Busy, busy, busy

Hi Everyone,

well there is lot to catch up on but just to let you know am so busy I don't know what to do with myself. I fall into bed and fall asleep before the bedside light is switched off, usually with book in hand unopened.

On Friday we had a show with the boys performing for a group of friends we invited to SCANN to display the new routines that Edwina had been working on with them, including a dance routine to Me and My Shadow, together with hats and canes. It was fabulous and the boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves, but the piece de resistance was the poi performance with fire. I will try and send on some photos next time I am at the internet, fire poi is basically a metal chain with a swivel attached which is then fixed on to a small block at the end with a Kevlar wick wrapped around. The boys learn first with practice poi which are cloth and are weighted (here we used a small bean bag) they learn to spin and twirl the poi then the best ones moved on to learning with the fire poi (unlit) then eventually lit poi. The result was an amazing show in the dark with twirling fire. E

veryone was so impressed we managed to video the evening as the event was originally planned to help raise the spirits of Yasmin who is very sick at the moment and on Chemo therapy, but she was too sick to attend. She will receive a copy of the video though and hopefully enjoy it.

Yesterday was a holiday here Madaraka Day, (Independence Day), Edwina and I went to SCANN to entertain the boys with games and a dance off competition. We had a great time and I think the boys did too. Today I saw off Edwina, she is off to a performing arts place in Nairobi (Sarakasi) where my friend Jemo works (he is away in Norway at the moment) I managed to introduce Edwina to Sarakasi and she is going to be there training some of their performers with fire and in return learning some more skills to add to her list, she is hoping for trapeze or another such talent. From there she is visiting our acrobats who are performing Tanzania for a while hopefully getting in some scuba while she is there. She says she will return to Nakuru in July before she heads home in August, we'll see.... the beaches are a strong pull when you spend so much time away from them in Nakuru.

I also said bye to John who has changed his itinerary and is doing a circular safari with my friend Joseph from Mount Kenya, unfortunately, my lack of a visa has put a stop to me going on any of the safaris planned as I would have trouble getting in to the parks. Immigration has assured me that my lack of a visa is no problem, however I would feel a little safer knowing I have a stamp to prove that I am OK here!!!! Be patient they keep saying it is our paperwork problem. Um still not too comfortable, probably find I will be frog marched to the airport and deported as an undesirable.

Edwina and I spent a quiet weekend even though it was a holiday one, as last time we went out on a holiday weekend we spent most of the night breaking up skirmishes with the people we were with, far too much alcohol is consumed by all on these weekends and many many brawls are a result, we stayed in and watched 'girlie movies' on the laptop and ate chocolate. Catherine had travelled home to Nairobi to see her family. The house will be quiet back to Catherine and myself, Henry, the two dogs, paka, one cock, three chickens and 4 large chicks..... (I gave two chicks away to the old shamba man at SCANN he lost his to a virus and I cant afford to keep feeding these chickens!!!!)

My shamba is amazing, I think if I had time I could sit and watch the maize grow........ Henry who is no taller than I am disappeared this morning with his hoe to do some weeding, the only way I knew where he was was the maize moved more than the slight breeze that was blowing. I will be moving myself back into my room today as John has left me....... we had a move around so that John wouldn't have to share the bathroom facilities with so many girlies, I gave him my room with the en suite and I moved into Edwinas, Edwina in turn moved in to share the other room with Catherine, (who apparently snores!) I am much better although I didn't realise how much energy my chest infection had taken out of me.

I am now heading home from seeing off Edwina to do the hand washing of one Queen size bedding and a single bedding together with towels etc etc etc, wish me luck, by the end I hope that my back wont be crook!! This is what you get for being a jack of all trades and unable to employ someone to do it for you!!! Its good for the muscles and keeps me out of mischief. I hope you are all well and happy, I understand that the weather there is much improved, that's a good thing, it will bring more smiles to the UK!

I will love you and leave you. Hugs all round. Oh I am hoping to get a new sewing machine soon from my friend in Nairobi, he kept asking what would benefit the project and the sewing machine definitely would!!!!!!

Susannah
(Typed in haste, please excuse typos and also if it doesn't make sense, need to get home while the sun is still shining to do the washing!!!!) BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!