11/4/09

Wow it's been a whole week. Sorry!

So last weekend was basically just relaxing and catching up with practice etc. Manding got back from Dubai also so the shop is now very full of lots of amazing clothes, shoes, jewellery. It's been pretty busy in the shop (in the garage) since then.

Monday I finally manged to collect my passport from Internal Affairs which is good! Went to school and discovered we have to make changes to our Visiting Teachers Concert. Basically there's a guy called Marcel Worms who is coming out here (soon I think) to do piano mastercalsses and lessons and who aslos wants to do a concert so our concert has been chopped in half so he can have the other half. Bit of a shame because we've had to cut all the ensembles (Kampala Cantori singing the Faure and the cello ensemble) which is quite sad but the idea of it is so that our students can see how we play so we've kept all the solo's. Less organising for us I suppose but still lots of practice necesary! We're keeping mine and Sam's duets and Carys, Julie and I are now doing a movement of a Mozart Piano Trio (Carys on piano) so we've been rehearsing that a bit. Had beauty school in the afternoon. We're basically just trying to perfect our pedicure/manicure procedures now. Time's running out to learn more!

Tuesday was just teaching really. Charlotte (to make up for missing a lesson on Good Friday, day off!), Michael and Soloman. Nothing that exciting to report. They're all doing well. And I told them all to practice more - especially the boys! Wednesday was Charlotte again. Her scales and sight reading are good. George, the guy here for 2 weeks teaching organ, is doing aural classes too for each grade which she's been going to. She's doing Grade 5 piano so I'm hoping going back to Grade 1 aural tests won't be too much of a problem! And her pieces are coming along. Slurs getting there, though she finds them hard. It was then general hanging around and eating before waiting for Teddy to go to Jenny and Jessy (Carys wasn't going because she has/had mega sore throat/no voice). Eventually it was getting late so I spoke to her on the phone only to discover she was already there! She thought we were still away coz we were last week! So that didn't happen. But I decided to hang around becuase I was teaching later and thought it would be slightly pointless to go home for like an hour. Did a bit of playing random stuff with Fred as well as just general hanging and chatting to people and playing our trio (minus Julie so not very effective) before receiving a text from Julius, 5 minutes before his lesson saying he wasn't coming. I was so angry! Had just wasted an entire day waiting for him! What an annoying boy. So I went home and destressed before Cantori where we sing the Faure (even though it's not in the concert) and some Madrigals George had brought. So that was a bit of a pointless day. Oh well.

Thursday morning when I came for breakfast, Siya told me I had to pack everything and move out of my room because there is a family here for a week over Easter. This was about 9.15 and I was meant to be teaching at 10 so I literally threw all my stuff into my suitcase to move into the main house. Mohammed has been moved out of his room so I am now sharing with Khadijah (age 8). It's pretty fun being part of the mian house really! Feeling even more part of the family now! I was actually late for school but that was fine coz Disan didn't come. I practiced instead! Concert's so close! Taught Michael - we played some Mozart duets which was quite fun. I think he enjoyed doing something different but I will try to start him on a new piece before I leave so he can continue to work on something. Next was my first rehearsal with my pianist, Paul. Wasn't great as I'm sure most first run though's with the accompaniment are, but at least he now knows the tempos and rubato places etc and we're going to rehearse every day next week so it should be fine. We both need to do some private practise too! Lunch, and then beauty school. Manicure practice this time which we hadn't done in a while. My fingernails are growing to anyone who cares! Someone also did our eyes with some very cool makeup too. And we've been offered free facials - oh the perks of going to beauty school! Was meant to be teaching Francisca who wanted to play in the informal concert that evening, but neither of those happened and we had a good rehearsal on our trio. Then it was time to say goodbye and happy easter to everyone at school!

Yesterday was not a hugely exciting day. Just relaxing and practicing and playing with the many kids that are here now, which is what i'm sure will be the story for the next few days. I went for a bit of a walk to do a bit of shopping - have bought the (4) kids little easter bunnies which I might hide in the garden tomorrow for them to find as we won't really be celebrating easter at all (muslim family...). So that should be a bit of fun home tradition! That's about it really. My departure date is getting closer and closer, which is very sad, but exciting too! At least I know everything still fits in my suitcase...! Happy Easter!