Simple pleasures: Creme Eggs...... and a twin tub!

Monday 9th May


I only have 5 weeks until I finish the project, and I have to say, time is absolutely flying. Thankfully now back to straight forward teaching which I much prefer to all the art/crafty airy fairy stuff that typically pads out a holiday programme when the kids aren’t out on trips. I am trialing a proper ‘library’ service with my kids in standard 6, and it is amazing! The kids couldn’t quite believe that they would be allowed to choose a book to take home for the week, and there were quite a few skeptics over my idea, but thankfully standard 6 have not let me down, and they all dutifully returned their books today and signed out another one for the week. I’ve also managed to get the allocation on the timetable increased for English, from two lessons per day to three which is already making a huge difference to what I can do with them, and importantly allows them reading time most days (which I truly believe is the single most important thing to help them improve their English). The power of books is not diminishing with them, and I sat grinning at them all today as they chose their new books, and sat and read in class, to themselves and to each other. Two of my kids also come back with a list of words from their respective books from last week which were new words to them – so I just handed over the English-Swahili dictionary to them and they decoded the meanings themselves…. Oh how proud I am of them!!

I’m not trying to think about the ‘what next’ for them, and know I am going to find it very hard to let them go, but inevitably I can’t stay with them forever, and am doing the next best thing by committing to be around for the next two years, and hopefully will be able to coach them at least once a week, and track their progress via the grammar programme and testing to ensure that those who should reach high school do get there.

My plan for when I finish is to complete my divemaster qualification – I am now officially the longest ever ‘dive master trainee’ at the dive base, having started it in January (and not done much on it since my original burst of learning) but a concentrated 2/3 weeks should nail it! I am also planning a last final treat to my ‘gap year’ down to my beloved South Africa, to catch up with my friends made on the Seychelles leg of my year, as well as my long standing friends Adrian, Tanya and their family.

Number one son, Chris and girlfriend Fiona arrive early tomorrow morning for two weeks with me, so very excited about seeing and catching up with them. We’re planning a trip to the Maasai at the weekend, and they’ll be coming to work with me most days also. Selfishly this time they will not be too laden with stuff for Precious but are acting as mules for me this time as they have just moved into their first home together, and all my furniture is now out of storage and installed in their house….. so items like my Harry Potter books and DVDs, DVD player, marmite (yes I know, more!) and various other random but important items will be gleefully unpacked tomorrow morning – a mid-year Christmas Day for me! Talking about important things, a good friend answered my plea for Easter Eggs, and I have a fridge full of chocolate bunnies, mini eggs, and my egg rack is brimming with Cadbury’s Crème Eggs!!!

Great news also from number two son, Jono, who successfully got selected for the Army Air Corps. He’s already been whisked out of Sandhurst for three weeks to ‘learn to fly’ – is that really possible? Anyway, he’s now on his final leg at Sandhurst, and I will be back in the UK to be proud mum at his passing out parade from Sandhurst, and have been booked by number one son to be chief landscape gardener of their new place (in return for cheap board and lodging as I am now homeless in UK!). What more could any Mum want?….. I have two boys who are happy, successful and independent, who did not bat an eyelid either about my initial decision to come out to Kenya, or my decision to stay on for a while longer – I am blessed with two great lads of whom I am very, very proud.

Felt rather nostalgic about watching the royal wedding. Chris, Bekks and I were determined to watch it, despite a football tournament between Precious and the other GVI school Olives that was being run in Kenyan minutes not English ones. Thankfully, Bekks was referee to the last match, and suitably made some shocking decisions but ones that saw a draw, with no injury time or penalty shoot out (much to the teams’ horror!). Us ‘British’ lot went as a delegation to staff and said we must leave to watch the wedding (no-one else was quite as intent as us to watch it as we were) so we snook away, got showered and frocked up (well not Chris), and sat in all our finery at the local country club, drinking Pimms, watching all the pomp and circumstance that we do so well in the UK.

Life here in Mombasa just gets better and better. Rehearsals for the concert (26th, 27th May if anyone just happens to be around?!) take up two evenings per week, tap dancing resumes tonight (after a 4 week break, so back to basics … well actually not sure I ever got past the basics!). Bekks left last week after her 10 weeks on the project, but she is coming back in September as staff for the charity. She stayed at my place for the last five days, as did Chris, and the ‘Terrific Three’ (downgraded from the ‘Fabulous Four’ once Anne left) had an absolute blast together.

It was great having Bekks and Chris here, and they too fell in love with the prize possession in my flat….. my twin tub! I can’t put into words just how satisfying it is being able to do my own washing properly now… previously in Seychelles, did it myself in cold, yucky water, nothing dried properly, and here in Kenya, local lady scrubbed any pattern, colour or stitching out of everything she washed, (in disgustingly smelly local washing powder) never pinned anything on line, so everything ended up dirty again on ground and duly shat upon by the local birds….mmmmm lovely! And that’s without mentioning the knicker thief! Now, I stand entranced by the whirr of the machine, happily rinsing and putting everything into spin section, and neatly and precisely hanging everything out to dry – and no more knickers needed as nothing has gone missing!! Mind you, have had a few comments from the ‘staff’ here at the complex, quite astounded that a Mzungu is doing her own washing!! Simple pleasures!!! I love my twin tub!!!

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And finally...... in answer to repeated moans about there never being any photos of me.... courtesy of Anne who took thousands whilst out here, some photos of me, my pals, and my new home out here in Mombasa.... just so you recognise me when I pop back to UK in August!