The wonders of air travel...

I often overhear people saying: "You travel for work! AWESOME! Man that must be such fun!


And then I think of this picture I saw on the Internet... and smile, and feel very very sorry for my Hubby that travels often for work....

Surrounded by family and friends...and Misca

Misca is sharing her cuteness

My husband often travels  for work purposes. At present he is away for ten days, returning in 3 days. The  rhythm  of my house is out of sync when he is not around. We have been married for 17 years and I have definitely gotten used to his travelling, but my kids and I do miss his laughter and witty remarks when he is not around. Thank heavens for Skype and Whatsap and cellular phones, as its much easier to stay in contact.

 

Misca in "draping"-mode

Recently we got a new kitten and she's showered in constant attention from my family. My kids call her Mufasa, but that was a Lion in Africa, and she's just too dainty to be anything but Misca. Its the nicest thing to cuddle a warm fuzzy little kitten, and not a day goes by that she's not had us in stitches! I think kittens should be compulsary in old age homes. You check in and receive your complimentary kitten...! Our kitten soon decided that my laptop is the best place for naps. Maybe its the humming or heat the laptop generates? What ever, she's constantly draping herself all over it! I do not mind her being there but when she's grown I would probably not think its funny anymore.

 

The schools around here close earlier around lunch times on Wednesdays, and all the other week days around 3 to 4pm. So the kids normally arrange their get together on Wednesdays as well.  The kids are becoming more and more independant. The only dependancy it seems they shall never be weaned from is "pocket money". Its bubbling and busy when there is a house full of teenagers. Yeah I know, I know... full laundry baskets, empty fridge, sand in the hall way, missing TV remote, plates and glasses everywhere but the kitchen, towels in wet bundles hung up on the floor....so its all very social.

 

Most Wednesday, my friends and I meet up for the afternoon. Its my life raft...Sometimes we go out for a coffee or sit next to a swimming pool or we remain in the lounge area and share. We share thoughts, wishes, dreams and hopes. We compare kids and husbands and cleaners and swap recipes. Its always nice to have friends around, but then they also have families to get back to at the end of the day.

 

Everything in life seems more bearable when you look at life through a wineglass! But that definitely does not apply to my mirror! These days I can see by backside without turning around and although I go to gym with another friend 4 times a week, its size has remained the same! Mabe its a bit firmer than before, but definitely not smaller and still clearly visible. I am not the sort to starve myself, I just love eating. Nowadays I try stuffing myself with less, but clearly my kitchen is my most favourate comfort zone. 

 

I have told Misca all of this, she did not critisize, in fact she promptly followed me to that fridge to see what delicaties I might remove and share with her. Anyone want to buy a bathroom scale? I need to sell it and buy another cat...

Exam Time



On Holiday in Dubai-2012. Left to Right: CJ, Kobus,Daniel & Kira



We are a family with itchy feet. I say this because we have lived and moved between countries such as Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and Ghana. We move because of the job my husband does with a pay TV company.

 

Schooling has always been a challenge. When we moved from Ghana to Namibia, the kids were halfway through a school year but then the Namibian Schools had just started, and they lost the head start of 6months by starting the same school year all over again.  My kids always attended schools but it was time to try something else.

Moving back to Ghana would result in them re-doing a completed school year or alternatively starting with a 6 month backlog. So we chose home schooling. My kids are currently being home schooled on the IGCSE system from University of Cambridge. They are well adjusted and very social.
 

After a lot of research, we decided on the  British International Distance College (RSA) and got the study material sent to us. BIDC follows the international syllabus set by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). They supply a work program and textbook. The student receives 6 assignments that need to be submitted for assessment.  At first we had a student adviser Natasha, and she was really clued-on. She would finish our sentences as she knew her stuff, and had years of experience but she left on maternity leave.  She was replaced by Tommy. He is like a stick in the mud. Obtaining information from him is like pulling teeth! He does not read his emails carefully and waste time by asking you to explain or elaborate on information already given, maybe we were just spoilt by Natasha? She was really good at her job.  I am considering asking for another student adviser or thinking of changing Distance Educational centres all together.

 

I have been checking out CL Education ~ its an on line distance college linking you to prestigious locally and internationally recognised AS/A-Levels and O-level qualifications through Cambridge Independent Examinations (CIE).

 
Its been a bumpy ride...
When we arrived back In Accra (moved from Namibia, Windhoek), we realised we had only two days to hand in the first assignment for maths. Our new apartment was being furnished, and we had no proper table and chairs to work from. I have long since decided it is not worth sending containers with personal belongings across international borders. I rather sell everything and buy new or secondhand nice stuff in the next country. That way I also learn my way around quickly.  The assignments gave us an indication what parts of the study material needed more attention, and the teacher's comments gave an indication of what were lacking.

Our apartment is a dream as its spacious with lots of light and well maintained, but 300 meters from us is a 28 storey High-rise being built! Its a seven-day-a-week noisy and dusty operation. The Accra city power cuts are frequent and the overbearing noise and vibrations from the generator is something we will never get used to.  At least we have a generator, and I do not have to maintain it or feed it diesel, so I shall try not to complain.

Its finally time for the exams. This is not a fun time. But then I guess exams never are!

The exams are sat at the British Council in Osu which is about 8km from us, but traffic can delay us reaching there in about 40 minutes if its not too congested. For the practicals of ICT they have to go to Alpha Beta School in Dansoman. The British Council fellow called Elvis has been exceptionally helpful.  Always friendly and to the point, he has given regular feedback via personal phone calls and is always available for enquiries.

CJ has been preparing for his Art Exam over the past 6 weeks. He shall be done by the 25th of October when everything shall be sent to the UK for marking. Elvis put us in contact with an Art Moderator called Sylvester. He's a sharp well educated teacher with a easy going manner about him. My son gets on famously with him. Yea-yeah I know, all Mothers have great expectations from their kids, but CJ is quite talented when it comes to art. Sylvester says he is expecting good results from this exam.

Kira has already finished with one subject, and by tomorrow she'll be done with another subject all together.

So soon another year has gone by...time for a holiday and a visit to friends and family in Namibia...now we just have to get through these exams!

 

What to do with the Pootch?

When we moved from Ghana to Namibia, there were no direct flights to Namibia. Inevitably we had to re-route through Johannesburg, RSA, and customs insisted upon medical documents for our 2 dogs that we could not produce.

It was not like we did not have any medical traveling passports for my dogs, it was a case of customs wanting every other possible document other than to 5 or 6 we had obtained before leaving Ghana. We used a reputable International company specialising in International Pet Travel Services, and extensively researched both Namibia and South African customs requirements before we departed.

The problem arised in Johannesburg. Upon arrival in Johannesburg we opted not to connect to Namibia directly as "there was a problem with the animals-in-travel". We had to produce these strange extra documentation or alternatively have the dogs put down there in the cargo ares in Johannesburg. After phoning the State Veterinarian in Windhoek, Namibia and obtaining an assurance of quarantine for both dogs, they were finally allowed to travel to Windhoek. Then upon arrival the dogs were put into quarantine for 3 months. No complaints about the quarantine facilities as it was air cooled (Windhoek is VERY hot) and spacious and we could take the 20km drive to visit them as often as possible when ever we wished.

The problem was my dogs and children alike were so traumatised by the travel and being separated from each other, that we decided NEVER to do this again to another animal or our family.

But now we have to move back to Ghana, and I am adamant NOT to relocate with my dog back to Ghana after this horrible experience! Although I can leave my Maltese dog with other family members here in Windhoek - my family and I shall miss her terribly and the dog will morn for me as she has done when we travel on vacations.

There are direct flights between Ghana and Namibia now as well... 

You only cry twice...

When your husband's Company that he works for, informs you it is time to pack up and go settle in another country, that's when you cry again.

You cried the first time when you arrived. Not because the Country you arrived in, is not a nice posting or the Immigration Officials were rude, you cry because you just left friends and familiar places behind in another Country.

So now you cry a second time because you have carved a lovely life into the unfamiliar Country, you made friends, your kids are well adapted in their respective schools and your social calendar and after school activities tick over like a good routine should.

It is inevitable to reflect on the day that you arrived when a due date to leave is imminent.