Semester du moromi nitt...

My boy said his boy said: "Semester du moromi nitt." (the holidaymaker is like no regular person). He said: "Here, driving a nice car, or wearing bling and looking like you've just disembarked is a ticket to a class of its own," then he said: "December du moromi ben werr" (December, meaning the holiday period in The Gambia is like no ordinary month). At first I thought he sounded resentful of the perceived advantage, but having observed things myself, from mid December through January this year, I think he has a point.

I remember my boy Skinny was once said to be indecent simply because of his dreadlocks. Today however, that same dread, resembling Maxi Priest's is said to be amazing because Skinny now lives in Germany. Spoonhead was once snubbed by his dad for having his girl come to visit him at home, but that was before he went overseas. December last month, he wasn't only bringing a girl, he comes home with girls and evidently hits 'em off, but apparently these things are haram only when you're not a been-to, or when the other party to the visit is not a Toubab.

Paco said he was surprised at the pleasantness of those elders that used to be so religiously judgemental towards him before he traveled. Today, he said even his dad that bossily wakes everyone up for Fajr spares him, because he needs to relax. Pa Ous said he's observed that even though on aggregate, the physical and fiscal contributions that his brother makes towards the household are of equal or more weight to his, his is more valuable in the eyes of his parents because the foreign currency he sends, no matter the denomination is like no other thing.

The other day, Sticky got denied entry at this chill spot around Senegambia, and he said to me: "Star, see babylonian injustice; and this kind of discrimination is all over." He said: "Go to service centres, clubs, the beaches, social gatherings, or mess up in traffic and see if you'll be treated with the same clemency as the holidaymaker." But we still wonder why all these kids want to make it abroad by any means. You wonder why some of these folks from foreign that may not be as loaded as they seem prefer to have a flexible relationship with the truth.