Southern African and Namlish terms

Things you may read and not understand...

Braai - barbeque but usually with more meat. ew.
Padkos - food you take with on a road trip
ummmm can't think of any more right now. I'll get back to you on that.

days when you should have just stayed in bed.

Tough day in the classroom today. I have been promising to show them the Gandhi movie for weeks now, and have also been trying to show it to them. Finally I got the keys to the cupboard and the classroom where the tv and dvd machine are. Allegedly. All the kids troop in, get themselves arranged in front of the cupboard, I open it and viola! No DVD machine... I dispatch a student and her buddy to borrow one from the Bursar... they return. No double adaptor. I dispatch her again... they return. No cord to connect the tv to the DVD player.

Now let me tell you that 20 mins of the 45 min lesson is gone already. The movie is 3 hours long. The maths is not working out in my favour. Also, the natives are getting restless. Not sure if that is a Conrad quote, but it ought to be. And I now sympathise. The volume of chatter is rising and one dear child has already threatened another with his chair, as if to tame a lion. I, in turn threaten with detention, for both of them, for good measure. Guess what... they girl returns. The cord is quite magical and has appeared to disappear. Impressive. There is now 15 minutes of the lesson left and it was at this point that getting up at 6 to be at school and spend my morning with these little muffins, these little fruitpies, these little cupcakes takes it's toll and I banish them to the field where they can be loud and energetic away from me and my detention forms.

Tomorrow I am taking my own dvd player, my own double adapter and my own cords. I will also have detention forms and extra homework at the ready, just in case of power failures or unavoidable natural disasters.

PS. Gandhi was a super caloused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis. Go Mary Poppins!

Mother's day in Cape Town

We spent Mother's day driving around the Cape Peninsula, stopped at a market for treats and shopping and ended up at a fish and chip place on the harbour. It was beautiful. The best moment was wondering up and down the wharf looking at the boats and enjoying the company.

Cape Town photo's as promised

The first image is of me at a winefarm. One of the best things to do in Cape Town is to drive out to Stellenbosch and that general area and pick three or four farms to stop at, then end up at Fairview for lunch with all the cheese you can eat. It's my version of heaven!

The second is the highly recognisable Table Mountain as you drive in from the road that leads north to WHK.

School fun day

We spent the day at the school today, mostly under a marquee tent. The sun was shining and there was a lovely, chilly breeze to remind us that it is still winter. The stalls were all selling deliscious and tempting foods and sweets. We each had something different for lunch. I should pause and explain fun day for the non-St. Paulians. It is a day where each class arranges a money making scheme and the whole country is invited to participate. There is always a tea stall, a braai and beer stall and the pillow fight. More recently there have been some new additions. Stir fry, the best biltong and candy floss in Namibia (allegedly) and dodgeball!

Also C was part of a very impressive and toe tapping display of ballroom dancing. She is giving K and I lessons. So far we can half cha cha and a little bit Rumba. I want to Merengue. K wants his laptop and for us to leave him alone please.

The Internet goddess is a fickle sprawling tarantula

Yay! We have internet again after four dry and horrible weeks. So will pick up where I left off soon. but meanwhile to keep you company - here are a few photos from our cards night which is becoming more and more rowdy! In fact they have become so rowdy that we have had to institute an new rule. There is a hat that goes around, and when you have played your turn you must put the hat on the next person's head. Otherwise we alll lose track of who's turn it is and it takes us half an hour to play one round!