3rd April, 2008
Well you will I know all be pleased to know that we now have water supplied again to Milestone House. Touch and go on Monday when we got home having been told that it was re connected, when we turned on a tap to find nothing coming through – however, the outside tap had been turned off and when that was reversed, voila, we had water again. Have to say it makes me wonder if we had turned that tap a few days ago……. but no we have been told that we were cut off.
So – what else. Well it seems that the rains may have passed – (Jen and Joey desperately hoping so) we haven’t had a storm for a couple of days and it has really become very hot and sultry.
Wedding plans seem to be building up too. Dresses – the one which was being embroidered in India (Jen’s Saturday dress) has now arrived back in Mwanza – well the embroidered material has, the dress still has to be sewn. But as I said, Famida seems confident – En Shalla!!! And is expecting it to be put together this weekend – we leave on Friday and Jen & Joey leave on Saturday, so should be loads of time !!!!!!! We went to see her today to look at the fabric, (which I have to say is amazing) and asked to look again at mine so that I could ensure shoes were OK etc – she couldn’t find it. She has so much stuff, fabrics, sari’s etc all over her house, we (and she) did start to panic a bit – but the material was found in the end and so all is OK.
Yesterday and today the boys have been collecting their suits. Purchased from Famida’s husband, who got them from Dubai on their way back from India. There was an element of panic there too, as Joey’s suit for Saturday didn’t quite fit – but after a lot of running around Mwanza on a very hot (very hot!) afternoon – seems all is OK and so he and Donald are now sorted. Ties for the wedding party are also sorted and should be great.
Think the bride and groom are beginning to find life a bit difficult – there is so much happening and so much they have to organise, plus normal work and life, I think it is all getting on top of them. I do try to help but it is them that are doing the organising and so it is limited as to what I can do.
I keep thinking back to my wedding, (34 years ago!!!) when my mother and Donald’s father just took over the whole shebang – Donald and I were only allowed to invite a few of our friends, it was all taken out of our hands, as was the way then. Not sure which is right, if either are, but we do keep trying to calm them down and do hope that they will be able to enjoy the day.
Oh – we didn’t end up going for dinner with the Priest on Tuesday, Joey got the day wrong (see what I mean about stressed) but we are going on Thursday so will up date you then.
We are in our last week at our placements – tho Donald may end up doing some stuff next week too. My Mr Messo sounded very upset when he said to me today, but your last day is the day after tomorrow !!!! Yep. We do seem to be getting stuff done this week tho, and I think that they will be left with something they can use in the future – I hope so anyway. Samaritans meanwhile seem to be coming up against more and more problems with setting up their Computer Training income generation scheme, and I know that Donald really wants to leave them with it up and running, but he seems to be having to dip into his pockets more and more to enable it to happen. Well we will see.
There is a place in Mwanza which has just opened up a new restaurant – it is an income generation scheme for a charity which looks after street kids. They have the restaurant, and teach the youngsters how to cook and serve in it, they also have a carpentry shop, and all the tables and furniture in the restaurant are made there, and there is also a dress making facility/shop there. There is a Swiss guy who has been involved with them setting this place up and it really has been finished off well – almost to European standards, and certainly much better than the normal ones around here.
Anyway, it’s quite close to my placement and only opened a couple of weeks ago, so I have started frequenting it for lunch, and Donald tends to walk into town to meet me there (when he comes into town that is). Last week I asked them to make me an outfit, and just got it today. Really pleased with it, and going to have another made there too. The food is good, but very slow, think because everything is made fresh and its still not too busy a place, but it is open sided and under shade so it is quite pleasant sitting there watching the world go by.
Mwanza has had the president visiting, twice last week, on his way through to some conference somewhere. Whenever a dignitary goes through town, the cars are all stopped so that the main road from the airport to town is clear – it causes chaos, but the dignitary mustn’t be caught up in traffic (like the rest of us).
My Dala Dala got stopped by the police this morning. The police are always stopping vehicles to check that – well not to check that they are roadworthy – but probably to check that their licences are paid up. The policewoman looked in the vehicle (there were 20 in it including the driver – so room for one more by my reckoning) – don’t forget it is a 14 seater mini bus!!! So she looked, then wrote something on her clipboard, and off we went again. The vehicle was so not roadworthy but the road tax had obviously been paid so it was allowed to carry on. What a system!
OK – out for a meal with some friends of J & J’s – so off to have a shower (hurrah – cold! - but still its water!)
Speak soon
No comments:
Post a Comment