[Paragon's Scrapbook] The Ancient's Legacy

by **Gossamer** on August 6th, 2012, 11:13 pm

I think wed all breathe easier seeing an actual pic of you hugging a tree. Leadership by example and all that!

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on August 6th, 2012, 11:19 pm

Someone should start a site-wide "Tree hugging" thread like the one we have for the facepalm thread.

*nods seriously*

by **Paragon** on August 6th, 2012, 11:20 pm

Sounds like a plan!

I would go and do it now... only it's a little too dark, and I might look slightly deranged hugging trees past midnight

by **Paragon** on August 7th, 2012, 8:11 pm

Just found this in my old Scrapbook on Ronan. Thought it might be nice to put it here, and should be an interesting look/read for others. This trip must have been 4 years ago now:

A couple of years back now I was fortunate enough to visit The Gamba in West Africa - but not as a tourist. Instead of staying in a five star all inclusive resort, our trip involved us living with a Gambian family in their humble lodge, helping to teach in the local school, and even helping out on the wards of the local hospital. We were essentially on charity work, but we became so involved in the family I found it painful to leave. This week I've been thinking about that trip so much, and I'm going to share some photos and thoughts. (Excuse the terrible formatting... I'm shattered.)

(I'm the gumpish looking one stood up!) This was one of my favourite days where we went out on little wooden boats into the mangrove's, and we fished - but not like you'd expect. That was probably the first and only time I'll ever fish with a piece of string wrapped round a biro pen. And I nearly fell in - they didn't tell me there were crocodiles there until after.

These are some of the Gambian children from the Gunjur Upper Basic School, sporting our sunglasses - they loved wearing them (and also holding our hands)! These children are simply amazing - all they have are the clothes they stand in and their tatty notebooks they take to school, yet they are the happiest children I have ever met. So many western children are bratty, selfish and spoilt. I think we can learn so much from the Gambian children.

A monkey. Because everyone loves monkeys.

This is the view from Arch 21 - an Arch in the centre of Banjul, the Gambian capital, that represents Gambian independence from Western power.

Instead of turning this into a photo album, I'll stop there, though I have so much more to share. From the strange - as white British tourists, we were separated from the Gambians when we went to see the President's procession through Banjul, to the scary - entering a hyena pen and feeding them, to the beautiful - a day long walk round the whole coast of Gunjur.

I had the most amazing experience, but I learnt so much. To quote a cliche, material possessions aren't everything, and they certainly don't make you happy. On a warm Gambian evening, sitting out round the camp fire, listening to the Gambian music, dancing with the Gambian family, I have never felt so happy in my life. But it wasn't just happiness. I've never felt so alive, and nor have I ever felt so human.