The cat and the reindeer

It was 1255 for about three hours yesterday, until I realised that my watch had stopped due to the tiny dial on the side being dislodged.  But it didn't really matter - time is a social construction anyway, albeit a fairly useful one.  

I have just enjoyed a few moments in the sea.  For the second time today, I donned my trusty tankini.  Anyone who has been anywhere with me before will know how I worry about the theft of possessions and never leave anything unattended - this is the result of two bad experiences - I was mugged in Kumasi in Ghana in 2002, which included the loss of my passport (but the reissued one had 'British High Commission, Accra' as the place of issue which was quite quirky - always look on the bright side), then in 2004 I had all of my stuff stolen from a long-distance bus in Mombasa - that was almost worse because I didn't see who took it.  It was there one minute, then I went to get something from it and it had gone.  I'd learnt by that point to always have valuables stashed in a money belt and to wear loose clothing otherwise one looks three months pregnant.  Anyway - my point is that when travelling alone it is awkward to know how best to avoid stuff being stolen.  I figured that hidden under a towel on the bench which I've coveted as my own, in the guesthouse, was the most risk-averse solution and I could see it from the sea.  All should be ok, unless the threat comes from within, like in Spooks, where that honest and faithful older character - Gwen or Betty or something, turned out to be a baddie, and there was a note in a smashed earthenware Toby Jug to prove it.  

I had finally plucked up the courage to go into the sea, my belongings as safe as they could be; there I was, anxiously tankini-clad, edging closer, step-by-step to the crashing waves and perfectly soft yellow sand, when a woman who has been hassling me since I arrived shouted - 'Madame! Tu veux l'ananas?' Did it honestly look likely that I was going to purchase a pineapple at this precise moment?!

I had spent breakfast with a feline companion who actually sat opposite me.  Things were going well until, in a split second, he went for the butter, planting his sharp teeth and entire furry self into the tub which contained three lumps of butter.  I didn't quite know what to do for fear of angering him, so I let him have the butter.  Butter doesn't seem to be routinely served with bread here, and if it is, the accompaniment is an angry cat.

I had a pleasant swim in the guesthouse's little pool which is quite sizable - the 'swimming pool' in the hostel in Belize last year was more accurately described as a large puddle, but that wouldn't sound quite the same on Hostelworld.com .  I put on my tankini, one only its second outing since purchase in California last year - I first wore it at Sangam, India, where I led a little trip earlier this year, which you may have heard about - if you haven't, that's the reason I haven't been in touch and offer apologies.  It was a wonderful experience and the end is finally in sight with the fundraising.  You can help by choosing us as your cause on easyfundraising - and please tell your friends because I've told both of mine.  

I've very nearly finished the book I am reading - I hit page 156 and was convinced that something was actually about to happen - the anti-climax was palpable.  I'm still waiting and the whole thing finishes in about twenty pages.  

I just watched a traditionally-built French woman break-up a fight between a group of boys on the beach - I didn't see what had happened to precipitate this and would normally intervene myself (but have been told by multiple people who care about me that I shouldn't do that, and that is my message to young people - don't intervene in a fight as you might get hurt - it's like Lisa in the cartoon strip at one of the places I deliver training - she gets killed because she tries to get between two people who are fighting, one of whom has a knife.  Obviously, with an emotional or verbal bullying situation it is different, and the role of the 'active bystander' is encouraged, as in, do something, report it, take action, don't just let it happen.  

Her Senegalese companion was totally un-moved by this, choosing to fiddle with his iPhone whilst his mrs walked straight into potential danger.  The same boys have now brought her some pretty shells to look at, so all seems to be well now.

The traditionally-built woman walked back towards me and I asked her what had happened, in my best French - I thought she had replied 'some of them had feet', (which was no surprise to me) - what she actually said was 'some of them were armed with stones' - maybe my French needs a bit more work than I thought.  

I had been busy taking notes about this woman breaking up the fight, making assumptions about her, as one never should, when, unprompted, she came over and started chatting to me! It was almost as though she knew I'd been writing about her! She's not French at all - she's Italian and on holiday here from the mission she runs in southern Senegal.  She told me at length about her various projects trying to make the world a better place for children and asking me to direct anyone with money to her to help sponsor her next project.  She gave me all her contact details and hopes to hear from me soon.  She's also busy bringing homeopathy and traditional medicine to Senegal - I didn't like to break it to her, but methinks that's already been done, some centuries ago.  

Last night I did a spot of washing thanks to my trusty universal sink plug, epic laundry paper and of course, that which is stronger than cotton and ideal for washing lines - that's right - dental floss.  I read that when I first travelled in Ghana - always take dental floss in your travelling kit - that said, mine is mint-coated, therefore the newly-washed clothes have a slight minty scent to them.  

If you've never come across a universal sink plug, that too should be an integral part of your travelling kit - I have never seen a sink plug in the types of places I stay whilst travelling and one is extremely useful for washing clothes in a sink.

I rigged up a makeshift washing line with my dental floss.  Those knots I learnt at Guide camp all those years ago have definitely come in handy - if you know anything about knots, you'll be familiar with the aptly-named 'round-turn-and-two-half-hitches' which is traditionally used to tie up a goat, due to the way in which the knot slides to enable some freedom.  Or it might have been a 'boat', I forget.  Either way, it would be fairly useful here, for goats, boats or washing lines.  A 'clove hitch' is also very useful for starting your washing line.  

I rigged all this up between two chairs in my tiny room, then pointed the trusty fan at them in the hope that it would dry overnight.  

Next it was time to charge my gadgets, so I plugged in my trusty adapter, then into the multi-socket adapter thing.  At this point, all the electrics in the entire guesthouse went down - all the lights, the fan, the router - everything.  Whoops.

Now, there is a candle and matches in the room, suggesting that power-cuts are not unusual, so I'm going to go with that, rather than the fact that it was, most probably, my fault.

I fancied a late lunch so headed back to yesterday's lunch venue with my eye on the succulent fish the people on an adjacent table had - only to find the place entirely devoid of everything - no people, no bar, no furniture, no vast array of beverages displayed on the counter.  Nothing.  Rien.  Nichts.  This was discombobulating - had the whole thing been a surreal dream?

I wandered on, coming across a bar teeming entirely with men, not a woman in sight.  I was quickly encircled and pretended to be looking for my traditionally-built Italian friend - once they'd confirmed they hadn't seen her, I hurried on and found.... a cheerful, hearty man with a kindly face and long white beard, welcoming me to his happy abode - that's right - I'd found where Father Christmas spends most of the year!! That's right - contrary to popular fable, he is running a restaurant in Senegal!

I wanted to ask some testing questions just to be sure - 'Pardon Monsieur, votre mode de transport prefere, c'est quoi?' / 'Excuse me sir, what is your preferred mode of transport?' - if he'd replied with, well, whatever the French word for 'sleigh' is, that would seal it, although I don't know the French word for sleigh, so it might not have done.  I thought I could also ask if he has any pets, although I have forgotten the French word for pets - I know that in German it's Haustiere, or is it Hausaufgaben - one is pets, the other is homework and I always get them muddled up - both relate to the house (Haus).  If he's got a bunch of reindeer with noses of various colours as pets, that answers the question.  I'd list them, but I get mixed up between the names of Santa's reindeer and the names of Jacob's twelve sons - it's something like this - Rudolf, Donner, Blixen, Dancer, Gad, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Asher, Zebulun, Benjamin; oh and Joseph, he was quite important in that whole story.  

Maybe don't tell the children - methinks the whole North Pole story is a bit more plausible.

I had struggled to get to sleep last night, worried that the taxi driver I'd angered during the day might come after me - but then I figured that he'd probably struggle to find the place.