Swimming, Shopping, Sermons and Storms!

This past week has flown by. Here you don’t work Monday to Friday, then get the weekend off, so the weeks just pass by without you barely noticing. I have been here for four months next week!

Anyway, we had to cancel last week’s swimming trip due to the rain (it’s a Saturday theme it seems!) but we have made up for it this week. We took Big Babies swimming on Wednesday, and Big Toddlers on Thursday. This was not without problem though... clever me forgot to take the towels and it started to rain before the children were ready to come home!

This week I have also (re)discovered shopping! My friend took me to Mlango Mmoja, basically a clothes market. Apparently, as I have lost weight, all my clothes now make me look fat and scruffy and I have to look smart! We wandered round the market for a good couple of hours, and as most places had no mirrors I relied on her judgment as to whether to buy something or not. She clearly knows me well, as I did buy a number of items and once I got home I tried them all on and they fit and suited me... asante sana rafiki!

I also went to church last Sunday (and the Sunday before actually!). I love all the singing and dancing, and though I am not really a religious person I am living in a country where religion is important, and actually it puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day. The two churches I have been to have been very different – one is situated in a hotel, has a projector so you can join in the (English and Swahili) songs and holds around 100 people, the other is in a huge building with curtains for walls, is in only Swahili, has a dodgy radio for songs and holds around 800 people. Either way, it’s an experience... and good Swahili practice! AND... actually, if I am honest, sometimes it’s interesting!

Last thing... the rain has arrived. It’s unpredictable (to say it rains in the morning only is a lie), and therefore the power and roads are unpredictable also. It has ruined a number of plans... and a couple of pairs of shoes. If anyone wants to email me some ideas for indoor activities with under fives I’d be grateful.

I leave you with pictures of today’s birthday party!