This weeks varied update………
Monday, went to SCANN and collected Stephen Kuria to take him to the opticians, I had been wondering how we would get him to read the eye chart as he finds it difficult to recognise the letters…..I spoke to the optician when we arrived and he pointed to an eye chart that I had seen but not understood some trips before. Basically the shape on the chart is a capital E, if you imagine rotating the E 90 degrees so it faces down, then another 90 degrees so it faces left then another to make it face upwards. The E’s position changes depending on which line it appears and the person is asked to point to which way the E is facing, no need to know the letters! I was impressed.
Stephen proved to have 20/20 vision so his problem was not his eyes, something that we needed to make sure before we move forward with his schooling. Whilst there we collected the glasses for Dickson and sent them to him via Mololine shuttle. Stephen was sent back to SCANN via piki piki which he was very pleased about as he enjoyed the ride to town with Kimberley and I.
On Wednesday, Kimberley and I headed to Hotel Merica to swim, actually we needed a shower and as we had received no water at the house for over a week we were worried we would be running out, the showers at Merica are hot and plentiful! We did also enjoy a swim and sunbathe…….. I burned my belly button which seemed to avoid the suntan lotion that I lavished on the rest of my belly. Even with lotion I managed to burn various areas which made Kimberley laugh later that evening when we were getting ready to go to Guava Lounge to ‘work’, Kimberley on the other hand had very little signs that she had sat in the sun at all! So much for preparing for Mombasa. Guava that night was quiet and we left by 10.45, Kimberley enjoyed her time behind the bar and even managed to do some serving!!!
On Thursday, we headed to SCANN where I finished the final touches to the bike repair report to be handed in for approval before the repairs can go ahead. It was a rather lengthy report as the bikes have been sitting in disrepair for so long. [For those of you that haven’t been reading these emails since day 1 (so long ago!) the bikes had been donated for boys who travel a long way to school, they had been stored as no one would sort out giving out the bikes and responsibility for their upkeep. When I arrived many years later I got them sign written and given out, providing a secure place to keep them and a logging in and out system for the boys to take the bikes.]
As time has gone by the bikes have quickly fallen fowl of the bad roads here and needed repair which after my last trip home have not been looked at. I recommended that either the bikes were either repaired or sold as they were because no one was able to use them as they were and it was a waste of space keeping them. This I think forced the hands of the management and the report will hopefully get them repaired and back in use.
Whilst at SCANN we also got some poi practice out of Davey (the smallest poi boy) he had mastered a new move last time we were there and I wanted to make sure he had been practicing, actually Kimberley had also mastered it but Davey was better!!!!
He seems to pick up things he is shown so quickly, including the computers, which he sat at after he showed us the poi moves.
Francis the acrobat from Tanzania called to say he was visiting Nakuru and could he stay with me, he appeared with a friend (Hussain). I cooked dinner but asked Francis to cook some ugali as I knew that the boys would not consider what I had cooked as filling enough for them. We all sat and ate a good meal and Kimberley and I left the boys sitting watching DVD’s whilst we read in bed (not sure French fight movie with subtitles would be our thing!)
I mentioned earlier the lack of water……. Yesterday which was a water day I sent ‘my man’ at the water office a message asking if we were to get water as I was getting very short as we had not received any recently. He called and said it would be forthcoming and we should have received some on Tuesday.
When Kimberley and I returned from town that day we found that there had in fact been no water all day, it was now 5.30 and I thought there was little chance of me reaching the water man. He answered and told me that we had had water from midday and was surprised that I had called him. He immediately sent one of his men to check the pipes and it was found that there is a problem from the mains in the road to my property A G A I N!!!!!! As it was later he told me that he would send some workmen to the house on Friday, (today) to dig the line!!! I know what this involves and it is a lot of mess and the hope that I will cook them lunch!
In answer to our prayers it rained last night, actually it was raining at 4am when I woke up and then ran around in the rain positioning basins at strategic points OUTSIDE to collect the rain water, Henry by this time had retreated to his bed. The smell of the earth with the fresh rain was amazing and I sat outside with Kim for a while just enjoying the sound and the smell of nature. I also remembered to find some buckets to collect the rain in the lounge!
This morning (Friday) everything looks so green against the black of the soil, it is so fresh and not a bit of dust is in the air. It is still raining but not heavily, there is no sign of the workmen, I am sure they will arrive in their own time! I was up early preparing a large pan of ugi (Kenyan porridge) not only for the acrobats but also for the workmen who will consider today to be so cold that they will need ‘a little something’ to warm them up.
I will love you and leave you now. Kimberley and I are heading to SCANN this afternoon for more Poi practice and to decide which one of the boy’s art designs will be chosen for the picture to be painted and given to the sponsors in America. I will be busy at the sewing machine trying to get some more of the poi finished so the boys can practice with one set each instead of queuing.
I hope my email finds you all well and the weather is warming.
Best wishes
Susannah xxxxxx
Hi from Kimberley.
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