Getting right into it!

The second installment is here!

So, on Wednesday, we went to visit Trish at her lovely little salon and spa, Aqua Hair Health and Beauty... Now, you will all be relieved to hear that you can get a decent manicure and pedicure, or a massage if you prefer, in the deepest darkest corners of Africa! Or a haircut provided by yours truly... That's right, I got the job!

Woohoo!

So I expect you all to call for appointments, no silly excuses please, like,"I couldn't find a baby-sitter for three weeks..." or "9,000 miles is a bit far for a haircut!" That just won't do! ;-)

Aqua is a small but well out-fitted salon (complete with L'Oreal colour, I am happy to say!) situated in a lovely little recreational compound with a gym, sports facilities, restaurant/bar and, I'm sure, many other delights! I start work next week, on Tuesday, and as the salon is only really big enough to accommodate one stylist at a time, Trish and I will be doing shifts. It'll be like having my own little place - how fun! I will try and post some photos for you all, if I can ever get the camera to work (I believe I am photographically challenged)!

Speaking of photographs, I have some more for you! These are shots that my non-photographically-challenged brother, Jeremy, took of Lengijave last time we were up there, about a year ago...

When we went up for visit on Thursday, unfortunately it didn't look quite like this... There has been hardly any rain in the region this season, so the whole area is a dust bowl. Still beautiful, but very,very dry. In fact, as the house is run on rain water, we have only enough to last the two of us about six weeks, and the rains aren't likely to come for another three months - eek! Then we will have to fit the back of the Land Rover with a tank to truck more water up the mountainside... Ah, the joys of living in Africa!

But on a serious note, please do pray that the rainy season starts early as the local Maasai people are having to move away from their homes as their cattle - their livelihood - are starving. It's such a reality check to realise that, for so many people, a glitch in the seasons, a few months without rain, can make all the difference when scraping together an existence. And in the midst of such relative poverty (could I survive it? I think not!) to be continually reminded of the important things in life... Relationship, hope, faith, love, giving out of nothing... I have never seen so many smiling faces as I see here, in the third poorest country in the world. I tell you, I wouldn't be anywhere else :-)


So tomorrow we do another trip up to Lengijave, with the whole clan this time, Mum and Dad, Ben, Claire and Nia and the two of us to do another reconnoiter and meet "the staff"! Crazy days... We will start moving all our stuff up this week, as soon as the Land Rover is ready and registered (Dan's gonna publish a post on that later, for any automobile enthusiasts).

So, until there is any more interesting news... Take care and God bless!