Monday 9 March 2009

Nairobi, rats and crochet

We are back online at last after five long days of no internet. It was a revealing absence. It showed, among other things, that I am a) addicted b) always desperate for news from home c) capable of major hissy fittage with unsuspecting technical support personnel.


The headlines from Ganda are:
We went to Nairobi.
We have rats.
We are branching into crochet cushions.


Nairobi was BRILLIANT! I wasn't expecting this, given Nairobi's fearsome reputation. But I revelled in the paved streets, the balmy climate and the leafy suburbs. And the supermarkets! We left with armloads of multigrain loaves and mozzarella. We ate hummus and mushrooms - not from a tin! Bliss. Most blissful was hanging out with very old, dear friend K and her three lovely children.

We have rats. A rat has been seen, scurrying from corridor to bathroom. The fact I am writing this in such a calm way in no way reflects my mental state on the issue, which I have erased from my conscious mind. We also have cockroaches. (Tea, anyone?) I should get the fumigators in.


Following the roaring success of our crocheted Christmas stars, we have begun crocheting cushion covers and kids' blankets. The lady who owns Banana Boat - Uganda's classiest craft shop - has commissioned us. Of course, it's Joan who does the actual crocheting, not me. I just negotiate the patterns, colours, specifications and the money. There's been a lot of trial and error, but we're sticking with it - and if we get the right design and Banana Boat order in bulk, that's a very tidy little earner for Joan, currently out of work.

3 comments:

Le laquet said...

That's brilliant news - about Nairobi and the crocheting obviously!

Rebecca said...

Good luck with the bed spreads and cushions, they sound great. Re rats, we have had many a rodent check into our house, but very few have checked out! I recommend large, strongly-springed traps, baited with a peanut. They may seem nasty but actually kill the rat very quickly, and believe me, you don't want them making themselves comfortable. Poison is slow, nasty and they tend to die in inaccessible places and then make the whole house stink. Expert advice from one who has been there!

AS said...

Cann I be next in line for the cushions? We love the stars as do all our visitors (mostly grocery delivery people)