The natural musicianship of Africans
The Gambia...for Realz?
- Thread starter bbuzzard
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The natural musicianship of Africans
What to know if you're moving to Banjul
The city of Banjul is located on an island, offering thus to all expats planning on moving there some beautiful landscapes and a relaxed lifestyle. The tropical climate is, moreover, an incentive to tourism, but longer stays in Banjul are common, too, with small expat communities found in the city.
Situated on St Mary’s Island, where the Gambia River meets the Atlantic Ocean, the City of Banjul is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Gambia. Banjul is a small capital city, spanning just 12 square km and with a population of 34,828. Of this number, the majority belong to various West African ethnic groups such as Fula, Wolof, Manjago, Serers, Serahule and Jola. However, there are small communities of expatriates based in the city. The majority of foreign residents in Banjul are of Lebanese or European (predominantly British) origin.
The official language of the Gambia is English, and it is widely spoken throughout the city of Banjul, especially in customer facing businesses and communication industries. Traditional indigenous languages such as Mandinka, Wolof and Fula are also very widely spoken, and due to the country’s location in West Africa, there are also numerous French speakers. There is no established state religion in Gambia, but 90% of residents in Banjul practice Islam.
The Climate in Banjul
Banjul is officially classified as having a tropical wet and dry climate under the Koppen climate classification. The weather is quite warm all year round. Between November and June, there is an extensive dry season. During this time, the average temperature is between 88˚F (31°C) and 94˚F (34°C).
The city also experiences a four-month-long wet season, during which time there is heavy precipitation and temperatures of around 84˚F (29°C). August is by the far the wettest month in Banjul, with an average rainfall of 500mm. It is slightly cooler in the wet season than in the dry period, but temperatures remain consistently warm throughout the year.
Visas for Gambia
All foreign nationals intending on moving to Banjul permanently or for a long period of time must be in possession of a valid visa and an Alien Identity Card, both for themselves and for any dependents over the age of 18. The residential or employment permit and the Alien ID card will need to be renewed at least once a year. Further advice and information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Interior.
There are three common types of visa, which the vast majority of expats will apply for. Type A is for residency purposes only. Type A visas are generally issued to retired foreigners, expatriates and international students. The cost of these permits is 1,100 GMD. The Type B visa is an employment permit. The type C visa is issued to skilled workers and small traders.
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How old are you and did you love there alone?
pushing 60, not sure about the "love there alone" question. Rephrase?
Move*
No I met my wife in a sleepy little place called Nottingham in the UK .... stayed there awhile but they've effectively kicked me out of England (long story) but I knew I didn't want to return to the US ... trump had just got elected .... so we decided to go to Belize. My Spanish is fairly good, but the wife struggles with the language so Belize being the only English speaking country in South or Central America won out. I, at the time, wanted to go to either Ghana or Uganda, but the wife hates even visiting Africa. I will concede that Africa can be very hard on the senses. It's mostly LOUD, dirty, chaotic, the traffic is a dangerous nightmare and the wife loves to make fun of, and imitate her nemeses, African women, and their deep husky voices. My wife is not the friendliest person. Matter of fact, she's a complete fucking, bitch ass cunt! As it turns out, Belize is beginning to grind on my nerves now as well. It's a nice place to kill a year or two, but forever? Naw! I'm considering Colombia, with or without the wife, but who the fuck knows where I'll be in a year. In most cases I end up anywhere except where I had planned to be.
Interesting
Are you retired? Independently wealthy?
Columbia made me appreciate the US more. Cartagena anyway
Early retirement, never been wealthy but was much closer to it till I married this asshole I'm chained to. Truth is, travel is CHEAP if you know what you're doing. Except for Africa. Africa is expensive to travel no matter how you do it. European travel can be sinfully inexpensive.
Damn bro, she that bad?
Thanks for answering the questions honestly.
Me and the wife riding tour boat down Thames river in London... She giving me a tour of the UK when I first arrived. Good sites and views except for my shitty cam work....
Been to London...only saw Tower Records LOL
If you should return don't miss eating at the Blues Kitchen in Brixton.... damn near ate myself to death in there, plus they have a bar and live bands. Ramekin mac and cheese is a don't miss. I'm never going back to the UK cause their immigration desk treats me like shit, but I will sorely miss that place. They don't fuck around.
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One other is JRC Global Buffet .... my wife took me there and it freaked me out. It's like 12 huge buffets in one. The place is enormous and has 12 different buffet serving areas that you can mix and match. There is a amerikkkan food area, British area, Indian area, Asian area, Italian area, Mexican, and more, and every area alone is as big as a normal buffet in the US. You'll be eating and going from station to station for 2 or 3 hours. And the price was reasonable! My wife brought me some Yorkshire pudding in there, .... thought I'd be getting some kind of pudding, LOL. Live and learn. People rag on British food, but I damn near split my gut in the UK. Damn good eats everywhere we went!
Home - JRC Global Buffet
The UK's favourite great global dining experience. Find your nearest JRC Buffet restaurant, book a table, browse our menus and find the latest offers.
www.jrc-globalbuffet.com
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Take your ass to Africa and offer your wisdom. Take on the caretake of a village. Buy books, educate, help grow the people and they will take care of you in the end. I am trying to get over there before my youth runs out. Go home dude, go home.
I did sooooo much already for the children of the head porters at Agbogbloshie in Ghana. Spent hundreds on school supplies and general stuff. Those kids are poorer than poor. But you can also fuck around helping the poor till you become one of them! I've mentioned here before about the things I've done in Cayo Belize feeding the hungry. No, if I died today, I'm comfortable in the knowledge that I have given more to the world than it ever gave me. Africa is a pretty fucked up place to be! Don't let Nzinga or anybody else kid you. There are great things about Africa, but sleeping under nets and not going out at dusk for fear of Malaria, all the other crazy diseases, the craziness you see almost daily in the streets as there is no such thing as mental health medicine in most of Africa. Damn goats clogging the sidewalks in damn downtown Accra! Crazy ass superstitious Africans with their stupidity .... I had a driver tell me he runs over stray dogs on purpose cause they bring bad spiritual energy to the community. Just dumb shit. Once you get to Zambia and anyplace South of there you have a 20% HIV infection rate, plus Ebola and a litany of other diseases to worry about. Shit!
Bruh, I hear you. I will find out soon. I am about to start that journey. Peace.
I'm in the US right now. Had to return for some surgery that couldn't be done in Belize. You don't want surgery in Belize anyway, trust me! Even Belizeans who have a few nickels get their surgery in Guatemala City or Mexico. (Most of Africa is no better, BTW) I had the surgery weeks ago, all went well, but I remain stateside because of the Thrombosis risk of high altitude flying in the first 3 months after invasive surgery. The isolation has allowed me the opportunity to deep think through some things concerning my future, and weigh the pros and cons of returning to a really shitty marriage to a really shitty person in a country that has devolved, due to Covid, into a really shitty quagmire. I'm considering other places to resume my life, and for the moment, at least, Sri Lanka is looking quite interesting. Don't be surprised if I start reporting conditions from there in some months. Just gotta let this Covid issue get a bit more in hand. Take some (educated, well researched) risks, bro.. People who never wander outside of their comfort zone tend to live safe, but shitty, boring lives. No thanks.
Bruh, when I was young, I was all over the U.S. because of sports. Also some when I was teaching at the university, but I have been outside of the U.S. one time, and that was to Canada. I have dreamed of living somewhere in Africa every since I was about 5 or 6 years old. I am 50 now. I lot of shit has held me back. My wife is holding me back right now, but I am about to say fuck it and head on out. I had a good taste of money a few months ago to have a nice start in Ghana, but I invested in a property. Hopefully, this next year will bring me the money I need to break camp. You are right, it is high time I get my ass out of here and see other parts of the world. Hell, I might get over there and want to come back, but I don't think so. I want to be apart of this renaissance that is happening on the continent. I want to help make it a better place so the rest of us in the diaspora will come home. Safe travels, bruh.
Prepare yourself! You're in for the mindfuck of a lifetime. I don't know if you were outside the circle, or conversely, a chick magnet in your youth, BUT, in most of Africa you will likely enjoy the attention of women like you've never known. I was anything but popular in high school. And in college I was co-editor of the student newspaper, on the chess and debate team and the top ping-pong player.... oh that really fetches the admiration of the chicks! LOL .... So being treated by women as if I were some kind of fucking rock star was surreal to me. By and large in most of Africa you'll be able to pull ANY single woman you want! ANY. Take your U.S. swag with you, dress and smell like you mean it, and make sure any woman of possible interest hears your voice so they'll know for sure you're from the U.S. or the U.K. and not a fellow African. Nigerian guys are known across the continent for having a somewhat similar swag as U.S. Blacks. And women across Africa love to hate them, while STILL simultaneously dropping their drawers to the floors for them! Even if you're not there to have a romantic fling, it's still flattering to get sexual energy and attention from hot chicks half your age. Now let's keep it real, of course they're trolling for a better life, but when you do the math, aren't the women in the U.S. and U.K. usually seeking the same?Bruh, when I was young, I was all over the U.S. because of sports. Also some when I was teaching at the university, but I have been outside of the U.S. one time, and that was to Canada. I have dreamed of living somewhere in Africa every since I was about 5 or 6 years old. I am 50 now. I lot of shit has held me back. My wife is holding me back right now, but I am about to say fuck it and head on out. I had a good taste of money a few months ago to have a nice start in Ghana, but I invested in a property. Hopefully, this next year will bring me the money I need to break camp. You are right, it is high time I get my ass out of here and see other parts of the world. Hell, I might get over there and want to come back, but I don't think so. I want to be apart of this renaissance that is happening on the continent. I want to help make it a better place so the rest of us in the diaspora will come home. Safe travels, bruh.
Hope, if you do indulge, you'll not go there as a sexual colonizer and take advantage of the suffering of your own people. There is no shortage of French and German motherfuckers scurrying around in Africa doing that shit. Yeah I got my fuck on in two different African countries, but with ONE woman in each place who remained in my care and under my watch for the entirety of my stay, while in return giving them both a fairy tale experience of tender-hearted generosity. We shopped for new clothes which are often a rarity for African girls as they often can only afford second hand garments exported from the West. They ate lobster, steak, shrimp and fancy desserts, and I still keep in touch with one of them by Whatsapp. And both, admittedly, were far more young and beautiful than ANYTHING my rotting, balding ass could ever pull in the US or UK. At least not without flat out buying some hot whore. Speaking of the UK, you'd be surprised how much attention those cac UK chicks will throw at you. Not the ones half your age, as in Africa, but you'll get daily glances from more age appropriate cac chicks in England. I'm politically down for the cause, but believe me, my spigot ain't no bigot! You only live once.
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Yeah they been catching some hell in gam too. Those two, LOL, I hope they know what they're doing. They left a TON of unpaid debt in the U.S. which is fine, as long as you never come back. But if they ever need to return to the U.S. they are fucked. Fucked up credit really fucks up your life.
What's the conversion rate?
Wow, that is a lot of house for so little.
This is not the answer. You can not have the luxury benefits before you earn them.
The Gambia is still an extremely poor country, and there is no way its citizens would
be able to afford the houses depicted here, especially since everything use to build
them would be imported.
This is what many in the diaspora miss when they criticise Africa. First you have to
get the education. After the education, you have to get the economy; after you get
the economy, then you can start to build fancy neighbourhoods, freeways, etc and
all the other non-revenue generating infrastructure. Whoever is thinking about all
these projects obviously is interested only in being a landlord, and I do not think that
there is much of a future in a country with practically no economy. The people who
rent or must buy, need commensurate income.
That income is NOT available, not just in the Gambia, but in most countries in Africa
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