Fluency, Friends, Fish and Falling Houses

Since our last blog entry we have been busy back at school doing the intermediate course, which, like the beginners was useful but hard work. We now feel like we understand the language and just need to keep practicing and pick up more words.
Building work continues to progress and it actually seems that they work quicker without me. Apparently they prefer Hans giving them them the work because I am too harsh and make them do too much! I think this is a good trait to have when dealing with African minded workers.

Looking down on the classrooms a few days ago and below is the current stage with half of the roof over the workshop area. Many people have been impressed with some of the designs and building techniques we have used and want to use them themselves which is encouraging.

We continue to have the opportunity to meet local people through many different ways such as being invited to a children's birthday party last week. As we don't have any of our own kids we had to borrow some from our team mates who were very happy for us to take them off their hands for a few hours.

This birthday party we went to involved an hour and a half of dancing to some R&B in a small hot room followed by food, cake and presents. Paula was good at the dancing part whilst I though the more culturally appropriate thing for men to do is sit and do nothing.

This past week we have also had friends from our Church in Winchester visit us which has been very nice as they are the first of our friends to come out and they treated us to lots of lovely meals.

I enjoyed this perch and have quite enjoyed fish contrary to what I thought before

we came. This one below I saw in this morning in the fish market, the picture

quality is not great but it's a shark!

Other news is that I think we have a house to live in from July when we move out of our current residence as our team mates will be returning. We are looking forward to finally getting into a place of our own and feeling a bit more settled here. We have not yet signed the contract but will hopefully do in the next week. The house is very nice and an absolute bargain and we are very pleased. It has been recently renovated and the guy seems like he knows what he is doing which is important when you see some of the houses aren't maintained too well. (See below).

These houses just fell down a couple of weeks ago

Finally my niece deserves a mention having broken her leg falling 5cm off of a scooter and now has a ridiculously massive pink plaster cast which goes well with the red wheelchair provided!