Saturday 20 June - 3 months +1

Got back home in London in the early hours of this morning. The plane was late to leave Banjul airport in the Gambia yesterday afternoon and late to arrive at Gatwick. I went to sleep at 4am after staying up chatting with my mum. Had a good catch up.

It's very very cold here and I've decided to keep on wearing African dress (and a headscarf) rather than start wearing Western clothes again. I'm toying with the idea of getting a haircut. My mum has made an appointment at the hairdresser's for me tomorrow but I think I'll cancel. It's a lot of money - the multiplication effect as Ray puts it! What costs £30 here would go a long way in CFA over there. If I keep my hair out of sight under a headscarf I won't need a hair cut and can let it grow long for fun. I haven't had long hair in a long time.

So I did a lot of crying yesterday, and the day before. It was very sad to leave people I had spent a lot of time with and leave a society I had adapted to living in for one that is so different. I wanted to stay in Senegal, not leave for London.

I've got a lot of stuff to do in London now though. The first thing is to finish the report of the participatory needs assessment, and find a short course in business skills and teaching adult literacy to supplement my experience and prepare myself for the year ahead when the projects start in October. I need to finish off the report (which is already about3-4,000 words long, to be able to give it to donors for in-depth information.

My mum has just come in the living room with a glass of champagne, to celebrate my homecoming as she puts it. It's such a contrast having carpet, a good mattress to sleep on, glass in the windows, green trees, toilet roll and a flushing toilet... and champagne. I'll try to enjoy it while I'm here as I won't have these luxuries when I'm back in Senegal. I'll enjoy it rather than feel freaked out by the culture shock. That's what I say now... I haven't left the house yet, so we'll see.

Very tired this morning when I woke up this morning. And it was strange to wake up here. As I woke up I woke out of the daze of a dream - I was back in Dianna, all the people in the compound around as usual, lots of noise. Waking up was a shock.

I'm missing it. But the champagne tastes good.

I worked really hard on making a good bid for my Uncle Fred to present to Rotary Club International, which was due to happen today. But unfortunately there was a problem so it hasn't happened today. It was really disappointing after the work I put into it to get it to Fred in time, and before I flew back. But I think it was good to have done it there because she the little kids running in and out of my room, kids with such little chances in life, torn, dirty clothes, living in poverty really spurred me on. I might not have felt like that when writing from a nice room in London. That memory will live me.

It has been a really intense period over these past 3 months which have now come to an end, at 3 months +1 now. So much has happened, including stuff I couldn't write about here. So much. I wouldn't change any of it and I'd go there again in a flash. It has been fantastic to learn an African language - Mandinka -and try to improve y french. At least I got a bit more conversational.

I didn't use the French study books more than once. But I did speak to people in French. I learnt a bit more vocabulary, but that's it. Mandinka is great, but I'll need time to crack it by studying properly and not having too much other distraction. Lamin Diatta in Albadar has offered to teach me when I get back. I tried to find some books in Mandinka in Brikama the day before yesterday but all I got was a book for native speakers to learn to write in the language. Not so good for a learner of Mandinka as a foreign language. But it will provide texts to use in lessons at least.

I got a good price for it by using new skills I'd learnt in bartering - yes, that is a very good price... hopefully I won't forget.

Now time to relax and enjoy the champagne and pizza. My mum asked me which I'd prefer for dinner, pizza or take-away curry. A tough choice. I've been dreaming of both for a while. Now I'll dream of chocopain chocolate and peanut spread. Ray says he bets I'll be able to find it in London if I look for it.