Dancing with Mosqitos

Thursday 5 Feb I got to the office for the daily staff meeting and devotions. I was asked to lead and discussed Eph 4:1-3 in the context of unity especially at a time of grief and encouraged each person to be understanding of each other as we process grief differently. Word has come that the funeral has now been moved back a week which means another week as people get on with their work whilst also anticipating the funeral which is apparently going to be very big.

I spoke to Linda (my wife) this morning and then had to ring my bank. My card is going to expire at the end of Feb and I need to have a new debit card by then. Helped Carol with some admin around the newsletter and getting it out as well setting her gmail account up with addresses and address lists. The morning flew. Phum arranged for me to drive her to Escort after we visited Mam Dube’s as she flies out in the morning to return to College in Capetown. Christine Mennell rang to set up a time to visit her project at Isibani near Winterton. She is seeking AAF funding for it. Arranged the visit for next Thursday. Mam Dube was not home so Phum undertook to talk to her about my changed accomm plans and speak to me tonight.

After dropping Phum at Escort and ensuring she got a lift ( she knows all the tricks) I stopped at a truck selling avocados and bought a bag of 15 avocados for R20 (about A$3) which is equivalent to buying two avos in Oz.

Reviewed a large file of funding proposals in the afternoon. The info required for my project is all there. Son Ashley rang from New York and had a chat with him as distorted as it was at my end. The global financial crisis has slowed down work but he remains confident. I like the idea of closing the office at 4.30pm. Perhaps we should review our flexible arrangements in Australia. Prepared a calendar for my time here so I have some sense of what I am doing and when.

I was able to take the file home and review it together with some Post It notes Carol gave me while sitting on the verandah of my unit, under a tree drinking a coke and eating some crisps. Dinner tonight had an additional person Nono at the table. She is a Zulu woman working for Univ of KZN as a field worker on agricultural projects in the area. She had two farmers’ meetings today. Lives during the week in PMB and returns home weekends. Sylvan was sick tonight but managed to wolf down a big meal. I suggested it was a fever (starve a cold –feed a fever). The French are coping and not afraid to ask questions about my English. Seraphine had asked me when I was responded “I am not too bad” if this was a good thing?

Asleep at ten despite intentions of reading a chapter of Obama. Awake at 1am having had the Bergville mosqitos annual ball on my body. Slept the rest of the night with a mosquito coil which I have not seen since campingdays.