Almost

After quite a lot of socialising this weekend, today I am taking time out to prep my term plan for next year and wrap Christmas presents. I also will carry on with water colours to illustrate a friend's story about her grandson in Oxford. It is warm and very sunny out, but we really could do with some rain. Hopefully later this week, although the sunshine is glorious.

It was the Sorella's Pizzeria and Cafe's Christmas fundraiser for The Yellow Bus Trust on Thursday. You could each as much yummy Sorella's pizza as you liked and the money raised goes towards equipping rural schools and teaching street kids in Zimbabwe, so a very worthwhile cause. The raffle turned into an impromptu auction and everything from pizza to chameleon safaris with Rob Jarvis were up for grabs. Was a fun evening.

Went to Christmas carols in Monavale on Friday which was lovely and reminded me of my childhood growing up with our horse Fantasy at the back of Colston Hill and spending lots of time with the Makings. It was close to the Buddhist Centre and temple where I house sat this year. Friends sang a very funny Zimbabwean 12 days of Christmas and I met some new people. One is a journalist from Finland and we talked Finnish politics and climate change. She spoke of the difference between Zimbabwe and Mozambique based on their colonial pasts, was very interesting.

On Saturday I went with friends to the Mann Friday concert launching their new album, Brindgenorth Road. Was great to see my friend Ryan Koriya playing in the band and it was a feel good concert with the money all going to Zimbabwe's SPCA (awesome). I really liked the song about the Chimanimani Mountains with photographs projected behind and then the cover of Imagine Dragons' song Thunder that had visuals of Zim of both the beauty and dereliction. This is the third Mann Friday concert I've been to. I missed the one in 2017 which apparently rode on the euphoria of the coup and was very emotive with Olive Mtukudzi (who has sadly now died) performing.

Had more invitations to Christmas social occasions this year than ever before. Yesterday went to a Christmas braai at my friend Trudy and her mum's. Her mum was a geography teacher at Convent and she actually also taught my mum as a student teacher in Umtali. It was very funny that the first thing she and my mum did was go and look at a map of North America (they both are geography teachers and they couldn't have been more stereotypical). My mum and I are having a quiet Christmas with a close family friend on Christmas Day and I've been invited to drinks in the evening. On Boxing Day we have been invited to two more engagements. So I had best get on and do term planning now so that it is not all left to the first two weeks of January.

It is my mum's 70th birthday in May next year and we are booked to fly to England to celebrate it with my sister. We are going to go to Cornwall and have a lunch with friends and family closer to London. I am going to also go visit two good friends in Frankfurt am Main.

And then it all came down

Had a walk around with people at The Corridor Gallery this morning before I took the exhibition down. Three more pieces found new homes. From the exhibition I was commissioned to do a surprise birthday painting for a friend's wife. I painted a banner for a youth group's christian camp at Resthaven and my next project is to illustrate a story about a three year old and his toy owl in Oxford. So the exhibition has definitely given me exposure.

Heard of three separate armed robberies that happened last night in the Greendale area where I am house sitting. Guess who will be taking the panic button and be putting it right by my bed from now on. Have been feeling a bit jumpy at night when there have been odd sounds while I'm lying in bed. You can't live in fear but I will be happy to have my friend Bronwyn with me from Friday.

Felt a bit Christmas-ed out after all our Phoenix Choir concerts and singing lots of carols in it. Tomorrow I am going to the Sorellas Pizzeria all you can eat Christmas party and then on Saturday a group of us are going to the Mann Friday concert at Tin Roof (will only be about my fourth visit to Tin Roof ever, usually somewhere I would avoid). They have put their album online for free on http://onelink.to/ncby9h and https://www.dropbox.com/sh/unkaspad4gzcwv0/AAAq0u6oClI1GxnSICm52TjWa?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR2M99HehNupZjyfSIlj0eNEpqdt3Mkk99iY8w-ssHSCqK1p3NrbRKaUrBo

Got home from taking the exhibition down to electricity so got all my ironing done, turned on the borehole pump and boiled water. Make hay while there is magetsi. I keep thinking what else I should do while there is ZESA. Luckily the house has got solar so it is not like I go without but you can't run the washing machine, boil the kettle or iron when the main power is off. At least I haven't had to get up at strange hours to do things when electricity is on between 10 pm and 4 am.

'tis the season

The school holidays have finally arrived after a very long 14 week term. By about week 11 I was feeling pretty exhausted. So much so that I was invited out for drinks for a friend's birthday and when they changed the time to a bit later, I lay down with the intention of having a quick nap and I woke up the next morning. I did feel bad. The last weeks were a bit chaotic with the school play, my first solo art exhibition at The Corridor Gallery and then Phoenix Choir concerts. We had our last choir concert at Chapman Golf Club yesterday. I haven't been back into school since we closed but might need to just go touch base and see who I am taking next year so that my planning doesn't all get crammed into the first two weeks of January, but I needed to rest and have a break.

I house sat at the Buddhist Centre in Monavale in October and I had the perk of getting to feed some semi tame bush babies every evening. They would suddenly appear just as the light had almost gone and I had fun improving my photographic documentation of them. Think that was one of the best house sits to date. The actual house was a collection of roundavels and very different too. Last week I house sat for the family of one of the students I give extra lessons to. They have a beautiful Neopolitan mastiff puppy whose coat reminds me of the plush velvent bunnies they sold at Crafty Bugs. The puppy along with two dachshunds. All was going well there until in the middle of the night the dining room ceiling caved in. They had actually warned me that this might happen but I didn't quite believe them and had been happily working away under it that afternoon. They also told me after I finished that when they got home they had discovered a snake under the generator. I may have freaked out a little if I had found it when turning it off in the evening. Thankfully it wasn't me who found it.

And so it is Christmas almost and the year is almost over. It has been a long and hard year for me. I hope for better things next year. I am house sitting once more in Greendale. It feels rather far flung from what I know. Went to meet someone for NILD stuff today and it was good to get out the house as it felt like cabin fever was setting in. Have to be very careful with fuel though as petrol is very scarce. My good friend Bronwyn will be staying with me from Friday over Christmas which will be nice.

The Christmas Pudding Carol

Note the apologies to everyone

Had a fun choir practice learning carols for our Christmas concert at Borrowdale Brook and old age homes. We have some lovely numbers, including John Rutter's Shepherd's Pipe Carol and the fun Christmas Pudding. I thought they said we were doing Christmas Pudding and Shepherd's Pie! Some of the alto part is quite hard although in the Holly and the Ivy we somehow end up singing higher than the sopranos at one point - unheard of.

It has been stiflingly warm today and there wasn't time to go for a swim in a friend in Monvale's pool, like I did yesterday and Saturday. I may opt to do personal training in the pool tomorrow, although I'm sure it will be hard work and not just floating round doing aquacize on a pool noodle (as much as I would love that). Will probably be crawl sprints and medleys. But at least it will be cool.

A person I house sat for last year has very kindly offered to pay me with 20L of petrol. Best gift ever! We sat in a hot car for 3 hours yesterday but succeeded in getting a full tank. It is not fun fuel queueing in this weather. Tomorrow is supposed to be the hottest and then hopefully it cools down a little and maybe, just maybe we might get some rain.

Have resumed Zoom lessons with my Chinese now seven year old (I missed his birthday, oops). Had to help him with his school English homework. He was very chatty which was nice. I now teach a grade two, a boy at the French school and do NILD with a student from school as well, so am pretty busy. Have had people wanting extra lessons for Cambridge maths but I think I have enough. The extra teaching does help me keep afloat financially with inflation as it is. Just the cost of petrol alone is frightening.

Of bush babies, the Buddhist Temple and ZESA on a Saturday

I was so pleased when it reached 1 o'clock yesterday and it was the weekend! I enjoyed teaching a bit better this week. The previous week I had a fairly big down and it was a real struggle to get out of bed each day and get to school. My better mental state made it a lot easier this week, although my class has not been behaving that well and I've had to move one student right by my desk for now. It looks like I will be taking one student for NILD. His mum thanked me for caring and wanting her child to do well, which really warmed the cockles of my heart. Hopefully it will help her child and I remember everything.

We unusually had power most of today. It is a tricky thing as you are wary of starting things knowing the electricity could go off again without warning. I did manage to do quite a whack of ironing though and some school work. We also could have a cooked meal for a change. Not sure if we'll have electricity tomorrow but one makes hay while the ZESA is on.

I have been asked to house sit for another person in Monavale who is going over to Northern Ireland before BREXIT. She lives on the property of the Buddhist temple and has a very interesting home made up of rondavels around a central court yard. Apparently she has to let visiting lamas use it and move out temporarily when they do. I will be looking after her two dogs and cat and ... feed bananas to the bush babies in the evening. My cousin Julia's daughter will be delighted by this and I will do my best to get a photo, as she refers to me as the "Bush Baby Lady" from Zimbabwe. Yes, as Julia says, I am never going to lose that nickname, even though I can't quite remember what I did to earn it. Apparently they come at dusk and you can get quite close to them on the Buddhist prayer platform in the garden. On Sundays people from the Buddhist society come to the temple and I have to try prevent the one dog from stealing their shoes. I will be there for about three weeks.

The Return

The first day back at school went fairly well today. I am hoping and praying I get an assistant for reading in the mornings. Managed to get through everyone today but it was a squeeze. I may have a NILD student. Just got to try fit them in to my other teaching in the afternoons. Would be good to get going and use it before I forget the various techniques for students. So that's good news, the mum I spoke to seems keen.

Had personal training this afternoon. I haven't had a gruelling session in a little while but it was good to sweat it out a bit. Might be a little stiff tomorrow. Did weights which are supposed to slowly burn energy over a longer period and probably release endorphins for a prolonged bit. Am feeling good.

At choir last night we started doing all the songs in order. Missed two weeks so having to catch up a little and we are supposed to learn the words off by heart for some of the songs, gulp. We are booked to go out to Ruzawi School on the 5th of October. Will be nice to get out of town. Might go to the Vumba with some friends one weekend soon. Should be fun.

On Saturday I will be at Arundel Village all morning collecting stuff to be recycled under the Don Grainger Trust. Harare people bring your recycling and come along if you can.

A bit of a blur

And so I find myself in the last weekend of the school holidays. Yesterday ended up being very busy. I had coffee with my former teachers from Convent at my French teacher's house. I then had an interview, went from there to print things for the memorial today, went to print and photocopy school stuff for Tuesday at school, met another friend for coffee (I had forgotten and she luckily reminded me), picked up flowers for the funeral and some tea things. The service today went really well and it was a fitting tribute to the rather remarkable lady Mrs Sternslow was. When her daughter gave the eulogy it really brought to mind what a tour de force Mrs Sternslow was and how she gave of her all with much dramatisation but with a heck of a lot of passion too. She was probably the best teacher I ever had and I found myself thinking I should have down English literature for A level as she had wanted me to. Oh well, I chose science.

This is a week of funerals and memorials. I have another two this coming week but I won't be taking as active a role for those. The priest today spoke of death as a continuation of life which I rather liked and how it is not the opposite of life as our soul lives on. He also likened it to being born and how we fear it but it is actually a beautiful passage and we should rejoice for the person we have lost. Chipo Chung read a beautiful sonnet too which was special.

I think I am ready for school but am quaking a bit at the thought of trying to have a differentiated classroom for three different levels with a class of fourteen. It is going to be a lot of work and I really don't know when I am supposed to fit in NILD, eeeek. Can only do my best.

It is the Verandah Gallery art exhibition tomorrow. I had tried to get my work in but was told the pieces accepted are those that are thought to have a high chance of being sold. So haven't cut it yet. I am having an exhibition with a friend who runs The Corridor art gallery in November though. Need to decide what I want to actually sell, there are some pieces that have high sentimental attachment and I wouldn't actually want to part with (unless for a very high price).

Things happen in threes

Just sorted the sewage leak at home out when our car suddenly developed a knocking sound. Took it along to a reputable repair garage and they kept it for several hours yesterday to try ascertain what the problem was. Well I was charged RTGS 250 for that and the quote for fixing everything that is wrong was for RTGS 16 000!! Um, even in US dollars that is steep. Have phoned around and got other quotes and my personal trainer's husband who is a good car mechanic, also had a look and we think we can get a bit below that but it is our own fault for not having the car serviced recently. But a big gulp.

I am busy trying to prepare for next week now. I am back to having fourteen students which is going to keep me very busy and increase my marking load. Last year when I had that many I had a teaching assistant. There will be someone coming back to help but I need to get all my ducks in a row. Not sure how I am going to fit in doing NILD at this point without burning out. We'll see how it all goes.

In between everything am helping arrange Mrs Sternslow's funeral on Saturday. Her daughter arrives today from South Africa and another friend and I are trying to help where we can. It is quite an undertaking. Never had to think about all these details before. The Convent Old Girls kindly donated towards it and a lady in Zambia who taught with Mrs Sternslow is helping with flowers.

The quiz went well last night at the Mustard Seed. My team surprised ourselves and won. There were questions from the new Cambridge subject thinking skills. My brain was quite tired so it hurt trying to to think through logic and maths but they were good and a bit of a challenge. I learnt a new penguin fact that the most northerly colony of penguins is on the Galapagos Islands.

I am a teeny bit manic. Am running with it for now as it is giving me energy to tackle school work and preparation but will see. If I have more trouble sleeping I will up my lithium. At least it leaves me on an upbeat mood for now. One always worries though about the potential low that could follow. I need to be able to get out of bed for school. Finally watched The Darkest Hour and I love the one scene that makes reference to the fact that Churchill suffered from depression. He had gone into a low and his wife rallies him, saying he needs to find that inner strength he had used previously to pull himself out of depression to tackle Dunkirk. Thought it was profound.

Not a bad Monday

Started the day with our staff meeting this morning and then arranging my classroom for the start of term next week. My students are in for a bit of a shock as I have made the seating pattern a horse shoe with me facing them. Have strategically placed the students I need to keep an extra eye on right next to me. We'll see how long Plan A lasts and if I have successfully mingled the talkative ones amongst the rest. If it fails I do have Plan B, but really hoping that won't be needed or at least not initially. This term we will be doing a play which should be fun and we will be celebrating World Rhino Day and I'm hoping someone from Imire might be able to come speak.

Came across a lady with a three year old baby goat in Borrowdale Village at lunchtime. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. At first I thought it was a puppy but it was goat. The lady said it was abandoned by the mother so they are hand rearing it and have called it Kitkat. I now want a goat!

Had choir this evening and we're starting to get ready for concerts. I have missed two weeks with NILD and then car trouble so had to catch up. I ruffled a few of the older altos feathers by changing the seating pattern at Arundel Chapel. Oh dear.

We finally have an inverter at home, which gives us lights and internet when there is a powercut (from 6 am to 10 pm most days). So it is a huge blessing and we are very grateful to my friend William and his dad for doing it. The next thing on the list tomorrow is to sort out a blocked sewer drain (rather urgent). Again is causing me to have water issues and have to think about flushing things down the drain - eeek.

If anyone knows of students with learning difficulties that would be interested in NILD educational therapy let me know. I need to clock in 80 hours of sessions before I can proceed to Level 2 and the sooner I can start the better before I forget it all. I can potentially ask some students at school but if anyone knows of others please send them my way.

Tomorrow I am in charge of organising the pub quiz at the Mustard Seed. I semi volunteered myself.

Kids holiday art and into last week of the holidays

Ran an art week with my friend Lucy this last week. It was fairly successful and we managed to use resources from the last one we did and make the paint stretch. Set foot for the first time in the Chinese Mall out by the National Sports Stadium. Beforehand I have refused to go there as it was built on a wetland but we were in search of cheap paper. They actually didn't have any as it turned out. Was a bizarre experience.

On Friday we set a treasure hunt for our students for them to find booty to put in their underwater treasure chests made out of egg boxes. They all got quite excited by this and Philippe, Lucy's little boy, said he would let the others join him on "his treasure hunt". Previously Philippe asked me where I lived and when I said Milton Park, he said oh that's where the volcano is. Really? I also accidentally made the mistake of telling him that Michael Jackson died before Philippe was born. Philippe then wanted to know why he had gone and done that and wasn't satisfied with my answers. Oh dear, sorry Lucy.

We have our school staff meeting on Monday at 9 am. There is quite a lot on the agenda. I need to finish getting ready for school and plan how I am going to seat my class - not an easy one as some have the potential to be naughty wherever I put them and with whomever they are sitting next to.

Saw my psychiatrist yesterday and he is overall pleased. My blood tests showed a fairly high creatine level which indicates dehydration and isn't good for my kidney function so I need to drink lots of water. He is happy with my lithium level but said if I get manic with spring I must up my dose. I am not having trouble sleeping though. Saw my therapist with my mum on Tuesday and we discussed again my mum's clutter. Need to try reduce it and find ways of getting stuff for recycling cleared so it doesn't accumulate. Not good for me mentally. I am not house sitting again for a while so will be at home. We finally have an inverter though which is exciting so we don't have to be in the dark and I can use internet. A big bonus for school as otherwise it's by candle/solar light.

Batteries and life with no ZESA

Last week was quite a week. I was doing the intensive residency week for NILD and house sitting where the generator packed up and as a result we also had no water. Was resorting to using the swimming pool and shipping bottles of water across town. You would be surprised at how much you rely of water for so many seemingly insignificant things, but as a whole it is a bit of a disaster. I think I can happily survive temporarily without power but water is another story. Tonight the power is on earlier and I had a shower for the first time in I don't like to say how long. This is what normal life is like.

The NILD course was good and I met some lovely participants. I passed and am now a level one therapist. I need to try find students with learning difficulties to sign up with me. Might be able to possibly get some from school. Had heart failure on Friday when I was trying to get to my final demo of the five core techniques and the car I am using while house sitting wouldn't start. Luckily the gardner checked the battery and it had become dislodged and then started. Managed to get to Twin Rivers School in time and my demo went well.

Had sad news this morning that Mrs Sternslow, my high school English teacher, who I have been visiting at Flame Lily Lodge passed away early this morning. I think for her it is a release as she was struggling but I will miss going to see her and I am sad she died relatively young and life cruelly made her last few months ones of suffering.

Tomorrow I start a week of teaching art to four year olds and upwards with my friend Lucy. Need to try finish preparing for school this week. We go back to the third term on the 10th of September and have our staff meeting next Monday.

La vie suit son cours

Today and tomorrow are public holidays and lots of people are away. I finish house sitting today up in Monavale. Enjoyed the msasas that are beginning to turn and the elderly pets. The only snag has been the house is full of memories of Matt and it has got to me at times. It also is full of memories of my childhood friend Robbie, who sadly died in her sleep when she was home from varsity when she was 20. So it is a house full of thoughts.

I had a braai on Saturday and a few people came which was nice. It was a girl power one as we lit the fire and turned the meat. Had to try gauge when the fire was ready. The two boys watched on. In the evening I went to watch White Crow at Theatre Upstairs at Reps. There unfortunately weren't subtitles. I really think there should have been and a lot of the film was lost on me as there was a lot of Russian spoken. It was an interesting experience trying to fathom what was happening with absolutely no subtitles to help you and only snippets of English. It wasn't quite as dramatic as the trailer made out.

Went to Reps for a quiz yesterday and everyone found out it is my birthday and they sang happy birthday to me at the end - eeeek. Heard from a Convent person that Mrs Sternslow is not doing well, so my mum and I went to see her in the afternoon. She is looking more frail and when we first got there she drifted in and out of sleep. But she roused and we got a few smiles and a bit of a twinkle.

I need to do assignments for the first day of NILD next week. I think next week is going to be quite intense with sessions from 8 to 5 and then homework. I was supposed to be house sitting for the parents of Paula Hawkin but they are still undecided as to whether their son is here or not. So it looks like I will be house sitting instead for a friend in Chisipite. There are rumours of a mass stay away this coming Friday and a march in town. We will see what happens.

La perte

This house holds memories and swells feelings of loss,
loss of my own and of others, interchangeable, lost.
You are with me in these walls, or were once.
A time when you were mine, or so I thought.
Another life was also lost here
more years passed and gone.
You were also my childhood friend.
Memories flood in and linger
and I taste the salt of tears.

Sortie de l'école

Well school is now officially out and I am on holiday - yeeha! It has been a LONG term. All fourteen weeks of it. Managed to generally not get sick except for blocked sinuses. My students yesterday sincerely said they were sad there wouldn't be school. Um, afraid I am very ready for a break and didn't quite have the same sentiments. We did grade one assessments this morning for next year and now I am done and dusted. Even had time to clear my desk and see the surface of it for the first time in months. I just have my Chinese six year old this afternoon. He might come to the school in the periods when he has school holidays in China. He came with his parents to see the school yesterday. He has grand plans of making a ginger bread house with me these holidays. We just have to work out when we can bake as I am not keen to do it at 10 pm at night, when the electricity comes back on.

I will have the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD) intensive residency week mid holidays. Thinking of doing an art week for kids with a friend. Have also been asked to exhibit at The Corridor art gallery so I need to do some art. Sarah Fynn is away but the others are meeting up so may join them. I will also have choir to keep me busy. We are singing some old ones but a few fun ones like a Les Miserables medley and The Merry Widow.

Still struggling with my ex a bit. He is off with others this long weekend and it hurts that I am no longer included even though I know why. Still feels like I lost not only a boyfriend but a best friend too and there is a hole.