Rich in Time

With the approach to Christmas I am down to just one student, Runbo my 4 year old who I am taking every day. This suits me as it means I still get paid over Christmas and it gives me something to get up for everyday. Runbo continues to be obsessed with dinosaurs and his dinosaurus rex. I have been lent some dinosaur biscuit cutters to make biscuits with Runbo (see below) and I discovered a whole two shelves of books on dinosaurs at the library. I think I'm going to learn a lot about dinosaurs in the coming weeks.

I read Runbo a story about Father Christmas yesterday and I discovered he is a very astute four year old. I've never really thought of it this way but Runbo seemed very perturbed that a stranger was going to come into his house, even if he is bearing presents. He also looked at me very skeptically and said how was Father Christmas going to fit down his chimney. I replied well maybe with a bit of magic. Runbo retorted well why didn't Father Christmas just use the front door? Yes I suppose it would be much easier. To squash all further tales of Sant Claus Runbo announced that his daddy had said it was just a story. Well then, that was the end of that. Today we read Guiji Guiji about a crocodile who thinks he's a duck instead.

Have been trying to be supportive to three friends who are battling with severe depression at the moment. Realizing it is hard to know what to do and what to say at times and whether you're imposing too much. I do know what they're going through though and try think of what helped me but it is tricky. My depression support group meets for a year end get together on Saturday. It has grown since I first started it and people are beginning to share more.

Tomorrow I'm picking up a friend who is coming through from Bulawayo and we're going to brave Linquenda House, the immigration office, in town. The government has just changed how you get your permanent residency renewed. Up until now you could just waltz into immigration and present your passport and they would happily stamp it for the next year free of charge. Not so any longer, you now have to present your life story in the form of certificates and medical letters etc. to prove you have lived here all your life. You also have to cough up $100 and no, you can't pay in bond notes, you have to pay in US dollars cash or supposedly by bank card but conveniently the machines have been down the last week apparently. True this means you don't have to go into town every year - but it was free and much less hassle! OK rant over. We will see what tomorrow brings. I'm armed with a copy of The Girl on the Train to read in the queue.

If I survive till tomorrow evening, I'm going to a bring and share Christmas dinner with a friend's bible study group. I have just finished preparing roasted butternut and red peppers. Will hopefully enter into the Christmas spirit after a day at Linquenda House.