Malawi & More

  I hope you had a good week. I've just got back from the pool, having to get the right moments in between rain. Lovely way to end the year.  The week between Christmas and new year always feels odd to me.  Christmas Eve felt very quiet, mainly doing a bit of prep but not much else. BigA  had made a very impressive looking vegetarian wellington which he prepared most of the day. He very sensibly arranged to find a different fridge and oven for it. Ours is small and rubbish.  Christmas day itself was lovely, far too much food and drink, very indulgent. Stockings ready, mainly filled with treats BigA  brought back from the UK and a few for A from her grandma. Those who know me well will know this is my favourite part of Christmas. I have some of my happiest memories of my sister, brother and me opening them all before we went into mum and dad, then bombing on their bed, doing it all over again and then watching the two of them opening...

I hadn't heard of it. I didn't know much about the country, it doesn't often make the headlines and it's surrounded by bigger and perhaps more notorious countries.  I was offered jobs in other places but here is why Malawi As soon as I began to find out I knew it would be different. Having lived in London for 15 or so years I wanted a different pace.  The campus living appealed and the sense of family fun the school.  The nature was irresistible. Mountains, safari, beach and lake. All within a few hours drive, all possible at a weekend.  It's proximity to other parts of Africa, the opportunity to travel and see more.  These are the main things that drew us in.  We were not disappointed, within the first week we had seen so much and been welcomed into the school and the country.  The warm heart of Africa. This is true and felt.  We felt at home and we felt looked after. The school was so good at making us feel comfortable and did a great job of ori...

  I managed to play frisbee on Sunday, although I've did my best to swim most days last week, running around with a still slightly snotty nose was not as appealing. It was good fun and I certainly felt less fit than usual. The swimming less appealing this week because of the almost constant rain. But the cold is now fully gone.  I completed my last jigsaw too, I could easily spend a small fortune on them so I guess I've saved lots being here! The ones I like usually take me a few hours but I just find them so useful for not thinking about anything. Which is good as I'm finding I'm thinking too much about life back in London. I'm genuinely looking forward to so much but I'm nervous too. Reading about strikes and misery does not help. But I'm sure it's going to be more than fine.  It's been raining lots and lots, well it is the rainy season. The grass looks so lush. It takes Laurence 3 mornings to get it all cut. And the fruit trees continue to grow. W...

Like so many this is a strange time of year. I'm excited and just wrote out my, what I'm cooking list. If makes me think of my childhood. I have nothing but joyous memories of this. The ceremony the anticipation and the family. Just us 5 and then sometimes a dog. We never went anywhere else. It was just us. Well, a bit of loads of other people as we set off for church, leaving my dad behind to cook.  My parents always washed up on Christmas day. They wouldn't put the presents for us under the tree until the night before and we were not allowed in the front room until we can't back from church.  All of it joy and love. I miss him. I miss all that. My mum will wake up on her own this Christmas. Many people do. I will not. I am very happy about that.  Today a friend sent me some writing he had done. This year will be his first without his wife. I was almost jealous of how much he loves her. The relationship they had, the love and respect they had for another. I wondered if...

The start of the holidays has been slow and plodding. I did have a cold, not a bad one but annoying. We have all sorts of drugs in our house, I find lemsip the best in these situations. We had plenty from our stash we brought back last December. It helps but I felt eurgh.  I was glad therefore, there was no rushing off somewhere as we're staying put for most of this holiday, so instead a week of the simple tasks around the house and garden. One of these was dyeing A's hair, blue this time. We're getting better at being bold and just slapping it on neat. The results much more interesting. She loves it, even as it fades. We re did it mid week too.  At the beginning of the week I had a things to do list that involved but not exclusively: Paint kitchen wall (we don't like the blue)  Complete new job application x2 Do INSET for January on retrieval Chase my my job here is being advertised  Deliver some admin training Plant out seedlings Relocate 2 passion fruit plants Fol...

  I think I've got a cold!  Saturday night was the boarders Christmas dinner and as SLT I was an honoured guest. Here that means bring thanked a lot. This always makes me feel odd, especially when I really don't think I do very much to be thanked for. But it's part of the event. I returned home to an empty house and so got ready for bed and snuggled down for a good read of a book mum had left behind. I then fell into a lovely sleep.  As much as I love my husband he can be a real pain sometimes. He in his less than thoughtful state sent me a voice note to tell me he was bringing people back. I got this at the same time as I was woken by the voice of strangers in my house and cars pulling up. I heard the message in time to be not too frightened and simply moved to cross. I promptly messaged him back to turn the music down. I didn't sleep well!  In the morning I was tempted to be noisy too but decided on washing up and drinking tea while I finished the book in the sun. ...

  Last Saturday morning, feeling a little delicate, I was looking forward to doing very little and watching TV all day, but sadly we had no power. The lightening fried the inverter and so not even any solar. So I did a bit of gardening and then decided it was worth getting the Christmas tree out. Over our 6 years in Malawi I've kept and treasured every Christmas card we get sent, A and I looked through them, smiling at the memories that came and the memories of the people we love. Those of you who have tried, will know how difficult it is to get cards here on time or at all and it has required very early planning on your part to achieve it. Mum brought 3 cards from her, aunty scrag and my sister and Christmas presents from Jo and one for A from mum when she visited. It feels really lovely to have a tree with gifts nestled underneath it. I'm told I have another one from Aunty Scrag as she forgot she already sent one. (It's probably her age). It once more reminded me this is ...

 The training went well, I was quite tired but enjoyed it. I was hoping to go home for a nap but ended up with a colleague who needed to off load. Interesting that I've heard both sides of this issue now and both women are very upset. I'm not sure how any of it will be resolved. If you really don't like each other then working together and living so close feels really unpleasant. Sad really and I can't see a quick resolution.  A and I then watched a couple of films and ate leftovers for tea. Sunday morning I sent off an expression of interest for a very different Headship to the ones I'd applied for. This one at an alternative provision. Not very good pay so I don't know if it would work even if I got it. But something about following in my dad's footsteps appealed.  We were invited to a braai and I'd made some fried onions, a guacamole and took a bit of chicken. They had made a lovely spread and went to the effort of making A some veggie burgers.  The w...