Faulty Brakes

Had a scare this morning driving from teaching Ira. I was going along King George Road when I heard a screeching of tyres behind me and next thing a truck came careening into the side of me and then glanced off my car, swerving off across the traffic intersection and up onto Aberdeen. Getting out of my vehicle I expected the worst but I was incredibly lucky. My door was dented and scratched but it still opened OK and I am very fortunate that it didn't impact my car more and I didn't get injured.

Another car coming up Aberdeen witnessed what happened and they very kindly went and picked up the police from the nearby Avondale Police Station and then gave their account as a witness. The driver of the truck which turned out to have faulty brakes was compliant and when the policeman arrived a few minutes later we got through the necessary paperwork in record time. The policeman was polite and got to it quickly. A refreshing change. All in all I had my faith in humanity renewed as everyone was civil and people kept stopping to ask if I was alright.

Seven years

Seven years ago today. Seven years! This was the day I decided to quit. To quit my PhD, to quit being a workaholic, to quit battling at writing code and to try quit life. The voices in my head shouted and I over analysed all that was said to me. On a broken phone line I dialled home to Zimbabwe and then paced around my shared apartment talking gibberish to my flatmate.

After a night of no sleep I caught the metro to EPFL and told my department I wanted out. I waited all day for my supervisor and HOD and then told him I couldn't do it any more. They offered me an avenue of seeking help and I took it. I was driven to CHUV where I was cross-examined in French and then placed under observation. Lying on the hospital bed my mind raced and I had trouble knowing what was reality.

At midnight they said I could either go home or be transferred to the mental health facility. Not trusting myself I chose the second and climbed into an ambulance which took me off into the night to an unknown destination.

In the dim lights I got out and entered the corridor of locked doors of the asylum. It felt like a scene from a thriller and I pondered how I had come to be being here, although deep down I knew I had had this sickness inside of me for a long time and it was finally coming to the surface from the depths. Finally my DNA and childhood were catching up on me and I was facing my inner demons.

Half Term

Have survived the first half of the first term with Ira. I won't lie I am looking forward to two extra days off this weekend. I will still have Scott and Alberto for tutoring though. Got to school this morning to Ira throwing around his teddy bear brought for the teddy bears' picnic after he finished with me. It got confiscated and this resulted in tears. I didn't think this boded well. There was a point in lessons when I wondered if we would ever finish but miraculously we eventually did. We are having problems with pattern sequences. Ira won't look at what I'm putting in front of him and this makes it very difficult. My cousin who is an OT has sent me some resources for autism and there are some tools for patterns and shapes.

When Ira eventually went to go and join in the teddy bears' picnic I headed to Bottom Drawer and had tea with my friend Nina, her baby and then five former teachers from my high school. We sat in the peaceful surrounds of the Bottom Drawer garden and had hens with their clutches of chicks scurry past us.

Yesterday I had a lovely surprise of a voice whatsapp message from my favourite student Runbo. I had messaged his mum saying I hoped everything was going well with the new baby and Runbo adjusting to him and that I missed Runbo. In response Runbo said he miiiiiiiiissed me toooooooo and what was I doing, he was sleeping. It made my day and is my new feel good sound bite.

Police Valentine

I think everyone in Zimbabwe has their stories of police encounters so I won't bore you for long with mine. When turning onto certain roads your heart drops at the sight of fluorescent green vested men. Occasionally these are in fact airtime vendors but more often they are our beloved police force out to glean cash from a people who don't have much to offer.

I was going out to visit my friend in Hatfield this morning after teaching Ira. I hit a police roadblock on Chiremba Road and to cut it short after looking for anything to fine me for they decided my wheel was too worn. I honestly didn't have any cash on me. They told me to phone my husband and get him to come with cash - hahaha. They wouldn't believe me I didn't have one and then said well call my children - how old did they think I was to have kids to come bail me out. In the end I sat it out in my car for about half an hour until my friend Nina kindly came and paid bond notes for me.

We are still having cyclonic rainfall. I dashed into Arundel Village before going to Hatfield. The security guard I regularly see wished me happy Valentine's and asked after my mum which I thought was sweet. Veldemeer's the Belgian chocolate shop seemed to be doing a roaring trade and the florist had bucketsful  of roses. Scott wished me a happy Valentine's too when I taught him this afternoon.

Veldemeer's chocolates for Valentine's

Quizzing, St Giles and line dancing

We really enjoyed the violin evening at Casa Mia last night. The food was good, the music pleasant and we were entertained by stories from some of the International School staff. Despite the restaurant being more than fully booked out the service was excellent and we didn't wait long.

This morning I went with a friend to a quiz in the Reps Theatre bar. The group we were with take it quite seriously and many of them go to at least one quiz a week at places like the Mustard Seed, Blue@2 and Amanzi. Many of the questions were pretty darn hard, for instance where does Harare's road Rotten Row derive it's name from? Apparently there is a Rotten Row in Hyde Park in London that was originally called Route du Roi but the commoners changed it. I was chuffed to answer two questions for the group - what Operation Barbarossa was (my history teacher Miss Machine would be proud) and then which month the Titanic sank in - April (I don't quite know why I know that particular fact).

From Reps my mum and I went to go visit a friend's grandfather at the rehabilitation hospital, St Giles. I haven't been there since I was in my last two years of high school and used to go every Saturday morning as part of Rotary's Interact to play with children in the paediatric hospital and school. The playing field we used to play on was a little overgrown but the hospital itself was pretty clean and decent. I was reminded that I don't think I could be a healthcare professional as hospitals do freak me out a bit and after my own experiences they bring back memories. I think my friend's grandfather was happy to see us though.

We were about to head home after that when we were invited to go meet up with people from church to practise a line dance for a variety show. Luckily it's fairly straightforward and we got it pretty quickly. Am now home prepping for the week. It's half term next weekend so I won't take Ira in the mornings on Friday and Monday. I will probably still have my afternoon students though.

It's the weekend

Ended teaching earlier than usual yesterday as Scott is away and Alberto didn't want a lesson. Met with two friends for coffee instead, one at Veldemeer's and the other at Bottom Drawer. Could have got home earlier but on the way home it bucketed with rain and we drove through a river at the Lomagundi and Second Street intersection. Think we got water on the battery terminal points and our car died at the Argyll traffic lights. We sat in the car for about an hour, getting out every so often to wipe the terminals but the car just wouldn't start. Eventually the rain ceased and we got home.

Thankfully the car was back to normal this morning and I was able to meet up with a friend at Aroma Cafe. Again we got onto the topic of having a baby and my friend said it's OK to not have children and be a pseudo-aunty. The thing is deep down I would really like to have children of my own and you do feel an outsider to the mothers group. I think not having children will be something I may well regret. I guess I could always adopt and I do have the children I am teaching.

Got home and pottered round the garden a bit with the dogs. A Rastafarian guy called Henry who makes stuff to sell and is often by the Maarsdorp market came to our gate. He never begs and does things to help himself. We sometimes give him materials to make stuff with. He is a writer and had written about how the police have treated him in the past. Some ZANU PF youth got hold of what he wrote and came and beat him up for four hours for what he had written. The police have previously knocked down the house in which he was living in Epworth. He keeps on trying though and makes a plan. He had made some bags which he brought today made out of bamboo.

Tonight my mum and I are going to a violin evening at Casa Mia restaurant with other staff from the International School as some of the students will be playing.

Progress

Am really happy to report there has been a major shift in lessons with Ira and he's getting stuck in more and we have fewer dashes around the garden and escapes to the nursery school playground. He is motivated by the promise of a sticker if he does his work well and it really seems to be the trick. I hope I'm not speaking too soon but it is a great relief. Still struggle to get him to speak and read. He much prefers hands on stuff and writing.

I went to the Jolly Phonics workshop last week and it seemed to be a more sensible way of teaching reading with sounds rather than sight reading. It is jolly expensive though to get all the books and the extra materials - definitely a bit of a money making gambit. I'm learning lots though and was good to go along to it.

Making some progress with Scott and Alberto too. Poor Scott doesn't seem to have many friends at school. We wrote a letter to someone he would like to be friends with as an exercise. I suggested maybe he gives it to the other child. I get lots of hugs from Scott and Ira has now taken to pulling me down at the end of his lessons and planting a great big kiss on my cheek - I nearly fell over backwards the first time he did it - not quite sure how to take it.

Went to a friend's birthday brunch at a fairly new restaurant in Chisi called Teta on Saturday. The cooked breakfast was good and I liked the blueberry and lemon cake we shared afterwards. They had very interesting decor, particularly in the bathrooms. Going to a violin evening at Casa Mia restaurant on Saturday.

The interesting Teta bathroom, with a singer sewing machine base.

Teta's old fashioned cashier.