random stuff (mike)

Right it’s been a while since iv done one of these so thought id try write one before our holidays.

2 weekends ago Tom and Darren came to visit us for the start of there holiday they arrived mid day on Thursday and brought with them about 25 tired and arrogant teenagers from Bana Ba Metsi (there project) we had to organize all there transport home which meant pilling them literally roof high in the car to drop them off home at the end of the day. After which the 3 of us went to rugby which was a good laugh apart from we had no shoes so our feet were more than a little sour. on the way back we decided to go buy chine’s as non of us had had any junk food since we got here, we all worked in covered in sweat, sand, dirt and waking like old men because of our feet. we were in need of a serious drink, we ordered our food and sat down to water (we decided to get a takeaway due to our stat and the fact that Gordon was at home waiting for his dinner) 1 and a half hours later we still REALY needed a drink and no sing of food, we’d started to which we hadn’t got a takeaway and were eating in as everyone was walking in getting there food, eating and leaving whilst we had to sit there and watch. Eventually we got the food and headed for home, when we got home we all tucked in and finished the food rather quickly by this time it was quit l8 so we decided to have baths (as we don’t have a shower, and not all together) and go to bed. They came into work with us the next day and were surprised at the amount of energy that the kids had and there knack for climbing people whilst they are working, something I am only just getting used to. Fri night we headed to a party, as we arrived people were already leaving for another one and we were ordered/ dragged with them, we convoyed it to the other side of town (about 4 cars full) we got to this bar but shortly left in the convoy for another party that we had heard about at the informs river lodge, having enough of driving around we stayed there for what was left of the night, we got home in the early hours of Saturday morning. On Saturday we all slept for a bit then headed to Vincent’s house for a bri and a swim, after we got a phone call from two other volunteers (John and Fraser from Namibia) they were supposed to arrive on fri but we lost contact with them until the call on Saturday evening but when they arrived one thing lead to another and we left Vincent’s in the early hours of Sunday again. I woke up to my phone ringing (in my opinion to early) with an invitation for all of us to go wakeboarding on the delta with Brett and a few mates, we spent the whole day mucking about in/on the river this resulted in some beasty tan lines and a good day out, in the evening we headed to the backpackers as we all love the burgers there and we only have them when we are all together we ordered the food sat down and by the time the food came two of the guys were asleep, we ate the food headed home and all crashed out on sofas and beds. An early start as Tom and Darren had to be at the bus for 5 and we had to get them there an hours early but all was cool and we sent them on there way to start there holiday. We had john and Fraser with us until Tuesday when we again got them on a bus so they could start the holiday. And then back to work for us.

The weekend after we were looking forward to a quiet weekend and to catch up on some lost sleep. That didn’t happen. Friday night we had our BBL (Bana Ba Letsatsi) fundraiser which went on till 2 in the morning with us driving kids around, dropping them home and generally doing a lot, it was very successfully and we raised a lot more than we thought we would which is always good. Then on Saturday night we had one of our friends Stagg dos…… I won’t go into details but it was a good night. On Sunday we got an invite to an afternoon bri.

Iv been franticly trying to organize last minute travel plans for our holiday which starts next week and as Fiona is leaving to get married on Sunday its mayhem in the office. But everything is coming together.

On Thursday night we got a call as we arrived at a m8s house for a chilled evening that in the 2 hour tropical rain storm we had on of the families who’s kids come to the center had had there home washed away (they live in a tent) so we had to go get half of the kids (6), take them to the center were we picked up clothes and bedding for them then take them to our house, feed them and look after them for the night it was an interesting evening but was it was fun.

Rain, Rugby and Pink Lightning

OK, how cool is that pic? I'll be honest, I didnt take it, I dont really know how people manage to get pictures of lightning so perfect, as you know, it goes as fast as it appears. This is however what the lightning looked like last Thursday (3rd November).

Leading up to the storms was a few days of big heavy clouds out on the horizon and every person you talked to was just waiting for rain. The morning of the storm though, everyone thought the chance had passed since the skies were empty and the sun was doing its usual "I'll kill you with heat" thing.



So, after a long morning of moaning about the heat (which was boiling, everyone, even the Motswanan's were complaining) by around 3 in the afternoon huge rain clouds had rolled in over our heads and winds started picking up.

I found that the reactions by the kids to the wind (which was quite strong to be fair) were a little over zealous, I mean, running for cover when there was really no need. My reaction was to go outside and stand in the strongest wind I could find enjoying the sudden drop in temperature. At 4, usual closing time, i heard the first crack of thunder in the distance which produced a huge grin on my face as I totally love lightning and the whole lightning storm thing. At around 4.15, when we finally finished work, I was waiting outside for Mike to come back from dropping some kids off when it began raining. (To all you people back home in "Sunny Scotland" or really in most anywhere else in the world but here, rain is not really anything special, here though, its almost as good as money raining from the sky, you miss it so much.) After standing in the rain for 15 mins, getting weird looks from the Motswanans passing by in their cars and running to escape the "heavy rain" (more like a drizzle).

Before too long I was in the car on the way home to get ready for touch rugby with a bunch of local (mostly white) guys. After a quick munch and change we were back in the car on the way to the pitch when the real show began. Both of us had our windows down and were in danger of crashing the car for want of watching the lightning as it lit the grey sky in a pink hue. Once we arrived at the pitch and everyone commented on how the weather was finally perfect for rugby since there was rain and cloud and it was as close to home as it could have been.

So, everyone then went on to play a full 2 hours of rugby under sheets (and I do mean sheets) of pink lightning. My single favorite show of lightning was seeing the lightning start at one point in the cloud and breaking into 5 forks of lightning that raced across the sky from left to right. Was AWESOME!


(Once again, not my picture but close enough to what I saw)