This week I’ve been writing like the
clappers.
Inspired by lots of conversations with
people I’ve met and things I’ve been reading, the little keyboard on Sammy has
been steaming through over-use (and also filling daily with dust, as it’s blowing around here wildly
right now. Letter e no longer works very well...). Sammy, by the way, is my little Samsung laptop I write on (kindly donated
to the Musson travel-initiative a few years ago by my old flatmates, Nick and
Cassie. Stars.)
A somewhat early arrival of the long-rains
here has meant that the days have had a fresher feel; quite welcome in my new
office on the terrace at Lizard House.
I’ve named it thus because of my pals that
share with me. Last year it was ants, this year heralds the arrival of lizard-flatmates.
Although not necessarily a fan of the idea
of cohabiting with folk from the reptile world, I do appreciate the cheeky little
gekos who hang out on my ceilings every afternoon, as they eat all the pesky
mosquitoes and insects lurking about. Little jumping spiders (of the rather
freaky variety) seem to enjoy chilling out on my window sills, so I’m more than
happy when they inadvertently jump into the path (or mouth) of the lurking lizards.
The larger lizards tend to spend the day basking on the walls in the sun and then at night sit on the roof.
(I think it’s them anyway, there’s always a
bit of bumping and banging on the roof at night and that’s the only thing I can
think of). That and the guava tree.
The outlook of my 'office' is an idyllic tree-surround; bananas to the left of me,
mangoes to the right
and a heavily laden guava tree hanging out
front.
All quite delightful (although the guavas
are the only things I’ve been munching on thus far; the bananas being far from
ready and the mangoes belonging to the next door neighbour).
All in all, it’s been an inspired and
productive week. I’ve finished three chapters of the book (well, first draft
finished) but it feels good as that’s about 20,000 words down and almost half
way through. I’ve also found the answer to my current state of singledom, in a
witty little blogpost written by a fellow lover of travel…!
This week has housed a lot of reading,
writing, talking and walking plus studying Swahili every morning. I have many
teachers now it seems: Basil, my actual teacher at the institute on a Tuesday
and Thursday night. Plus Revocatus, my good friend from St Jude’s, who only now
texts me in Swahili (and vice versa). And Rebecca, the lovely lady who comes to
clean the apartments where I’m staying, who takes tea with me most mornings and
natters with me in my broken attempts at conversing. And Mbise, the askari who
works every night at the apartments, who also spends time every night chatting
with me. All of them so wonderfully patient with what must be incredibly inane conversations
for them to endure, yet all really helping me to learn.
A visit back to St Jude’s on Wednesday
evening to see the Form Five students I was working with last year further
fuelled my levels of inspiration. It was wonderful to see the smiling faces of former
students again, and enjoy fifty enthusiastic hugs. It was a great reunion with
a great bunch of people, who continue to inspire through their dedication and motivation.
A short yet sweet visit for now, until I go back for another visit again in a
few weeks.
I’ll end this blog post (brief too, I know,
but there are daily power cuts here with these storms so I’m getting a few
words in quickly before the power goes again) with a video. It is a short
cartoon (just two and a bit little minutes) made by an organisation, Survival, whose
work I have been following for a while. In its essence it sums up so many of
the issues that I am writing about and focusing upon in my examination of development
in my book. And it sums them up so simply, powerfully and effectively that I hope
you all take the three minutes to watch it and maybe even go as far as to share
it with others. It shows in essence what is happening time and time again
across the world and simply highlights the damage of creating a ‘global village’ (Just click on the red link below.)
Until next time (power-permitting, and
hoping-to-not-be-eaten-alive-by-lizards).
Tutoanana baadaye.
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