Feb
14
Normally these posts for the blog are filled with stories from our family, things that we have experienced in learning to live in a new country, and they also usually contain some insight into my feelings about life and how I see it reflected in the things I see around me every day. However, if you will allow me to digress from my usual writing style – I would like to tell you about my comical week. Sometimes you think you have it all held together, you are above the foolishness of the world, but then a week like mine comes along and you have to question just how “with-it” you really are.
Mike spent the past week in SA. He flew back for a few important business meetings and to sort out some of the issues from our move and the sale of our house that just won’t seem to go away. So Mitchell, Jen, and I were left to our own devices. The weather forecast for the week predicted 15cm of snowfall for Kent on Wednesday and Thursday and if you have read this blog from a few weeks ago you will know that driving on the ice is not really my forté. So I was dreading the middle to end of the week.
Bracing for the snow, I decided to stock up on some groceries. This would mean that if the worst came to the worst, driving in those conditions would at least be minimal. So, on Tuesday I headed into town. I had to stop at the bank, so I decided to park at the castle, which is the nearest parking lot to the bank… but of course parking is paid for in 1 hour increments over here and my trip to the bank only took about 10 minutes. When I stepped out of the bank I decided that I might as well use up my parking fare and walk to the nearest supermarket which is quite a few blocks away on the other side of town, but I never again gave any thought to the simple logistics of this decision. Off I went to the supermarket to stock up on emergency provisions. Up and down the aisles I wondered, picking everything from the shelves that was humanly possible. Feeling very chuffed with my achievements, I proceeded to the checkout. Half-way through the ringing-up process it dawned on me that I had just bought enough groceries to possibly feed an entire village back home for a month, and now I was going to have to carry it all back to the car, which was parked on the other side of town, up a steep hill and around the castle! The lady at the check-out offered to watch my stuff while I ran to fetch my car, but stupidity (which I was told by someone today, has no cure) overtook me, and I said I thought I would be fine. Laden with shopping bags and looking somewhat like a pack-mule, I set off across town. My arms were being stretched like a plasticine man to breaking point, but I was not going to be thrown off my mission. Suddenly, right on the pavement of High Street, the load became pleasantly lighter… but then I heard the indisputable musical sound of tins rolling across the pavement… The one packet had torn and my groceries appeared to be trying to flee back to the supermarket, rolling in every direction, almost causing other pedestrians to fall… Well, I finally made it back to the car and sat down behind the boot on the ground, with all my shopping bags around me and did what any logical-thinking person would do, I laughed until the tears ran down my cheeks!
But that would not prove to be my finest hour of the week… little did I know that another round of the incurable was yet to come.
On Wednesday morning I took Jenna to school in my little silver Rover, but by the time I got home the snow was coming down thick and fast. I parked it in the driveway and went inside, but I decided that it would be better to move the car into the garage so that if the snowfall persisted I wouldn’t have to clear it all off before going to fetch Jenna in the afternoon. I immediately went back outside and tried to start the car, but there was no response to the turn of the key. Not even the sound of the engine trying to turn over. I tried a few times and finally decided to call for help. I first phoned Mike in SA to get the details for the AA and I gave them a call. The gentleman on the phone told me that they would not be able to despatch anyone to help me as Mike is the policy holder and he was required to be present. Well, that was just not going to work for me and I let the poor guy know it, in no uncertain terms. He finally agreed that since Mike was in SA, those were deemed to be “different circumstances” and they would send someone – just this once, I might add. The nearest AA offices are in Sevenoaks, so it was a journey of at least 10 miles for the mechanic. He finally arrived and we stood outside in the falling snow while I explained to him what the problem was. He took the keys from me, pressed the immobilizer, climbed into the car, turned the key… and the car started immediately! We eventually ascertained that I had forgotten to press the immobilizer button before attempting to start the car! This, all after I had made such a noise on the phone about them not wanting to send someone to help! Fortunately the mechanic had an awesome sense of humour and he was more interested in having a chat about South Africa and his next run in the London marathon, so my embarrassment soon faded into the background.
On Friday I took Mitchell and his friend Thomas, to the Bowlplex in Tunbridge Wells. We enjoyed a game of 10-pin, a bite to eat and then we went to watch the movie, Invictus. It was a poignant moment of incredible mixed emotions. There were times when I heard Mitchell lean over and explain some the things about South Africa to Thomas and I felt proud of how he handled it. He is a proudly South African boy, and rightfully so. All the way home in the car (after dropping Thomas at home) we sang Shoshaloza. It is amazing how that song can just go on and on… If you are a South African who has not yet seen the movie, do yourself a favour and go along. 15 years down the line we may all have forgotten a rather important time in our history and this movie serves as a reminder.
The rest of the week held together quite nicely, and was a manic mix of ferrying Mitchell and Jenna to indoor cricket practice, Kumon maths, hockey practice, and gymnastics. Jenna has only been attending gym for 2 months and this week she was given her routine for the novice’s competition coming up in March. I am now trying to learn the names of the various moves like “straddle” and “arabesque” so that I can help her to learn her routine.
In last week’s blog I mentioned a book that I am reading at the moment. It is by an emerging author – Louise Douglas. The book is called: “Missing you”. It is an easy read, but I am enjoying it. Louise Douglas has one previous book called: “The love of my life”.
School holidays have begun again with mid-term break. Mike returns from SA on Tuesday morning, and I entered the family into a charity run in London in the month of March. Jenna is so excited about it.
The wild fox that sat outside my house on the pavement for 3 consecutive nights this week when I went to bed, has now finally gone… and left me wondering…
It was just a light-hearted week, full of learning, full of laughter and full of funny moments. I hope that I reflected it in this blog this week. It was fun writing about it. Thanks for reading.
February 15th, 2010 at 2:11 am
Kerry, have you ever considered writing a book. This is the first time I have read your blog and find it well written, amusing, informative and entertaining. Please keep it up.