Blue finger nails, Harry Potter and what makes you British

 First day of au pairing went by pretty quickly. Had to wait a while at the gate to Borrowdale Brooke to be let in but have now been lent the car I used before and have a disc to get in and out. Took the youngest little girl to swimming where she was a real little fish and super eager. It was very cute to watch. Treated her to an ice lolly on the way home from Kava. I volunteered to have my finger nails painted when we got home and the youngest and her brother applied blue polish with great gusto. I also had bubble bath put in my hair and on my arms, um yes. They were allowed to watch the fifth Harry Potter movie but they sat covering their eyes for parts of it and asked me when it would get really scary.

On my way home I went up Carrick Creagh to where I will be house sitting next week to learn the ropes. There are two massive great danes (when I got home my dogs, Jasper and Elsie, seemed quite small in comparison). I will also be looking after two rabbits ... and an oscar fish!! Never seen one of these before, it's pretty big and it is related to a piranha and bites. Don't quite see the appeal as a pet but it should be interesting to observe as it apparently makes nests out of rocks to lay eggs in (it's a type of cichlid). So stay tuned for updates on Oscar.

On the weekend away the topic of Zimbabweans claiming to British came up. I do feel I have both Zimbabwean and British heritage and consider myself both. The other person felt that you only had a right to claim to be British if you have lived in the UK. I said well my grandparents had served in the second world war but this was dismissed. It irked me when the other person claimed that people in Kenya had a greater claim to being British than people here. Would it mean a person born in the UK of Shona descent couldn't say they were Zimbabwean?

Adventures in the Bvumba

 School ended in a blur, although we had a staff meeting straight after closing and I had to try get my head to think about next term, difficult as I was feeling a little over it all, I won't lie. From school I went and did a shop for the trip to the Bvumba. On Thursday went with my mum and our close friend Veronique for a lovely late breakfast at The Bottom Drawer coffee shop. It is my favourite coffee spot in Harare and the breakfast was yummy, although I am now feeling cautious of fatty things since my latest blood tests show I have quite high cholesterol. This apparently is a side effect of my medication so I need to be a little careful.

Thursday night there was a bit of panic as the main car we were supposed to have travelled in to the Bvumba suddenly had a problem with the main axle. At the last minute we switched to Lucy's parents' car and made alternative plans for assembling. I had an interview first thing Friday morning and we met at Lucy's but only set off at 12 in the end. There were lots of police blocks along the way. Apparently they are looking for balding tyres mainly. We were lucky and didn't get stopped. We had got a letter from the lady whose cottage we stayed in as a back up in case the police wanted travel documents with COVID, but they waved us through - phew. Lucy did an amazing job there and back with the driving. There were some hairy moments with lorries overtaking lorries on blind rises and cars doing stupid moves.

Arriving in the Bvumba we stopped at Tony's Coffee Shop to ask how we could ensure there was white chocolate cheesecake (the reason for coming to the Bvumba!!) He said we needed to come fairly early on Saturday but he was doing take aways. We planned to go early but I had booked a guided hike Saturday morning to the Zebra Falls. Lucy opted to sleep in so it was only Reenie and I. Stuart our guide arrived promptly at 7 am but when he told us we were supposed to drive to the spot where the hike began it was a bit problematic as Lucy, our driver was asleep. In the ended we walked to the starting point, but that took us an hour and half. I must admit I did inwardly groan slightly to be told this was only where the hike was beginning. It had rained heavily the night before (it did every night we were there) and so the granite rock surfaces were incredibly slippery. I went head over apex at one point and luckily my bag cushioned my landing on my back and my head didn't hit the granite behind. We had to scale down a steep granite face part of the way and I was very nervous of slipping. 

Stuart was excellent though and helped me get sure footing. He was also very knowledgeable about the birds and trees and history. We made it to the waterfall and had lovely mountain water to drink. On the way back I was seriously beginning to flag on the uphill and made the tentative suggestion that when we got back to the starting point, perhaps Stuart could go get Lucy and we could drive back. We ended up stopping not quite at the starting point and Stuart, who was extremely fit, sprinted off to go find Lucy. By now we had been walking for four hours. Lucy got a bit of a fright when Stuart appeared at the cottage and said we needed rescuing. She packed us food and set off with him leading the way on his motorbike while she followed in the car. There was a section though, that the car wasn't going to navigate easily, so Lucy hopped on his motorbike. They hadn't gone far when it skidded and they both fell off. Poor Lucy caught her leg on it. Undeterred though she and Stuart walked to where Reenie and I had walked a bit further to.

After those misadventures we had tea at Tony's and did get the white chocolate cheesecake. In the book Tony has written the recipe for it takes up four pages, so it is quite a culinary feat. There was a queue outside when we left of people wanting to go in for tea. On the way home we stopped at Hivu Nursery where you can also go horse riding, next time.

Our other big excitement for the weekend came about as Lucy was really keen to go in to Leopard Rock for drinks and to watch the sunset on the golf course. We hadn't thought about COVID though, and when we tried to go in on Friday when we arrived we were turned away at the boom by the security guard. Lucy tried to ask to speak to a manager but the security guard said if we weren't on the list of guests we couldn't enter. Lucy decided to email the hotel and low and behold in response we got an email from the owner of Leopard Rock himself who said to not hesitate to phone him. Lucy did so and he said we should just phone when we got to the boom, which we did and were admitted. We had drinks but there was a problem with getting change for US dollars. The bar lady said the owner was going to come down and see us and give us complimentary drinks. Well we ended up spending an enjoyable evening with him and he told us all sorts of stories of the history of Leopard Rock and it turned out he is an avid photographer and writes poetry. They have had two lions walk across the Leopard Rock golf course. I made the mistake though of mixing GnTs with red wine and when I had a cup of rooibos tea at the end of the evening with milk I suddenly felt decidedly unwell and had to run to the bathroom which was a little embarrassing. I've learnt my lesson to never do that again. Still feeling a little queasy today.

Back in Harare now and all set to au pair in Borrowdale Brooke again for the next four days. We will be doing craft with supplies from The Craft Company that the mum owns and going on some outings. Should be fun.

This time next week ...

 Nearly through the last full week of school. This time next week I will be on holiday (woohoo! Haven't really been since May) and next Friday I am headed to the Bvumba with two friends for three nights. Bring on Tony's Coffee Shop and decadent cake, walks in the forest and possibly a cocktail at Leopard Rock Hotel. We will have to take diesel with for the generator and make an ice box from a cold box to last us as the transformer is down, but I can't wait for mountain air and a break from Harare and school. Am pretty desperate to get away.

The requests to house sit do keep coming in for over Christmas. Turned down a really nice one in Umwinsidale. Hope where I am going to be is pleasant as I haven't seen it yet. Always a little nervous now when that's the case as had one or two not so great set ups in the past that I agreed to before seeing.

Have an online meeting just now with the head of NILD Zimbabwe to discuss an assessment she did of one of my students who is also my NILD ward. Will see where I can further help him as he is extremely dyslexic. A friend of mine who is dyslexic is going to come and give a talk to my class about his work on building his own drones using a 3D printer and glider planes. He was threatening to stir my class up to rebellion against the system. Had to tell him that they already are rebellious and don't need too much more encouragement in that regard. My ring leader has calmed down and is applying himself and being more polite but am hanging in there to the end of term.

Off to watch a documentary film tonight called Gather on native american culture and food crops. Hope it doesn't rain as it is planned for outside in the garden to be COVID compliant.

One more Monday

 My student was beautifully behaved today, polite, helpful and quiet, but was told at break time that both the head and deputy head had had words with him first thing, oh! 

Did something different in maths today that worked quite well. I paired my weak pupils with my strong ones and got them to work together to solve problems. Might do it again. They were having to work out change to be given with money I photocopied. A couple wanted to know why they couldn't just swipe for it. Er no, this is the imaginary Zimbabwe where we have cash and change. 

The Convent old girls lunch went well on Saturday at Alo Alo. There were fewer nuns, former teachers and old girls than usual, but we ended up having exactly the right number of lucky draw prizes. I was picked second and chose garden tools from Electrosales. My mum chose two lovely glass platters from Glass Gecko. 

I have been asked to au pair again for the family in Borrowdale Brooke these holidays. Will do crafts with the kids and take them on some fun outings. Will get to use their car again. I am also tutoring some new students from the International School and will be house sitting in Greystone Park. 

TGIF, goodness gracious me

 Had the second emergency parent meeting at 7.30 this morning. Said student from yesterday behaved and was subdued initially but at break went round trying to figure out who had snitched on him. After break we were back to usual with talking instead of working and talking back when told off. I really don't feel very comfortable leaving stuff unattended on my desk if I have to go to the loo or something as there was a plan to damage my property. It is a real pain.

Am so jolly glad it is Friday and then we have 9 days and I move on to new students and hopefully a better class next year. Am just very thankful in some ways for lock down and that I didn't have to teach this current class all year in the classroom as they were mutinous in the first term before Corona hit. The first term! Usually grade 7's only play up in the third term, but not this lot.

Was supposed to have been tutoring a new student this afternoon but the aunt phoned me this morning to say they were in contact with someone who has tested positive for Corona yesterday. I would rather not take the risk. There are suddenly a whole lot more cases again. My gardner yesterday was saying he is very worried. There's nothing you can do though apart from be sensible.

The rains have sort of arrived and so have the mosquitoes. The flamboyants are also in full bloom. I keep trying to snap them on the way to work and home. 

Counting the hours and possibly minutes

 My class have been staging a rebellion and I am now really, really looking forward to the end of term. I had to warn them that if they did anything really stupid they could be suspended. The chief instigator was thankfully absent today as they had someone staying with them this weekend who tested positive for COVID yesterday (a bit scary!) Things improved slightly without said student being in class today but I have frankly had enough now.

After doing a leg session in personal training on Monday, I did arms on Tuesday and now I can't move either! I had semi forgotten how to do pushups and my arms are telling me about it. Did something new called an explosive pushup. When you come up from the floor you have to push away from the ground and lift your arms off the ground. Kinda tricky and definitely working those triceps (I think it's those).

Suddenly getting lots of requests to house sit over Christmas. Am booked though by our head at school to look  after her two great danes. They have a pool, yay! and I can use a car. Went and did some Christmas shopping at Kava Market at Willowmead this afternoon. Got two hams and got some Christmas pressies for people. It is one of my favourite foodie shops.

Our Phoenix Choir concert is now going to take place after all at Dandaro on Monday at 6pm. Hopefully will be OK without an extra rehearsal. If you have a musical recital it is legal. When you say concert the authorities think you mean thousands coming to watch, which is not the case. The Marden Singers are putting on the Messiah this weekend at Mary Magdalene Church in Avondale. It is suddenly all systems go - there are so many things happening this weekend, we have the Convent lunch but there is a quiz, Verandah Gallery and a market at Franjipanji. It is not possible to do everything. The last few weeks before Christmas are going to go really quickly and then we face 2021, hopefully better than this year.

Things are good, although perhaps slightly manic

 Spent an enjoyable weekend house sitting for a friend and looking after her kitten and older cat, Pumpkin and Ringo. Was lovely to have a pool again, as it is stiflingly hot. I did have a blind worm (a type of snake) as a companion too. It appeared twice on two separate evenings and I will be honest, I couldn't muster the courage to scoop him outside, so I just left him there to do his thing (notice how I make it a he) and remained up on the bed watching. On the last night he disappeared in the region of my school book bag. I'm afraid I now have this horrid thought that perhaps he's squashed inside and slowly rotting. Again wimpy me is too grossed out to investigate this. 

School has exactly 2.5 weeks or 12 days or 60 hours left. I'm not counting at all. My class are pushing boundaries and one delightful child wrote f you in full on my calendar. By handwriting I have an idea who it is but when I asked him he vehemently denied it. I am looking forward to the end. 

Had personal training this afternoon and Cara has a new form of torture, half burpees argh. They are even more gruelling than full ones as you jump from a crouch to the ground. I felt a bit icky at the end which Cara said shows I did an intensive work out and burned fat - ok. 

It's the Convent Old Girls reunion lunch at Alo Alo restaurant in Arundel on Saturday with a Christmas theme. We have a committee meeting tomorrow to finalise everything. Sadly no Sr Kate or Sr Loyola any more, as they passed away this year.