When I first started this blog, I thought it would be a great way for you to walk in my shoes. Well, this week, you wouldn’t have wanted to walk in my literal shoe.
The shoe of choice here in The Gambia is the Flip-Flop. We try to encourage our compound workers and guards that they need a shoe with more protection. This encouragement comes in the way of a monetary amount so they can go out and buy a decent pair of shoes. What do I mean by decent? Something to protect you from things that crawl in sand, or may I say slither… I think you get the idea.
After a pretty busy week, I decided it was time to leave the van at home and start walking to Njufen. It is a little over a mile away. I had all my stuff for studying in a bag, along with my water bottle. I grabbed an umbrella for sun screen, donned my flip-flops and I was off. There is a saying I hear quite frequently but had never experienced. That is, “my shoe is cut”. Meaning, their only pair of flip-flops has broken. Friday, I experienced it. Half way to Njufen I felt my flip-flop flop and it brought with it a lot of hot sand. I thought to myself, what should I do? I decided if I returned to the house and donned another pair
of shoes, I would be really late. I tried dragging the shoe, but that didn’t work. So, I carried the broken one and continued on my way. When I arrived, the people were shocked to see I had walked there with a bare foot. I later learned what they would have done; that is to carry both shoes. I explained that the sand was too hot and full of too many stones for my tender American feet. There was the discussion that I should call someone to come get me. I said no thank you. Then since it was even hotter when I went to leave the suggestion was made that I stay until morning when it would be cooler. The answer to my prayer came in the assistance of my language helper’s husband. He sewed my shoe together so I could walk home.
The shoe of choice here in The Gambia is the Flip-Flop. We try to encourage our compound workers and guards that they need a shoe with more protection. This encouragement comes in the way of a monetary amount so they can go out and buy a decent pair of shoes. What do I mean by decent? Something to protect you from things that crawl in sand, or may I say slither… I think you get the idea.
After a pretty busy week, I decided it was time to leave the van at home and start walking to Njufen. It is a little over a mile away. I had all my stuff for studying in a bag, along with my water bottle. I grabbed an umbrella for sun screen, donned my flip-flops and I was off. There is a saying I hear quite frequently but had never experienced. That is, “my shoe is cut”. Meaning, their only pair of flip-flops has broken. Friday, I experienced it. Half way to Njufen I felt my flip-flop flop and it brought with it a lot of hot sand. I thought to myself, what should I do? I decided if I returned to the house and donned another pair
of shoes, I would be really late. I tried dragging the shoe, but that didn’t work. So, I carried the broken one and continued on my way. When I arrived, the people were shocked to see I had walked there with a bare foot. I later learned what they would have done; that is to carry both shoes. I explained that the sand was too hot and full of too many stones for my tender American feet. There was the discussion that I should call someone to come get me. I said no thank you. Then since it was even hotter when I went to leave the suggestion was made that I stay until morning when it would be cooler. The answer to my prayer came in the assistance of my language helper’s husband. He sewed my shoe together so I could walk home.
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