In the land of dreaming spires

Here are a few photos from this weekend in Oxford, celebrating Alex's birthday!

Even the graffiti is charming and and polite in Oxford!

Now I look at the photo, I can see where I went wrong on the punting - the pole is meant to be vertical  not horizontal. Luckily we had some punting experts. And the sport of duck catching was also invented!

Lots of lovely long walks in the sunshine by the rivers and canal.

A morning jog along Port Meadow to Inspector Morse's old watering hole.

Look - we ate healthy fruit salad ALL weekend. Not a drop of bubbly or wine passed our lips and I don't know who has been starting rumours about strawberries and clotted cream, cakes, jam and clotted cream, cheese selections or Thai food!

Great commentary overheard by Christ Church College:

" .... and there are four Houses in Hogwarts - Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin." Always good to see people interested in a bit of English history and culture, isn't it!

Older not wiser!

Last night I celebrated the start of my 33rd year. I thought about writing one of those reflective pieces about where I'm going in life and so forth, but then again, it's 6pm and my head is still feeling a little fuzzy!

I was touched that so many friends came out to celebrate with me, especially at such a busy time of year when everyone is rushing around before the holidays. Some friends were so committed to making sure I had a good birthday that they even stayed out dancing with me until the wee small hours of the morning! This morning I started to suspect that maybe it wasn't such a good idea on a school night ... when will I ever learn?

The good news is that I am finally on holiday. This time I'm staying put and trying to save my cash for the summer holidays in the UK. I'm looking forward to lazy days by the pool and reading a few books.
 Just to keep me out of trouble, here's my holiday 'To do' list:

• A bike ride to the Equator - more about that later
• Make a photo book of my safari photos
• Take photos of my local neighbourhood - today I realised I have been living here for over two years and have hardly any photos of the day to day stuff
• Maybe, just maybe, paint my flat
• Pool time for reading and tanning (I am so pale it is hard to believe I live in Uganda, but my classroom does have a roof!)
• Try out some new recipes
• Teach my maid how to make a few simple dishes
• Morning swims, runs and maybe a spot of yoga

So now I've made my list public, I have to do at least half of it and I am not allowed to spend all day watching DVDs!

A Woman's Right to Art

There is a fabulous episode of 'Sex and the City' where Carrie gets 'shoe shamed' by a friend who is married with children. When her shoes disappear from her friend's apartment, she discovers that her friend's priorities have changed. She can no longer understand how Carrie can spend $500 on a pair of Manolo Blahniks. Carrie later realises that she has spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on engagement presents, wedding presents and baby showers and that as a single woman, none of this is returned. Her solution is to register herself at Manolo Blahnik, in recognition of her just-announced marriage to herself. The only item that she registers for is a single pair shoes that went missing at the baby shower!

I think many single women can identify with Carrie in this episode. It is not that I resent buying presents for friends, it's just that I think I deserve the odd treat too. Some may think that I am very decadent - I am lucky enough to be able to travel to exotic or exciting destinations and have a very comfortable lifestyle. I know that when I eventually return to the UK, I will not be having fortnightly pedicures and eating out at the drop of a hat. I see nothing wrong with making the most of being here.

There are no beautiful shoe shops in Kampala, and even if there were, the delicate Blahniks would not last five minutes on our dusty roads. There is, however, a thriving art scene, and buying an original painting is reasonably affordable. A couple of months ago I fell for a David Kigozi guinea fowl picture. Today I paid the final installment and brought it home, just in time for my birthday!

Volcanoes and the post

Birthdays often make you think of family and friends at home, and what better way is there to be reminded of loved ones, than with a special letter or parcel? The internet is all very well, but it doesn't quite have to same effect as a handwritten message in a specially chosen card. Having finally persuaded my mum to post me a card and some goodies (she hasn't had much luck with the post in the past, although I think she must have upset somebody in the local Post Office at some point, as other people have posted me some treats and not had such trouble), I eagerly awaited the promised card and goodies from England. I am told that she popped the package in the post on Wednesday and that all being well, it should arrive by ... well ... May would be great and not too optimistic! Then what should happen? This blasted volcano erupts and spews copious amounts of ash all over Europe, grinding all flights to a halt. So where on earth, I wonder, could my parcel be? Has it left England yet? Is it lost in transit, or will the some corrupt folk working for the postal services treat the whole thing as a great excuse to pilfer all the goodies that are supposed to be winging their way to people across the world? Will my mum ever trust the post ever again? I highly doubt it!

On the other hand, when I looked at my Facebook page at the end of the day, I was delighted to see messages from old and new friends far and wide. I actually realised that I have messages from people literally all over the world - covering all of the continents. I am literally only missing friends in Antarctica! So although it isn't quite the same as a real letter, we are lucky to be able to stay connected to friends and families across the miles.