Interesting times in Harare

Things are definitely heating up politically here. I really wish I could vote next year but claiming dual citizenship will require waiting in endless queues and giving up a day or more. I just don't have the time to. It sounds lame. I remember when I signed the document giving up my Zimbabwean citizenship when I was 18. It made me very sad and I cried. Maybe I can try do it in the holidays but unfortunately I think voter registration will have ended by then. I am not sure how much hope I am holding in regime change and any form of democracy next year even with the biometric system. There are some new comers but in a way they need to all join forces to stand against our despot.

My mum delivered the leftovers from my braai on Saturday that I over catered for to street kids at various road intersections and they were apparently extremely grateful. Glad it didn't all go to waste and did feed people who needed it. The lack of cash means people who were reliant on selling airtime vouchers for a living are in dire straights and people who rely on public transport are still expected to pay in cash which is wicked. On a positive note though, this morning when I was driving to the home schoolers, vendors at the Second Street Extension lights had taken it upon themselves to direct traffic as the robots were out. It's things like that that give you a good feeling that things will somehow be OK.

Despite all the doom and gloom above I am actually doing pretty well mentally. The high dose of lithium has kept me on a steady keel for almost a year now. I haven't had any major dips and I seem to not be as sensitive to things. I possibly may be less compassionate and caring though - I don't know if that's the meds. There are a few irritations with my sister that I may need to go see my therapist about before they bottle up and come out in an angry burst.

I am really going to miss my Chinese five year old when he goes back to China in January. He has such a delightfully inquisitive mind and surprises me all the time. He enjoyed castles to an extent today but wanted to go back to space and dinosaurs as topics. I have said we're going to look at Greek and other myths and legends - might help with his use of gender. Losing him next year means I seriously need to look for more extra work as my salary is going to drop as I see him everyday. There are a few things I am applying for and otherwise will just have to advertise more. Zimvine on Facebook helps a bit with finding people. I would like to try do the National Institute for Learning Difficulties course next year to help with things like dyslexia and ADD. Otherwise I need to maybe look into doing a masters in education or at least get a postgraduate certificate in education. Full time teaching though is not necessarily what I want to do as I enjoy being flexible and teaching on a one to one basis. It does mean though that I don't always earn a salary in school holidays and don't have a dependable regular income.