Hello there..

I have to write about this one because it is one of the most amusing and frustrating things about this culture. In the United States if you go somewhere to get a car part or groceries or whatever, you generally just say; Hello, I am looking for this. Not here...In The Gambia if you go to get any item the exchange generally goes like this (Not Exaggerating):

Me: Hello, how are you?
Them: I am fine thank you, how are you?
Me: I'm good, do you ha...
Them: How are you?
Me: Yes, I'm fine. Do yo...
Them: Hows the work?
Me: I'm not working yet, I am going to University.

This generally continues for a few more minutes before we can get down to business. And if I have ever been to the store/garage/mud pit with Thor then they ask how he is doing and so on and so forth. Now, let's say I have to go get something out of the car to show them what I need since verbal communication can be a nightmare, even for locals. Then when I return a few seconds later the greetings start over...good grief no wonder it takes forever to get anything done here.

Gambian Time: If you need to get something done and are supposed to meet soemone to do it.
 "First thing early in the morning when I wake up" means around 11am but don't expect me to get there until around 1pm then lunch at 3pm followed by tea (Attaya) every 30 minutes after then at about 5pm it's time to go home. But when they do work, they WORK. In addition to the chop shop guys, we saw a group of 3 or 4 guys digging a perfectly straight trench 4 feet deep for probably 300 yards in 3 days. Using only pick axes. Yin and Yang I guess.