A Mental Health Day

Just got back from the workshop at the UZ School of Health Sciences which focused on mental health services. There were a variety of people there from health practitioners to sufferers of mental illness and current patients at Tirivanhu psychiatric rehabilitation centre in Ruwa. The first part wasn't that interesting but the lady from Ethiopia who has set up an organisation for services raised some valid points about conducting research and involving patients. It also then became more lively when the floor opened and we got onto the topic of affordability of medication and access to it. The point being raised of what happens when the drug you are supposed to be on is no longer available and conditions for patients in government hospitals. The human rights of patients was also discussed and what is in place in Zimbabwe compared to Ethiopia. Also the issue of funding for mental health care and prioritising it in government spending. So it was a good afternoon and I made some contacts. There is another mental health trust that does some similar things to Unquiet Minds and also tries to do fundraising for Tirivanhu.

There is electricity but I am going out to dinner in a bit with a friend and her son who also has mental illness. So it is a very mental illness filled day today. Just now I am talking on whatsapp to a friend in Australia who ran the fundraising for Tirivanhu here.

All systems go

This week is a bit frenetic with last minute stuff for the Wild Geese Art Festival on Sunday. I decided to get some more art mounted by Wechi, so went charging off there yesterday after school to get it done. We played around with different colour backings and they kindly said they could get it ready before Saturday. Whilst at 167 I also booked for a friend's 60th birthday lunch at Aroma on Saturday. Originally I was going to be hosting it.

Tomorrow I have a workshop looking at bipolar depression at Parirenyatwa Hospital with a visiting psychiatrist from Ethiopia. It should be interesting. Had to move my lesson from tomorrow to Friday (means less time to find petrol, but oh well). I have been invited to dinner tomorrow evening with a friend in Monavale to meet her son who I am Facebook friends with but haven't actually met in person.

Sent two students to the head today for misbehaving. The one cheekily said to the head when she asked what he was doing there that I had said they got the plural of mouse wrong. Er no, that is not what I said, nice try. The girls in my maths class today decided they were going to do each fraction sum in a different colour of the rainbow and then took it upon themselves to mark their answers and give themselves full marks even though they got some wrong and gave themselves a smiley face. It has been an interesting day. I need to come up with ideas for races for the school sports day by Friday. My personal trainer Cara, suggested coordination with opposite arms and legs and things for core strength.

Talking of personal training, I had a reprieve today with a Pilates session. I have been pushing quite hard up until now with some heavy going workouts. I think it is paying off. The Pilates wasn't easy today.

Hanging in there

Feels like life in Zim has become just that much harder this week. You eke out on what you earn and try to make fuel last to the end of the week for work. Extra trips across town now feel like a luxury and you plan your life around power cuts. As one teacher said, she wishes we had diesel readily available so you can run your generator. We've come to the point where we are happy to have that as the norm - why do we need to depend on generators? Life goes on though and I wake up each morning in the dark to go to another day of teaching at school. If I didn't have that keeping me busy I would do my nut in. I have taken on an extra student twice a week in the afternoon to help boost my income a little. The mum has kindly said the rate can go with the exchange rate of bond to dollars. It has jumped this week. They put up the price of fuel too which is going to mean everything goes up again.

Trying to stay positive. Tomorrow it is Sr Paulette, my junior school headmistress's jubilee of being a Dominican nun. My mum and I are going to Emerald Hill Children's Home, where there will be a celebratory mass for Sr P., followed by a bring and share. Have just whipped up some cheese puffs to take while the power was on. Two good friends came for tea this afternoon and I laughed hard. Was great to see them again. Tomorrow I am skyping one of my best friends in Switzerland and after Sr P's do, hoping to go to a chamber music concert at Arundel. There was a craft and wine fair at The Flying Frog today. Had thought of going but it is across town and you had to pay to go in and then be tempted to buy stuff. Need to watch my finances. Next weekend will be the Wild Geese Art Festival. Went home this morning and sorted through art work and might try get a few more paintings mounted on card to exhibit.

On 26th. May 1969 I made my vows as a Dominican Sister. 
Now 50 years later on Sun. 26th. May 2019 we the Dominican Sisters would like to invite you to celebrate this Golden Jubilee with us.
Mass will be at 9.00am here in our Chapel at Emerald Hill followed by a bring and share get-together. Please join us. 👏🏻

There are days I just have to put my head down and get through the day. I still miss Matt terribly.

And then there were two ...

Have been caught up in the whirlwind of school starting. So far not bad, just busy, which is good. I have taken on another student in the afternoons to top up my income. He's a sweet boy in grade two who battles with dyslexia already. I can do some of my NILD with him. Some is a bit too advanced for grade two. Our first lesson went well this afternoon. Trying to fit in lessons with my Chinese student around all his Chinese homework and Chinese spring holidays. He had not forgotten about our plan to make a revolving solar system model and a gingerbread house when he is next back in Zim, which is soon. I had forgotten!

I am generally doing a whole heap better but I do get anxious at times. So must keep reading the book my cousin gave me "First we make the beast beautiful: a new story about anxiety" by Sarah Wilson. Queueing in endless lines of cars for fuel is becoming a bit of a nightmare. I queued for almost ten hours in total last week before I eventually struck lucky when I borrowed my mum's Total card. With having to give extra lessons to make ends meet I am limited with days I can queue. Afraid I lost my nerve on Thursday and Friday when I was sitting in the dark. Wasn't happy and went home. I might have to stick it out in future though. I try not to let my tank get below half if I can help it. You have to decide if you are going to do other things, like using the electricity to print while the power is on or go join a petrol queue and try do some marking. It's a constant trade off and we are apparently in for lots of power outages. And yet we still live here and try to make the best of it.

It was my mum's birthday on Friday. We celebrated with her on Saturday by going for lunch at Vanilla Moon (who have kept their prices down and give a really good variety of things on their menu - shout out to them!) From there we went to support the Phoenix Choir at St George's. Could hear the harmonies better from the audience. Hopefully will join if I cut it in the audition. Hoping it is as easy as everyone says. They have one more concert on this coming Sunday at Chapman's Golf Club.

It is my turn for staff tea this Friday. Thinking of a lemon cake and sausages. Everyone is scaling back a bit with the cost of everything. Apparently we now are second to only Venezuela in inflation again. It is scary how much people are charging for some things and you eke out on your salary 'til the end of each month and hope there are no major unexpected expenses.

Oh, and am down to two chickens it unfortunately seems. I don't know what has happened to the third.

What's the difference between Chinese and Japanese green tea?

Yesterday was very social. I tried miso soup for the first time. I bought it simply because it said soup and it was cold. Well, I am not sure I will buy it again. It is definitely an acquired taste. The slimy sea weed is a bit of a deterrent and I was not sold on the flavour. But hey it was warming and I did eat it all, telling myself it was good for me with every mouthful. Next time I will stick to sushi. Queen of Hearts, like other places, is now giving their prices in US dollars and then multiplying that by what the rate of the day is. It gets pricey very quickly. Even Nandos is doing it. Am busy trying to get data for my phone unsuccessfully. It has changed on EcoCash and the prices for it have also gone up. Got to really be careful so my salary will last until next pay day. Otherwise I will have to take on more extra lesson teaching.

I did go along to the May Fair at the International School this morning after teaching. Again, prices were all in US. Not so many non-car boot sale stands and those that were there were quite pricey. But it was nice to sit under the acacia trees and enjoy the music. One food stall was manned by little girls and one burst into tears when someone didn't pay, shame. There was a tea garden with different nationality teas. I tried to find out what the difference would be between having Chinese green tea compared to Japanese. The ladies there couldn't tell me. I ended up having a craft beer from The River Brewing Co. instead - it was yummy.

The Elephant and Pineapple

Today I am mostly enjoying my last few days of being on holiday. Just taught my Chinese 6 year old online and am off to teach biology again just now. There was a slightly awkward issue with my biology teaching as the mother thought I was charging my rate for 2 hours not one. The fee for 2 hours is not viable, have reached a compromise though. With my Chinese student I gave him a tour of Victoria Falls with photos and videos I have. He then wanted to know if Barnaby Bear had been to China so we looked it up and he had. Somehow got on to Kung Fu and I showed him the video below. We ended with him making me a paper airplane and house so I can go visit him in China.

Bit sore today from personal training. We did another chipper where you work down reps of things from 100 and since we got through all of that with time to spare, Cara got me to do an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) of squats and presses, hand release press ups and then my all time favourites - burpees. I died. My head at school thinks I've lost more weight though. Am pushing hard with Cara.

There's a poetry and dance evening at The Elephant and Pineapple this evening in Newlands. Also been invited to a friend's birthday at Queen of Hearts and I am having coffee with a friend after teaching. So will be quite a social evening.

Looking forward to school

Just had our staff meeting and all set for the coming term. My class are going to do something for World Environment Day. Apparently they did really well with their presentations on plastic pollution when I was away. I am really ready to get going again and am looking forward to seeing my class. Rearranged my classroom slightly differently. Hope it works, but may have to adjust.
We've decided to end in the thirteenth week, not the fourteenth. Yay!

Apparently the Easter Bunny came at the end of last term and my class threw themselves into the Easter egg hunt and nearly tore the classroom down with the search. Lovely that they are still young at heart.

I might be exhibiting at the Harare International School May Fair on Saturday. Will see. Rather excited that a friend from my time at EPFL in Switzerland, who is from Hungary, wants me to send him a picture of wildlife and sunshine from Africa and he will pay me for it. Challenge accepted. Might do a pangolin, will see. Otherwise wild dogs or rhinos.

Was approached by a new school to teach high school science in French. I am flattered they thought I could do it, but I don't think I could as my French is a little rusty and I did say my grammar needs work. It would have been in the afternoons at St George's. I think it might have been overcommitting though as this term I have to redo the National Institute for Learning Difficulties course and I don't want to give up my personal training. Speaking of personal training, Cara has been pushing me quite hard but am feeling good. Doing heavier weights and on Tuesday we did a chipper, where you work down from reps of 100 to 20 of different things. The first reps were a killer. Skipping, wall balls, pivot squats ... Am still feeling it. Thank God no burpees. But I better not jinx today's workout.

Went to quiz on Tuesday and for fun we had to all come up with a collective noun for Zimbabweans. We said a queue, but there was a perseverance, a plan, a de-fuelling and others. Good fun but a sign of the times.