Assumptions, Public Beach and Goats

OK this is my second attempt at posting today - I spent about 20-minutes and lost everything due to a very sick PC so this is going to be short and sweet.

Assumptions;

Don't assume that a warning not to leave clothes out at night only applies to hanging them over the back of chairs or on walls. Mme Chorongo's dogs can (apparently) remove clothes from clotheslines where they have been pegged and use them for their bedding during the early hours.. Grace suggested they were simply obliging me by ironing the clothes.. if this is the case then they need to change their ironing spray as it was unpleasant to say the least lol

Second assumption - don't assume when the plumber (or fundi) fixes your water that is the end of the problem - it probably is for one day but that is as good as it gets.

Third assumption - don't assume when you arrange to meet a Kenyan at a specific time that they will turn up - "Jo-an didn't you know you are in Africa?? This is African time" So I am having lots of opportunities to sit at Mme Chorongo's front gate and reflect on life whilst I wait for my 'date' to turn up. lol one-hour is fairly normal. Those of you who know my bad reputation for being on time will be saying 'what goes around comes around!!

Tuesday was a public holiday in Kenya so Grace, Omar, Omar's cousin Pauline, Omar's son Hassan and nine children from the Orphanage set off at 2pm for the Public Beach. A great time was had by all, we walked approx four miles in all to get there and back and the kids, even the youngest at four years was still bubbly and having fun when we got back to the Orphanage at 6.30pm even though the last 30-mins we were walking in pitch darkness, just a few stars. The beach was full of people enjoying the day off and there was also a Christian Crusade being conducted which attracted a crowd. We had fun on the way back as part of the beach was flooded with the tide and we had to get a couple of local entrepreneurs to use their converted paddle boats to get us across - the kids loved the unplanned boat ride.

Even though we walked there and back never once did we hear the familiar (to anyone with kids in the UK going on a trip) "are we there yet" or "I'm tired." Omar explained that the children had no expectations of getting anywhere other than by walking so no problem to them.

Pamela, Omar's sister had dinner ready and afterwards Grace and I got a motorbike home. Now I know you will be sick of my tales of riding on these bikes but I need to add that the only thing worse than riding one during the day is riding one in the pitch darkness. The odd goat wondered on to the road obviously oblivious to the fact that I really need a clear road to have any hope of arriving home in one piece. The motorbike driver (is that what they are called?) asked why I was so nervous. I asked him how he knew. He replied that if he were to tell his girlfriend how tight I was holding him she wouldn't speak to him for a week!!

This week I have been listening to a child in Mr Obadiah's class read - we have been sitting out side in the sun whilst she reads her book to me. Mr O takes primary one and the kids are generally good with their reading in English however there are a few that need a little extra support and I'm happy to help.

Last period I looked after Grace's class. These are the young kids 4-5 years. Grace had to go to the primary school to meet up with Lemy. These kids ran rings round me lol They loved the fact that I couldn't roar at them in Swahili so basically did what they liked. We ended up playing outside. Someone has fixed a wire ring round one of the trees and I tried to get them to throw the ball into the ring - however give a Kenyan boy a ball and it automatically goes to their feet so we ended up playing football whilst the girls fought over the swings - all good fun. I was glad to see Grace return. :-)

The visa/permit. Saga goes on. Everything is ready for the Emigration department in Mombasa however I haven't managed to get there yet. I thought it was happening today but maybe tomorrow - after all this is Africa!! lol