Clare
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Clare" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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06:32 pm
[Link] | *peeks round corner of door*
Good evening, my friends. :)
It's been a mixed and often difficult year or two (!!) since my last post on here. Yesterday a friend randomly asked me if I had a blog, and I found myself here... with a sudden urge to write, write, write something - anything. I haven't spoken to many of you in far too long, and I hope I can make it up to you.
When I don't have an exam in the morning, I might even stick something meaningful up here...
Current Location: EX4 6TJ
Current Mood:  nostalgic
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07:40 pm
[Link] |
I'm back
The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the road has gone
And I must follow, if I can
Pursuing it with eager feet
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
-- JRR Tolkien
create your own visited country map
Current Mood: bitten by the travel bug
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03:48 pm
[Link] |
Yo from Botswana!
Just a quick update to say hi to you all and let you know I'm having the time of my life on my travels through Africa. The problems and worries that niggled at me in Zimbabwe have pretty much melted away out here, and much as I miss home and the people in and near it, I wish I could stay out here much longer than two weeks more.
I can feel myself changing - something that I was scared wasn't going to happen when Zim failed to do it (I loved the lion work but the introspection led me nowhere in terms of personal progression). I don't really understand the changes at the moment, but that's part of the excitement.
Love to all.
xxxxx
Current Mood:  excited
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03:14 pm
[Link] |
Brief buh-bye
While this internet cafe in Cape Town is insanely cheap (a pound an hour for broadband, and I got two hours free with my tour) one thing it doesn't have is access to the USB port. Hence, sadly I can't upload any more pictures yet.
Tomorrow I set off around southern Africa overland, entering Namibia a couple of days from now. I'll log on when I can while on the road. Lots of love to everyone. :)
Current Mood:  nervous
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11:46 am
[Link] | 
Quick and not very good pic as I have no time to upload more. Hopefully the internet cafes in Cape Town will be more cooperative and I'll be able to get some better ones uploaded.
Today is my last day at Antelope Park - I've already said goodbye to some of 'my' cubs. This time tomorrow I'll be waiting for my bus to Bulawayo, and from there I'll be flying to Cape Town; I'll stay there for a week, then launch off on my grand trans-Southern Africa overland on the eighth.
Mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I've been here a good long time and I'm looking forward to seeing some more of the continent - but on the other hand, this life seems so normal now, and I've finally started to make some friends. Waking up in the morning and realising I DON'T have a lion walk at 6 is going to be harsh at first. I'm going to miss my babies.
I'm having an awesome DVD made of my adventures out here, including one fantastic photo of me and baby Amanzi (that's one of my New Year's resolutions right there) and I can't wait to bore you all with my photo slideshows.
Will check in again from CPT. Love to all. :)
Current Mood:  sad
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06:07 pm
[Link] | My time at the internet cafe is through. Em and Alice, it was lovely to talk to you! I might just possibly be on again tomorrow but please no holding of breath. Sadly I couldn't use Telnet. Lots of love to everyone!
Current Mood:  rushed
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05:14 pm
[Link] | I am online right now for about half an hour, from an internet cafe in Victoria Falls. If you want to chat, email at clarekitty@gmail.com!
Current Mood: excited
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08:30 pm
[Link] | Once again, logging in from the office computer on a marginally more co-operative connection. :)
The homesickness is fading, and the utter coolness of the work I'm doing out here is starting to sink in. Later than I thought, but it's coming. The cubs are starting to learn that I'm a senior member of the pride and treating me as such, which means less being jumped on (painful) and more being greeted. The best feeling in the world is having a cub mrowl at you for permission to approach, then bumping its head against your chest and flopping into your lap.
No, I tell a lie. The best feeling is fussing that cub in your lap for the next couple of minutes, and realising that holycrap, you're petting a LION.
My fingers are fine. I had them X-rayed and there's no damage, so I just need to wait for the knuckle to un-swell and they'll be as good as new.
I'm heading out to Vic Falls on Saturday for a five-night trip via the highlights of Zimbabwe. (Including my first proper safari!) Since I'm not planning to throw myself off bridges or into rapids, I'll have a bit of time to kill at the falls - I'm hoping to track down an internet cafe and update / catch up properly. Possibly even log onto Telnet, but no promises. (It would be early evening Sunday or, more likely, earlier in the day Monday and Tuesday.) As I may not have time to read through my whole friends list, it would be infinitely helpful if those who can be bothered could post a quick update of your life on my journal. It's lovely to get messages about what's happening at home and all over the world. :)
My phone has sort of... exploded. (Onto concrete.) It does still work but is now sporadic about recognising the sim card, so if I've promised you texts and you don't get them, you know what's happened. I'm working on a sellotape-shaped solution.
I think I must be getting ill - I look forward to my 6am activities these days. :)
Got to dash. Many snugs from the lions and me!
Current Mood: happier
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06:53 pm
[Link] |
Africa!
I'm logging into Livejournal on an 11.5kps connection - it took me about ten minutes to load this page. It's costing me a fortune too. Needless to say, I can't be long. ;)
The lions are wonderful. I can recognise all the walking cubs (Kenge, Kwali, Kwezi, Apollo, Achilles, Athena, Ashanti, Ariel, Phyre, Paka and Praise) and have walked all off them quite a few times and am gaining their trust. I've also swum with the elephants, which was a lot scarier.
I wasn't expecting homesickness to be a big issue so it kind of caught me by surprise to find myself thinking on the first night 'what am I doing here?' It's still rough, but I've mentioned it to a few people and it seems to be really common in your first couple of weeks - even with a 12-hour working day, you have time to sit down and think and that's when it bites you. Right now two months just seems like a massively long time
I haven't yet been able to check my LJ for comments or look in any great detail at my email. LJ is still the best bet for contacting me online but I won't be on here anything like as frequently as I thought.
H, please get your phone sorted. I miss you and text is by far the fastest and most reliable way of getting hellos through. If you've lost my number, call my mum and get it off her, or tell me which number to use and I will text it to you. I may not be able to reply right away but it would be lovely to hear from you. I can talk on the phone for SHORT periods of time but I do need to know that you're free before I call (or vice versa).
I had a slight accident a few days ago involving a blade and fingers. But don't worry - all are in one piece (each) and I'm typing with all of them. The only slight complication is that I can't move one of them all the way - I might go for an X-ray tomorrow just to check that it's OK, and then try to persuade it to supple up again.
Yes, I'm taking loads of pictures and you're all going to be green with envy. No, I can't show you yet because there's no USB port. Yes, I miss you all hugely and look forward to catching up with you all when I get an hour in an internet cafe. It's now a quarter to nine, which means bedtime (as I get up at 5am) so I'm going to sign off here. All the best. :)
Current Mood:  tired
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04:47 pm
[Link] |
*beep beep beep*
That would be the 'time's up' alarm going off.
BYEEEEE!!!!!!
Current Mood: scared
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08:59 pm
[Link] |
24 hours to go
Current Mood: panic (obviously)
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09:02 pm
[Link] |
48 hours to go
Freaking out now.
It doesn't help that I've got a crappy cough that makes my chest literally rattle (audible to others in the room) when I inhale. Thank goodness for Benylin.
I've now bought a giant sleeping bag, which was the last thing on my shopping list, but I still have to:
- Get my room tidy
- Finish recharging my rechargeable batteries, for what it's worth
- Finish my laundry
- Budget
- RP the deaths of the Sunrise characters I've decided to drop
- Ring Travellers to ask which days I actually arrive at / leave Antelope Park
- Ring STA (who've organised my onward travel) to ask where the heck my pre-departure info is
- Ring the tax office and get them to give me MONIES
- Get my final Heb B jab and get the nurse's permission to cancel my periods for a few months
- Change currency
- Set up my mobile answerphone messages
- Burn my music onto mp3-CD
- PACK
And I'm waiting for my insect repellent and the PINs for my new cards to come through the post. Why is it that whatever I do, no matter how long the timeframe, I always end up scurrying around at the last minute?
HELP.
Current Mood: stressed
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01:37 am
[Link] |
Testing ImageShack
Baby rattie pile
Bunny
Shy bunny
Curious bunny
Helicopter bunny
Current Mood: rushed
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01:23 am
[Link] |
12 days to go
Left my job. Owe phone calls and/or visits to about a million people. :( Have ticked all of one thing off my to-do list. Waiting for confirmation of travel booking for April. Going out tomorrow to hunt down the lone item of summer clothing available in Reading. Starting to panic.
Current Mood: rushed
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07:44 pm
[Link] |
24 days to go
To do:
* Make appointments with doctor, nurse (again), dentist and hairdresser
* Collect painfully expensive malaria pills
* Say goodbye to everyone
* Set up a plan of action for emergencies
* Beg, borrow or buy:Cheap / second hand ipod or clone
Rucksack
Insect repellent
Sun cream
Cotton clothes
Fleeces
New boots
Memory cards for digicam
Imodium
Iodine tablets
Travel first aid kit
Sterile needles - Borrowed
Mosquito net - Borrowed
Books on every conceivable aspect of Africa travel - Bought
(Thank you, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) minnie_llama :))
Please note, I am NOT asking for charity, but if anyone knows of a source I could get any of this stuff cheaply, it would be much appreciated. And those of you who have been travelling before - what vital piece of kit am I missing?
Current Mood: practical
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10:39 pm
[Link] | Last year's resolutions
1) Make, keep and stay in touch with friends - So-so
2) Lose weight (no, really) - Yes
3) Kiss Henry as much as he can stand it - Possibly not :/
4) Pass second year - Yes
5) Dish more hugs out - Not as many as I'd like
6) Keep my LJ going - Yes, though it took this one a while to happen...
7) Make Zimbabwe happen - Yes! I leave a month from today...
8) Stop making silly resolutions - Yes, but I'm going to bust this one at the end of this post
New Year
Great company - Yes!
Great booze - I have a new favourite, the sublimely gay Schnapps Fruition
Great snakes - Two
Henry - Yes <3
Great telly - Yes
Great drunken singing - award, I want that song
Great dreams - Yes, about bushbabies
Great hangover - No :)
2006
This year I resolve to:
1) Leave my first job on a high note
2) Survive Zimbabwe's lions and the scary unknown month that is to follow
3) Lose more weight
4) Get at least one photo of me that I actually like, preferably involving a lion cub
5) Get a cool scar, preferably not on the face
6) Learn about myself
7) Get a better idea of what I want to do with my life
8) Devote more time to people, and spend many hours cuddled up with Henry
9) Get a second job and enjoy it
10) Live more
Happy New Year!
Current Mood:  hopeful
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05:01 pm
[Link] | As I'm spending Christmas everywhere but here, I'm turning my computer off now until I get back on Boxing Day. Everyone have a wonderful Christmas. :)
Current Mood: festive
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10:34 pm
[Link] |
Two small rants
Dear dog owners,
You see those doggy coats hanging up on cute little dog-shaped stands, each lovingly embroidered with 'TRY ME FOR SIZE'? Those are for your dog to try for size. We have one of every coat up there so you can see what it looks like, and there's one of each size so you can determine which is right.
Why do you ALL feel obliged to try the EXACT COAT on your dog before you can conclude that the shade of Santa just doesn't suit FooFoo's eyes? The boxes of sale coats are not designed to be opened and re-closed. That's why we have the sample ones. Those boxes rip when you so much as LOOK at them. Every time you pull multiple coats out of their boxes and leave them and their torn boxes strewn across the floor, part of my soul dies.
You wouldn't open up all the bars of chocolate in the supermarket to taste them and then leave them on the floor, would you? Especially if there were free samples right there?? It's not much to ask. Ask a member of staff for help, or USE THE FRIGGING SAMPLE COATS.
Me.
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Dear snotty woman with snottier son,
When I am on my knees ministering to the forgotten casualties of dog coat war for the umpteenth time today, I'm probably not the best person to approach for help. I'm certainly not the best person to approach with a medium-sized regiment of your extended family to declare pompously "My son would like you to know that he has found a DEAD FISH in one of your tanks. My son would like you to come and remove it."
Do not give me death glares when I look up and frown in slight confusion at why your son, who is standing right there staring at me, cannot communicate this information himself. When I address this boy and ask him if he could show me where he saw the dead one, please do not repeat what I said back to him verbatim. I do speak English. I was addressing him. I know he can hear and speak fine, because he did both in our following search for the corpse.
Me.
PS. It might be worth not taking every piece of drivel that emerges from your son's mouth as the Word of God. The fish was as happy as a clown.
Current Mood:  irritated
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07:52 pm
[Link] |
The wish power are together with you
If All Your Base Are Belong To Us seems far too long ago, try this for size. Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith as translated back from Chinese. I choked on my grapes laughing. Without further ado, I give you The Backstroke Of The West!
(In other news, I've learned that the owner of the lion project I'm spending February and March on is missing an arm. Hmmm...)
Current Mood: enthralled
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05:29 pm
[Link] |
Not a tame lion
It was everything I hoped. Now when I see it again on Saturday, I'll be able to sit back and enjoy it, no longer worrying about whether it will live up to my expectations.
Aslan is so beautiful. *sobs*
Also yay for three-day weekends and seeing Henry and Em. Will call you later, minnie_llama :)
Current Mood:  relaxed
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