As I found out on my way here, exceeding baggage allowance can be quite costly. But never fear - I’ve got a marvellous device for weighing luggage. It’s a scale with a hook from which you suspend your bag. And it’s great!
...unless of course the bag slips off the hook and you punch yourself in the mouth with the scale, puncturing your lower lip and chipping your teeth and causing your mouth to swell up to three times its normal size...
So yeah, I’ve now got a big hole in my lip, a slightly sicky, faint feeling and annoying crunchy bits of blood-flavoured teeth in my mouth. I’ve got so much to do today – the taekwondo grading is at 5pm and before then I need to have packed, cleaned the fridge, cleaned the loo, cleaned the windows, cleaned ...well, everything. But now I feel sick and incapacitated and have been forced to sit down and have a rest. DAMN YOU WEAK AND FEEBLE BODY!
Oh well, I suppose it gives me the opportunity to catch you up on my last few days...
First things first I must tell you about the cutest stray kitten ever in the whole world! On our way into the cinema the other day we saw a tiny miaow bag squeaking around under the cars in the car park. We were a bit worried about it but thought its mum would be around somewhere and that we should probably just leave it alone. But then on our way out a couple of hours later it was still there, and had soggy paws and was sneezing and was just too cute to leave alone any longer. I picked it up and took it to the car park security man who basically told me I should take it home or leave it to die. DIE??! The tiny cute kitten? Noooooooo! So I started frantically texting round everyone I know who’s staying here or who lives here asking, begging them to adopt a squeaky friend. I finally got a response from Nelta, whose granny was looking for a kitten. So we took it home for the night, fed it and played with it, and then reluctantly gave it away the next morning.
I had my official ‘last day at school’ yesterday, although the last few days have all had a very ‘end of term’ feeling, what with the concerts and performances, the Abolition d’Esclavage exhibition, the cake tasting session and the distinct lack of children in school. (They don’t have attendance officers here and it seems some kids and parents start their summer holidays whenever they feel like it.)
Last week on my way into a class, one of the kids was waiting outside the door for me with a blindfold. He guided me into the room where I was greeted by questions from the other kids, like - What are your hobbies? Where do you live? What’s your favourite colour? And so on. And then they made me taste and smell fruits and spices and guess what they were. And I got presents! That was a lovely surprise.
And yesterday I got another surprise in Mr Thimon’s class. I’d spent the last few weeks working really hard with these kids on a song they performed at the concert – the Jungle Boogie Woogie. They did an amazing job with a lot of complicated vocabulary, and they had costumes and masks and danced and played drums. It was great! Anyway I had developed quite a soft spot for this class, and so when I arrived for my last lesson and saw there were only two kids there I must admit I felt a tiny bit sad. But just as the three of us were settling down to play Bingo, about fifteen others burst through the door shouting; “Surprise!”
And they sat me in a chair in the middle of the room and lined up around me, singing a song about having a safe journey home, and that they would miss me. And then some of them played traditional drums and others danced the Bèlè while they sang something in créole. I had to really work hard not to cry! It was so touching. And then they gave me some gifts – a créole recipe book, a class photo which I’d forgotten I was in, some jewellery and lots of cards and kisses.
I also managed to drop a sufficient number of hints about how a school uniform tee shirt would be a great souvenir for a teacher to dig one out for me. He looked a bit embarrassed as he explained the only one he could find was age 10, but I ran into the loo immediately and changed into it to prove that it was the perfect size for me. And it was!
And so we’re leaving on Monday. Jessica’s mum is picking us up at 5am to take us to the port. We’ll be in St Lucia for ten days and then back in the UK on July 11th. I’m feeling strangely sad... I think it might be very odd to go back to a grey northern climate after all these brilliant colours, sounds and smells.
So please will someone make sure the sun’s switched on for when we get back?
