Football

For about a year now Rich has been regularly playing football with some local guys. There are groups all over town who get together every evening until sunset to have a kick about. From what Rich used to tell me and the injuries he would come home with, the guys all play a pretty rough game here (Rich earnt their respect when they learnt that he would go in just as hard on a tackle as they would).

Since we arrived back in December, Rich has been playing three or four times a week which is no mean feat in this heat. He also took along some goals and nets which were made and provided by some guys who were here for a week or two and the 'kick about' has been completely transformed. All the players now wear bibs. they have shirts for the team (Rich has one too) and there is a ref which has resulted in a slightly less violent game.

Anna and I took a walk along a couple of evenings ago to watch Daddy play footie and took a couple of pictures while we were there.

Rich taking a corner while his team mates are ready and waiting for the cross in...

The guy wearing the green shirt is the ref. Some bizarre decisions are made most days but the players do what they're told (could teach some premier league players a thing or two...).

A big day

On Thursday 6th January 2011 , just less that two years after the official Ground Breaking, PAMOJA Vocational Training Centre and car Workshop was officially opened. We had special guests, a military brass band, speeches and even a ribbon cutting ceremony! The school and workshop looked great having received finishing touches, such as tiles on the classroom and office floors and toilets in the bathrooms, in the time we were back home.

Now officially open for business the workshop side has had a busy week with cars, a motorbike, a bus and even an ambulance! English and computer classes are currently running and the auto-mechanics class will begin in February, so all in all things are looking to be pretty busy in the months to come. (Roxanne is teaching the current English class while I am looking into completing an on-line TESOL/TEFL course before beginning my stint of teaching in mid-March.)

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the day.

The view from the road. If you look closely you can see the blue ribbon across the white gate

!

The arrival of the guests of honour.

An actual military brass band (I think they may have been from the police actually...).

Walimu's (teacher's) Roxanne and Paula outside the English classroom.

The guests of honour in the office eating the party food. Each person was seated in a chair whose comfort was directly proportional to the importance of the person sat in it!

Anna and...

One thing about living here that you would definitely not find back home, is that it is OK and even normal for strangers to greet you and take your child off you. What's more is that the stranger may begin to walk away with your child in order to show them to a friend/neighbour/relative. Alarm bells would certainly be ringing by this point. To be fair, there aren't that many mzungu babies as young as Anna on the island, and everyone knows who she is and therefore who I am ('Mama Anna!') so I'm not overly concerned about a lady in a buibui doing a runner with her.

It makes me laugh though when all of Anna's new found friends want a photograph with her. I am the one who takes the photo's on my camera and quite why they think I want a picture of Anna with every single person we meet, I am not certain. There have even been times when people have come up with their own camera and asked if they could have a photo with Anna...

Coming from a country where using a camera within sight of children, who just might possibly find their way into your picture can cause the odd problem, this is sometimes a little disconcerting!!

Here are some photo's from a party we were at recently of Anna and some new found friends.

Anna and Mariam, our house help.

Through it all, Anna is generally pretty patient and willing to bestow the odd smile :)