I forgot to post. And I still have yet to know the name of the instrument below. It is single-stringed, but it's probably not the fula fiddle, since that's played with a bow.... I'll let you know when I figure it out!