Making acquaintances
An opportunity to meet the staff at the Domincan Convent School in Johannesburg. And a close encounter with a big cat.
February 13, 2016
Life in South Africa
Joburg – a brief stay in Maboneng and a visit to Neighbourgoods market
Dawn arrival at O. R. Tambo airport – long drive to our downtown hotel. Maboneng district is a funky place. Straight to the Domincan Convent School to meet the headmaster. At
September 28, 2016
Visas? Bad weather!
Weeks of preparation, lots of paperwork and forms, a stressful visit to London to lodge our visa application. Today our passports are on their way back from the South African
January 13, 2017
Johannesburg – here we come
Visas arrived, so we’re finally on our way. Passports, tickets, camera … once upon a time!
January 14, 2017
Our house…
…is a very very very fine house… So. Here we are in Johannesburg, in front of our apartment in the grounds of the school. We share the building with a
January 20, 2017
Give Me Money…
(…that’s what I want.) Franc, one of the deputy-heads here, drove us to the local shopping mall to buy local sim cards – successfully achieved – and to get some
January 21, 2017
(and I say) Thank you for the music
Astonishing! Sitting in my little office room on the first day, catching up with the usual torrent of emails, what do I hear? Outside my window there is a heavenly sound, rising
January 25, 2017
(I can’t get no-oh…) fridgeration
It was the last straw… our long life milk had turned to yogurt and I only realised as I poured the gloopy mess into our morning tea. We really needed a fridge. An
January 27, 2017
The braai…
Parents’ meetings here at Dominican are a little different. The formal consultation took place on Saturday morning, then at lunchtime there was a braai (a South African barbecue) for all – parents, teachers,
January 28, 2017
“Curtains” for Incy Wincy (the scorpion spider)
Arggh! Chris shouts and swipes something large off my leg and onto the floor. It scuttles away under the curtain. Is it a spider? At home in England I would
January 29, 2017
Workin’ 9 to 5 …
Buoyed up by the success of the fridge, I decided once again to try my luck on Gumtree, this time to hunt down an office chair. Bingo – within a few
January 31, 2017
Happy Feast day
Thursday is the day that the whole school, from tiny two year olds up, processes across the road to St Anne’s, the local Catholic church. It is quite a logistical
February 2, 2017