Kariba

I don't know of many tourists who travel to Kariba. I don't know why they don't go, maybe they don't know where it is, or how beautiful and relaxing it is? We spent a week at a gorgeous house there. It was my second trip there, my first was 2 nights camping with my family when I was about 14. This time round I went with my boyfriend, his parents and their friends. It was wonderful. It was hot, almost too hot! It got up to over 40 degrees Celsius while we were there. We went on booze cruise trips on the lake in the afternoon, watching the elephants drink at the waters edge. The waterbucks who gathered on the shoreline ignored the massive (well over 2 meter long) crocodiles who floated nearby. And the hippos which were everywhere watching us as we chugged past on our little boat. Both times we had to race back to the harbour as the sun dropped out of sight. The picture above was taken while we raced the descending darkness. Kariba is huge, and you really don't want to get caught out on the lake at night!

I fully intend to go back, and next time I will get to stay on a houseboat!

the other blog

Just a quick update, I know I've been incredibly slack on this blog. I've also recently created another blog, Hexin Photography, with my partner. It's more of a photography blog. He's just starting on a 365 project, and as of the 10th of May, I will be too. I'm excited! It will be a huge challenge. Just the commitment to take a photo a day for a whole year scares me silly. So if I fall down, if work gets in the way or I have toothache, then I will just carry on the next, adding another day to my journey. Go and have a look, and let us know what you think.

And in other news, a couple of months back I became the lead graphics intern on a wonderful site: Thresholds, an International Postgraduate Forum for the Short Story, and I have been loving building the media library and graphics for them, it's a really great site!

All of this has meant that what with writing dissertations, hanging exhibitions and creating portfolios of writing and photography (not to mention job hunting), I have been neglectful of my home chores, so I'm looking forward to the week after I finish when I can document my sketchbooks and clean the house to show you the changes to our lounge. Exciting times.

Clinton Friedman Photography

Wow! These are some georgeous prints. I would definately want to hang these on my walls. Go and have a look at South of the Sahara, or directly to Clinton Friedman's website. They are absolutely beautiful variations on the traditional botanical and wildlife prints!

There is such a variety of art in the UK, the markets every week have canvas prints: most shops have an artwork section and there are so many ways to print out your own images and hang them. But sometimes I just want something familiar that reminds me of where I come from. Sometimes the reminder is too painful, the photographs here might remind me of home and I start to feel incredibly homesick. But I still think that his photographs are lovely.

quick and easy kitchen chair

Here's a sneak preview of one of my 'new' kitchen chairs...


I warn you, this sort of thing can be addictive.

where to stay

Now I have family in Zim, my parents, my partners parents, aunts, cousins, friends, friends of friends, so when we go back we generally stay with family, go out alot for coffee, breakfasts, lunches, braai's and dinners and drinks, just so that we can catch up and chill out with people we have missed and not seen for about 2 years.
So I haven't really got much experience of the hotel tourist experience that can be had in Zimbabwe. That said, there are some wicked things to do!
I intend to incorporate a regularish posting about Zimbabwe, and perhaps England as well. Till then, I'm going to enjoy the sunshine that is today, build up my deprived store of Vitamin D. The sun is out in West Sussex, and it's a lovely day. I never thought I would say this but at 15C it feels rather nice and warm.




Image source


I love how everything seems so much better and I am so much happier when the sun comes out!

back in the country

The flight was long, approximately 11 hours of long. With no radio, no tv or movies to watch. It got hot and cold in the cabin, but I slept - a little - in an uncomfortable chair, sitting up.

When we arrived, at the first bounce of the the runway at Harare airport, everyone started clapping and cheering. It was contagious, we had got back, it was morning, it was sunny, it was chilly, the sky was an endless shade of blue, and no one knew where we had to go... we were back. It felt amazing.

Oh My Gosh It's been ages!

Wow, when I started this last year I had such good intentions but life gets in the way of intentions, unless they are iron clad and have beeping alarm alerts to remind you to sit down and write something. So...last July, I was busy starting to rennovate the flat, enjoying a warm-ish summer and starting to wonder about writing a dissertation the following year.
In August my partner and I went back home to zimbabwe for a holiday. Since then my priorities have shifted a bit. It's no longer as important to get this place perfect, I have other plans for my life and other things and places I want to be.
Also when we got back in September the weather was turning and it was impossible to think about redecorating much, when there is a limited chance of the paint drying before you accidentally cover your coat in the nice white paint of the hallway as you walk past in the evening.

So... with the exception of the spare room which had to be done before the inlaws arrived for a month in December, we basically have pressed pause on everything.. To be honest I've lived in worse places.. maybe I'll start a blog post set on that? House number 28 and I remember small bits of each of them.