Saturday, 8 November 2008

Our Home

Our home is simple but we are busy making it comfortable. It is a semidetached with living room and 2 bedrooms, a walled enclosed courtyard and kitchen , shower and loo. The basin is in the courtyard so we brush our teeth gazing at the stars in the African sky and I shave with the cool light of the African dawn. Having a shower is challenging as it is cold only and the ambient temp is only about 18-20' C. The backyard is clean but the walls need a coat of paint. We have a few pots of fowers/mint/basil mostly provided by Valerie in various old margarine containers.
The countryside stretches behind and there are many birds including glossy starlings, assorted finches, hawks and what is that large grey parrot? Kids pass frequently morning and afternoon walking to and from school and looking/staring/giggling/running and saying "Good morning, Sir/Father/Doctor" whatever the time of day. We walk 5 minutes to the hospital though it can be a very wet 5 minutes.
This is the view from our porch.

We have been busy planting cuttings and plants that Valerie gave us and hope some take. We went out into the countryside to dig up some pretty flowering plants. One passing Tanzanian woman thought it was good that we had some plants for custom medicine for tummy ache and one of the nuns coming back from the garden thought it odd that we had dug up weeds to put in out garden. The teenage girls next door thought it was hilarious. I suppose somewhat similar to digging up some Queen Anne lace or dandelion to put in ones garden !
Sunset over the valley behind our house.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, it looks lovely. Bet you'll have the garden looking beautiful in no time at all even if it is full of Tanzanian dandellions!!

The hospital looks great and as you say clean and airy. Love seeing you both xxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Rupert & Anne,
Habari zenu? I just read your blog, the nyumba looks lovely and it seems like you're having a good time..
Mombasa is good but soooo hot right now - cold showers are my luxury!
Take care,
Emma xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Rupert & Anne,
Habari zenu? I just read your blog, the nyumba looks lovely and it seems like you're having a good time..
Mombasa is good but soooo hot right now - cold showers are my luxury!
Take care,
Emma xx

. said...

Hilary & Graham

Delighted to see you have at last been given a position of some responsibility!!! Apart from driving that tank in Goma, which I presume you only do at the weekends?

The garden looks just like that at Treveglos but where's the swimming pool??

Stay safe,

XXXX

Anonymous said...

Hi Rupert, Happy Birthday. I hope you have a fantastic day preferably down by the lake, maybe even in a boat on the lake. Have a beer for me at one of your restaurants. We are thinking of you.

Lots of love
Mary-Claire, Michael, Lorna and Hannah
PS I am trying to get hang of this blog business, bit beyond me!

Anonymous said...

Hi guys, been catching up with you reading your blog entries. LOVE the photography! Everything seems to be going well, and the hospital looks fantastic. Have fun. XX

Pete said...

Hi Rupert and Annie,
Sounds like you are having fun which I am sure is not quite right . Must be so different from down town Tavi. Jill and I are up at 6 with Poppy's 11 labrador pups . They are Poppy's Ploppy Poopy Puppies or as local Dog Breeder said to me little s**t machines. Great blog. Peter R x

Gudelbug said...

Hello - Nicola is staying with us and we are looking at all her wonderful photos from South America and also exchanging thoughts about how we miss the two of you. Hope all is well. Nicola look fantastic. Take care, Vronxxxx

Anonymous said...

HI Annie and Rupert had a lovely surprise bump into Nicola last weekend, I was walking over the footpath and she was out for a run,very quick catch up and sorry to hvae missed her this weekend. But met Alex and Roley and beautiful little Alice Gude. Your kitchen looked so lovely with toys around!All is well here will fill you in with news on email soon. Loads of love miss you both a lot!! Rosie xx

Anonymous said...

Hi, just doing the christmas cards & thought of you two, what a blog. have enjoyed reading it, will life be the same back in Whitchurch? Its the coldest winter here in 30 years and today floods have hit many places. How is the bread making Rupert?
Happy Christams.
love S&J