No man's land

Woke up this morning not knowing what the day held in store and what the new Zimbabwe would present. My dad had messaged from the UK checking in on how I was and he said to remember that as things stand we are no longer a republic but are now under martial law. In a way we were under martial law previously though with the police. The police don't seem to be out today.

Most schools were back but there seemed to be less traffic in the areas I was in. On the way to teaching the home schoolers I saw someone standing outside the British Council on Cork Road trying to sell two small puppies, a reminder that people are still just as desperate. I made it through my morning teaching but felt really drowsy and a bit unwell. Am not sure if I accidentally took my night time medication this morning. I ended up cancelling my personal training and slept over lunch. When I got to my Chinese five year old, he proudly presented me with a book he's made of tanks. I asked why he had drawn them and he said because they were in town. The situation is affecting everyone. Had my first lesson with my new Chinese student who is at the French School. He said the French School was still closed as he put it, in case the soldiers came. We worked on multiplication but in French and then on conjugation and vocab. He is a delightful little boy and is a bit like an older version of my five year old. They both like dinosaurs - how I will include Dinosaurs into French I am not sure but I think I will have to try.

Noticed there were special editions of local newspapers on the last two days' events. You do wonder though who really knows what is going on. It now doesn't sound like Mugabe is going to step down willingly. I had to drive past State House and there wasn't heightened security outside. I also drove past Bona, Mugabe's daughters house. I gather she may have left the country with Grace. This false "normality" is rather unsettling and one has to just live each day as it comes. We've been here before with 2008 and it's double elections.