Flying tomorrow

While I've missed one or two friends, and my fuzzy children, I'm really not looking forward to it. Thankfully There is no five hour wait in Dubai this time, it's only two. The downside is I don't have any unread books left :/

Packing was horrible, the maid was wonderful, as always, and had packed for us. She just hadn't packed the gifts, shoes or the clothes bought in today's shopping spree. So there were some additions to be made to the suitcase but that wasn't too bad. Except I didn't know where half the things were, and as well as having an uncooperative brother with a lost passport.
Complete chaos.

And the Milo is refusing to be made. I WANT MY MILO!

Talking of shopping early, I had a once in a life time experience. Seriously.

**Intermission***
Just been asked to lance an abscess O.o

**And I return***

It wasn't as bad as I thought it might turn out, either my dad or myself are too traumatised.

Anyway, shopping. The awesome one off event?
My little boobs were too big to fit into an item of clothing. The fact it was probably imported from China or Taiwan, where woman are tiny, is besides the point entirely.
It made me happy.

Seem to be going backwards in time O.o

As you know I stayed with friends thursday night.
Watched a horse clinic on thursday, and friday morning, with the most amazing three year old Friesian stallion. He was MASSIVE and very, very pretty. Also saw a, much smaller apaloosa stallion who reminded me of a zebra, just spotty and ginger. My friend succinctly point out that a giraffe may be a better comparison.
We had a quick ride that evening too, looking for the other horses to bring them in, as they're free roaming, was a bit obscicale course like in places and very fun. Was riding a rather pretty little horse called Jasmine, last time I met her she wasn't broken in yet, and apparently that was only down about three months ago. he went well regardless :)

And one of the birds decided it liked me, it said hello. I was told it only talks to short women, even then only select ones.Needless to say I felt special.
Went with the two people I was staying with to one of their parents houses for supper, that's where the bird was. Sentence seems overly complicated. Hmm.
It was amazing, they had (I think?) five dogs, three cats that I saw, four noisy parrots, fish and a fresh water lobster. They'd just discovered said lobster likes to kill fish.
Wish I had that many pets. Only have 5 cats, two dogs, one parakeet and four chickens, they're also slit between two houses so you never get the benefit of having them all there :/

Diving.
It was rather amazing. The course itself wasn't difficult and we had a great instructor, which I'm sure helped create that impression.
Does anyone other than  Matt read this I wonder?
Saw LOADSSS when I got down to the reefs, it was stunning. Saw Dory's cousins, eels, turtles!, Moorish Idols, Manta rays, sting rays, PARROT FISH!
The latter are amazing, there are various types of parrot fish but one looks like the fish equivilent of a lilac breasted roller. Also saw juveniles on my last dive :)
Clams, coral, leaf fish (can't remember the proper name), various kind of angelfish, coral etc
Everywhere you looked there was something, was so lucky to be diving in a protected reserve.

Bird just fell off his perch and attacked his toys in order to get back at ...well the unfairness of it all.

The worst bit about the diving had to be putting on a damp wetsuit and 6am the next morning in the cold. Those things never seemed to dry. There was also the time my regulator (the bit you breathe through) decided to get air and water confused, resulted in a very panicy few seconds, yet again, thankful for my instructor.
The evenings tended to be spent chilling, a couple of nights we had a few drinks with our instructor, Jenny and one of the dive masters, Peter.
It was one of those nights when Ellie was introduced to black label.
None of us can look at him again  the way we did before that night. Especially Peter. Mainly Peter to be honest.
Don't think a day of that trip went by without someone, either us or a staff member mentioning it. We still like to tease him with the fact that despite telling everyone that when he is rich, he is going to buy Russian women, little Ellie kissed Peter's nipple. Now, I'm sorry, but we can't let him live that down, nor his general cuddliness towards the divemaster.
Oddly enough, he hasn't touched black label since.

Erm, I'm sure there is more to say, but I'm tired and getting a bit bored now.
Just yawned, proving my point.
Nightnight

Generally Excited

and fed up with the boys. Who refuse to do anything for themselves, I get asked to make lunch for them even.

Recently read a brilliant book, by the inspiring Riaan Manser, "Around Africa on my Bicycle". He managed to circumnavigate the continent in about two years, the first person to do so. Since then he has also been the first person to kayak around Madagascar.
While the book documents a lot of the difficulties one would expect to face when undertaking such a task, and a few unexpected ones; what struck me most was just how unbelievably generous people were. In just about every country he cycled through he got offers of accommodation and meals, even when those doing the offering barely had anything themselves.
While there were people who seemed determined to cause as much difficulty as possible for the lonely traveler, and there were times throughout the journey when you had to wonder how he found the will to keep going, this all, to me, seemed to be more than made up for by the absolutely beautiful people that went out of their way, all over Africa, to try and be of some help.
Generally I'm one of those people who'll happily  believe the human race corrupt and, by nature, self centered, this was really awe inspiring. The thought that there may be people who are willing to give as much as they did, to a perfect stranger.

I'll instead revise my argument against the general attitudes of people and blame it all on capatalism, rather than just a lot of it.

Riaan definitely achieved his wish of being able to give his children something hear about, and even pass on to they're children.

Now that the tangent is finished...
Tomorrow I'm leaving for Natal to go diving! Will be gaining my PADI qualification and being introduced to something that I could only dream of until now. It's something I've wanted to do for years, while a little apprehensive, I'm struggling to think of a word to convey how excited I am.

Then almost straight after that  I'me going to see some friends I made last year while doing work experience. Going, again, from having a really chilled lazy week (well, two) to something hectic and that I'm really looking forward to.

My Stepmom is going to laugh at me after reading this...can already hear it