So, I think this is the third week of term, but I'm not sure. Time is just running past me. I now have a slightly different schedule, but only a tiny bit. It feels so weird to think that this is my last term. Ahh!! I don't want to leave my kids/teenagers, they are too wonderful. But I will as I must. Before I do though we have a lot going on. Concerts and gigs and concerts. Phew. Plus my birthday!!! I am turning twenty in less than a month. I can hardly understand it. I don't feel nineteen, but I don't feel twenty either. Hopefully I'll be in Hwange then, seeing as I haven't been there yet, despite my best efforts.
It is getting considerably warmer now, which is welcome after the freezing winter we had. However, I am constantly warned that October will kill us all with it's stinking heat. I wish we could keep it like this; warm enough to never be cold in a summer dress. (Bought soooooo much stuff at Bendover last time.) I have noticed that my morning walks, which I have now revived after the holiday, feel a lot better heatwise too early in the morning for my liking. So unfortunately that might continue from now on...
I bought a 2TB external harddrive just before Linda left and have now transeferred nearly all my photos and movies there, which on my computer made it impossible for me to even play spotify songs, due to lack of disc space. On the external now, it hardly makes a dent in the space. Amazing. Very cheap as well, $215. Good buy Nellie, good buy.
And good bye to you as well. Time to skype Ella. I think.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Kind of back
I have kind of struggled getting back into blogging mode since Linda came/left. Suddenly work is back and in full speed and life just seems to wizz past. A week ago exactly Linda ran off back to Sweden and for the first time since February I am the only person under 50 staying here. Strange.
On Friday we had another performance of the SOTC, but this time without intruments which was very interesting and meant we choirleaders had to do much more. Anyway, we survived and it is over now. Celebrated with pizza at Sam's.
I feel like I should tell lots about when Linda was here, but I can't remember what I've already told you. We did a lot anyway. Antelope Park, Chipengali, bendover, craft shops, work, Vic Falls, Jeanette's farm, Heather's farm, tummy bugs, car breakdown, a whole heap of chatting, Wordfeuding, walks, shopping, suntanning, cooking, dinners and lots more. I couldn't believe how bad my Swedish was when she came, but by the time she left it was kind of okay. It was a bit of a stress having to try and think in Swedish, and talk! Much easier with English I felt. So now I am back to that. Comfortable. I just kept on forgetting the Swedish words, or making them English. For Swedes: Once Linda and I were driving in the dark and I said " Åh, kolla väglamporna är på!" And she replied "Japp, och gatlyktorna också..." Felt a bit stupid. Anyhow.
Today I am to meet a girl called Chelsea, who is a niece of someone who gran knows (if I've understood correctly), at Hillside Dams, so I better get going. I'll try to come back here a bit more often than I have lately. There have been coming up a few photos on my tumblr if you've missed that in my blogging absence. nellieinafrica.tumblr.com
Toodles!
On Friday we had another performance of the SOTC, but this time without intruments which was very interesting and meant we choirleaders had to do much more. Anyway, we survived and it is over now. Celebrated with pizza at Sam's.
I feel like I should tell lots about when Linda was here, but I can't remember what I've already told you. We did a lot anyway. Antelope Park, Chipengali, bendover, craft shops, work, Vic Falls, Jeanette's farm, Heather's farm, tummy bugs, car breakdown, a whole heap of chatting, Wordfeuding, walks, shopping, suntanning, cooking, dinners and lots more. I couldn't believe how bad my Swedish was when she came, but by the time she left it was kind of okay. It was a bit of a stress having to try and think in Swedish, and talk! Much easier with English I felt. So now I am back to that. Comfortable. I just kept on forgetting the Swedish words, or making them English. For Swedes: Once Linda and I were driving in the dark and I said " Åh, kolla väglamporna är på!" And she replied "Japp, och gatlyktorna också..." Felt a bit stupid. Anyhow.
Today I am to meet a girl called Chelsea, who is a niece of someone who gran knows (if I've understood correctly), at Hillside Dams, so I better get going. I'll try to come back here a bit more often than I have lately. There have been coming up a few photos on my tumblr if you've missed that in my blogging absence. nellieinafrica.tumblr.com
Toodles!
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Matopos, Bulawayo and Vic Falls in a week
Wow, it seems like forever since I wrote here last. Anyhow. Terribly tired now, got back from three nights in Vic Falls this afternoon, but thought I should show signs of life here before the gravity of my pillow gets too strong and pulls me under.
SO, we spent two nights out on the farm last week, then on Friday the brakes on my Sunbeam (aka the yellow Nissan Sunny) packed up way out of town and had to take it to car-hospital for a few days. Problem here: we were going to go to the falls on the Sunday. Instead we went to the bendover market and to Chipengali, the animal centre. I should mention that Friday night was spent on our veranda roof watching the blue moon, with cardgames, a movie and sleep. Monday we jumped on a bus to the falls and spent three nights at a backpacker's lodge called Shoestrings. Linda looooved it. I knew she would. We went white water rafting on Tuesday which we of course loooved (only flipped once though...), chilled in the afternoon (/died of exhaustion), had pizza and chatted. Wednesday we went to Victoria Falls National Park. Well, I went there and spent a few hours with a milkshake while Linda did the Bridge Swing on the bridge. We then trotted around the park, seeing so much more than when Peter and I were there. There was much less water now, so less mist, but then also less water coming over the edge. For late lunch I had a Crocodile Tail Wrap. Way cool. We hurried home to catch the Sunset Cruise on the Zambesi above the falls. Beautiful. Home and shower at last. It was actually really warm in the falls, much warmer than here at home. After a long and good night at the Shoestrings bar we got up at another ungodly hour and headed back to Bulawayo.
That is basically a weeks worth of stuff we've done. I might write more about it later, we'll see. The days are going so fast now, but it feels like Linda has always been here. Part of the furniture. At the moment her bed. I think I will follow her example and head for mine. Night everybody!
SO, we spent two nights out on the farm last week, then on Friday the brakes on my Sunbeam (aka the yellow Nissan Sunny) packed up way out of town and had to take it to car-hospital for a few days. Problem here: we were going to go to the falls on the Sunday. Instead we went to the bendover market and to Chipengali, the animal centre. I should mention that Friday night was spent on our veranda roof watching the blue moon, with cardgames, a movie and sleep. Monday we jumped on a bus to the falls and spent three nights at a backpacker's lodge called Shoestrings. Linda looooved it. I knew she would. We went white water rafting on Tuesday which we of course loooved (only flipped once though...), chilled in the afternoon (/died of exhaustion), had pizza and chatted. Wednesday we went to Victoria Falls National Park. Well, I went there and spent a few hours with a milkshake while Linda did the Bridge Swing on the bridge. We then trotted around the park, seeing so much more than when Peter and I were there. There was much less water now, so less mist, but then also less water coming over the edge. For late lunch I had a Crocodile Tail Wrap. Way cool. We hurried home to catch the Sunset Cruise on the Zambesi above the falls. Beautiful. Home and shower at last. It was actually really warm in the falls, much warmer than here at home. After a long and good night at the Shoestrings bar we got up at another ungodly hour and headed back to Bulawayo.
That is basically a weeks worth of stuff we've done. I might write more about it later, we'll see. The days are going so fast now, but it feels like Linda has always been here. Part of the furniture. At the moment her bed. I think I will follow her example and head for mine. Night everybody!
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Matopos next!
In about ten minutes Linda and I are heading off to Jeanette and Manie's farm in Matopos for a few days, but I thought I'd write you a line or two before we head off.
It's amazing how suddenly when Linda comes I am eating such lovely lunches out in Bulawayo. Not to mention the milkshakes... We have spent considerable hours at coffeshops/lunchplaces the last week. We have also gone to a curioshop kind of thing and bought some actually quite nice stuff. The real deal. I bought a speghetti spoon made out of aluminium from an engine block! Then John left yesterday for South Africa, which meant Heather left the house as well, so we are at the moment downsizing the household.
It is now time for Linda to drive on the wrong side of the road, change gears with the wrong hand and all this with only one sideview mirror. Yey! I am looking forward to this. A lot. Hihi.
Right. Bye!
It's amazing how suddenly when Linda comes I am eating such lovely lunches out in Bulawayo. Not to mention the milkshakes... We have spent considerable hours at coffeshops/lunchplaces the last week. We have also gone to a curioshop kind of thing and bought some actually quite nice stuff. The real deal. I bought a speghetti spoon made out of aluminium from an engine block! Then John left yesterday for South Africa, which meant Heather left the house as well, so we are at the moment downsizing the household.
It is now time for Linda to drive on the wrong side of the road, change gears with the wrong hand and all this with only one sideview mirror. Yey! I am looking forward to this. A lot. Hihi.
Right. Bye!
Monday, 27 August 2012
Antelope park
I thought I'd give you a few more words about our trip up to Antelope Park. It's just outside Gweru, and took us probably two hours to get there. Heather drove all thw way of course, in her sweet Cherrybomb (Honda Fit). So we got there at around three and Linda and I set up camp, while Heather and John had a River Tent. At four we headed out on a short gamedrive with some other people as well. We saw impala, a tawny eagle, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, lions, some type of antilope, hartebeest and weaverbirds nests. We even got chased for a tiny bit by a lion that was being walked by some staff, because we came close to where it was hunting some zebras. The rest of the evening was spent eating and drinking and having fun until quite late.
Next morning (actually it was still night) at half past five Linda and I woke up (barely) and soon headed out on a walk with two lions and maybe ten other people. But first a long safety talk. It was quite surreal walking with them and stopping to sit next to and pat them. The sunrise as we started the walk was just so beautiful and all the photos got a lovely glow about them. Our guide took lots of photos with my camera and said he had by now probably handled around 4000 cameras on all his guided tours... Back at camp Linda collapsed in the tent again and I made myself pancakes before we then packed up everything, put it in Heather's car and checked out.
At ten we rode the elephants for an hour, which was cool. I rode Thombi, 23 years together with an elephant trainer who taught me a lot about elephants. Interesting stuff, which I of course will have forgotten in a week. Then Linda and I soaked some sun while the other two went fishing. I actually got a tan and didn't get burnt!! Can you believe it?! At three we jumped in the car and went home again after 24 hours of holiday. Sweet.
So that was our first real touristy thing. Then we had a goodbye braai on Saturday for John, who is leaving for Sweden tomorrow. And a sushi evening tonight. Good times!
Linda and I are now completely locked on an app called Wordfeud, which is like Scrabble but on the phone. So a few more words now, then we'll make some Zs. Nighty!
Next morning (actually it was still night) at half past five Linda and I woke up (barely) and soon headed out on a walk with two lions and maybe ten other people. But first a long safety talk. It was quite surreal walking with them and stopping to sit next to and pat them. The sunrise as we started the walk was just so beautiful and all the photos got a lovely glow about them. Our guide took lots of photos with my camera and said he had by now probably handled around 4000 cameras on all his guided tours... Back at camp Linda collapsed in the tent again and I made myself pancakes before we then packed up everything, put it in Heather's car and checked out.
At ten we rode the elephants for an hour, which was cool. I rode Thombi, 23 years together with an elephant trainer who taught me a lot about elephants. Interesting stuff, which I of course will have forgotten in a week. Then Linda and I soaked some sun while the other two went fishing. I actually got a tan and didn't get burnt!! Can you believe it?! At three we jumped in the car and went home again after 24 hours of holiday. Sweet.
So that was our first real touristy thing. Then we had a goodbye braai on Saturday for John, who is leaving for Sweden tomorrow. And a sushi evening tonight. Good times!
Linda and I are now completely locked on an app called Wordfeud, which is like Scrabble but on the phone. So a few more words now, then we'll make some Zs. Nighty!
Sunday, 26 August 2012
A fast week
Oh boy. I haven't written for a week! Anyway, we're all alive.
The week has just wizzed past. There has been a lot of card games, chatting, shopping, walking with lions, riding elephants, being slightly chased by a lion, phone-nerding, picnincs, poetry, Swedish and laughter. Life has been good one could say. I could write about so much, but don't know really where to start and we're leaving soon to give back a borrowed violin, so I think the best thing is if you check out the photos on nellieinafrica.tumblr.com. Photos should be coming up there.
By the way, I just got back my violin. Hurrah!! And mum, I met an older man yesterday who remembers you. His name was Bruce. Now time to head off. We woke up at one this afternoon and had cooked brunch in bed, so we really need to do something today before the day is over.
Toodles!
The week has just wizzed past. There has been a lot of card games, chatting, shopping, walking with lions, riding elephants, being slightly chased by a lion, phone-nerding, picnincs, poetry, Swedish and laughter. Life has been good one could say. I could write about so much, but don't know really where to start and we're leaving soon to give back a borrowed violin, so I think the best thing is if you check out the photos on nellieinafrica.tumblr.com. Photos should be coming up there.
By the way, I just got back my violin. Hurrah!! And mum, I met an older man yesterday who remembers you. His name was Bruce. Now time to head off. We woke up at one this afternoon and had cooked brunch in bed, so we really need to do something today before the day is over.
Toodles!
Sunday, 19 August 2012
My very own Linda visit
So, Linda has now been here for more than two days, but it feels so much longer. Weird how with good friends you just take off from were you left last time. She arrived safely on Friday at lunch time with Maria, Heather and I as her welcoming commitee. I am so so happy to see her again and be able to show her my life here. So far we have done a lot of visiting grocery shops, we've had a picninc at Hillside Dams with Sam, been total nerds when it comes to my new phone and her ipod and also spent a whole night up LAN-ing (Playing networked based computer games) with Heather, John and Ian. That's where we are now. Tired as anything.
The week before Linda came was suprisingly busy, with holiday, work, walks, cardgames, playing at a wedding, visiting the National Arts Gallery and skypeing. The arts gallery was really interesting; we went around to all the studios that artists rent there and met them and saw their work. Some of it very modern actually. Also, if you think you have heard creaking floorboards before, you should have heard the ones in there!! You couldn't even talk normally, because nobody would hear it.
So, now we are trying to plan out a bit of an adventure for Linda and I while she's here. Looks like we will be walking with lions on Tuesday anyway, and maybe riding elephants on Wednesday.
Maria is sick with the flu now, which sucks and I hope we don't get it. It's going to be interesting and nice to have a true vegetarian in the house for a month. Lovely. Now I think a nap is in order. nellieinafrica.tumblr.com is pouring out pictures at the moment, so you can check in there if you want to. Toodles!
The week before Linda came was suprisingly busy, with holiday, work, walks, cardgames, playing at a wedding, visiting the National Arts Gallery and skypeing. The arts gallery was really interesting; we went around to all the studios that artists rent there and met them and saw their work. Some of it very modern actually. Also, if you think you have heard creaking floorboards before, you should have heard the ones in there!! You couldn't even talk normally, because nobody would hear it.
So, now we are trying to plan out a bit of an adventure for Linda and I while she's here. Looks like we will be walking with lions on Tuesday anyway, and maybe riding elephants on Wednesday.
Maria is sick with the flu now, which sucks and I hope we don't get it. It's going to be interesting and nice to have a true vegetarian in the house for a month. Lovely. Now I think a nap is in order. nellieinafrica.tumblr.com is pouring out pictures at the moment, so you can check in there if you want to. Toodles!
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