England

Well Iv been so very very busy recently, with second year, a new job and recruiting people for next years africa trip. As promised just a few of my lovely pictures from my africa trip...

Home Sweet Home...

Sorry I haven't updated anyone recently! Internet either far to slow or lack of time to write anything half decent! Soooo since leaving Ekwindeni, soooo sooo much has happened and this is going to be soooo soooo long!

Firstly Safari was amazing and hilarious! We left mzuzu characteristically late, on malawi time! Headed off on our journey to Nyika, which looks so much like the welsh hills its strange! Longest journey, took about 7hours crammed onto a mini bus with all our luggage!! We had all put on so much weight from eating hideous amounts of fried food! that the bus couldnt make it up the hills and we had to get out and walk up! but horrible journey aside, it was a laugh and we arrived at nyika, we went on a noon walk and saw loads of antelope, and a gorgeous sunset! We then had tea around the camp fire and then headed to our freezing!! (I no it was Africa but we woke up to frost!) The following morning we went on a walk, saw many more antelope, sadly one of the girls suffered from sunstroke so had to cut the walk short but she felt a lot better once we got her home and she slept. We then went on a drive and saw more antelope! We luckily got to see some zebra too!! As we were leaving, which we were soooo happy about as we thought it was never going to happen! Another slightly crappy journey, involved getting stuck in sand and having to be dug out! which was soooo annoying as apparently people do it on purpose so they get paid to get people out!!!! We arrived at Vwaza marsh, as soon as we arrived we saw babooons in the road having a squabble! Our guide Dave was really good and once we had set up camp we set of on a game drive!! We saw hundred of hippos, guinea fowl, Kudu and even ELEPHANTS!! which I was soooo soooo happy about! They were amazing! made the wholde journey completely worth it! We slept relatively well the next night, despite the calls of Hyena, the baboons in the trees and some hippos who were far to close for comfort! We then went on to Livingstonia the next day, after leaving too late and having to weld the seat back together in rumphi, we got to livingstonia a bit to late really!! 22hairpin bends too the top and far to many close shaves we made it too the top! Despite leaving 2 of us at the bottom and loosing 2 up a dried up waterfall! The waterfall was breath taking!! made my knees wobble being so high up! but was amazing, had to leave Alex behind, who was a 34 year old german man who had come on safari with us! was fun to have a new face with us! we had to rush down as didnt want to be driving too much in the dark after our horrendous journey back from Kande beach! We got back to mzuzu, worn out but still in one piece!

The next day we left mzoozoozooo for the last time and headed to Cape Mclear, took far to long, but happy drove us so wasn't that bad! We eventually arrived at Cape Mclear late at night after more break downs and even a random group of women singing and sitting down in front of the van we got there! spending a few days just relaxing was great! despite stupid kenya airways messing up flights!! so people missed there flights home! but Olwen battled for us getting us accommodation in Lilongwe at a 3star hotel!!!! not sure if it actually was as 3 star!! not as we expected in a bad way either!! luxurious food, bell boys and a bath and a pool!!! felt like stepping into a different world! Ate too much, but who can blame us when it was free!!! Leaving the others was horrible! and its very weird its all over! Went to airport, flight delayed by 2 hours, set off, went completely the wrong way as had to make a scheduled stop at Lusaka in Zambia, arrived 3 hours sat on tarmac, told we wouldnt be flying today as problem with the wheel, made to surrender our passport and put on minibuses to hotels!!! Managed to get a flight out at 12am! had to leave one person behind in Zambia, went to airport had to get passport back, took my duty free straight through!!! had to identify baggage, didnt tell us it was there it 10mins before flight!! broken zip on top pocket so stuff hanging out!! had to put it in hand luggage!! boarded flight, scheduled stop in Hara, Zimbabwe! (again totally different direction to Kenya!) From Hara to Kenya, reach kenya, battle from boarding passes actually on different flight then finally put on proper flight! and find out were on BUSINESS class!! woop woop! free upgrade!! Flight delayed by 4 hours!!!!!! free lunch, free unlimited drinks! Fly home!! Arrive in London heathrow, safe and sound and Kenya Airways pockets slightly lighter for all there mishaps!! Amazing time with amazing people makes for a fantastic summer!!!

Bye Bye Ekwendeni!!!

So weve left Ekwendeni!!!! We were all very sad to say bye to everyone!! no one cried though but were very much on the verge the whole time! We did our assessments last Thursday! 88 of about 150 children passed which was very good we got them some gifts, pens, pencils, sharpeners and the school also donated books so they were all very very happy!! We gave them stickers after!! it was mayhem!!!! they went crazy!! They were all very thankfull though which was nice! Spent last weekend at Kande beach again! was very lovely!! we stayed in a cottage all together this time which was very nice but full of ants!! hehe! had a lovely time sun bathing!! got a little bit burnt!! woops! but come up nice and brown now!! :)! We went to Ekwendeni on Sunday evening and monday we packed everything up and then went to the hospital! One of our group had been diagnosed with a very mild form of malaria so we went to get checked out!! She only found out as she was a trainee nurse and did a test to fill out some spare minutes!! Thankfully its just a tiny finger prick like if you donate blood in england for the anemia test, and you get the results back in about 10minutes! The malaria test was free! but had to pay 50kw for a record book!! nice souvenir! We were all negative so went out for lunch to celebrate!! Rice and beans! malawi staple! and then back to the house!! played with the children for a bit and went round the local houses to give them some gifts and also all our cooking equipment that we no longer need!! (thankfully! cooking on a charcoal stove was getting a bit labourious!!) Then we went to the school! we had speaches of thanks, fizzy drinks, biscuits and samozas! We were given a cloth wrap from the teachers of the classes we taught! and also from the whole school and the children some african outfits!! the ones we were measured for by the tailor! was very nice and was very funny wearing them!! everyone said we looked lovely!! we l0oked like true african women hehe!! We then went to Aggies house and had boiled eggs and squash! and said goodbye!! which was sad as Aggie has been lovely too us! then went to St Michaels which is the school where the other girls have been and gave them a kettle! the mum dorethy was sooooo happy with the gift and hugged us and kept saying thank you! They only got electricity on wednesday! so everythings very exciting! we all stood round and watched the kettle boil the water!! which took for ever! but all the family came to see too!! We then got a taxi to the house and said bye to mumma and Nichollas and Nonia!!! Now in mzuzu! Off on safari tomorrow!!!! very exciting! this might be my last blog entry!!! for a while! depending on internet connection down south!!!

Kande

Since my last blog, been teaching all week and been pretty busy with lots of different classes teaching wounds mainly! Standard 7 have been brilliant, Standard 6 okay and standard 5 we only taught twice which means they were very behind when we started this monday! Last Friday was the last day of term, and was therefore results day! It was lovely but also very difficult to watch as lots of the children were in there best clothes and others were in clothes with rips and flipflops with holes in or no shoes at all! The top 3 children from each class, theres 2 classes in each year got books and pencils! was difficult to see how happy the books made them but also nice to see how much they appreciate the little things! Lots of parents came to see there children get there grades, some even gave them packs of biscuits! some parents had to chase there kids to get a hug as they were too embarressed! Our friend Aggies daughter Mia got the best in Standard 7! shes so tiny and really clever! Aggie keeps telling us she prays that she will be clever enough to go to university one day which is really nice! After results we went to Kande Beach by minibus! Kande is prehapes one of the most beautiful places Iv ever been to! with long white sand beaches! Me and Lucy shared a twin room right on the beach! It was like being on a desert Island! On friday night there was a festival, which was fun! Though we all woke up on sunday a little worse for wear but a swim in the lake and a sunbathe did the trick! In the Afternoon I went horseriding! It was truely amazing! We went riding up round the forest and then down and along the beach and then bareback into the lake! It was definatly an experience I will never forget! Relaxed the rest of time at Kande beach thought had the sorest bum!! hehe! My legs still ache now!! Then headed back on Sunday to Ekwindeni! We were very lucky to have 130 children come back yesterday and today! even though it is there holidays! Think were going in to mzuzu tomorrow to get presents for those who pass the first aid assesments on thursday, having a little award ceromony on friday!! Went today with mumma to the tailor! were getting a top and a skirt made up in the schools cloth which is a bit odd cloth! but its very nice of them and will be exciting as weve all had different designs! Oo and weve also booked our safari too! going to Vwaza and Nyika! (not sure of the spelling but o well!! hehe!) and livingstonia!! so hopefully get to see elephants and zebras and an array of antelope! the chances of seeing much more are remote but elephants are my favourite animal along with horses so Im not too fussed!! soooo excited!
p.s. we have found 3 mouse houses in our house!!! eeeekkkkk eeeeek squeak!! hehe!

More Ekwendi and Nakata Bay

Sorry Its been little over a week since my last entry!
Iv been super duper busy! We had our first watched lesson today by our teamleaders! Thank fully we passed was a little bit nerve racking though! We taught wounds, and bandaging so now the children no about DRSABC, recovery position, Choking, shock and bloodloss! The standard 5s and 7s are really really good! but lost a rag a bit with the standard 6s on Friday!! if it wasnt for the good kids at the front I think we would have given up with them! Though they get soooo excited and practically pin you to the board with excitement!
Well apart from teaching weve been planning!! LOTS!! but we have also had a tour of the hospital! It wasnt quite as bad as we initially expected and its amazing the work they do! They have there own mill too process soya beans and a different kind of bean into a porridge mix like marys meals which they sell to local familys to combat malnutrition! The childrens ward was crowded and they only have one drip machine for the whole ward which is ridiculous, the sadiest thing was when we came out of the childrens ward the man showed us a path made of concrete that he said had been put down as the old path had got worn away and it was the path the the morture, they are so matter of fact about death her its sometimes very shocking but its good in away as no one is afraid partilly as they are so religous, which helps.
Also been to the youth centre, had a tour and they showed us some of the work that they do! Its so annoying though as they used to be funded by the scottish christian aid for the past 3 years but now the funding has run out! Its such a shame as the work that goes on here in Ekwindeni is amazing and it spans out really far! It really is amazing its manly with youngsters with HIV and Aids but also helps elderly, cancer, stroke patients and basically everyone!! They also taught us volley ball! Edward runs a volleyball club for the children and is an exe malawian volleyballer! Its so hard and my hands were soooo battered and bruised after and my forearms!! but its great fun partly because im the worst volley ball player in the world! they are sooo funny though! none of them understand why we cant do it!!
Then last weekend I went to Nakayta bay! Had probably the best weekend ever!! went on a boat trip! saw malawis native bird the sea eagle, we fed them fish of the boat literally about 3metres from the boat! and did cliff diving (sorry mum!) and snorkelling and sun bathing! met loads of people mainly backpackers but also a group of lads passing through from tanzania on there medical elective! Was beautiful the beach and the lake! I no its full of parasites (sorry again mum!) but you only live once! Its soooo huge it looks like the sea! its so supprising though caus when you open your eyes you come up expecting to feel that sting but then it never comes and I grazed my hand on a rock and it didnt sting!! So I recommend it to everyone! going to a different part of the bay this weekend! hopefully going to get to go horseriding and stuff so really excited!!! speak again soon as im in the local shop and they keep laughing at me!!!

Ekwindeni Primary School

Right then, sooo much has happened since my last post!
We were given our placements soon after I put my last post on, Me, lucy and sian are at Ekwindeni Primary School! (though the kids and teachers cant say sain so her name is now Sharon or Sharoni!! - basically whatever takes there fancy! Sian tried to teach them at first but has now given up and begruggingly excepted sharon!!) The other 4 girls are at St Michaels and then the 2boys and 2new girls are in Endongleni (probably spelt incredibly wrong but o well!)
Right so we slept our last night at Mzoozoozoo and went on to our schools in the afternoon after buying all our food from the market! so much fresh produce its unbeliable a whole row of people just selling bannanas!! not that I like them but Its all very intresting! They are also very fond of dried fish or chamba (meaning fish!)! It smells disgusting and how anyone doesnt get ill from it is unbelivable as the store holders just let flies land all over it!
We arrived at our schools early tuesday afternoon and were incrediably dissapointed, the headmaster had made other arrangements! so we were left sitting very aqwardly in his office for almost 2 hours with locals who kept talking tambuka! We then got taken to our new home!!! well I say home at this point it was a room with the base of the bed in it! no electricity and not much else! Least to say we were very very dissapointed! Melissa the team leader came at about 7 though and metephorically kicked arse! We were found beds and a lady (whos name we dont no so we call her mumma- meaning lady in tambuka!) cooked us a meal! We had rice, some greens and nsima (which is like smash if you add too much hot water!!!- most people would probably judge it inedible!) we also had to eat with our hands and mumma and her two nieces thought we were all hilarious! and told us we ate like 3 year olds!!! She then told us she would come get us in the morning and teach us how to wash!! We were petrified!! we thought she would want us to bathe naked with her!!! :S!! and she wouldnt tell us a time for some reason and said she would wake us up!! So after an restless night were some pesky shmuck of a mouse spent the whole night attempting to get through the door! (he chewed all the way through a curtain!) Mumma came to get us one by one! lucky she just told us! and we were spared her having to see our naked bumskis!! Malawians wash squating (they love squatiing!) and splash water over themselves! We then had breakfast round mammas house and headed to school! The children were sooo excited to see us which was lovely! and we had to greet them and then they repeated our names back! my name is Liz (spoke very high and quickly!) or Rizzieeeeeeeee!
We had our first lesson with standard 5! whos ages range from 9 to 13- though as they dont move up till they have passed the class! the older cooler kids at the back blatently lied about there ages! as they look about 20 some of them! the younger kids think its very funny and take the mick!! We had an awful lesson!! the kids were really excited! and there english isnt too good at all! Hopefully when we start teaching the older classes there english will be better!
The next day we taught them the DRSABC! which its the first thing you do when you find a casuality and this class went really well as did teaching the recovery position! The locals have been really friendly two women from marys meals (who provide porridge to the children) came and brought us water! and a teacher from the school invited us to her house! she is very western compared to the other teachers and we had a lovely time she showed us the river and her house and we met her children! she said to pop by any time! so might take my photographs round to hers when I see her next time as she was very interested in our way of life!
We now have a stove and mumma neice came to light it the other day! she set fire to plastic bags and then swung the stove backwards and forwards! (like if you put water in a bucket and swing it!) was fascinating! but there were kids around and scared the life out of me!! They were soooo close!
Id love to leave you with some pictures of the kids at our school playing with bubbles but the internets soo slow!! Got so much more to say but people are waiting!!!
will write again soon!

Greetings from Africa...

My first blog from Africa... well iv arrived! Im currently in an internet cafe in the town of mzuzu! Its a very busy lively town. We have been to the market today to buy wrap skirts! The malawian people find us all very funny! They shouted Nazunga! Nazunga!! which means white person! and like to point out there mates! apparently they all want white girlfriends so the lads are doing a brilliant job of being all our husbands!!
Everythings so cheap! We went out for tea last night to an indian and then to a sports cafe! Cost about 7pounds!! We all got money out at the airport and they preceeded to give us a great big wedge of cash!! So anyway about the journey... the flight was long, not quite as bad as two people who had to wait for 13hours in Nairobi!!! They were so knackered by the time we go there! The plane from London City to Amsterdam was so bumpy!! Was very scary!! but got brilliant views of london! I then flew to Nairobi and then on to Lilongwe! In Lilongwe we camped for one night had my first cold malawian shower, was lovely to meet everyone, there is a group of 9 of us at the moment, with two arriving wed/thurs! We travelled from Lilongwe to Mzuzu yesterday took about 7 hours! Was the most interesting bus journey Iv ever been on! saw people selling rats on sticks! and they try and sell everything imaginable through the windows too you!! They are all out to make a quick buck too! wanted me to pay for a photo I took! I showed them it wasnt of them! then they wanted a photo and me to pay them!! They all speak pretty good english so the language barrier isnt much of a problem as long as you speak clearly and dont use adjectives! We had a wee (im with with some scotts!! hehe!) langauge lesson last night and they dont have a word for please!! (please is seem as begging!). Were staying at Mzoozoozoo which is a lodge! our rooms are very shack like!!! and there are quite a lot of bugs! though we have nets and were also lucky as its not mozzy season were all pretty scared! The showers pretty scary too (I havent braved that one yet- thats for tonight!!!!) Well we find out about our placements tonight! who we are with and everything so its going to be really nice to get know that! Cant wait to meet the children and the people we are staying with apparently in true Malawian form there all sooo excited to see us!!!
Will let you no more soon! and try to maybee put up some images!! its reallly weird today its poured! and im wearing 3 layers! and im still cold!!! not like the africa you see on the tele!!!
best be off!! Iv been on 21 minutes and its at 105kw which is less than 50p!! (told you it was cheap!!! and the exchange rate is mad!!) speak soon!

Apologies

My Sincere Apologies for my complete lack of attention to my blog.

The leggy caramel dog was having a bit of a snooze in the sun!

But anyway she must now put her long caramel leg back out into the world...

So today I moved house, to a lovely georgian house with some lovely ladies and we shall proceed to have a lovely time!! for it is lovely! I cant wait for september!!!

Anyway the purpose of this blog is about to change quite considerably and will become the trials and tribulations and probably tell you every nook and cranny and every moan! As I am about to embark on a trip to Africa after a much needed rest in Spain.

I am travelling to Africa for 6 weeks with the humanitarian Organisation First Aid Africa, teaching children in schools or orphanages first aid, as they have a severe lack of medical services over there. I must take this opportunity to thank all the exceptional people who have been sooo soooo generous with donations and made the trip possible and also all those who have given me much needed support!!

Wish me luck! and If anything really unfortunate happens live long, enjoy every second and dont for a second be sad- Iv had a cracking time!! hehe!!!! (Thats my optimism poking through!! but those of you who no me really well no how accident prone I am!! so all these eaten by lions jokes arent probably that far from the truth!!!)

On a lighter note you should see the amount I have to carry! If I manage to squeeze it into my backpack I will be very very very surprised!!! Wo betided anyone in customs who fancies opening it up!! no doubt they will do though the amount of tablets there are in it!! Get everything for this and for that crammed in there!! lets hope the customs officers in malawi understand us foreign travellers! they must thing we are paranoid fools or drug mules!!!

Also one more injection (end of my pin cushion arms!) to go tomorrow morning!! and to get antimalaria tablets and Im pretty much set to go!! Iv got my garlic tablets on the go to ward of any unsuspecting vampires and also mosquitos!! hehe!!

Well I might not write again for some time as with going away before hand and then one day in the uk before the big trip...I will try but the next time I right on here I might be on a big old Malawian dial up internet contraption!! haha!! speak soon...

A Grumble Over Brummy!

I can now resuscitate adults and children, dress wounds many different kinds of wounds and no what to do if you are choking, amongst a whole array of other problems.

I think it makes me a superhero.

Might but my knickers over my leggings.

Now researching concrete poetry with heavy heavy eyelids and jumping everything the lightning strikes.

Check out this charity http://www.arthur-and-martha.co.uk/ who use art therapy to give old people a voice and boy are they some golden oldies! Check out there flickr too... http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/

wont let me upload my image! but please have a look.

I wonder?

Brighton...

Had a fabulous weekend in Brighton...

Sunglasses, Scarves and Mittens.

New Jeans (as seen in vogue!) and a pussybow top.

The sun, the sea and wine.

Friends and laughter.

What more could anyone want?

Fair...

The fair they made from scratch, Looks really nice in the cold winters eve...

The scoundrels wanted us to pay just to go in!!! Safe to say we took them over the fence!

Also went to an exhibition for the chinese new year in digbeth, 3D art in a box by a guy called Chui, interesting how simply the 3D aspect of art can be produced, using just blue and red lines and some disposable glasses. something to think about...

Change...

Heres some work from last Semester (illustration)...

might do something like this but an awful lot more involved for Homegrown Arts?

maybe with a photograph, or drawing a picture not words?

I want to do it NOW!

Optimism

Went to the Ikon Gallery-

- Liked the use of a pitch black exhibition space for projection work very atmospheric,

- Liked the church like space and the banjos in the tower,

- Best bit has got to be the singing lift. (give it ago!!)

Went to see Bridget Riley-

- Was impressed with how sick her work made me feel.

- Was impressed with her smooth painting skills.

- Was also impressed by the amount of work that goes into them before the final piece.

Went for a walk by the canals-

- Liked the amount of textures and earthy colours.

- Liked the foreigner shouting at the geese.

- Liked the bridges and the warmth of the sun.

See im being optimistic

(ignoring the rubbish in the canal, the fact Riley's work is actually pretty small and that the ikon was so small too, big clearly does mean better)

TODAY it is SUNNY...

Today it is sunny, today must be a good day...

Sun makes me happy.

I havent written on here for ages been busy.

Doing Work and Sorting out things for my trip to Africa in the Summer.

Iv decided to be more optimistic...

The sun is out, the sky is blue, my window is open (well as open as the crack it can be.)

Their is still snow on some of the roof tops

I can see the fair though it doesn't do much, they made it from scratch.

Iv finally got work to do and im procrastinating.

I can see the trains taking people places and they never seem to crash.

The way forward is to think as a child

yeh we finally got that lecture!

BIKE!!!!

Snows still covering the ground, but I brought my bike! Finally its only taken several months! Its amazing! I plan to go everywhere on it! (when the snow subsides, riding in the snow is like a tractor ploughing a very slippy field!!) Its from a little place in Stafford, called back2bikes, an amazing organisation which provides jobs to those people in the local community who find it difficult to get jobs, they repair unwanted bikes and then sell the bikes to the pubic, they can also repair your bike and will sell used parts to people who need them! The bikes sold are all in very good condition at a very reasonable price (they have every size including children's and all types of styles old and new!) and the people who work their really will do anything to help! So either go get a bike, take your old bike or donate an old bike if you have one! and tell everyone you know!!

Heres some photos of my little beauty!!...

http://www.back2bikes.org.uk/

Inspired by the snow...

I was flicking through a book early and came across the work of Akiko Ida and Pierre Javelle. Who are both photographers their style is unique and involves the manipulation of different objects combined with tiny characters, the characters remind me of Subbuteo men!! Take a look at their website-

www.minimiam.com/

Snow...

Englands ground to a halt due to the snow, its freezing but doesn't the snow just make the world look a million times better, Like when you bake a really awful cake and cover it in icing it tastes delicious!! Iv taken some good images, the contrast in them is amazing.

The year a head...

I was listening to the radio today and they were discussing horoscopes for the year ahead and saying basically it was a bad year with all the planets moving in and out of different star signs so I wondered what the year ahead would hold for a Sagittarius like me...

http://www.horoscopes-love.eu/sagittarius-2010-horoscopes.php

basically...

1) The first quarter of the year is busy in terms of career and income a possible promotion

2) but the second half of the year will be a struggle to keep up the success.

3) Saggitarians may get challenged by coworkers

4) They will get my share of the success in the first part of the year at uni/education.

5) Overseas travelling is a real possibility

6) I may see some nervous or circulatory problems in the first half of the year

7) Saggitarians should not see any major health issues in 2010

Lets see what happens and if scopes actually hold much truth... watch this space!

Nous Vous...

A collaboration of Graphics and Illustration, an interesting company that complete both commercial projects and own self directed (gallery) works. Im a big fan of the companies more 3 dimensional works. I first spotted them in the book- Tangible: High Touch Visuals bu Mattias Hubner and Robert Klanten, which coincidently is an amazing book, they also have an early book 'Tactile,' both of which I highly recommend. I want to develop more works that incorporate initial 3 dimensional elements... I shall explore this more- possibly on my bee label project?

http://nousvous.eu/ - Check them out!

Peace in the city...

A winters walk around the canals..

I love the warm orange glow of afternoon winter sun.

RESOLUTIONS...

I have decided...Im not going to do the usuals, everyone wants to stop all the stupid things we do to ourselves, but we never commit ourselves, its too hard. I want to make discoveries this year, about the world, about my art, about the people around me and most importantly about myself. SO lets cut the crap and have some fun!