Another first for Alison

I went to my first yoga class this morning - and I absolutely loved it. I've put if off for many months because I like aerobics and there's not enough loud music in yoga (even though I had a sneaking suspicion that yoga would be good for me!)

But I was at Gaborone Yacht Club (yes really!) yesterday evening with some friends I first met in Rwanda and they brought along another friend who told me about the class. So we went to yoga together and it was great. (I declined the offer to stay for the 1-day workshop on Femininity!)

Now I just have to find a class in Francistown .... or is it Honiara ... or is it Windhoek ... or is it Kigali - still not sure yet :-)

Murphy strikes again!

If you see Murphy - please kick him in the shins for me ... he's been at work with his law again.

John left on Monday morning - on Sunday night both the remotes for the gate stopped working - we couldn't get into the property ... luckily the gardener was staying over. On Monday and Tuesday I was sick with a tummy bug and couldn't lift my head from the pillow. On Tuesday the gardener said he needed an hour to go to his old place of employment to drop off his uniform. He was gone for the whole day.

On Wednesday, the gardener had to go off again to get his money for the uniform - he was not back when Agnes left and I was at college. When I got home he was standing outside the gate, dripping wet. Inside the gate the dogs where soaked through and had obviously rolled around the entire garden in the mud.

I had just got inside and dried off and made a cup of tea when the gardener (who is supposed to be our guard when John goes away) came and told me he had to go out 'to take money to his friend for his rent'. I refused and there was a long discussion. I could only resolve it by calling John - who reminded him he's not allowed off the property in the evening and managed to sort him out as he had made the arrangements with him. I went back to watching Eastenders. 15 minutes later, he is back at the front door. Now he has to go to the shop to buy bread (despite the fact that it is 6 o'clock at night and he has been out for most of the day). He got very upset when I wouldn't agree and I got very stressed and we had a big row. Another phone call to John. A sulking guard returns to his room. By now I am stressed and upset.

Then the heavens opened and we had rain like I have never seen before ... not even in Ireland (tell you that story some other time.) There was a lot of very loud thunder directly overhead and many flashes of lightening and the dogs were petrified, so soaking wet and covered in mud they tried to sit on my lap or wrap themselves around my legs. The satellite dish got waterlogged so the tv went off and I spent the whole evening rushing around the house with towels and bowls to put under the sieve that serves as a roof in our house. At least the electricity didn't go off ...

WHY do these things always fall apart while John is away? WHY does the gardener always play up when I am here alone?? I think it is time for John to come home now :-(

Grand News!

Just wanted to share with you all that John has had his operation today and the doctor and the surgeon are really pleased with his progress. All his blood levels and liver functions are back up where they should be and everything is looking good. They told him that they were very worried even for his survival when he first went there a year ago and he has made a remarkable recovery.
Here's a picture of him at Planet Baobab.

It's nice to have good news to share :-)

Nata Village Blog

Please note the new entry on the Nata Village Blog - their river is flowing! Now for you folk in the northern hemisphere, that's not really news. But believe me, in our part of the world it is great cause for celebration. The Ntshe River alongside our property is also flowing - John took some pictures but still has them in his camera in Cape Town - so I cannot show you.

I hear you guys in the north are getting a little precipitation too ... but the white kind ... :-)

from my sick bed

John's gone off to Cape Town & I'm confined to bed with a horrid tummy bug so I'm writing this on my cellphone! I finally managed to work out how to get on the internet on it.

Hope to be better tomorrow as I have just got a new contract to do a workshop on elearing in 2 weeks' time. I have to cover video & audio & blogs & podcasts & wikis so there's lots to prepare. Looking forward to it though - it will be exciting.

John is having his operation on Tuesday - I'll keep you posted.