Sunday, second day of Olympics. That's what it's all about right now. Three tv-channels of it, so I keep on switching. Nobody else here joins me so I get to choose exactly what to watch. Though I do miss my Swedish commentators and tv-warmups. What is so nice is that I now cheer along Sweden, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Lots of athletes and lots of competitions looove it. Yesterday I snoozed at the tv from half past six in the evening listening to the commentary of the womens' fencing and then woke up a bit more for the swimming.
Perfect end to a day of driving around the academy band and instruments, since we played at Jill's 80th birthday party for a few hours. I have never ever before improvised on the violin so much and for so long. Sometimes I sort of startled myself with "Wow, I'm not concentrating and it still works!!". The band this time was made up of a keyboard, base and the drums plus me. The party was a cheese, dip and sip so an amaaaazing buffet of cheeses, dips, crisps and snacks. Such nice cheeses as well, I really love special cheese.
Friday also had nice touches to it; visited the new bakery while it was being set up, got an extended visa (YEY!!!), some last lessons before the school holidays start, trying out a new violin for a student, watching True Blood with Heather while solving the world's problems and then a night out with great people. I can feel the term is coming to an end, which will be nice, but I will miss my gorgeous Girls' College girls.
Now I can feel my back getting into pain mode again, an all too common occurence theese days, so I better get on my feet and move around.
Happy Olympics-Watching!
Sunday 29 July 2012
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Student concert ahead
This week has started of very well. On Monday Heather and I planned just about the whole trip we're going to do when Linda comes here (3 weeks and 2 days left). Great fun! We're doing Vic Falls, Hwange, Chipangali, Antelope Park, Harare, Chinoiy caves, Nyanga, Matopos and maybe Manama later on with Maria. Hopefully both Heather and John will be able to come with us around the country. Then Heather and I had another coffe (!!) and I had work, sort of not that much to do. And in the evening we ate chinese take away stuff. Yummy!
Yesterday I did two hours of filing for Maria. Brain dead work, but thought I should help a bit now in the hecticness of moving from their factory on the outskirts of town to the take away place they started leasing a few days ago. There is a lot of moving stuff about and Maria has moved her office home, so she is home most of the time nowadays. After the filing we did a bit more planning before I rushed off to have three lessons.
I am getting a bit nervous now, because on Monday we have our end of term student concert and I'm going to have nearly all of my students in it, playing Engelska från Småland. Nobody has really heard my students play yet, since I didn't have any of them in the last concert, so I really hope they will think my teaching is ok. This evening we are having a little group session so that they will have played once together before the concert anyway. Iiiih, such fun!
I spent Sunday night at Manie and Jeanette on the farm and guess what I saw when I went for a walk? Kudus! They were a bit suspicious of me, but jumped over the fence maybe hundred meters ahead of me. And then in the evening they ate just outside the garden fence. Lovely. And I saw Mongooeses (spelling?!) and Impala. Good times!
Now my lunch should be done, better eat fast so I'm not late for my first lesson today. Byeee!
Yesterday I did two hours of filing for Maria. Brain dead work, but thought I should help a bit now in the hecticness of moving from their factory on the outskirts of town to the take away place they started leasing a few days ago. There is a lot of moving stuff about and Maria has moved her office home, so she is home most of the time nowadays. After the filing we did a bit more planning before I rushed off to have three lessons.
I am getting a bit nervous now, because on Monday we have our end of term student concert and I'm going to have nearly all of my students in it, playing Engelska från Småland. Nobody has really heard my students play yet, since I didn't have any of them in the last concert, so I really hope they will think my teaching is ok. This evening we are having a little group session so that they will have played once together before the concert anyway. Iiiih, such fun!
I spent Sunday night at Manie and Jeanette on the farm and guess what I saw when I went for a walk? Kudus! They were a bit suspicious of me, but jumped over the fence maybe hundred meters ahead of me. And then in the evening they ate just outside the garden fence. Lovely. And I saw Mongooeses (spelling?!) and Impala. Good times!
Now my lunch should be done, better eat fast so I'm not late for my first lesson today. Byeee!
Saturday 21 July 2012
Unspoiled Zimbabweans in an Ice Age
You would think that being from Sweden I would manage really cold temperatures. But here it is now 20 degrees in the shade and I was freeeezing inside. So I moved outside into semishade, but there is a wind, which cools me down just as well here.
This week that's been has been one of the coldest this winter. Apparently it snowed down South, but thankfully we don't come that close to the minus degrees. Then I really would have died. It has also been a week of power cuts. On Monday we didn't have any power at the Academy and Wednesday we had two. That's sort of what it's been like all over. People are talking of Hwange powerstation being down, or big debts not been paid or the zesa workers going on strike. Anyhow, it's a bit annoying.
I collected a parcel yestarday that mum had sent, with a Aftonbladet (newspaper) and Fotoguiden (photo magasine) (both from March) and Joe said how strange it was reading what the Swedes were complaining about. Such little things compared to here. It's true, but you get used to life here in a way. You know to make backup plans or just go with the flow. Take it as it comes. Such a difference from Sweden. People in Sweden have asked me what the biggest difference between here and there is and I've had to think really hard, because everything is so different. But I think I've come to one conclusion anyway and that is the way of looking at life. We talk of I-country problems in Sweden, luxury worries. When you don't have any really life threatening problems. Here you don't find that way of thinking at all as much. Only amongst the top top classes, and that still isn't anywhere close to what it's like in Sweden. People have bigger things to worry about here, more pressing matters to overcome and to survive. Already now people are suffering from too little rain the summer that was. Hunger, water rationing and stuff like that. But still they are so friendly and happy and thankful. They know what a life is worth. Really. They aren't spoiled like we Europeans are. We are spoiled with easyness, everything works and is stable. It has made me so much more aware of how lucky I was to be born where I was. I have got so many luxurys for free and not really realised it.
And despite having alot of problems I nearly like life here more. Parts of it anyway. The tempo, the sun, the mostly helpful and friendly people and having a relaxed life, not at all as stressful as I had in Sweden. When I came here first I went mad if I stayed on the plot for a whole day and did nearly nothing. I could not relax. Now I often spend a whole day at home filling it with only sleep, tv, moives, books, internet, cooking and a walk about the garden. I don't feel like the day is wasted. So nice. But I do still need to get out a lot, two days of doing nothing is the maximum; then I do go mad. Yesterday was a deep laze day, so today I have skyped my dear Swedish family + gran for two hours which made most of my day. Then Maria came back from Kariba as well, and I hope I'll be able to go out to Matopos later today. So the day is filling up with fun stuff.
Right, that is quite enough talking, better get going with life.
African hugs to you all!
This week that's been has been one of the coldest this winter. Apparently it snowed down South, but thankfully we don't come that close to the minus degrees. Then I really would have died. It has also been a week of power cuts. On Monday we didn't have any power at the Academy and Wednesday we had two. That's sort of what it's been like all over. People are talking of Hwange powerstation being down, or big debts not been paid or the zesa workers going on strike. Anyhow, it's a bit annoying.
I collected a parcel yestarday that mum had sent, with a Aftonbladet (newspaper) and Fotoguiden (photo magasine) (both from March) and Joe said how strange it was reading what the Swedes were complaining about. Such little things compared to here. It's true, but you get used to life here in a way. You know to make backup plans or just go with the flow. Take it as it comes. Such a difference from Sweden. People in Sweden have asked me what the biggest difference between here and there is and I've had to think really hard, because everything is so different. But I think I've come to one conclusion anyway and that is the way of looking at life. We talk of I-country problems in Sweden, luxury worries. When you don't have any really life threatening problems. Here you don't find that way of thinking at all as much. Only amongst the top top classes, and that still isn't anywhere close to what it's like in Sweden. People have bigger things to worry about here, more pressing matters to overcome and to survive. Already now people are suffering from too little rain the summer that was. Hunger, water rationing and stuff like that. But still they are so friendly and happy and thankful. They know what a life is worth. Really. They aren't spoiled like we Europeans are. We are spoiled with easyness, everything works and is stable. It has made me so much more aware of how lucky I was to be born where I was. I have got so many luxurys for free and not really realised it.
And despite having alot of problems I nearly like life here more. Parts of it anyway. The tempo, the sun, the mostly helpful and friendly people and having a relaxed life, not at all as stressful as I had in Sweden. When I came here first I went mad if I stayed on the plot for a whole day and did nearly nothing. I could not relax. Now I often spend a whole day at home filling it with only sleep, tv, moives, books, internet, cooking and a walk about the garden. I don't feel like the day is wasted. So nice. But I do still need to get out a lot, two days of doing nothing is the maximum; then I do go mad. Yesterday was a deep laze day, so today I have skyped my dear Swedish family + gran for two hours which made most of my day. Then Maria came back from Kariba as well, and I hope I'll be able to go out to Matopos later today. So the day is filling up with fun stuff.
Right, that is quite enough talking, better get going with life.
African hugs to you all!
Wednesday 18 July 2012
The Caffeine Trip
Ahh, I have now come to the one stage in life I have always dreaded. When I have had my first cup of coffe something that I have liked. The story goes as following:
Yesterday afternoon around 3 o'clock I went to the supermarket, which lies very close to a chocolate shop, that also sells drinkable things like hot chocolate and ... coffe. I had recently tasted a Caramel Cafe Latte (I have no idea how you spell it in English, when it really isn't English at all, anyway) that Heather had bought and actually liked it. So I thought I should try a different taste and see if I like that as well or if it would be to coffeish. To my horror I actually really liked the Chohoclate Cookie Cafe Latte that I bought. So within half an hour it was gone and I started speaking very fast, being very happy chappy and probably irritatingly perky. I had two lessons and they just flew past. I ran everywhere and my eyes felt so big. I got home sometime after five and sat chatting to Joe and John with my legs bouncing all the time. I couldn't sit completely still. Thankfully I managed to go to sleep later on though.
Obviously my caffeine tolerance is way down there. I remember Claire you told me I should never drink coffe because I would get so hooked on being so awake. You were so right!! I felt like I'd never been so full of energy in my life and I would love to be like that all the time! But. The cafe latte at that chocolate shop cost $2,50 each so I can't drink them everyday anyway... I have been calculating and thinking it over and I might go for two or at the most three a week. On really busy days. Eesh, I really don't want to be hooked on anything, especially not coffe. (Yoghurt dos not count.)
So. Now I am soon off to buy sushi ingredients so we can have it tonight. Yum!!
Goodmorning!
Yesterday afternoon around 3 o'clock I went to the supermarket, which lies very close to a chocolate shop, that also sells drinkable things like hot chocolate and ... coffe. I had recently tasted a Caramel Cafe Latte (I have no idea how you spell it in English, when it really isn't English at all, anyway) that Heather had bought and actually liked it. So I thought I should try a different taste and see if I like that as well or if it would be to coffeish. To my horror I actually really liked the Chohoclate Cookie Cafe Latte that I bought. So within half an hour it was gone and I started speaking very fast, being very happy chappy and probably irritatingly perky. I had two lessons and they just flew past. I ran everywhere and my eyes felt so big. I got home sometime after five and sat chatting to Joe and John with my legs bouncing all the time. I couldn't sit completely still. Thankfully I managed to go to sleep later on though.
Obviously my caffeine tolerance is way down there. I remember Claire you told me I should never drink coffe because I would get so hooked on being so awake. You were so right!! I felt like I'd never been so full of energy in my life and I would love to be like that all the time! But. The cafe latte at that chocolate shop cost $2,50 each so I can't drink them everyday anyway... I have been calculating and thinking it over and I might go for two or at the most three a week. On really busy days. Eesh, I really don't want to be hooked on anything, especially not coffe. (Yoghurt dos not count.)
So. Now I am soon off to buy sushi ingredients so we can have it tonight. Yum!!
Goodmorning!
Monday 16 July 2012
The Wedding Weekend
This weekend has been one of, if not the best, since I arrived here
in Zim. We went up to Harare on Friday at lunchtime and got back
yesterday around five. It ended up being only Maria, John and I who went
up and then we left Maria there to go on a houseboat on Kariba with
some of the others for nearly a week. When we arrived at Tom (Maria's
cousin) and Wendy's house we were not the only ones there and it filled
up as the evening went on. Quite a few Swedish speaking people (all
old). After dark sometime we were guided to Tom's office where we three
were staying, on matresses on the floor. Huge big house. Before saying
goodnight we watched the second Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr.
Sooooooooo funny. We laughed and laughed and laughed so hard. There was
one part were Sherlock rides a little pony and we actually rewinded like
three times because it was so funny!
Next day we took a short trip to the fleemarket, where Maria bought nailvarnish and we met some of the Aussies who had come back from the roadtrip and were getting ready for the wedding as well. After a pizza each with Maria stressed out about it taking so long time we were going to be late, we got back home showered and so on and ended up with me doing a french braid on Maria while John painted her nails... But we got to the meeting point in time anyway. We jumped onto a bus they had to take us out to the wedding spot, about 45 minutes out of town, up on a big hill. The way the bus and cars drove up to it, over fields and big rocks was amazing, though at one point we thought we were really going to tip over.
The wedding ceremony was so lovely and pretty and nice. The whole village below the hill where there and watched as well. After photoshoots we headed back through the African sunset to a café that Dean's (the groom, Tom's son) sister and mother owned which was beautifully decorated. Everybody under a huge tent with a band playing as well. So many of the Australians were really good musicians, since Sophie (the bride) plays cello superwell. The reception was full of speeches, food, chatting, drinking and music.
I decided quite late that since Dean had a little bit of Swedish blood in him I would play him a Swedish polska. But there were no violins there, so I asked one of the girls who had played viola at the ceremony if I could try to play it on her viola. She said yes, but that it was a really bad one she had borrowed from somewhere here. It was bad, but I managed to get it to sound all right anyway. Then the other viola player said I should borrow hers instead, because it was better, so I said thank you and did. After playing the polska once the whole African band joined in and it sounded really amazing, such fun! When I then went to pack up the viola the owners boyfriend (an amazing cellist) came and told me that yes, that viola was a real bargain, they got it for 20 000 dollars, when it really was worth 40 000 ...!!! And the bow as well was worth 6000 ... Ahhh!!!! Nearly had a heartattack. Apparently it was a 210 year old Engligh antique viola that I had been bashing around out there!!!! Oh boy, I still can't get my head around it...
After that we danced 'til we were dripping. The Australians really were so so so nice, I loved them! Slowly but surely people dropped off and Maria took the car home. John and I got back half past four after a truly wonderful night. In the morning we dropped off Maria and then headed straight for Pizza Inn. No hangover can be really cured without pizza and a coke. The drive home was easy and nice with blasting music and only one road block which we were waved through.
As soon as I got home I then phoned Jill and asked if I could fetch the car, which I could and I now have a not so bright yellow Nissan Sunny again!! Yey!! Amazing, it is so nice to have a car...
Right, this novel should be finished by now. Filled up with new photos now, so should be arriving at nellieinafrica.tumblr.com soon enough.
Tjoho!!
Next day we took a short trip to the fleemarket, where Maria bought nailvarnish and we met some of the Aussies who had come back from the roadtrip and were getting ready for the wedding as well. After a pizza each with Maria stressed out about it taking so long time we were going to be late, we got back home showered and so on and ended up with me doing a french braid on Maria while John painted her nails... But we got to the meeting point in time anyway. We jumped onto a bus they had to take us out to the wedding spot, about 45 minutes out of town, up on a big hill. The way the bus and cars drove up to it, over fields and big rocks was amazing, though at one point we thought we were really going to tip over.
The wedding ceremony was so lovely and pretty and nice. The whole village below the hill where there and watched as well. After photoshoots we headed back through the African sunset to a café that Dean's (the groom, Tom's son) sister and mother owned which was beautifully decorated. Everybody under a huge tent with a band playing as well. So many of the Australians were really good musicians, since Sophie (the bride) plays cello superwell. The reception was full of speeches, food, chatting, drinking and music.
I decided quite late that since Dean had a little bit of Swedish blood in him I would play him a Swedish polska. But there were no violins there, so I asked one of the girls who had played viola at the ceremony if I could try to play it on her viola. She said yes, but that it was a really bad one she had borrowed from somewhere here. It was bad, but I managed to get it to sound all right anyway. Then the other viola player said I should borrow hers instead, because it was better, so I said thank you and did. After playing the polska once the whole African band joined in and it sounded really amazing, such fun! When I then went to pack up the viola the owners boyfriend (an amazing cellist) came and told me that yes, that viola was a real bargain, they got it for 20 000 dollars, when it really was worth 40 000 ...!!! And the bow as well was worth 6000 ... Ahhh!!!! Nearly had a heartattack. Apparently it was a 210 year old Engligh antique viola that I had been bashing around out there!!!! Oh boy, I still can't get my head around it...
After that we danced 'til we were dripping. The Australians really were so so so nice, I loved them! Slowly but surely people dropped off and Maria took the car home. John and I got back half past four after a truly wonderful night. In the morning we dropped off Maria and then headed straight for Pizza Inn. No hangover can be really cured without pizza and a coke. The drive home was easy and nice with blasting music and only one road block which we were waved through.
As soon as I got home I then phoned Jill and asked if I could fetch the car, which I could and I now have a not so bright yellow Nissan Sunny again!! Yey!! Amazing, it is so nice to have a car...
Right, this novel should be finished by now. Filled up with new photos now, so should be arriving at nellieinafrica.tumblr.com soon enough.
Tjoho!!
Thursday 12 July 2012
Heading for Harare
I am now desperately trying to remember what I am going to forget in my packing for going to Harare tomorrow... I always forget something, just trying to minimise the forgetfullness-damage. We are leaving tomorrow lunchtime and Dean and Sophie's wedding is about the same time on Saturday. Then we head back home on Sunday, except Maria who gets to spend a few days on a houseboat on Kariba... Lucky fish. I told you the wrong thing before about who was who. Tom is Maria's cousin and Dean is his son.
So, I've borrowed a dress from Heather, I've tried to patch up one of the bags Molly tried to eat and I've at long last found a make up shop so I have some of that as well. Now I just need to do my one lesson tomorrow and then we should be good to go. But you know me, I'll be running around last minute anyway, At least I packed the night before this time! Packing while skypeing friends as well. Lovely to see your faces again!
On Sunday/Monday I am at laaaaaaast getting a car. I can't tell you how happy I will be. Materalistic as it may be, it will make my life so so so much easier.
No, now it is time for bed, I have to get up early tomorrow... 07.30. yew, can you imagine?!? I'll have to put the alarm on quarter to seven, so I have a really long time to snooze it. The earlier I wake up, the longer I have to snooze. True story. Anyways, night night, see you next week. I've started a food series on my tumblr, so have a look there if you want. Bye!!
So, I've borrowed a dress from Heather, I've tried to patch up one of the bags Molly tried to eat and I've at long last found a make up shop so I have some of that as well. Now I just need to do my one lesson tomorrow and then we should be good to go. But you know me, I'll be running around last minute anyway, At least I packed the night before this time! Packing while skypeing friends as well. Lovely to see your faces again!
On Sunday/Monday I am at laaaaaaast getting a car. I can't tell you how happy I will be. Materalistic as it may be, it will make my life so so so much easier.
No, now it is time for bed, I have to get up early tomorrow... 07.30. yew, can you imagine?!? I'll have to put the alarm on quarter to seven, so I have a really long time to snooze it. The earlier I wake up, the longer I have to snooze. True story. Anyways, night night, see you next week. I've started a food series on my tumblr, so have a look there if you want. Bye!!
Saturday 7 July 2012
Halfway through!!
Today is the seventh, a Saturday, the second weekend of July. I came here on the seventh of January, a Saturday, the second weekend of the month. This means that I have been here exactly six months!! I have only half a year left here. It's weird, because time has gone so fast at the same time as I feel like I've been here such a long time. So much has happened, I have experienced so much and yet sometimes (not that often though) it feels like I just left Sweden. Every week here I learn something new.
Yesterday Olle and Karin came here, Maria's uncle and his wife. They are here for Dean and Sophie's wedding in Harare, which we are also going to. They are a lovely old couple. So they are visiting us this weekend, which is nice, but a little too much Swedish for my taste. Today we did a bit of a tourist shopping tour and it was lovely seeing all the lovely African stuff, but my right shin was sore so it spoiled it a bit. Tomorrow we might go to Matopos, we'll see. They are soon heading off with Maria and Joe to some event, while we youngsters have a braii here. Nice!
Happy Halfways!
Yesterday Olle and Karin came here, Maria's uncle and his wife. They are here for Dean and Sophie's wedding in Harare, which we are also going to. They are a lovely old couple. So they are visiting us this weekend, which is nice, but a little too much Swedish for my taste. Today we did a bit of a tourist shopping tour and it was lovely seeing all the lovely African stuff, but my right shin was sore so it spoiled it a bit. Tomorrow we might go to Matopos, we'll see. They are soon heading off with Maria and Joe to some event, while we youngsters have a braii here. Nice!
Happy Halfways!
Thursday 5 July 2012
Happy Birthday Ella!!
Phew, I am tired. Jeanette's daughter Talita had her 22nd birthday yesterday and we went out to celebrate her, so I got home rather late. This morning then wasn't the best. First of all zesa had gone, so no internet to see if my present to Ella had arrived, no toast and worst of all no hot water in the baths, only a slow drizzle in the shower... AND to top it off I had aready eaten up my weeks worth of yoghurt. Not to mention banging my head into the bathtub while having a blonde moment (stupidly thinking I would whip my wet hair into the bathtub...). So all in all not the best of mornings, but it got better when Jeanette and Talita picked me up and we on the way to GC stopped off at a bookshop. Haven't been into one in six months! Though at home I have found some of the Harry Potter books, so I do have some mindnumbing stuff.
But none of my problems really matter today, because today is Ella's 18th birthday!!! I so wish I could be there. It sounds like it's going to be a good party with lots of friends and family. One of the first things I realised with horror when I thought of coming here was that I'd miss her birthday, not a happy thought. But time is sort of unstoppable and I will have many more of her birthdays to celebrate. So anyway, today my thoughts will go repeatedly to my little-sister. Love you lots and Happy Birthday Ella!!
Just have to tell you as well how friendly people are here, so nice. On Wednesday's morning walk I met an elderly/older man who also was a walker and we started talking and said we should maybe keep each other company sometime for a walk in Hillsaide Dams, where I can't walk alone for safety reasons. Though he did mention that the day before he had walked 30 km, so I was slightly intimidated. But just meeting somebody on the road and chatting like that; it doesn't happen the same way in Sweden. I like it.
So, now I am supposed to meet to guys who might want me to play at a fashion show, fun!
Tjingeling!
But none of my problems really matter today, because today is Ella's 18th birthday!!! I so wish I could be there. It sounds like it's going to be a good party with lots of friends and family. One of the first things I realised with horror when I thought of coming here was that I'd miss her birthday, not a happy thought. But time is sort of unstoppable and I will have many more of her birthdays to celebrate. So anyway, today my thoughts will go repeatedly to my little-sister. Love you lots and Happy Birthday Ella!!
Just have to tell you as well how friendly people are here, so nice. On Wednesday's morning walk I met an elderly/older man who also was a walker and we started talking and said we should maybe keep each other company sometime for a walk in Hillsaide Dams, where I can't walk alone for safety reasons. Though he did mention that the day before he had walked 30 km, so I was slightly intimidated. But just meeting somebody on the road and chatting like that; it doesn't happen the same way in Sweden. I like it.
So, now I am supposed to meet to guys who might want me to play at a fashion show, fun!
Tjingeling!
Tuesday 3 July 2012
I have Internet!!
Yeah, it's amazing; we've got it at last!! And for a little while now we have unlimitited internet as well. Jippie yo!! We are downloading heaps now. Hehe. Anyway, if you feel like skypeing me, please just contact me and we'll make a plan. I want to skype you! Right bedtime. Nighty-nighty!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)