Definitely the least planned Out Weekend of all time but turned out to be an amazing weekend nonetheless. I had planned to go home with Glenn but obviously due to her illness this wasn’t an option anymore. Chelcie and I decided to hitch to Outjo on the Friday and then spend the rest of the weekend finishing everything else that we needed to do for the Button Box – finish costumes, props and backdrop.
As we were walking out to the road we watched three cars drive past and thought we wouldn’t have much trouble hitching a lift. As soon as were at the road there was obviously no traffic but we started walking towards Outjo rather than just stand there and after about 15 minutes we got a lift. We got into a cab of a lorry with two guys who were driving from Oshakati to Windhoek and had been driving since 5am. It was one of our more comfortable rides although Chelcie managed to rid the inside of her jeans as she got into the cab! We saw so many warthogs on our journey so we started to count – on the way to and from Outjo (1h 45m in total) we saw 91 warthogs! Apparently you always see lots in winter but this is a crazy number!
We went straight to the Bank where we had to queue for ages as it was the end of month and therefore everyone was taking money out. We then went to the Post Office – Gilly had given us 110 letters which she had asked us to buy stamps for and post. To send to Europe you need $5.40 stamps however they only had 56 of these and therefore the rest of the letters needed 3 stamps to make the right amount of postage not forgetting the air mail sticker on top. This meant that between us we licked 332 stamps! Our tongues were soooo dry by the end of us and we rushed to buy drinks to recover! We went to print off photos and I asked the man to look at my camera. This is the one I bought a month ago to replace my stolen one – for some reason last night when I tried to upload my photos or charge it nothing happened. He told me that the bit inside the camera was in broken so I’m back to square one again without a camera and more money down the drain – very annoying.
It was very weird being in Outjo and not totally overexcited about using the Internet. Also probably the last time that we will be here....agh! We ended up in The Farmhouse for lunch and all of last year’s Grade 7 boys walked past. It was so lovely to see them and it was so sweet that they were all together especially as two were wearing Otjikondo t-shirts! They were such a wonderful year and it was great to catch up as we had missed them. We then started walking back to Otjikondo via the Garage to buy a calypso which was very welcome in the midday sun. We were passed by the Swiss Teachers and we stopped for a chat with them before saying our Goodbyes again.
We managed to get a lift to the turning towards Kamanjab pretty much straight away. We were picked up by a lovely Afrikaans couple – he had been to school with Mrs Vermaak at Outjo and had lived at Otjikondo with his wife for two years when it was still a police station. They were really lovely and invited us to come and stay with them for a night and said if we didn’t get another lift just to ring them and they would come and pick us up. This was all without giving us their name or number but they were really lovely. I get bored of just standing by the road waiting for a lift so we started walking and walking and walking some more without a car in sight. We got passed by a couple of cars containing the children who were leaving school and were extremely excited to see us. (On Monday we got asked if we walked the whole way back, obviously we lied and said yes and the children now think we walked the 90km home!) Luckily, we managed to get a lift in the end on the back of a combi. It was pretty comfortable as were sitting on some tyres but that made us pretty high up and as a result I had tears running down my face the whole way home because of the wind! I say down but I actually mean sideways as the wind was so strong. When we got to St Michaels we stopped in a stopover for a bit and it turned out that one of the guys in the front was Amor’s, from G3, father. We got talking to him and he was asking where we had been in Namibia. He was shocked that we haven’t been to Epupa Falls, somewhere be both would love to go, and said he was going to take us. When we got back to Otjikondo he took my number so we could keep in contact and arrange a time when he would take us. I’ve now had various texts and calls from Harry which I’ve ignored as I feel weird texting someone’s who I teach father and according to Paul we would have to pay in some way or another for the trip!
Reiner has been awarded the equivalent of an MBE from Germany which is absolutely incredible. He deserves it so much as all the work that he has done is absolutely incredible. Apparently it’s even more special as Reiner is actually a Namibian citizen and therefore it’s much more complicated for him to be awarded this as it has to go through loads of different things to be approved. I’m so glad that he’s getting the recognition that he deserves.
On Saturday morning we managed to get everything done that we wanted which was a first. I finished making the costumes which was a massive relief as I seem to have had a needle permanently attached to my hand this term. Chelcie finished the window for the backdrop which looks absolutely amazing and I’m really exciting to get it up. I also made a table, sorted Grandma’s costume with Aune and glued the handle onto the Button Box.
We decided to go for a Picnic bicycle ride at lunch time. We borrowed Paul and Sara’s bikes and set off with a rucksack containing a blanket, ipod and speaker, salad, yoghurt and water. Chelcie was on Sara’s bike which had Helena’s baby seat in front and therefore she could only pedal with her legs sideways and looked hilarious. I was on Paul’s bike which was MASSIVE for me and my arms could hardly reach the handles so it wasn’t the most comfortable of rides. We went on the tar road towards Kamanjab and stopped under a tree for our picnic. It was really nice and good to be outside and away from the school and then we came back again.
Roland came over at 4 with Max. Although we’ve been in contact we haven’t seen Roland and Max (his dog) since Oktoberfest which was eight months ago. Max who was just a puppy then has tripled in size at least and they were both in brilliant form. It was really great to catch up and we had an amazing time. We had organised to stay in the girls hostel that night as some of the children hadn’t gone home and they wanted us to come for a sleepover. We said that we would come over at 9 as we thought that Roland would just stay for an early supper, sadly we had to let down the girls as Roland was here until 4am! We had a really fun night and it was great to chill.
The first day of July was very relaxed, I spent the morning in bed before having a clear up and clean of my room. We went for a very relaxed braai at Paul and Sara’s who quickly discovered how hung-over we were and found it very funny that as Roland was leaving Helena had woken them up! Can’t say we got much done in the afternoon either but we watched Harry Potter 2 and our lights were out by 8:30 having planned lessons for the upcoming week. Didn’t think that the weekend would be that spectacular but it was very enjoyable.
I really can’t believe that June is over; I said that May had gone in a flash so June must have gone in a flicker. Chelcie pointed out that it was half way through the year, I said we were half way months ago but she said half way through 2012. That is the craziest thing ever and really sure how it’s happened but it has. At the end of 6 months I did ‘Best Sister Writing Award’ and the outcome was 1st place: Cluny with 6 letters, 2nd place: Lou Lou with 5 letters and 3rd place: Matilda with 3 letters. Matilda has since requested that I re-award this so as of today.....
1st Place: Cluny with 11 letters (I’ve sent 15 letters)
2nd Place: Matilda and Lou Lou joint with 6 letters! (I’ve sent Matilda 10 and Lou Lou 8 letters)
Other records for the month are I cried once (has to be an all time low – Chelcie note The Wanted reference!), read six books, wrote 34 letters and received 8 (dismal effort from you guys! Although to be fair we’ve only got post twice this month so not sure whether you’ve all stopped writing to me or whether they just haven’t been collected), saw 91 warthogs in a day, became legal in Namibia with two months to go, went running with two giraffes and generally did way too much sewing!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAIGHTY! I really can’t believe that this time last year we had just got back from Tenerife, was going to Leavers Ball and actually leaving school. So much has happened in a year, it seems totally crazy that it wasn’t longer ago.
All the children returned from the Out Weekend full of beans, actually as if they were full of magic beans. They had SO much energy but all were very happy as well which was lovely. I spent Monday morning erecting the Backdrop with the help of Ivan. We nailed our ‘wall’ to the actual wall and then stuck the window to our ‘wall’ and then hung the window frame over the top. Later Chelcie and I glued the border to the ‘wall’ and it’s now complete and I’m really happy with how it looks.
Sadly Tuesday arrived with the onset of tonsillitis which really didn’t make me happy at all. I really think I’ve had enough illness this year and not sure I can cope with any more. Gilly returned from Swakop on Wednesday evening and brought me some antibiotics after I’d talked to the doctor on the phone – my fifth lot in 10 months. Definitely think I could do with having my tonsils removed once I’m home.
Spent the week in Art starting to cut out work and mount it ready to display which is actually very time consuming but strangely therapeutic, maybe that’s just because I’m feeling quite out of it at the moment. I had the idea of making a huge world map on a piece of fabric which would go up on one of the walls above the cupboards. Chelcie drew it out using her own scale and with the help of Diina and Paulus we have painted each continent in a different block colour which looks really good. It looks a bit like a giant risk board. We just need to paint the sea and then we are going to make some people to go around the edge which we are going to make clothes for – one or two to represent each continent. So for example the Asia people might wear a kimono or have one for Europe in top hat and tails. I think it will look really effective on the wall and the G7s will have fun helping us to do it.
On Wednesday afternoon we had a full run through of the Button Box in preparation to showing Sara and.....it went REALLY WELL! There is still plenty to work on but the energy was heaps better, they remembered the dances and most of the time when to come in and generally it was just a success. Very happy. Afterwards we tried their costumes in which had mixed reactions from them – they weren’t very keen on the Indian clothes but loved the African ones we had taken from Impi Ntombi. The boys refused to wear waistcoats without tops underneath to be sailors so we’ve comprised and let them wear little vest tops. Ruben who is Uncel Jack the Sailor Captain cried when he saw his sailor top as for some reason he thought he was going to be dressed as a pirate?! Luckily the next day I took him again to try it on and he has said he will wear it and I managed to find a sailor cap to go with it which he likes.
Swiss Family Robinson arrived in the post which was SO EXCITING. This is one of my all time favourite films and I was so shocked that Chelcie hadn’t watched it that I asked Mummy to send it out! We had a great evening enjoying it and both agreed that with the right person we could quite happily live there.
Thursday afternoon I retired to bed and I awoke on Friday sounding like Darth Vader. Spent the day in bed reading and feeling generally miserable L! Luckily on Saturday woke up feeling slightly more human and the drugs seem to be kicking in. On Friday evening Hannah and Carla arrived....Hannah is 24, from Northumberland and is taking a year off from work to travel and has come to Otjikondo for a couple of weeks. Carla is 18 from Germany and is here for 6 weeks which brings us to the end of term - AGHHHHH. They are both really nice and it will be fun having people here with us again.
I have finally heard my accommodation for next year and after much anticipation I’m going to be living in Holland Halls which was my first choice so that’s very exciting. The most exciting thing is that Hen is also going to Holland so there will be a friendly face about. Chelcie and I spent a break time looking at our respective University websites (she is studying Marketing at Durham) and freaking out. Seems very frightening so just trying not to think about it all! Sending love to everyone in my beautiful Darth Vader voice!
Love from Me xxxx
No comments:
Post a Comment