Oct
18
What is the difference between the friends you meet today and the ones you have known for longer? When do new friends become old friends? Is there a time-frame to it, or is it more about how you feel in each other’s company? This week has been about friends, but I will say more about that further on in the blog, so read on and tell me what you think.
On Monday Mitchell travelled to Hastings for a football match. This match was part of the Nation’s Schools Cup. It is the first time he has travelled away with the school. They won the match but more than anything, he had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the trip and the game.
Jenna, thanks for going balloon spotting with me this week, sweetie. You are getting really good with the camera, I love to share those moments with you and I can’t wait for us to take a ride with you in one of these, either.
“Friends” part 1: For Jenna, Monday was a crafty day. Her and her two friends at school (Rosie and Grace) got together and conspired to get all 3 of their moms to take them to the park in Tonbridge after school. Each of them wrote an invitation to one of the others saying that the other 2 girls and their moms were meeting at the park. None of us had planned to go to the park, but when we all got the invitations we believed that the other moms were going… It didn’t take long for us, chatting in the park to realise that none of us had planned to be there and that the girls had manipulated us into this. It was worth a laugh and ended up being a fun sunset run-around in the kiddie park.
On Wednesday morning Jenna went off to school absolutely fine. When I fetched her in the afternoon, she had developed a nasty cough. I suspect that part of the problem may be coming from the fact that we have been testing and running the central heating for short periods each day and she is not used to it. Reluctantly, I sent her to school on Thursday morning, but it didn’t take long before the school phoned to ask me to fetch her. She was running a high fever, and was coughing terribly. Thursday night she coughed and her high fever only fluctuated once she was given doses of Paracetamol. On Friday morning she woke up very ill and there were moments where she panicked because she felt like she couldn’t breathe. We took her to the doctor. Now, say what you like about NHS systems around the world, but there is something to be said for rushing your sick child into the doctor, getting 1st world treatment, a script for medication, and not having to worry about paying 1penny for any of it. For us, who probably could afford to pay, it is a strange concept, but I imagine that for families who are in poor financial situations, it must be a wonderful peace of mind. By Saturday afternoon Jenna had begun to feel better and by this afternoon she was out riding her bike again. I am sure she should have got more rest, but after being locked up in the house for 2 straight days, I am sure she was just delighted to be out and about again.
On Friday Mitchell’s class travelled to Hastings (yes, he went there twice in 1 week). They have been studying The Battle of Hastings in history this term and the trip took them to the battle fields and Battle Abbey. Try to imagine learning about something that happened in 1066 and then being able to run up the hill on the actual battlefield and almost re-enact what the soldiers did, stand on the place where they stood, stand at the place where King Harold lost his life.
We met with Mitchells form teacher on Thursday evening at the school. The form teachers are what we would know as home-room teachers. His name is Mr Carey, a most charming Irishman. In his own words he said to us that Mitchell had struck a chord with him from day 1. He is so impressed with Mitchell, with his conduct, his respect, and his manners and commented that he can only imagine what a good school he had come from in SA. He said that if Mitchell happened to stay at the school long enough, he saw; with no doubt, that Mitchell could be head boy material one day. Things like that shouldn’t matter at this stage, but it sure makes us feel more relaxed to hear that kind of feedback, than if we had sat down and found out that there were some issues going on.
“Friends” Part 2: On Saturday afternoon Mitchell spent the afternoon with AJ. AJ is Mitchell’s friend who travels on the same bus as him to school and back each day. They played football, Wii, jumped on the trampoline and Mitchell came home quite exhausted.
“Friends” Part 3: On Friday night I was invited to join 13 other moms from Jenna’s school for a surprise birthday party for one of the moms. The party was held at the house of another South African family who have been living in Tonbridge for more than 6 years. It was a wonderful night out and it still amazes me how much people want to ask and know about South Africa when they find out where we are from. [I did quickly silence one political-activist of a mom who wanted to get into a “discussion” with me about Apartheid. There is a time and place to discuss political issues, if you really want to, but a dinner party for someone’s birthday is not the time or the place. I ended some of her misconceptions and promised to set her straight on some of the others the next time we had a chat]. I will admit that to meet 13 new ladies at a dinner party in one night is not something one does every day. When last did you meet 13 new potential friends in 1 night? Kids make new friends at the drop of a hat. They meet another child on a swing in a park and they will come running over to tell you that they have “a new friend”. In most cases they even know “the new friends” name. But for us as adults it’s not always that easy. We are jaded, we are set in our ways, and we tend to view people with scepticism before we see them as friends. Why is that? It was a wonderful evening and a few of the moms asked me to join them for a few activities related to things that are going to be happening at the school soon, so I look forward to the weeks ahead and finding common ground with some of them.
“Friends” Part 4: Today our South African friend and veterinarian, Philip, travelled from Greyshott in Surrey to spend the day with us. Philip came to the UK one year before we arrived. He went with Mike to watch Mitchell play hockey at the Astro turf really early this morning. We all went and had lunch at the pub run by my sister-in-law and her husband in Bidborough, then Philip and I took Jenna and Mitchell for a walk/cycle in the late afternoon. 
I think that seeing Philip today was just what we all needed. Today was one of those moments when so much seems new and then all of a sudden you have something familiar to hold onto. Think of getting new trainers. They look really good on your feet and you know that they are probably going to improve your personal best running time, but then you get home and slip your feet into the old trainers, the ones that are moulded to the shape of your foot, they have become older and worn out, but they are just comfortably familiar.
