MONKEY BUSINESS AND OTHER ANTICS!!!!

Oh no!! we started with such good intentions and here we are with 7 weeks gone and only our 3rd post. Of course we are working so hard that there is little time for anything else (which of course you would expect ) Okay just a small white lie but we do work 5 days a week 8-4 and sometimes have an hour each way commute.

Okay so here we go. Firstly a warm hello to our friends across the world.(I say this with confidence because you can see from where in the world people have looked at the blog and so far it's about 12 countries). We hope you are all well and Shana Tovah and well over the fast to those who will be.

 The only exception to my greeting is the Chinese person who tried unsuccessfully to hack my Gmail Account. He or she must indeed lead a dull life. And if anyone wants to earn money from a lady in Jordan or some soldiers in Afghanistan who want help with exporting funds I would be happy to pass on your details!!!

 It has been a while since we touched down in Durban and we are both getting into the groove and I know this will be a shock to you all but I (Spencer) am quite enjoying working. There is much for us both to do. 180 kids playing in Mixed teams playing a World Cup football tournament last Friday meant a busy end to the week. France won and as ever England lost on penalties (I kid you not!!).

But enough of work for this edition of the blog. We thought you might be interested in our life away from work.If not look away now. As mentioned in the last blog for those interested in my work please go to the SARS (South African Revenue Service) website for a thrilling insight into SA VAT and PAYE and I can highly recommend a 4 hour seminar on VAT I attended

As with the Americans it appears that we are sometimes separated by a common language so here are a few fundamental SA terms:

In the supermarket -"Do you want packet?" - Translation - Would you like bags or do you have your own?

Giving directions - "Turn left at the robot" - Translation -Turn left at the traffic lights and try to avoid the trees in the middle of the road that for some strange reason they forgot to remove when building the road.

Feeling under the weather - "I have Bronchitis" - Translation - Men = I have Manflu and am close to death, Ladies = I have a small but rather irritating tickle in my throat.

Eating - "Yebo we should have an Avo starter before the Braai" - Translation - Yes it would be nice to have an Avocado starter before burning the meat to a cinder on the barbeque.

If handbrake is dodgy then use tree in road to stop car

So for those of you who we haven't done a skype show n tell of our living accommodation here goes. We are the proud residents of a one bed, one bath cottage. Yes had to mention it again. WE HAVE  A BATH. Next door in the main house are the other volunteers. England, Germany, USA, Denmark and China have all been represented recently and of course there's Tabasco the cat as well as 2 kitchen geckos.

Thrilling video of the view over Durban from our home

We share the use of an elderly Fiat with the others and this works well, as walking in Durban is like trying to walk around a giant roller coaster. Apparently Hillary and Tenzing practised here before climbing Everest.

We are used to the local foxes at home but here we are woken every couple of weeks by the local troop of monkeys on their circuit of the neighbourhood clambering across the roof and then playing in the garden. A time to close windows or the house can be wrecked as they search for food.

Monkey business in the garden - 7.30am

The birdlife is very different too. The botanical gardens are a short walk away steeply downhill and a rope climb back up. The weavers building their nests are fascinating, no really they are. Stop laughing at the back.

Danger - Weaver at work - Beware of falling grass

 Once a month the local golf course (one of the top courses in SA by chance) has a bird walk round the course. iIf you can avoid the little white balls whizzing around at 6.30 in the morning it is a great experience which is more than can be said for my experience so far in getting up at 5.30 to play with one of the little white balls. I am not an early morning person as most of you will know. In fact as Jon Stoll once said  to me, I am at my peak between 11.30 and 12.30 and that is it. How right you are Jon.

Closest I'll get to a birdie and Manda gets to a golf course (It's a bee eater by the way)

The weather has been great until this week. 2 days of rain in 7 weeks and non stop sunshine in  the 70s ( and for you youngsters I mean about 20-22 in the new fangled Centigrade). Not bad for winter but Spring has sprung and it feels like Autumn grey and miserable. Weird. Apparently in a month's time it will start to get very hot and humid and the local cockroaches and mosquitos will be out in force. Can't wait. At least Gordon our resident gecko will be in his element

Is there anything we miss about not being in London apart from of course family and friends? We miss being able to go out with friends especially as there are some really nice restaurants and cafes here. I miss the entertainment in London, and yes I can safely say at this point  included in the word entertainment is watching the Orient. Bafana Bafana v Botswana just isn't quite the same although the atmosphere is great despite the Vuvuzuelas.  Trying to find plays here is difficult but we have been to the theatre once so far and it was  a good evening. Manda ( the clothes horse) says she misses the range of shops ( er I don't think she means clothes shops). No amateur dramatics groups so far but we may get some cheap bikes if we can work out a route that has a downhill followed by a downhill (copyright M. Harris 2007)

But really this an outdoor place and we have been up the coast to two game reserves, one inland and one on the coast. At one point you can see whales breaching in the ocean and looking the other way hippos in the lake. We also go to bird watching sites and Manda has been able to indulge in her photography to her hearts content. You can join Dropbox if you want to see more pics. E-mail Manda for details.

Sad to say but as the food shopper and cook in the family one of the most exciting places in Durban is the local Spar. "What!!" I hear you say, have they finally lost their marbles completely. Probably is the answer,but this Spar has 6 ladies beavering away in a large kitchen producing all sorts of dishes from filled rolls to curries to a fantastic array of cakes (sorry Nurse Debby if you are reading this!!) . The mince curry and apple crumble being two particular favourites.

On that bombshell ( Copyright J Clarkson) it's time to go.

As ever we are Skypeable for those of you missing our sultry tones and faded looks

Till the next time

Love to all

Spencer and Manda

PS YOU REALLY CAN'T TRUST THE MONKEYS TO KEEP TO TIME. As I was finishing off this blog at about 4.30 in the afternoon I thought someone was behind me. Looking back over the sofa I saw a monkey in the house heading for the fruit bowl. Not sure who was more surprised. I chased her out (she had baby in tow outside). She then decided to try and get in through the bedroom window so I ran back in and chased her out again. Marcus our CEO who was watching from the main house thought it hilarious. Wish I'd had my camera handy.