One of those rare sunshine moments!

Photo taken the first week we were here when Indie was first introduced to the 'cheeky neighbours'. At this point she was still unsure but now she gets all the exercise she needs by running up and down the garden trying to catch them...

Well not much else has changed since my last post, finally got K settled in a school but not sure if it's the right one for him.
Placed him in the local primary school but they don't have the 'resources' that some of the other schools have so I am still hoping we can get him placed in one of the 'better suited' schools. It's been a long drawn out process but hopefully we'll get there in the end. He is starting to make some new friends but I have to say the mum's are a bit 'odd'. It feels strange to be going thru all the 'new kid on the block' motions again.

Those of you who know me will know how I like to be involved in all sorts(busy body), not so sure that I'll be doing that much 'volunteering' here though...Seems no matter where in the world you are you are just expected to know what is going on... Communication is lacking everywhere.

K starts school at 7.30am and finishes at 1.45pm but they have extra curriculum activities every day until 3pm and your child is expected to participate in a minimum of 2 activities per week. Each term the activities change so the kids have a lot of choices. At the moment he's sticking to Swimming on Monday and Thursday and Chess Club on a Wednesday. They finish school on a Friday at 12.30!!! It's all very confusing for me!!!

Still having 'fun' trying to get my car 'legalised' seems now my paperwork has to be 'Interpol' approved then I can go down to the licensing office (again - 9th time) and I can apply for a vehicle registration. O.I.A (new quote: Only in Africa)

I have been looking at a few premises this last week, the prices for renting are over the top... Maybe gonna need to re-think some strategies. It is strange how they work things out here basics like food, clothes, petrol etc. are relatively cheap and then everything else is OTT expensive so there's no middle ground. Other options available, instead of a shop in a shopping mall (and a lot of people are doing it) is to get a house and convert it into a business premises, only problem with that is you don't get passing trade as you would in a Mall. Decisions, decisions, oh well it gives me something else to moan about doesn't it!

Still have not picked up anything to craft... Help! Christmas is just around the corner and I should be doing my cards but when I packed everything up I was a bit 'stupid' and didn't label things properly so I don't know which box is which and I only have 200 odd to sift thru... Well it's gonna be just like Christmas when I do get round to that... Don't even have a peel off to play with !!!!

Oh! if any of my regular viewers are feeling charitable and want to help out a 'desperate craft-a-holic' in Africa and you don't know what to do with your old craft magazines !!! If you want my address 'derop' me an e-mail... HINT! HINT!

So till the next edition
Just remember : ' When everything is coming your way you're in the wrong lane'

The neighbours!

Finally found the way to post pictures...

Now you can see the early morning visitors that upset Indi every day, they sit on the top of the telephone wires and pull faces at her, If any of them came any where near her I think she'd Sh.. herself.

We have a regular troop of these vervet monkeys that live at the top of the hill and they are a lot of fun to watch, unfortunately they are a bit 'skitish' so I can't get too close, maybe another excuse to buy a bigger lense for the camera! I'm trying to get the babies to stand still long enough for a good shot!

Over a Month ! Already

Well it's now over a month since we arrived and believe it or not it still hasn't got any warmer! Seems I'm not very good at choosing our destinations either! In JHB they are having heat waves and are praying for rain, we have had rain all week and the temp hasn't risen much above 18C.
I'm still running around with schools for KB and builders for the house and pretty much everything else is just the same.
I haven't had much time to think about 'the business' although I keep looking out for premises. I did go to a 'Christmas Craft Fair' on Saturday, I actually felt very sorry for them, if that's what the Craft Fairs are like here I will have no competition. I have found a nice Bead Shop and the prices are very reasonable, so maybe I won't be doing too much trade in beads, but may offer the odd workshop.
Granny L I hope you had a nice birthday, I did post you 'something' but it's definately snail mail here.
GR and Tuesday gang hope your craft day goes well on Tuesday, I will be thinking about you all. Wish I was there insulting a few of you etc... in my own special way!!!
Hope you are all keeping well, drop me a comment or e-mail if you get the time.
Still working on the photos, seems my files are too big, need to find a way to make them smaller, well I figured this blog out eventually so I should get there in the end.
Till next time....

Hurry up and wait!

Hi there from a slightly warmer SA. Seems maybe there is a bit of sunshine at the end of the 'tunnel' yesterday we had slightly warmer weather and today we've woken to sunny clear skies, however the vests are still on!

When you come to SA on holiday you only ever see the good side, you're relaxed and usually one tends to take holidays at the hottest times, so when you're thrown into the lifestyle of South Africa it is a bit of a reality check. The motto 'hurry up an wait' HUAW seems to fit this country 100%, everything takes at least 3 days longer here than anywhere else in the world, and that's on a fast day, otherwise 3 weeks is about the normal pace of things. We still don't have the internet at the house, ordered 3 weeks ago, my car arrived 2 weeks late and I'm having to drive around in it with a temporary licence as no-one here seems to know how to get things moving faster...'HUAW'

Thebuilders are also just as 'HUAW'. We got the land and building issue sorted, the plans passed and approved and I've given the plans to several 'builders' who I think maybe some should be named BOB... 'HUAW'

KB and school has been a bit of a disaster, seems we've arrived at the wrong time of the year for that too as they are all coming to the end of their school year. I won't begin to tell you about the school we thought he had a placement at cos I don't think I want to start using that kind of language on my blog. Academic year here is January to December so I've got his name down at the school we want him to go to as well as several others in the hope that I get a confirmation that at least one of them will have a place for him, in the meantime he's bored out of his tiny little mind!!!But on a positive note he's not yet driving me mad, which you would think after 12 weeks of no school he would be by now.

Apparently our container is in Port (considering I was told due 29th Sept) HUAW! But we haven't got a confirmed 'to door' date yet...

So on that note, I haven't yet started to think about my business I guess 'HUAW'

I'm gonna have to get hold of Mudpie so she can tell me how to get some photos on my blog, if you read this Mudpie e-mail me the instructions.

BNM1 had a taste of the 'primitive' last night and it was great to hear a friendly voice... Apparently there was thunder and lightning about and that was scarring the monkey off his wheel !!!

So gang keep the comments coming, and the e-mails too, even though I don't always answer them I'm still receiving them. Keep me posted.

Gussy have a great holiday, hopefully the sun will shine for you and don't get too lost on the island., and if you do make sure you have a good bottle and opener in your Radley!

A thought for today: When in doubt HUAW!