Week 42 - Project 365

My week started in Dubai, where summer is coming to an end and finished in South Africa where summer is starting. There was little difference in the temperature, although I am hopeful for some rain. A few extra photos this week of a flood that occurred 5 hours before I left for the airport and I got my dates mixed up with my flight.

We left South Africa in December 2014 after 4 wonderful years and it's so wonderful to be back to see my friends and to work with a couple of charities.

Sunday started at Starbucks very early for a coffee and to write and schedule this weeks blog posts. I've been buying and packing gifts to take to South Africa with me and my case also includes some gifts from my trip to Canada in June and the UK last month. There's not a lot of room in my case for my clothes and toiletries, but I can pick up what I need there. I start work when I get back from South Africa, you can read more about it in this week's My Sunday Photo and you can see how hard we're battling the temperatures in Dubai to keep cool, I needed plenty of rests attempting the cleaning today.

Day 284 #onedailypositive #Gisfor #fmsphotoaday #HotDrink #snaphappybritmums #project365 So not fitting the photo prompts here, but it is Gin in the glass and the only hot thing about is was the tonic that was at room temperature, around 30c, as I'd forgotten to put it in the fridge.

Monday I went for a coffee with an expat group, this will be my last one for a long time, I'll only be able to join in now during the school holidays. I spent the evening at a friends house for a pamper Party. Today's blog was all about why I'm returning to South Africa.

Day 285 ‪#‎onedailypositive‬ ‪#‎Hisfor‬ ‪#‎fmsphotoaday‬ ‪#‎WhereImStanding‬‪#‎snaphappybritmums‬ ‪#‎project365‬ H is for home, where I'm standing with the sun glaring in my eyes outside our villa in Dubai

Tuesday went past in a blur, I think there was coffee, there's usually coffee in my day. I summed up my holiday to the UK with Time Traveller and although I'm hopping on yet another plane this week, why I need a holiday. I received an emial inviting me to check in online, I thought it was a bit early till I realised I fly Wednesday night and not Thursday night. So our plans to spend the day out together on Thursday which is a public holiday in Dubai have gone out the window.

Day 286 ‪#‎onedailypositive‬ ‪#‎Iisfor‬ ‪#‎fmsphotoaday‬ ‪#‎flower‬‪#‎snaphappybritmums‬ ‪#‎project365‬ I is for ideas for flowers that will grow in the desert

Wednesday morning was spent rather stressfully at the bank, making two trips with documents in an attempt to open off shore banking. Hubby went off for lunch at the Burj Al Arab so I did the cleaning, packing, repacking and more repacking. On hubbies return he informed me the invitation and included me, but no one told him till he got there....grrrrrrr. I walked Bob and then I was off to the beach to find this

By 7.30pm the plumbers had been (it's the eve of a public holiday), hubby arrived home half way through and helped me move the rest of the boxes into the garage.

The boxes contained christmas decorations, camping gear, paperwork relating to the UK and the kids keep sake boxes with their christening cards and paintings. Sadly a lot of it is beyond salvaging, although hubby said he'll try to separate papers and dry them out for me while I'm away.

After tea, beans on toast as it was now late, I had a long bath and packed my hand luggage. I was at the airport at 10pm ready for my flight to Johannesburg via Doha. Todays Animal Tales post was about the cheeky squirrels I met in Stockport last month.

Day 287 ‪#‎onedailypositive‬ ‪#‎Jisfor‬ ‪#‎fmsphotoaday‬ ‪#‎sport‬‪#‎snaphappybritmums‬ ‪#‎project365‬ J is for Journey as I set off for South Africa for 5 weeks volunteering with vulnerable children. Sport???? Packed this case 3 times and I feel like I've just done 10 rounds in a boxing ring 😅

Thursday was spent at Doha airport for 5 and a half hours waiting for my connecting flight to Johannesburg. I then spent the rest of the day on the plane, arriving mid afternoon and taken to Pretoria where I'm spending the next 5 weeks, I had chance to unpack, shower, drink tea and head off to my first Santa Shoebox committee meeting for the year.  For HDYGG? I did a round up of some of the gardens I've seen this year in Canada and the UK.

Day 288 ‪#‎onedailypositive‬ ‪#‎treat‬ ‪#‎fmsphotoaday‬ ‪#‎kind‬‪#‎snaphappybritmums‬ ‪#‎project365‬ within a couple of hours of landing in South Africa I was at a committee meeting with my dear friends where we are in our 5th year collecting and distributing Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children.

Friday was a long and tiring day, it was spent at store_age sorting out the donations that in my absence have just been dumped. I was collected by friends to spend the weekend at their house I was wined and dined with Pizza and Gin and fell into bed after a long soak in the bath. My blog post today was on whether I prefer Dubai or South Africa. At this moment in time, despite a heatwave in South Africa, I'm rather enjoying the cooler weather here.

Day 289 #onedailypositive #Lisfor #fmsphotoaday #MailBox #snaphappybritmums #project365 I love writing and receiving letters through the post. I travelled to Canada earlier this year to meet my pen friend Catherine Burden​ I'm currently in South Africa and very much hoping this card will reach her, sometime this century as the postal system in SA is a little bit broken.

Saturday is all about me. I 'm off to get my hair and nails done and a spot of shopping and coffee out and see another friend. Tomorrow sees the start of me working on the Santa Shoebox project.

Day 290 #onedailypositive #Misfor #fmsphotoaday#spiderweb #snaphappybritmums #project365 M is for Mirror. Yes I'm wearing this shirt today as the rugby is on. However I am in South Africa. It's been nice knowing you all.

What happened next.....?

We were kept awake last night with the most amazing thunder storm, it was like watching National Geographic channel through the curtains, the skies were every colour you could imagine. At 2am the rain came down and I mean rain, like the stuff the UK had in 2007. The river burst it's banks, thankfully it doesn't flood our garden, flooding the 14th, 15th and 16th fairways. It made for an interesting journey to school and eventually it stopped raining around mid day. The river has receeded but is still very fast flowing.

At 10am (South African time - was due at 9am)the 'Discovery' man arrived, Medical Aid, to talk through with us how the system works and what we need to do. We're in our 9th week here and already had Dan rushed in by ambulance for a cricket injury and I've had a new front tooth after snapping it on a coat hanger (don't ask) The electrician and odd job man arrived during this to fix some of the faults with the house, nothing major, but we don't want billing for it as we're renting.

I made tea for Andrew, the odd job man, he speaks no English I speak no Afrikaans but we got on fine. I pointed, he fixed. The ideal man, what more could a girl ask for?...lol

At one point I asked the electrian to check the main fuse box, it's outside and the cover has broken exposing it to the elements. There are NO H&S laws here, loose wires and cables run everywhere. 'It's lekker' he said and as I pointed at the earth wire which was bare and had every other wire attached to it, Andrew swipped my hand away and flicked the main switch off, I assume that means it's not safe........

.........this triggered the house alarm, next thing I'm sat on the balcony having a fag when I hear this voice 'Ma'am are you ok?' I assumed it was the removal firm with our furniture as promised 'will be with you at 11am' I stand up, turn round and there's a man in combat gear, inside the house, gun drawn, held steady in both hands.....well...OMG....I discovered my natural fight or flight instinct, I had neither, I managed to keep control of my baldder though. Turns out he's from the security firm and as the alarm had been triggered he had been dispatched to the house within 5 mins. Once he questioned who the two men were and I convinced him I was safe and they had permission to be here, he left.

It took an hour to calm down and when I did I realised the furniture was late....I called the office....'oh dear this is serious, we'll call you back, they left Jo'burg over 3 hours ago, we're 45 mins drive from there at the most, they didn't call back for an hour, I'm panicking, I'm sweating, I'm going through every box in my mind, just what have we lost....the phone rings....'we've not got your furniture, customs refused to release it, incorrect paperwork...more money.....' I switch off listening, then the anger kicks in.....'No more storage charges, no more excuses, furniture delivered by 9am tomorrow morning or I will seek legal advice' (It's an international removal company we hired) 'we'll do our best, Ma'am' so we'll see I'll let you know in the morning what's going on....fingers crossed.