To go or not to go? That is the question

 Am very glad it's Friday and we are now two weeks into term. Seven more to go til I hopefully get a proper holiday at last and a complete break. I haven't really stopped since the school holidays ended in May. We are hoping to try go back up to the Vumba just after school closes with some friends. Can revisit the famous Tony's Coffee Shop and go for walks in the forest.

There's a big art festival happening at The Stables at Borrowdale Race Course on Sunday. I know some of the artists exhibiting. I would like to go but there is a part of me that is a bit concerned about how many people there will be in a relatively small area. Although COVID is still not a major concern in Zimbabwe, it is still out there. I could try go straight after mass. Will see. A friend said a doctor advised her not to. Perhaps I should heed that advice but there is the ever present case of FOMO.

Was chatting to my work colleague at lunchtime and she said she told her class they will learn all about human reproduction when they get to my class. Ho hum, I had previously been told not to teach it as some of our kids are still very immature. There are some aspects though like hygiene and menstruation that should perhaps be taught. With my private tutoring student I have just covered sexual reproduction and the poor boy didn't know where to look. When I asked what bodily changes occur when you're a teenager he stuck to the very safe ones and feigned ignorance at the rest which was quite amusing. He was thoroughly relieved when we got to the end of the unit. In some ways, so was I.

I may be house sitting for my headmistress over Christmas. Would entail looking after two great danes, chickens and I think rabbits. She will take her small dog Yukkie with her as he got into fights with the great danes. He has been coming into school with her and is now the school mascot. Yukkie the school dog.

Back to the classroom with Corona

 I am into my second week of being back to classroom teaching. Whilst it is good to see the kids and you can make them do the work more easily, I miss having a mute button and not having to deal with classroom politics. Also trying to keep their attention all morning and be on the ball from 7 am til 1 pm is an art I am having to pick up again. But overall so far it has been OK. Although half of my class were all absent both yesterday and today. Did they all go down with Corona?! I have to do temperature checks first thing and we all have to wear face shields. Two more classes start back tomorrow. We are going to have to stagger break time so they can keep distanced. There's no sport so am doing distanced Pilates with my class. My one student after Friday's session kept muttering, "I don't feel good" to the tune of James Brown's more affirmative version.

My Borrowdale Brooke au pairing job came to an end sadly. They wanted someone who could do mornings and afternoons which I can't. I went to watch the little girl horse riding last week though and they said they possibly might call on me to tutor in the holidays. As a thank you present I was given the most beautiful bunch of purple roses and other flowers from Wild and Fresh and I was also given my first ever Patrick Mavros jewellery. Unfortunately they are earrings but maybe it's time I pierced my ears. Will see.

Choir is set to resume on Monday. They had some practices earlier on in lock down but have been told they will be doing new songs on Monday and we are going to try do a concert to a small audience on the 22nd of November at Chapman Golf Club. I haven't sung in a while, this could be interesting.

I am still house sitting. Probably for a week and a bit more but just depends on my friend's treatment down South. Am loving having a pool to cool off in at the end of each day. I pop home to see my own doggies when I can. Luckily it's not far from here.

The Return

 And just like that government announced we're all headed back to school and tomorrow is suddenly my last day of this "term". Earlier this week is was projected that my class would resume back in the classroom at the end of October. Well that has all changed, yet again and I now will start with everyone else on the 14th of October. To begin with I was told I would only get one week's break while everyone else gets two. I'm afraid I dug my heels and insisted I also get two weeks. My class don't write the government exam ZIMSEC or the Cambridge exams so at this point it really doesn't make a difference to them if we have two weeks and I need the break!! As do they. They were a rebellious bunch in the first term (uprisings usually only happen in the third term from my past experience of grade sevens but my lot started being mutinous in February!)

So tomorrow I go into school and collect this week's marking but I don't have to do a Zoom class or distribute work for the weekend or next week. The school has to be sanitized and it looks like I have to have a test for COVID. I then have to get my head around planning for a fourth term. This school year feels like it will never end. I am keen to maybe try get away to Nyanga or the Vumba before school reopens. I really would love to get out of Harare. Will see. Feels like Zim is getting into mode for 'normality'. We see what happens. My sister is wanting us to think about using our flights booked for the UK. The UK though has gone back into lock down again and we have to pay a top up on our tickets. A return ticket on Ethiopian Airways is currently at US$ 3500. I guess if more travel paths open up the price should come down, but that is pretty steep right now.

I am dog sitting currently and enjoying walks with Snowy, the black setter like pup. It is nice to have my own space and the uncapped wifi is a definite bonus. Have got into the Netflix series The Crown. Although it is a little weird to watch someone who is still alive's life being portrayed. 

Mojitos or mosquitoes and my sister has a baby

 My week definitely improved since my last post and it ended on a good note, with a trip out to Wild is Life with the children I au pair for a ninth birthday party. We saw Marimba the pangolin and fed the giraffes and had a yummy tea on the lawns of the sanctuary under tents. I wished I had taken my proper camera rather than just using my phone. Hindsight is a wonderful and frustrating thing.

Our school might not start back in the classroom until after the planned October break. This suits me, although online is just not working for some of my students and it is really going to be hard trying to work with what we have to the end of the year. It does look like I might be au pairing in the afternoons which would be good. I might have to do my personal training in the early morning before school - eeek. Will be a long day, we'll see.

Am house sitting again as sadly a friend has cancer and has to go down to Joburg for treatment. It was touch and go getting clearance to travel down as the borders are still closed with COVID but they left today. I was on stand by since Thursday. Am looking after Snowy the dog and the twelve chickens. Snowy is getting used to me. They have uncapped wifi so I can watch Netflix and play music on YouTube - nice!

Had a friend's birthday braai this afternoon in Pomona. Was nice and chilled and she made very yummy mojitos at the end. Left before the others as had to feed Snowy and put the chickens in the coop. Got back to a message from my sister which simply said they now have a baby!? So they have been wanting to have a cat for a while and finally bit the bullet today and got a kitten. Haha, not a new niece or nephew but it may take that unofficial status. No name as yet.

Uncertainty

 This last week has been a hard one. My anxiety came back, along with a dose of depression. It looks like schools are starting to reopen with exam classes coming back. While this is necessary and needs to happen it also spells out the end of my job in Borrowdale Brooke and my better salary. This has left me feeling very low and a bit panicky about what next. I am also feeling a bit worn out from having to just keep going. I got some reprieve when the family in Borrowdale Brooke asked if I would consider doing the au pair job in the afternoons when schools go back. This did significantly lift some of my worry. It is going to be a juggle though and will have to work out when I will be able to fit in photocopying. It looks like two more weeks of online learning and then I am back in the classroom.

Unicorns, au pairing and TikTok

View from above Borrowdale Brooke

Since I last wrote, my anxiety has lifted and I am enjoying my new work more. I am managing OK with balancing it with school work and it is the right amount of busy-ness. It is just as well my new job covers fuel, as I use a quarter of a tank there and back each day, but I like the drive. The Brooke is an interesting place, slightly pretentious and an admixture of architectural styles. The house I go to is near to Mnangagwa's son's mansion. We have a chef, Victor, who whips out cupcakes every break time. Have just done a work out online with Cara my personal trainer to try burn it off but I need to try not to nibble so much. Am getting to know the kids I tutor. They are both dyslexic and one does NILD with someone else but I help with her NILD homework and rhythmic writing. At the moment I don't have any NILD students of my own. 

Part of my job is to take my two students and the two younger ones to activities. I was dropping one off this week and by mistake we drove into the wrong house. Turns out the house we went to knows the family so was a little awkward but they seemed to see our mistake. On Mondays and Wednesday I do a drop off and pick up at Hellenic and get a lunch box picnic packed for me to munch on. I am seeing the other side of online learning and how it is a bit stressful for parents trying to get their kids to get through all the work set by teachers and also having resources on hand for projects suddenly sprung on them. Is quite good for me to see this for my own class. Hellenic did the #jerusalemachallenge and I am getting my class to do it too. Some are keen, some not so much. I said I can compile a video of it, hopefully haven't bitten off too much of a challenge with that.

I house sat last week in Kensington and this week I'm in Milton Park looking after the lone remaining dachshund and two new cats. I am going to try pop home just now to see my own two dogs. Having a few friends over for dinner and then lunch this weekend. Just been using Pinterest to look at recipes based on a loose idea I have planned. Went back to the Pomona Farmers' Market yesterday and again they had such lovely veggies and much cheaper than elsewhere. I love that you put everything in brown paper bags, no plastic and you have a wicker basket to fill. Definitely a fan.

Have been asked to give a 30 minute talk on depression online in October. The panel discussion I was on a month ago should be shared soon.

Anxiety

 I don't often get anxiety, but this past week it has been hanging over me and I wake up feeling it acutely. I think it's trying to juggle everything and not drop a ball and feeling the pressure that I have to as otherwise we can't afford the basics. It eats into you though and hovers over your day.

This week was an ease into things as we had a long weekend. From next week it will be the real test with full weeks and trying to get it all done. It looks like I will be house sitting for two weeks for two different people.

This isn't a long post as I don't really have much more to say. I feel for those who have anxiety all the time and struggle with it daily.