Misfits Mid Life Crisis Adventures in ………….. Mozambique.
Week 31, Saturday 17th to Friday 23rd January 2015.
This week I have mainly been listening to….. The Velvet Underground & Nico, Morrissey, Lana Del Ray, Kate Nash, Kate Bush.
And have been watching…. Game of Thrones (Season 4 eps 7 to 10), The Apprentice (Season 10 eps 8 and 9), Not Going Out (season 7 eps 9 and 10 Crimbum ep), Alien, Aliens, Alien3 and Alien Resurrection, The Wire (Season 1, eps 1 to 7)
Still reading on Kindle…… “A Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire” book 1 by George R.R. Martin.
Saturday 17th, A day of bad weather, wind and rainy dark skies, there are 2 cyclones each side of Madagascar which is effecting the weather here. There has been bad flooding in the north of Mozziebeak down here just wind and rain. I made a few small video and put on Facebook to show what it’s like here at the moment, not day to go out. Mike on the other had had to drive to Maputo to pick Jari up, luckily the car is fixed (see last week) he left at 5am. I heard he got to the capital ok and has picked up Jari and Aaron, I’m sure they will all come in to the shop at some point tomorrow. Skyped with Hel this evening and caught up with some stuff that she had recorded for me, how sad is that really watching BBC TV on Skype. Enjoying Nadia’s house lots, I have to climb a small rickety stairs which I’m convinced will collapse with my weight. This house is just behind the first house I stay with Jenny (Late Oct to Dec 2014) It’s nice to be in this part of town again. The landlady’s dogs look and sound terrifying but so far all good I say” hello” to them and walk confidently out and in.
Sunday 18th, major flip flop malfunction, well it’s been happening for weeks but each time the thongy bit pops out I just poke it through the hole. But today it just keep coming apart so off I went to the market (in the end I was bare footed dodging shattered glass on the ground) and got a new pair that’s a little too small for 100mets (£2) hopefully they last till March. We have had lots of dogs at the dive shop today, so many different dogs and puppies as a result I ended up on the floor playing with them. I’ve never had a dog of my own, in fact until 2000 was terrified of them, now I realise what I have missed all these years. Jari and Aaron returned today after there Crimbum and New Year trip (Sati and Henrick return next week) it was lovely to see them again both lost their suntans in a month. I handed Jari the keys, my time of looking after the shop is over; I hope I did a good job I actually enjoyed it but I’m still not management material.
Monday 19th, I was convinced earlier while listening to the Velvet Undergrounds “Sunday Morning” that it was Sunday, I sat there thinking it’s the perfect song to play. Only when eating the Tofo lottery of Matapa and rice that Mike mentioned it was Monday, oops. It is easy to forget what the actual day is while living and working here. We went on a dive…… HEADLINE NEWS… to the mighty “Salon” Zak’s first lead lovely dive pretty good viz really enjoyed being back in the water. Had a close encounter with a beautifully large Cow fish, which pleased me no end. We were supposed to dive in the afternoon, the gear was on the boat, we were about to leave the shop when the skipper radioed from the beach that the wind was up and the waves were getting bigger, so the dive was scrubbed. This meant that we all got in the pool and watched Zak do his 15 minute tread (final 2 mins your hands have to be in the air, this is something that you have to do towards your DM certification). We were all responsible for helping him forget how long he was in the water by distracting him a little; it worked as he got a 5 a top mark. While in the pool a huge banana leave/palm just fell from one of the trees nearby, it did go through my head that luckily there was no one under it, as it really would have hurt. A very small puppy came in to the shop today had fun playing with it, I didn’t see it leave but it’s supposed to be living nearby, I do hope it got home.
Tuesday 20th, went diving to the mighty “Giants Castle” (this was the scrubbed dive from yesterday), the captain went and looked at the sea straight away this morning and said that we need to go “NOW”. Luckily we had left our gear together from yesterdays failed attempt. The drop was perfect the viz was amazing I could see 30 metres or more, a nice relaxing dive with Mike, Zak and Chris. We did come across another group of divers, it’s always a little strange to see other people who are not part of your group underwater. The ignored us, we them… Nothing big seen apart from a few large Potato groupers otherwise lots of lovely marine. Spent the rest of the morning at the shop around midday I asked if I could have the afternoon off as I haven’t had a day off since New Year’s Day (I know I went on a visa run, but that’s not really relaxing so that doesn’t count). Got home and worked on a couple of things for my little niece’s b’day this Friday. I recently found out she’s a Spiderman fan so have done a special Spidey/Anaia cut out on a sort of string web, nothing works out as well as you picture it in your head, but with the resources I had it turned out ok. I have also put her name on a coke can, found one with ANA I have added an I and A to make Anaia It made me smile and will her mum and dad, I will see if I can keep the can safe and take it home. I met Nadia’s housekeeper she wasn’t expecting anyone to be home on a Tuesday afternoon, I tried to converse with her but I really didn’t get very far, not sure what she made of me. Small power cut this evening, always remembering to keep things as charged up as possible for times like that.
Wednesday 21st, a full day off, I stayed in and watched lots of The Wire season 1. I did spend a good couple of hours looking for my phone this morning, the house I’m in is small and I’m only using little bits of it so the phone could only be in a small handful of places, I looked and looked but nothing. In the end I put a message on Facebook asking if someone could ring it. While sitting watching The Wire I heard it, the phone was in the computer bag in front of me (Doh….) at first I couldn’t find it, but then I pulled everything out and found it was hidden in a back pocket I never put it. I really should have gone out to get some shopping but I really can’t be bothered, I made do with what I had. This means tomorrow I must to buy some supplies. I was invited out this evening but didn’t go (no surprise there really), if I don’t have to go out, say for work then I try not to. I am finding more and more that I shut myself away I am becoming more and more a recluse. I don’t like being in large groups of people or with people I don’t know. It’s all part of this irrational fear I have about not fitting in, being a freak and standing out because of who and what I am I suppose. Yes I wanted to go see the Hobbit this evening in a dark(ish) large(ish) room on a big(ish) screen. But I will get the chance to see it again sometime; anyway I saw it recently on the computer which is not the same I realise. I even put make up on (a first for here) but in the end it didn’t happen I stayed in. There is another small reason the dogs here are a little scary during the day I stand still and talk to them and then keep walking confidently, but at night I worry it will be a different matter trying to get back in.
Thursday 22nd , a nice dive to the shallow site “Salon” it took me 10 minutes to help a customer down. I’m glad that the customer persevered as they really enjoyed the dive; I stayed by their side throughout checking on them regularly. A nice way to start the day, this dive was number 140 since June 2014. The rest of the day was spent in the shop; Tofo is still very quiet so I admit to reading more Game of Thrones. It looks like we have an Ocean Safari tomorrow, fingers crossed for BIG stuff. I went with Zak and Mike to help the guys (there were only 2 of them today) to bring the boat back from the beach, while there we saw a launch by one of the other dive shops. The sea was rough and the boat was thrown about a lot, glad I wasn’t on that launch it looked nasty. Helping the guys get the boat back makes you realise how hard people work, it’s not easy, its tough heavy work a lot of it out in the open in full view of the sun. Liquid definitely wouldn’t be able to run without the local guys they employ, I have full respect for them (I should point out I had this respect a long time ago, it’s not just after helping them today). Best part got to ride on the boat being pulled back to the dive shop by tractor, bet at home you wouldn’t be allowed to do that because of “Health and Safety”. Skyped with my sister and her family in UK quickly which was a nice surprise.
Friday 23rd, Today is a very special day its my nieces 3rd bday, I posted and e-mailed the things I made earlier in the week to celebrate this special day. I’m hoping to skype later with her and will sing badly happy b’day. Can’t believe that she is 3, I’m sad I am missing her bday but of course I’m so glad that I am in Tofo. I will be home in about 6 weeks so will have plenty of time to torture sing to her (she will of course be asking me to leave after half an hour). Went on Ocean Safari, didn’t see anything BIG (did I jinx it again) it appears that the Whale sharks haven’t returned as yet, it’s a little worrying. We did see dolphins and the customers did get in the water. One woman was really worried because you couldn’t see the bottom, so I helped her snorkel which helped. Mike was on the trip, he leaves next Tuesday but is planning on coming back after a few weeks. I talked to him about my plan of coming back in July or August, which gives me time to earn as much money as possible so I can spend the rest of the year and possibly longer doing this wonderful job. I said to Mike that I might not last 4 months being away, he might be seeing me a lot sooner. Spoke to Jari about the possibility of doing the instructors course, I always said that I didn’t think it was right to do it for maybe a year to 18 months after becoming a DM, let’s just say I’m rethinking that. Have to see what the future holds. My back is hurting a little today might be after the Safari, need to rest it.
End of week 31, another great week in Tofo, I hear a bird every morning and it reminds me of when I first came here in September 2013 for a month. It makes me realise how special this place is and why I’m such a lucky bitch…..
Misfits Mid-Life Crisis........ 