The great cucumber drought (and fresh fruit famine)

(Lucy)

We discovered ( by chatting to a guy at Ann's Place, a local cafe that stays open late and will offer a burger when out for an evening wander with the boys....guess which parent?!) that there was a whale watching trip arranged for the weekend.  We secured our places, told a few friends and hoped the wind would die down!  Sunday emerged calm and bright.  Lawrence decided at the last minute that he didn't want to go, so just Toby and I set out.  We were friendly with another four families and recognised many others on the boat.  It wasn't long before we found a pod of pan tropical dolphins, who entertained us with their speed and agility through the water.  It often appeared as though we were going to crush them with the front of the boat as they swam so close to us.  We also saw many of the larger bottle nosed dolphins, but no whales.  Apparently around this time last year there were around 12 humpback whales in the bay, so it may be worth trying again on the next trip nearer the end of the month.  Dolphin trips happen fairly regularly, it just takes someone to organise a boat and put the word out, so that the cost of boat hire can be shared out.  Lawrence made it on the next even bumpier trip, when again we saw hundreds of dolphins...but no whales. 

Andy has now practiced and played with the Salvation Army a few times, and has really enjoyed the company at the Wednesday night bible study group.  Every other Sunday they have a praise and worship service.  Most recently this was held in Sandy Bay.  The nearest to a beach that the island has to offer, though it's black and the currents so strong that we've been advised by a few people to never go much deeper than your knees.  The practice before the service was accompanied by food, and with plenty of tea and cake afterwards.  Toby was in his element!  Cakes and baking seem to have a high profile on the island, so my ongoing quest to loose a few pounds could be severely hampered if I'm not careful! 

I've enjoyed two visits to Plantation House (The Governors residence). The first was for a coffee morning with his wife and a handful of newly arrived ex pat ladies, where we had tea & cake on the patio enjoying the elegant surroundings.  The second visit was a much larger affair and was a fund raiser for the local animal charity.  The last night of the proms, St Helena style.  The first half of the evening was made up of local musicians playing piano, bagpipes, cello, harp, singing etc.  then an interval with wine, nibbles & polite conversation. The second half we all watched the classics from the Last Night of the Proms projected onto the wall, song sheets in one hand, Union Jack in the other.  I've never felt so patriotic, for which I kept apologising for to my new Swedish friend who must have wondered what was going on.  Anyway a good night was had!

So, haven't seen a cucumber for several weeks now, and just realised after looking at the RMS timetable that the boat will not arrive here from Cape Town until the 11th December (over a month from time of writing)!  This is because the boat is doing a rare visit to Tristan da Cunha.  Nice for them, but the thought of little or no fresh fruit for a while doesn't feel too great to me!  We've got five apples, three lemons, one orange left....then I begin the hunt for tinned fruit in juice.  Most tinned fruit is in syrup so I must panic buy all I can find!  Maybe more local fruit will be available....ever the optimist! 

Obesity and type two diabetics are big problems on the island, shops generally sell things in  full sugar and it's rare to find a diet coke to buy,  and you haven't got a hope of finding it in any of the large range of imported fizzy & very very colourful drinks.  I did actually find a two litre bottle of diet Pepsi the other day, next to a bottle with 50% free....for twice the cost! 

So, the toothpaste situation, does sound a little unnecessary, BUT we do have a fussy 10 year old who is reluctant to clean his teeth at the best of times, but even more so if we don't have his favourite toothpaste on hand!  The 60+ toilet rolls also felt a bit excessive, but we are working our way through them!  Toilet paper is also very expensive here, often 1ply and can be bought one roll at a time!  Should be fine for marmite though, think we have about 7 jars! And may I just mention we're already about half way through the pasta!

What Andy's last blog didn't mention about our container arriving, is how it made our small house feel positively claustrophobic.  We have unpacked all the boxes, and then repacked and labeled  at least 10, just because we don't have space (and we know we were looking to move).  The availability of  properties (many empty, but for a variety of reasons  the Saints don't have the same impetus to rent them out)  is virtually non existent, and after many dead ends, we had a call from the leader of the Salvation Army to say she knew of a house available in Sapper Way.  I've never been good at waiting, so it's been difficult to wait the three weeks before we can view it, as the current tenants are 'off island'. And the wait until we can actually move in in late January will feel like an eternity!  Anyway a few drive pasts and a cheeky nose through the windows, shows that it looks promising.  Great location, not too far from Jamestown ( for a small,island you'd be surprised how long it can take to drive to certain areas due to the twisty roads etc), nice climate (other areas on the island can spend the winter months in cloud and rain, to the point that you need heaters in the wardrobes to prevent clothes from going mouldy), and close to some very good friends of ours.  Photos to follow! Oh I forgot to mention the incredible sea view!!

 

I feel as though I have lots to write, but I'll try to keep it brief....

The gold internet package has been upgraded to 'double gold', but we still go over!  Lawrence has finally joined the cubs, after much persuasion.  Loves it, like we knew he would! And is most excited to be in the remembrance day parade.  (He panicked at the last moment and didn't do it...maybe next year).

Toby has twice weekly rehearsals for his role of Curly. One of the comedy baddy stooges in the pantomime.

  I continue to go to my Thursday night craft group, that hasn't actually done any craft yet, just chat and drink....exciting plans for next week though!  

Andy played in a gospel event at the Baptist church recently, that even had drums!  It was actually very very good, with lots of the modern worship songs I love.  We're hoping it will become like Strictly Worship (http://www.peasedownmethodist.org/index.php/worship), though it wouldn't have been a true Saint event without the husband and wife duo singing country & western carols accompanied by an electric ukulele!

Finally finished the theory element for scuba diving...a lot to take in, especially for Lawrence.  Dives in the pool next.  

Beginning to mentally plan our next 'semi-fast' for lent.  A long way off I know, but I may need to import some staple foods such as soya milk.  Last year was a challenge, but I did feel great....this year will be a 'real' challenge.  Hoping it will be a good time of year for fresh fruit though! http://www.daniel-fast.com/aboutthefast/

The weather is improving weekly, the pool is warming up & life is good!  Oh and a new garden coffee shop opened!  Photos below of my current favourite haunt....good for a Friday night BBQ and cooked breakfasts...keeping to our routine first Saturday of the month treat ( but twice the price of our church one.....Beryl and team, we miss you!) x

Movember has reached the island, but with a one off sign up fee in lieu of sponsorship.  They're even planning to get together to check on progress.  Obviously in a bar for what I like to call their support group!  

Christmas decorations are up in some shops, all the usual, though twice the price chocolate, sweets etc are out on the shelves.  Must confess we've succumbed to the early Christmas shopping, as I noticed the stock going down quite quickly, and once it's gone....it's gone!  Couldn't quite bring myself to pay £13 for one of the large round tins of choccies though. 

 

For the lovely ladies in my office I do apologise, because there are many more photos on Facebook!!  perhaps a visiting colleague could show them to you.....sorry!

Giant Centipedes, toothpaste and 4x4s

(Andy)
The RMS arrived this month with all our stuff on it, birthday pressies from last month, the rest of our clothes, toys and cricket kit, plus loads of food, too much in fact, I'm sure we won't get through it all in 2 years.  But toothpaste.........it wasn't until we opened up the toiletries, that we discovered just how much toothpaste Lucy bought back in the UK - I've actually lost count, but it's definitely in double figures! (Smiley Face).  If we'd have known that you can buy pretty much everything you'd need out here, we wouldn't have brought half the stuff.

It was when putting away the mountains of food, that I felt a prickly sensation between my toes, a bit like standing on a dried thistle, so, without looking down, I simply tried to shake off the offending vegetation, only to discover that I couldn't shake it off.....so I looked down....to see a 4inch long yellow and black giant centipede attached to my toe.

Now, I like to think of myself as a bit of a nature lover, for example, rather that kill spiders, I prefer to "relocate" them, far away from Lucy and the boys, however, at this point my survival instinct took over, and using a 3kg bag of value pasta* - not my weapon of choice, but the item of food in my hand that I was in the process of filing under "will probably never get through before we leave" - bludgeoned the endangered, endemic beastie to within an inch of his life.  (note: I consider him to be male, as my sense of guilt would be greater should I think of such aggression towards a female).

My toe hurt a little, a bit like a stinging nettle sting for a couple of hours, and even now, two weeks on, although it doesn't hurt, I've still got two unhealed puncture wounds!  Anyway, for all you animal lovers out there, I didn't kill it, it was just stunned, as would you be, if you were attacked by pasta, and I released him back into the wild......where he waits........under a rock.......for his revenge.........

Our Land Rover Freelander arrived at the same time, in a container surrounded by Lucy's toothpaste.  It was good to get back in a 4X4, and once MOTed, taxed and insured took it down some off road tracks, of which there are plenty, and the baby Landie performed admirably.  In fact, not content with one 4X4, we have since bought a Pick-Up Truck (as you do), a 2005 Nissan Navara, with lots of bling on it, which will arrive on the RMS in December. I'm told that when we leave in 2015, there will be plenty of people wanting to buy it from us, in fact 3 different Saints, when asked what car to import, all, independently said a "Navara".  Lawrence is just looking forward to sitting in the back with his hair blowing in the wind, tongue out, like a dog.

Whilst unloading our container at the Wharf, I was witnessed carrying my cricket bag by a man called Patrick, and he interrogated me as to how good I was and what was my cricketing speciality, my fairly honest answer of "well I'm not really much good at Cricket anymore" must have been interpreted as an act of humility, and subsequently a week later, I received a phone call inviting me to play for St Matthew's Lions cricket club, it turns out Patrick is the club captain.  Apparently, they are all really competitive, so I am currently preparing my apology for how I managed to get out for my second "Diamond Duck" of the year.

Discovered a new flavour of crisps too..... photo below says it all...

My assailant captured by a whisky tumbler



South African, I think....a little concerned as to which gland from the Monkey is used to flavour them!

*Tescos Small Pasta Twists, for those of you, who feel the need for specific details.