Africa Time!!!!

How Cool am I in my new Nike Top

We all have a watch now!!

We love our new watches

Could my smile get any bigger (see my Watch)

Little Puffla is still one of my favorites

Swearing in the new Mayor!!

The Police are never far away!!

Teacher Ali helped us do this big picture for our parents day!

Me on a Boda Boda!!

How cute am I!!!

Visiting Justine's Mum again ( my Ugandan Family)

Surrounded by the lovely children

Rhoda is never far from my side!

How smart are we in our new gear!

Trying out our new tops

Hello All

A MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has contributed to the DO WE HAVE THE POWER....?? campaign so far, we have now reached 75% of the target with just over a week and a half left to go before I leave, I really hope we can get to the target of 600 pounds and enable to staff and kids at Jolly Mercy and CALM Africa to experience a convenience that you and I just take for granted....  again if you would like to contribute the website address is:

http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/alisonmichie

Thank you again for your contributions, both the people here and I really do appreciate your generosity!.

OK, so what I have I been up to and what is Africa time!!!

Last week I was lucky and privileged to be asked to attend the swearing in ceremony of the Mayor and town Councillors of a district where the charity operates.  I was a little worried that I didn't have the correct clothes to wear to such an occasion but managed to pull a fairly decent outfit together, I also wore make up which I haven't done since January !!! It was an experience I can tell you. I was told (and the invitation confirmed) the programme started at 8.00am so I was up early, showered (well washed down with a bucket and jug anyway) and waiting at 7.30am to be picked up.  My ride picked me up at 8.45 and we arrived at our destination at approx 9.30 (1.5 hours after it was supposed to start... or so I thought)  No problem, no problem, we're on Africa time now I was told.... when we arrived they were still setting up and we were only the second party of people to arrive.  The whole thing eventually started around 11.15!!, THIS is 'Africa time'!!! Mary (one of my best friends) Dad was recently sworn in as Mayor of Stafford and as I watched the ceremony in Uganda I couldn't help but wonder how different the ceremonies would have been.  I wonder in the UK if there was a booming stereo system?? whether the crowds of visitors blew whistles and voovoozelas?? (can't spell) and whether her Dad danced down the red carpet with all his supporters dancing with him....(hilarious) I captured some of it on video as I just have to show Mary when I get back!!

Another example of Africa time was yesterday when there was a parents meeting at the school, again I had to find something decent to wear as it was a formal occasion (well formal for Africa anyway) and I was required to give a speech. Anyway, the start time of the meeting was 9am, so again I was at the school in plenty of time (8.30) for a 9am start.... the meeting eventually kicked off about 10.45 but still there was only about 15 parents there, and people were still arriving at 12.30 .... brilliant, so funny. My speech went down well I think as they all laughed and clapped (to be honest they only really laughed when I said Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming in Ugandan!!) I can speak pretty much all the basic greetings etc now, but the locals think its hilarious!!  haha

Other than that I have been spending lots of time at the school with the kids, lots of them are sick at the moment, Malaria probably the most common ailment, but also there is an outbreak of measles, a stomach bug and Flu (lets hope anti malaria tablets, a flu injection, and having had measles aged 14 that I'll come away unscathed!!)  On a brighter note, I have had a couple of fantastic days giving out clothes and shoes again which I sent over from the UK, thanks to friends who gave them to me (Sue, Tim and Matty, Sara, Geoff and Emily., Peter, Norma, William and Louis, Sam, Leigh, Thomas and Jessie and Sally, Carl and Freya) this time round we had so many fabulous things, every child (120 of them) got at least one item of new clothing, so much excitement it was fabulous. But even more exciting was that my sister in law Emma's company Peers Hardy had donated 20 childrens watches to the school.  I felt the fairest thing to do would be to give the watches to the children in P7 (their last year of primary school) To say they went nuts is an understatement, they LOVED their watches, of course, this is the first time the majority of them had anything quite a lovely as a watch! The photo's tell the story..... Enjoy

Anyway that's about all for now, more next week.

A xxxxxx

Do we have the power.........???????

......... to change the lives of the kids and staff at Jolly Mercy Learning Centre and CALM Africa, I sure hope so!!!

? How annoying is it when there is a power cut and you can’t watch TV or use the internet… and then when it comes back on you have to re-set the time on all your clocks.

? Isn’t it frustrating when the battery on your mobile runs out and you can’t re-charge it immediately?

? Can you imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t just flick a switch and the light come on?
At present, power cuts are not an annual or even monthly occurrence but a daily and more often hourly issue at Jolly Mercy Learning Centre. Due to infrastructure issues and the fact that Jolly Mercy is hidden in the depths of a rural village, the power supply is never guaranteed.
I am trying to raise enough money to be able to install a generator at the Jolly Mercy Learning Centre in Uganda where I am working, Please visit my charity giving page to see how you can help with the "Do we have the Power Campaign" Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who you think may be interested!

http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/alisonmichie

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT

PS you may have to cut and paste the link into your address line as I don't think it connects automatically from here!

Baby Class ( its their first year)

Primary 7 (its their last year)

How was there?

Rhoda has hardly left my side since I got back! And just loves my sunglasses

At last Teacher Ali is back ! She loves playing catch with us!

Rhoda has to carry my camera case, no one else is allowed!

So at last I am back in Uganda! And its just wonderful.

I have been made to feel so welcome since I got back, with everyone from the local shop keeper,the internet cafe owner, parents of the kids, the staff at the charity and teachers at the school, saying Oh Ali, you are most welcome back to Uganda, How was there!!!!  ???? I guess 'there' is wherever they think I have been, so I smile and say 'there' was great thank you!

The majority of the kids are still on school holidays, the boarders arrive back tomorrow and the rest on Monday, I am very excited to see them.  The few kids that are at school, mostly the kids of people who work at the school, have been so cute.  Rhoda in particular had dressed herself up specially for my return and had flowers in her hair, according to her mum she'd been up since the crack of dawn bathing herself and out looking for flowers, bless her heart.  She is now practically stuck to my side or clinging on to my legs and both days I have left to go home she has been in floods of tears - how lovely to be so wanted eh!!! :-)

Today I have been into Kampala to stock up on a few essentials that you can only buy in the city..... Pringles, Oreo cookies, Candburys chocolate, mini cheddars..... you know just the necessities in life! Of course being back in Kampala sees me returning to rides on a Boda Boda (on the back of a motobike for those who can't remember) and I guess I had forgotten just how terrifying it could be, I was clinging on for grim death this morning as the young punk boda boda driver, weaved his way through the traffic jams and madness that is Kampala on a Saturday morning, good god it was like a whie knuckle ride I was pertified, I need to choose an old bloke next time, they tend to hear my cries of Poland Poland (slowly slowly) and take a bit more care.. Ho Hum, when in Uganda.........!!!!!!!

I have so many things to do during this stay in Uganda, in particular arranging for some more children to be sponsored by some friends who have said they would like to sponsor a child here.  Also I am going to try to raise enough money to install a generator for the school, the lack of consistent power supply is a constant problem for them and I would like to leave a permanent reminder of me and all my friends, family and colleagues.  I am going to set up a charity giving website, in the hope that by clubbing together we may be able to raise enough money to give them the generator they so desparately need..... What this space for more details.

Anyway, I think thats all for now, am off to take the local bus, come taxi ,come minivan back to the volunteer house.  I am the only volunteer here this time, so have the house to myself! I may have felt a little nervous a couple of weeks ago when there was a bit of a political uprising and the leader of the opposition party was arreseted right outside the gates to the house!!!!!!!! But now there are so many police in riot vans everywhere I don't think anyone will trouble little old me in my little old house!!!! Hahahaha, nothing like being back in Africa!!!

Thats all for now :-)

Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney !!

The view from my apartment in Sydney

One of the best views in the world

Fireworks over the Opera House

A cold day in Melbourne

With Gina and Jesse in Melbourne

Parliament House in Canberra



Jenni & I on top of Parliament House, Canberra



Parliament House, Canberra



Australian War Memorial, Canberra



Gorgeous Sydney Harbour

Parsley Bay, Sydney

Cheryl and I on our Bay Tour of Sydney

Sydney Harbour

So the past couple of weeks have definately dispelled the myth that it is always hot in Australia.... its been flippin freezing, apparently it was the coldest day in Sydney for 50 years on Thursday this week and I can definately confirm that it was COLD COLD COLD, however the sun still shone and it was a gorgeous day, I wish Autumn days were like this in England!! I don't have many warm clothes with me so I have been recycling my clothes every couple of days! definately not one of my best dressed trips!! Its quite strange seeing all the leaves falling off the trees in May, it feels like it should be October or November!

Over the past couple of weeks I have spent time taking in the sights of Sydney ( for the fourth time and I still love it), Melbourne ( for the second time though I remembered nothing from the first time I was there 19 years ago) and Canberra (for the first time and really enjoyed it .... though not the temperature...it reached minus 1 overnight!!). During the past couple of weeks I have also spent time with new friends I made from both my West Coast Trip and my Top End Trip which has been great, so thank you Gina, Jesse, Jenni and Cheryl and also its been fantastic to see and spend time with friends I have known for years, Paul and Michele.

On Tuesday I set off for Africa again and will arrive back in Uganda on Thursday (its going to be a long Journey) but I can't wait to see everyone from CALM Africa and Jolly Mercy again.

Take care all and I'll be back on the blog when I get to Africa!

Celebrating the big event in Darwin!

You can take the girl out of England but you can't take England out of the girl!! haha 

Didn't she look gorgeous!

Celebratiing with my Dutch friends (I think they thought I was quite crazy with the pictures on the wall!! :-)

Look at the crowds Wills not your shoes!!

Easter Eggs, the Top End and Wedding Fever!!

Happy Easter!!! Exchanging easter gifts with friends from my west coast trip!

Trying to put my finger up a turtles bum!!!! haha

A croc in the Adelaide River



Nourlangie Rock, Kakadu National Park



A bit of a worry!!

Edith Falls - we swam here!!

Wallaby at our Camp site

Me at Katherine Gorge, it was as gorgeous as I remember from 20 years ago!




Moon rising over the sea in Broome - aamazing sight

 


Australians have such a way with words (the words on the bottom say say, lift tail for Butt Hole ) hahahaha- An ash tray in the northern territories




Swimming hole near Florence Falls



Gorgeous Fragipani flowers

Cooling off at a swimming hole (its 37 degrees!!) making very good use of my rashi!! (swimming top)

Florence Falls, Litchfield NP

Wangi Falls, Litchfield NP

Massive termite mound Litchfield National Park

I can't help feeling patriotic today so I've decorated the wall in my hotel room

There's wedding fever in Oz too!

The sunsets are breathtaking

So another busy week has passed by and this saw me visit places I first saw almost 20 years ago on my first trip to Australia, Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge and Litchfield National Park and I certainly wasn't dissapointed, the best part (aside from the beautiful waterfalls, stunning sunsets, breathtaking views and scenery) was there were no where near as many files as there was last time (thank the lord) I had my fly net at the ready as previously I remember being plagued by millions of the little buggers but this time it was relatively civilised - well thats if you discount having cane toads in the showers and frogs plopping out of taps when you turn them on yes (yes this did happen to me one morning about 6.30 - I'm surprised you couldn't hear me screaming in the UK!!)  Yes I can safely say that I am done with the australian outback and camping for a while, we decided on our last night of camping at Mount Bundy Station that enough was enough and yes its great to be at one with nature, but a clean bed, air conditioning and my own bathroom (with no frogs and toads) wins hands down at the moment!!

So today is the royal wedding day and yes wedding fever is alive and well in Australia too, its on the TV 24 hours a day at the moment - though we are 8.5 hours ahead here so I will be watching through the night as Kate and William tie the knot! I am feeling very patriotic today so I went out and bought a magazine and decorated my hotel room in preparation for the big event (god knows what the chambermaids must think!! Crazy Pom probably!! haha). I have been listening to rousing british music ...Jerusalem and Elgar and singing very loudly.. I kind of wish I was at home for the big event and feel just a tiny bit homesick when I see all the mad english people  on TV sleeping on the streets outside Westminster Abbey !! But hey ho I'll be in Sydney on Monday so its not all bad!! haha.

Anyway, better go now and get ready for an evening of TV viewing. :-) Happy Wedding Day William and Kate!