four week sand timer

The memory of annoying everyone with my facebook countdown to coming to South Africa is still fresh in the memory so I shall skip the return gesture and simply say that its just over four weeks until I return to the UK. That's 31 days. Or 738hours 52minutes and 58seconds (as I write). Thank you iGoogle counter for that info (other internet giants are available).

So I thought I'd hit you all with an update on how things are post-holiday (interestingly, I think if you plotted one's IQ across your lifetime, you'd find that each time you use a latin pre-fix in your lexical selections, there would be a small but significant rise...). Put bluntly, IT'S ALL GOING DOWN.

We got back knowing that six weeks, while being a third of our time remaining, would be very busy and speed past faster than you can say sh-

That's fast.

And right we were. I was in the cinema last night with my cell group (we were watching a film, not hiding from the feds or anything) and my leader, who came on holiday with us, said 'it's been four weeks since we left for holiday. It doesn't feel like that'. After not so gently reminding him that it probably didn't feel like four weeks because it's only been three, I was still amazed at how quick time flies. I think one day someone will invent a plane that gets from London to Beijing in only 20mins, fueled only by time. There's a solution to fossil fuels right there. It's hard to beleive I'm not paid for these ideas.

Since we got back we've begun the run down to the musical show we're putting on the school we work in. I say 'we' are putting it on, but really Izzy and Jenny have worked like...like something that works a lot...and have taught each class (thats eight classes, 247 children aged under 13) a different song, poem or play. It's hard enough teaching kids relay races (trust me) so goodness knows how they've done this. Anyways, in the last week they've gone into overdrive and had us all helping out. This weekend we were all making costume, props and scenery.

I was PARTICULARLY proud of my free standing long grass that I designed. When I look at it I often think I should go into a grass making-related job. And then the last two nights we've (again, I've done nothing in this but sit around and watch) painted two massive backdrops, one of jonah and one of a jungle scene. And I mean massive. Like even I couldn't touch both sides if I stretched both my arms out reaaaaally wide. It's mega.

I've also been working on the 2009 Calendar I'm designing (you should all buy one) which is nearly done. As part of it I've been interviewing a lot of people about why they work here. It's been very inspiring actually. To hear the hearts and drives of people and why they work for little money and little praise to help whose around them, yet they all do very different jobs.

However the goodbyes have begun and it's beginning to dawn on me how much it's going to hurt to leave this place. One of our friends who was here over the summer leaves tomorrow and she said goodbye to us yesterday. She'd only been here 2months but she wasn't exactly overwhelmed with joy at the idea of leaving. I think I always thought that because I know what I'm going back to (my Masters) and I know I'm doing that to get back to a place like this one day, that I'd be fine with it. I don't think that anymore. It's beyond my imagination (which is quite saying something you will agree) to see how I will feel driving out of the big gates of this place for the last time.

But poor show from me to end on a bum note, the last 31 days will be fantastic. The show is on Saturday, we are finally having a meal in one of the black communities which will include some intriguing foodstuffs, we've going to a beautiful area known as the Draconsburg with the grade 6s and 7s for a weekend, there's three new Oasis volunteers coming out in August, and there's plenty of hard work and fun to be had doing PE at the school and working at DMPR!