Volcanoes

Since I last wrote I had a lovely weekend away in Nyanga. Managed to do a spot of painting and we were lucky enough to catch the msasas turning. A friend has contacted me to ask if they can use some of my msasa leaf photos in their magazine. Have also been commissioned to try capture some close ups of the erythrina flowers (lucky bean tree). There is an unusual one on Kew Drive in Highlands, that has peachy blossoms. Took some photos on my phone today but plan on going back with my camera to play with the macro lens.

Last week wasn't so good. I suddenly got very anxious about the NILD course and woke up feeling very panicky. I don't usually have anxiety but it was not pleasant. I ended up deciding not doing the intensive residency week this week. It would have been lectures from 8-5 every day and then assignments every night and I just didn't feel I could cope with then starting school next week straight after. I think I made the right decision and it has given me time to finish preparing stuff for school. It's going to be a long, very long! term. My class is going to be doing marble runs and construction for content. Need to stockpile loo rolls.

Just been looking at flights and trains for December. Hoping to visit friends in Berlin, Frankfurt and then Lausanne before I head to England for Christmas. Excited but it's going to be cold! Hard to imagine sitting here where it is getting warmer and warmer.

Lausanne

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (Rolex Centre)

Used the book Dinomania with my Chinese five year old and after working on making a paper mache volcano for the last week and painting it, we finally got to eruption day today. He carefully measured out bicarb, vinegar and tomato sauce and then it bubbled away perfectly. He was really chuffed with it and at the end said "Again!" - oh dear I think he has taken the dragon Again story to heart. We also re-read the Julia Donaldson story Tyrannosaurus Drip (one of my favourites). My five year old decided his dinosaurs weren't going to go extinct and were going to be in a "safe cave". Was a fun lesson. Baby brother, his mum and the house keeper all came to watch too.