Cant believe that its now November - I left home in August which was Summer and it is now properly Winter although here it's hotter than ever! We only realised that it was the 1st of November at 12.00 while teaching Grade 5 Art which resulted in Chelcie and I chasing each other around the art room to see who could do "Pinch, punch first of the month no returns" first, I won, much to the amusement of the learners!
We have started teaching high jump - this is not a problem for the younger years but a bit trickier for the older grades that want proper demonstrations as I am truly awful at high jump but obviously cant say or show that as I am the teacher! Although Chelcie had no qualms in demonstrating her lack of skill!! (Don't worry she is in the room as I'm writing this I'm not just really rude - sorry Gero). The stands which the pole rest on don't stand by themselves so we have to hold them - when Betty (in Wings) jumped she managed to knock it and it went straight into my forehead. This was pretty painful (Chelcie very unsympathetic) - the stand is made of metal!
So far its been the week of the mouse. Having had all our saucepans sitting out on the counters while we left mouse poison in the cupboard, on Wednesday this got too much for my OCD so we washed everything up and put it all back again. We reorganised the Kitchen so now it feels more like our space and it looks a lot nicer especially now we have got rid of the hot plate that we were cooking on. However, the mouse still lives as it ran into the Kitchen from the garden so Chelcie chased it out again with a broom. The door between the garden and the Kitchen is staying firmly shut at all times now! During my G6 remedial class a lizard joined us in the Art room and then went into a cupboard. I didn't like it in there so Abner went to go and get it out - he picked it up and it bit his finger and then he chased me out of the Art room and quite a bit further before chucking the lizard in my direction. I should never have shown my weakness for creepy crawlie things to the learners, however, the rest of the group were impressed by the speed when I ran away. In our G6 Art class Paulus brought his pet mouse in a plastic container to our lesson. It was actually really small and quite cute but it still creeped me out so the mouse had to sit outside the classroom - I didn't like being it being in the same room as me!
The 2nd was our two month anniversary at Otjikondo - in the evening we toasted marshmallows over burning cardboard in our braii which were absolutely delicious! We painted our faces on Friday as Wednesday and Thursday were just too hot. We had three fireworks each on our face although Chelcie was not very impressed by my art skills - I'm better at tiger cubs than fireworks!
On Thursday I was given my clarinet. I decided not to bring the clarinet with me as I just didn't seem to have enough space for it and the music - this was a mistake and I have regretted it. However, the author of "Namibia calling" came from Germany for a couple of days with his concert pianist father and they brought me a clarinet. This was incredibly exciting - the clarinet is German and has slightly different keys to an English one and is actually incredibly hard work to play! I was given the clarinet on Thursday night and told to organise a concert for Friday morning... I got the six advanced recorder players from G7 plus Charlothe to play the drums. We gathered in the Chapel at 8.45am and quickly organised a programme. Suddenly the audience swelled and I was actually quite nervous. Gilly, Reiner, Sara and the children, the author and his father and about 6 visitors who videotaped the whole thing! It was an interesting concert - the children did very well considering we had no time to practise but there was one excruciating recorder piece, luckily I caught the authors eye and he was smiling so that was okay. I played "Another suitcase in another hall" which was fine but not great as still getting used to the clarinet. However, I felt like a proud parent when the learners sang and played the Marimbas. They are really very talented and I just felt so proud of them. Gilly kept on requesting more music so we played for about half an hour in the end - I was quite happy with my first impromptu concert.
Had a bit of a scare with UCAS when Mummy texted saying that I needed to ring them immediately but not saying why and being very secretive. However, none of the numbers worked on my mobile so Mummy rang. She explained that she had managed to lock my account but something had changed which meant that I had either been rejected by somewhere or given an offer. I went down to Gillys and she let me use the Internet so that I could email UCAS saying that they could talk to Mummy as my representative. Mummy also explained that I have been asked to early interview at Exeter but obviously not available for that but at least that's a positive thing. UCAS then said that an email wouldn't be enough and gave Mummy two new numbers for me to try but neither would work on my mobile. I was now quite stressed as I didn't know what else to do....Chelcie the genius made me try on her mobile which worked! I managed to talk to UCAS who unlocked my account and have put Mummy as my representative so she can now deal with everything. She also told me that UEA had given me an unconditional offer which was SO exciting as I now have a uni that I would happily go to on my return. Very funny as the UCAS woman worked out that Mummy was talking to her colleague at the same time explaining that I couldn't get through!
Saturday was the G7 Farewell party so we had some last minute rehearsals during the week. On Tuesday we had one organised at 2.00, finally at 2.20 everyone had arrived and at 2.30 Chelcie and I walked out! They were being so rude asking why we had made them come - because they still couldn't do one of the dances - complaining they were tired and they put absolutely no effort in, so we left. Sara had strict words with them at the beginning of the Art lesson and we managed to get everything done. We spent Saturday morning decorating the stage - on the back wall *Grade 7 Farewell* in a semi circle with *2011* underneath in the middle which Chelcie made (Chelcie likes to write little comments in red on my blog which she thinks are funny! Here she wrote "give me some credit" which I thought I had already done but obviously not lavishly enough so - WELL DONE CHELCIE the letters were incredible and looked very smart, you deserve a gold medal for your incredible artistic and rare talent in being able to do bubble writing!) They gave as a present two pomegranate bushes to the school so we put the same material around the pots with a star on the front. The night was so much fun - we went over at about 6.45 and took loads of photos of the G6s who were waiting on us and they all looked so smart in white and black with little white aprons. The G6 boys described me as "hot" and "dangerous" which I cant say is what I expected from my pupils! The G7 boys joined and then slowly the parents and the girls trickled in. I sat on table 3 with Uemuura, Philoo and Mina and all their parents. We ate meat salad, followed by chicken schnitzel, rice and coleslaw and then fruit salad and ice cream. (Reading back over the blogs we have realised that I always go into great detail about the food - but I am a foodie!) In between the courses we had a welcome speech by Mrs Hawaxas (Deputy Head), a speech by Mr A van Niekerk (school inspector) and Mrs Vermaak (Headmistress), a "word of thanks" by Mrs B Jagger (a mother), the three songs by the G7s and of course the Otjikondo High Court.....
The High Court was absolutely hilarious. Every year they arrest two people (kept a secret until the night - we were petrified as they kept on hinting in would be us) and charge them with crimes they have committed. The crimes are serious but very funny. The learners dress up as policeman, judges, lawyers... The first case was a man who worked in the electricity department and he was charged with the 47 power cuts that occurred from January to May 2011. He was very funny and he got away with a warning as it was considered not his fault! The second case was made against Letha who was the hostel Mother for Weavers but left without giving one months notice - this case was abandoned as it was "discovered" that the judge was her daughter Olivia in disguise. They were all very funny and it is something I definitely wont forget. Chelcie and I were in charge of serving pudding so we had to go and dish out 120 portions of fruit salad and ice cream. Considering that we aren't allowed to serve ice cream at Gillys house yet as we aren't very good this was daunting. However we managed with some help from Gilly and Tabs - I did the fruit salad and Chelcie the ice cream. Very funny as Chelcie was pretty much using her fingers to get the ice cream off the spoon which the G6s were very shocked by. After the Grade 7s did Auld Lang Syne we had dancing on the stage which was great fun. We were both very proud of the G7s as they all looked incredible and they did the songs and dances so well. The girls go full out - full length slinky dresses, heels and wigs. Passion wore this bronze dress and her make up and hair made her look exactly like Cleopatra which was very funny! Anyway 293 photos later we had a very memorable night.
On Monday morning Mrs Vermaak told us that the singing had been the best they had had at a G7 Farewell which was lovely to hear. The downside of this is that she expects the same high standard for the music week - when we busk and play at the old peoples home, as well as now having very high expectations for the Nativity - no pressure! The Grade 6s also got into a lot of trouble for Saturday night because after all the dancing they went into the Kitchen and were stealing all the leftover food and then had a massive food fight - Gilly was not amused!
We are now having three rehearsals a week with the girls coming to Swakopmund in order to learn enough music on the recorder and singing and it obviously has to be a really high standard. Gilly has made ten really smart music folders to put all the music in so I now have to copy out everything that they have learnt so far and put the new pieces in. However, four of the girls (Lizelda, Exeldra, Passion and Margaretha) have been suspended from the music week as they were in the wrong place and didn't return to the hostel until 9.30 on Friday night. Hopefully, if they behave they will be allowed to come but its touch and go at the moment. I have had my music sent to me from Swakop so that I can practise and should be able to play the music by the time I arrive - it shouldn't be allowed for composers to write with 4 sharps or 6 flats!
We have spent this weekend making clouds, stars, crowns and streamers and the Kitchen is filled with polystyrene. The crowns and streamers are finished but there are lots more clouds and stars to make. The Nativity is coming along well and finally there is a bit of life in the scenes and we have chosen all the solos and blocked the carols. We have had to replace Mary as it wasn't working out so our Angel 15, Revonia, is now playing Mary and our Angel 2, Desiree, is also playing Angel 15! Luckily Mary isn't actually a huge part but Revonia already knows all her lines and is doing brilliantly.
We have now booked and paid for the Intercape - we leave from Windhoek on the 23rd and after a 20 hour journey we arrive in Cape Town. We are now coming back on the 1st at 10am as it was £40 cheaper than the 3rd but I don't imagine the journey will be much fun! We have also booked our Youth Hostel and we are staying in Long Street which is supposed to be right in the middle of things. We have been reading lots of travel books and have got very excited about all the things that we want to do.
After a horrible PT lesson with the G4s when we made them run laps instead of continuing doing high jump after some of the boys had all charged at once at the mat and were doing somersaults over it, we were also told to go home as they wanted Catherine and Jordan back - something we really wanted to hear, we no longer have to teach them. Apparently its not just us they are horrible to and everyone is having a problem with them at the moment. Its a real shame as individually there are some really lovely children in that class but all together the create a pack.
This Friday night Chelcie and I had an amazing time and we both agreed that if we hadn't bonded by now (don't worry we have) this would have been the moment when we would have realised what nice people each other were! I had made a new concoction for us to eat - potato and cheese pie with mushrooms, onions and peas in which was good although our potato masher is not that effective so there were a few lumps in it! I made streamers (cutting strips of pink shiny paper and sticking them onto kebab sticks) while Chelcie covered stars in silver foil - after one try Ive been banned from stars although I am good at cutting out clouds! We made our CD player work as a speaker so had lots of music on. We then decided to listen to the music from "The Button Box" this is one of the options we were given for the musical next year - we have fallen in love and it is now a definite. We listened to all the music, many of the songs twice if not three times! There are four main characters: Grandmother, Grandfather, little girl and boy - the latter two are going through their Grandmothers button box and for each button there is a song/story. The music is absolutely brilliant and all totally different - one is about a chocolate button, a Chinese frog, a belly button, an aboriginal one, an Irish leprechaun one... for each button there is a song and some a dance - we danced for about an hour and we already know some of the songs quite well. The Irish leprechaun one will require us to choreograph a 3 minute Irish dance - we already have lots of steps in mind. Elifas (G7) and Diodores (G6) came to return some DVDs and found us dancing crazily around the Kitchen to the Irish dance music which they found hilarious. They stayed for a bit and then we all roasted marshmallows on the Braii which they loved. They obviously went back and told everyone about the "crazy GAPS" who were going mental in the Flat! We also discovered the mouse dead in the middle of the floor - I say we but mean Chelcie. I had been putting things away in the fridge and then moved away, Chelcie then went over to where I had been and was very surprised that I hadn't noticed the dead mouse lying inches from where my feet were. At least its now dead and we don't have to worry about it anymore....unless it has brothers and sisters!
Sara and Paul have adopted a little white kitten with grey stripes. Two very small kittens were found wandering around so they now have one although Paul hates cats! It is very sweet and they are going to Swakop on Wednesday for the weekend so we get to baby sit it which is very exciting. On Saturday night we went to Gillys house for a braii which was great fun as usual and Michael the author has returned for a 3 week visit. Chelcie and I were blackmailed into singing although we managed to escape but only just - actually Gilly wanted Chelcie to sing as she thought I was just a clarinetist but then Chelcie managed to turn the attention onto me declaring I had done my Grade 8 and could sing in German -yes, she is supposed to be my friend, obviously not a very good one! We were given a very strong spirit which was dark brown, incredibly strong and tasted like very potent cough medicine. Gilly also told us about the boy who is coming to St Michaels in January (brother school to Otjikondo and also run by the Stommels) - he is called Sam, comes from Oxfordshire and has the same birthday as Chelcie - very odd. So Sam, if you are reading this HI! I think we will see quite a lot of him as he is coming by himself so I think he will come to Otjikondo for quite a few weekends.
Chelcie paragraph - normally I tell you things that Chelcie says which she considers funny (!) but the last two weeks the joke has been on her. Just as we were getting ready for the Grade 7 Farewell (when everyone wants to look their best) she managed to shave off her leg, removing all hair and most of the skin. Not a pretty sight! I was actually quite sympathetic...On Saturday mornings I always do the Boys bank and Chelcie the Girls. Chelcie always finishes first as Gilly does the G1 and G2 girls so she has less than me. However, this week I finished first, due to Tjirondwauvis sterling work, and celebrated triumphantly until Desvino arrived late wanting bank - I was not amused! At this Chelcie decided to taunt me with her win - running backwards laughing at me. BUT the last laugh was on her as she fell over backwards removing more skin from her right leg. I found this very amusing and was very unsympathetic to her complaints! On Sunday night she managed to burn herself twice on one finger picking up a hot pan - oven gloves Chelcie?! Apparently this is all my fault.....I hear you question why. Apparently I am clumsy and it has rubbed off on her...so I am to blame?! Skewed logic if you ask me...
Today I got to teach the Grade Ones as their teacher wasn't there. I really enjoyed myself although I know that I definitely don't want to teach that age group (six and seven year olds) as they are too young. I did some maths with them (If my Father has nine sheep and then he sells six of them, how many does he have left?) and then I read them a story called "Little Tiger" which they then answered questions on. We also filled in a weather chart - surprisingly enough Monday was Sunny! 37 is a lot to control in a class but much easier when they are all sitting down at desks in twos but there are quite a few girls in that class who I still don't know the names of.
I'm not sure when the next one of these will go up as I don't know if I will have access to the Internet during the holidays. I am thinking of you all lots and lots and I hope the days aren't too dark. I have been very virtuous and last week went running on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning, although my calf muscles were not very happy with this! I am now going on the tar road and then turning left onto the gravel road through one of the farms. The downside of this is that my foot has now packed in and is jolly painful. Shout out this time has to go to Staighty for her incredible letter which was so funny - cant believe that she has been allowed to teach Netball - that should be a crime as we played in the Fs together in Shell!
Lots and lots of love to everyone and I hope that you are all well and happy.
Lots of love and a big hug.
Ottilie xxx
On Monday morning Mrs Vermaak told us that the singing had been the best they had had at a G7 Farewell which was lovely to hear. The downside of this is that she expects the same high standard for the music week - when we busk and play at the old peoples home, as well as now having very high expectations for the Nativity - no pressure! The Grade 6s also got into a lot of trouble for Saturday night because after all the dancing they went into the Kitchen and were stealing all the leftover food and then had a massive food fight - Gilly was not amused!
We are now having three rehearsals a week with the girls coming to Swakopmund in order to learn enough music on the recorder and singing and it obviously has to be a really high standard. Gilly has made ten really smart music folders to put all the music in so I now have to copy out everything that they have learnt so far and put the new pieces in. However, four of the girls (Lizelda, Exeldra, Passion and Margaretha) have been suspended from the music week as they were in the wrong place and didn't return to the hostel until 9.30 on Friday night. Hopefully, if they behave they will be allowed to come but its touch and go at the moment. I have had my music sent to me from Swakop so that I can practise and should be able to play the music by the time I arrive - it shouldn't be allowed for composers to write with 4 sharps or 6 flats!
We have spent this weekend making clouds, stars, crowns and streamers and the Kitchen is filled with polystyrene. The crowns and streamers are finished but there are lots more clouds and stars to make. The Nativity is coming along well and finally there is a bit of life in the scenes and we have chosen all the solos and blocked the carols. We have had to replace Mary as it wasn't working out so our Angel 15, Revonia, is now playing Mary and our Angel 2, Desiree, is also playing Angel 15! Luckily Mary isn't actually a huge part but Revonia already knows all her lines and is doing brilliantly.
We have now booked and paid for the Intercape - we leave from Windhoek on the 23rd and after a 20 hour journey we arrive in Cape Town. We are now coming back on the 1st at 10am as it was £40 cheaper than the 3rd but I don't imagine the journey will be much fun! We have also booked our Youth Hostel and we are staying in Long Street which is supposed to be right in the middle of things. We have been reading lots of travel books and have got very excited about all the things that we want to do.
After a horrible PT lesson with the G4s when we made them run laps instead of continuing doing high jump after some of the boys had all charged at once at the mat and were doing somersaults over it, we were also told to go home as they wanted Catherine and Jordan back - something we really wanted to hear, we no longer have to teach them. Apparently its not just us they are horrible to and everyone is having a problem with them at the moment. Its a real shame as individually there are some really lovely children in that class but all together the create a pack.
This Friday night Chelcie and I had an amazing time and we both agreed that if we hadn't bonded by now (don't worry we have) this would have been the moment when we would have realised what nice people each other were! I had made a new concoction for us to eat - potato and cheese pie with mushrooms, onions and peas in which was good although our potato masher is not that effective so there were a few lumps in it! I made streamers (cutting strips of pink shiny paper and sticking them onto kebab sticks) while Chelcie covered stars in silver foil - after one try Ive been banned from stars although I am good at cutting out clouds! We made our CD player work as a speaker so had lots of music on. We then decided to listen to the music from "The Button Box" this is one of the options we were given for the musical next year - we have fallen in love and it is now a definite. We listened to all the music, many of the songs twice if not three times! There are four main characters: Grandmother, Grandfather, little girl and boy - the latter two are going through their Grandmothers button box and for each button there is a song/story. The music is absolutely brilliant and all totally different - one is about a chocolate button, a Chinese frog, a belly button, an aboriginal one, an Irish leprechaun one... for each button there is a song and some a dance - we danced for about an hour and we already know some of the songs quite well. The Irish leprechaun one will require us to choreograph a 3 minute Irish dance - we already have lots of steps in mind. Elifas (G7) and Diodores (G6) came to return some DVDs and found us dancing crazily around the Kitchen to the Irish dance music which they found hilarious. They stayed for a bit and then we all roasted marshmallows on the Braii which they loved. They obviously went back and told everyone about the "crazy GAPS" who were going mental in the Flat! We also discovered the mouse dead in the middle of the floor - I say we but mean Chelcie. I had been putting things away in the fridge and then moved away, Chelcie then went over to where I had been and was very surprised that I hadn't noticed the dead mouse lying inches from where my feet were. At least its now dead and we don't have to worry about it anymore....unless it has brothers and sisters!
Sara and Paul have adopted a little white kitten with grey stripes. Two very small kittens were found wandering around so they now have one although Paul hates cats! It is very sweet and they are going to Swakop on Wednesday for the weekend so we get to baby sit it which is very exciting. On Saturday night we went to Gillys house for a braii which was great fun as usual and Michael the author has returned for a 3 week visit. Chelcie and I were blackmailed into singing although we managed to escape but only just - actually Gilly wanted Chelcie to sing as she thought I was just a clarinetist but then Chelcie managed to turn the attention onto me declaring I had done my Grade 8 and could sing in German -yes, she is supposed to be my friend, obviously not a very good one! We were given a very strong spirit which was dark brown, incredibly strong and tasted like very potent cough medicine. Gilly also told us about the boy who is coming to St Michaels in January (brother school to Otjikondo and also run by the Stommels) - he is called Sam, comes from Oxfordshire and has the same birthday as Chelcie - very odd. So Sam, if you are reading this HI! I think we will see quite a lot of him as he is coming by himself so I think he will come to Otjikondo for quite a few weekends.
Chelcie paragraph - normally I tell you things that Chelcie says which she considers funny (!) but the last two weeks the joke has been on her. Just as we were getting ready for the Grade 7 Farewell (when everyone wants to look their best) she managed to shave off her leg, removing all hair and most of the skin. Not a pretty sight! I was actually quite sympathetic...On Saturday mornings I always do the Boys bank and Chelcie the Girls. Chelcie always finishes first as Gilly does the G1 and G2 girls so she has less than me. However, this week I finished first, due to Tjirondwauvis sterling work, and celebrated triumphantly until Desvino arrived late wanting bank - I was not amused! At this Chelcie decided to taunt me with her win - running backwards laughing at me. BUT the last laugh was on her as she fell over backwards removing more skin from her right leg. I found this very amusing and was very unsympathetic to her complaints! On Sunday night she managed to burn herself twice on one finger picking up a hot pan - oven gloves Chelcie?! Apparently this is all my fault.....I hear you question why. Apparently I am clumsy and it has rubbed off on her...so I am to blame?! Skewed logic if you ask me...
Today I got to teach the Grade Ones as their teacher wasn't there. I really enjoyed myself although I know that I definitely don't want to teach that age group (six and seven year olds) as they are too young. I did some maths with them (If my Father has nine sheep and then he sells six of them, how many does he have left?) and then I read them a story called "Little Tiger" which they then answered questions on. We also filled in a weather chart - surprisingly enough Monday was Sunny! 37 is a lot to control in a class but much easier when they are all sitting down at desks in twos but there are quite a few girls in that class who I still don't know the names of.
I'm not sure when the next one of these will go up as I don't know if I will have access to the Internet during the holidays. I am thinking of you all lots and lots and I hope the days aren't too dark. I have been very virtuous and last week went running on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning, although my calf muscles were not very happy with this! I am now going on the tar road and then turning left onto the gravel road through one of the farms. The downside of this is that my foot has now packed in and is jolly painful. Shout out this time has to go to Staighty for her incredible letter which was so funny - cant believe that she has been allowed to teach Netball - that should be a crime as we played in the Fs together in Shell!
Lots and lots of love to everyone and I hope that you are all well and happy.
Lots of love and a big hug.
Ottilie xxx
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