T-2hrs

There are 2 hours left before I have to leave and I'm a little concerned - I'm all ready. Thats not like me at all. Rushing around last min, throwing things into bags, getting in a tizz in case I'm late fore the plane - now that is me. Sitting calmly at the computer with 2 hours to spare, no way is that me. It has helped that mum has come over and done what mothers do best - clean!!!! Thats let me get on with packing and sorting so Im all ready, and my cases are under the weight limit, another first. Every year I have gone over and I have had to do the begging and pleading (and one year crying) act to get them to drop the excess baggage charge. I think it was 2 years ago that the charge came to £400 (about $800) but it helped that my kids had just performed on Live8 and the manager had seen them and let me off, and told off the evil check-in lady.

Anyway I'd better go and get finished.

BEA - have a safe trip home.
ERIN - Have a great tour
DAN - Thanks
BABS - Hope to see you in a couple of weeks whoooooooooooo

I'm off to Africa yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

OMG 3 days!!!!!!!!

I really can’t believe that in 3 days I will be leaving to go back to South Africa. I cannot wait to see all my kids again, they will have grown so much in the 2 years it has been since I last saw them - most of them are now teenagers. That is going to be so strange, when I first met them they were little malnourished children who couldn’t speak any English and had little confidence. When I last saw them they had grown nearly a foot each and were fluent in English.

I have to admit I am a little apprehensive about going to Nkomazi, I have only ever seen them in the comfort of the boarding school. To see their everyday existence, where they have to live and what they have to do to survive I can see myself getting quite upset about that. I suppose you just have to be thankful that there are organisations there like the ACC who will go into these areas and make a difference.

Check out the above youtube video, the area shown in the video is Nkomazi and the children I will be working with.

I am excited and I cannot wait, it will be hard work both physically and emotionally but I just want to get there now.

Language

Ok, so I can speak a little siSwati but I am so rusty I cannot remember anything apart from telling them how to be quite (I use that in school a little :-)) 

So I have looked up a couple of phrases to tide me over until I can get there and build a proper vocab list. See how you get on pronouncing the following.

Hlangana na - nice to meet you
Ninjani? - How are you?
Sanibona - Hello
Ngubani igama iakho? - What is your name?
Ngingakusiza ngani? - Can I help you?
Uyaphi? - Where are you going?
Ngena - Come inside


I'll post more when Im there, siSwati is such a tongue twister language with lots of clicks in it its going to be fun trying to speak it. This is from the person who got kicked out of 4th year (yr 10)French GCSE when it was compulsory and got special dispensation from the board to do another arts GCSE as I was that crap at French!!!