In New York

In Sami Koto just about every compound has at least one person who lives abroad. Most people live in Europe, but a few have come to North America. A few times those people even came home and I got to speak English with them and hear about their life and experience. When it came time to leave Sami Koto I went around collecting people's numbers so that I could stay in touch. One number I got was my good friend Ensa's uncle: Sanna Kanuteh. He has been in New York City for 20 years. He had a twin brother who came over first, but he passed away about ten years ago. Since coming over Sanna hasn't been back to Gambia. I was really good friend with all of the people at his compound, although since he hasn't been there in twenty years it's not really the same compound he left. After spending two years getting to know his old family, I was really excited for the chance to meet him and tell him all about it. I left Gambia on Wednesday, December 9th, and called him the day after arriving in New York City. He told me exactly which subway stop to get off at, right on the edge of little Senegal in Harlem. I got all ready, and took the train to the spot he told me. I came up, and couldn't find him. I walked around for about 20 minutes, and decided that I  would only spend another few minutes looking for him before going back to my room at the YMCA. As I walked the streets, I looked over and saw his name in big letters on the front of a booth in an African goods market that I somehow had overlooked before. (Below)

Then I walked in, walked up to him, and we just greeted each other for about 30 minutes. He got out his phone and called home, and told everybody in his compound that I was there visiting him. It was late on Sunday night, but we walked around the craft market and he introduced me to all of his friends there. We talked for another few minutes before I said goodbye, and started to make my own way back home.

Bitiks

The local shops within a village are called Bitik's. I think this comes from the French word Boutique. They are small rooms usually on the end of a compound, run by a main shopkeeper with a little help from others in the family. The goods you can purchase are pretty standard from bitik to bitik. The most popular things bought are tea and sugar for brewing attaya, oil and seasoning for dinner, biscuits or hard candy for little kids, and cigarettes. Other luxury items sold are batteries, candles, canned milk, soap, and incense.  Not all goods are available at all times from all bitik's so a trip out for sugar and tea is liable to lead you to each of the three shops comparing varieties, prices, and quantity. It's not really too big of a problem for an adult though, because when you need something you just call a little kid over and give him or her the money to go to the shop for you. This is actually referred to as sending a "small boy." Nothing is bought in excess and saved at home, so whenever a slight desire arises to have something from the shop, a kid is called over and sent out. They come back with the goods and the change, or another small boy is sent out to investigate.

Newly built shop. It started out with this guy- Lamin Fatty- just sitting on the road and selling things off of a table. It's run and tended by Lamin with guidance and construction from his father Musa. It's going places!

This is Siaka Fatty's. His dad ran it for a long time but he is now too old to work. It's the biggest, oldest, and most reliable shop but clear on the far side of town.

This is Forday Danpha's shop. It is the closest shop but he works quite a bit out in the bush and his supply sometimes runs a little low, but sometimes he has bread.