Week 7 - 13.5.12

HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY to all the amazing MUM’s out there!

What a week, this has probably been the busiest yet!

I went to Solwezi on Monday with a couple of the girls here and Laura. We had a very hectic time trying to fit a day’s worth of shopping into a couple of hours. We left just after we dropped the kids at school, and had to be back by 2:30pm to pick the kids up. Luckily, my wonderful new neighbour picked up Tom and he played at his friend’s house until we got home. I found the pharmacy, an electrical / hardware store, bank, courier’s office, clothing shop and pizza shop! Helene also showed us where the material shop is. It’s amazing. You walk through these small alley ways that have dirt, rubbish and rocks all over the ground and then step out into this bustling market environment. There were hundreds of bikes lined up for sale, fruit and vegetables, lots of black school shoes (which on closer inspection were ‘osh kosh’ coloured shoes, painted black), tools, plastic ware, toys and material. It’s like walking into another world. You would have no idea it existed looking at it from the road. The material is gorgeous. I can’t wait to go back and start buying, as I had run out of money by this point. Oh the things I will be able to make!

We also went to the Solwezi mine site. It contains a housing compound as well and the only ex pat hairdresser around for miles! The houses are brick and gorgeous. They are individually contained behind a wire fence, and so people can have dogs there. But, I am glad I live in Lumwana. It seemed too spread out. I like the close knit community feel we have here, and the fact that the kids are free to roam between all the houses.  They would not be able to do that there.

Tuesday, I helped out at Tom’s school. It really is exhausting work. All us Mum’s just want to go home and rest after our morning at school. Laura was especially tired and irritable today after her long trip yesterday and her morning at school too.

On Wednesday, after dropping Tom off at school,  Vannida and myself went for a walk. As Laura had to come also, I thought I would try to carry her ‘African’ style rather than push the stroller over the horrendous dam road pot holes. It certainly gave me respect for the women here. It was hard work. Mind you, Laura is a lot bigger than what they would normally carry. But I was not carrying a huge load on my head as they would do also. I just kept walking and thinking of the calories that I hoped I was burning….lol.

Thursday was my cooking day. After the HUGE bunch of banana’s that I bought last weekend, I had quite a few that needed to be cooked or thrown out. I can’t throw out food here. It does not feel right at any time, but especially here when so many go hungry. Thus, I made banana bread with the last ones, plus a caramel butter cake (delicious) and decadent chocolate biscuits (you just need to look at them to put on weight). All this before I picked Tom up at 12pm! The afternoon was relaxing, as a friend dropped in to pick up her little girl that I was looking after and stayed for a 2 hour chat.

The locals got quite a shock on Friday, as Tom wore a Spiderman costume up to the take away shop. It certainly got quite a few smiles that’s for sure and I am positive they think us “mzungu” (white person) are very, very strange. I did not have the heart to get him to take it off, as lately he has been missing his costumes and toys and has been talking about going back home. I knew it would happen, and they both have done well to get to this point without wanting to go home. But, Tom is now starting to feel home sick for his belongings. I hope that his birthday next week and then our holiday the week after will keep him happy for a bit longer.

On Saturday, I had to do the grocery shopping which is now just so much easier with a car. This is where I found the roses. They brought them 1000kms from Lusaka, just for us girls for Mother’s day. How could I not buy some. Then, again I did more cooking this time, more biscuits.  I made chocolate chip and ginger cookies. And before you start thinking that we had eaten all of the last weeks cooking, no we or I had not. I was just stocking up on biscuits for when all the kids drop in. The housing group that I am in, means that there are usually 6 kids all playing together and that means a lot of biscuits! I am also glad that they all get along reasonably well together. Callum and Lachie are 4. Tom and Gryffy are 3, Laura is 2 and Isabel is 20 months. They do have a ball altogether.

Phil went to a quiz night Saturday night and his team won! Good thing I stayed home with the kids as I am hopeless at those things. I had a lovely, relaxing evening watching a ‘girlie’ movie all by myself with a glass of Amarula and my first bowl of ice-cream since we left Australia. Unfortunately, the ice-cream melted on the way home from Solwezi on Monday, and so did not taste too good, but I was not about to complain. Phil won a bottle of wine and a woodencrocodile bottle opener.

Today being Mother’s day, I got to have a sleep in. The kids had been busy making me a card each with their beautiful drawings all over them, whilst I slept. Phil then surprised me with my monkey (see photo), face masks and a painting of African women carrying things on their heads. I saw the monkey’s the first time I went to the markets here on site and fell in live with them. Don’t ask me why, but I just did. So I am extremely glad to have one. We saw both our mum’s on Skype which is always lovely to say hello. I then went out to lunch with my friend Michelle. Phil and Jan agreed that we would both appreciate some child free time and enjoy a lovely lunch without them. So that is exactly what we did. How wonderful it was to sit, drink and eat in piece! We were the first to arrive and I think the last to leave, and spent 3 ½ hours having a lovely chat. Can you believe a glass of wine only cost AUD $1.50!!!!!!!! Need to go out more….lol. It really has been a wonderful day. Perfect weather and a gorgeous warm evening included.