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Yesterday my husband was withdrawing cash from an atm machine. Just as it was whirring through counting out the notes, there was a power cut and the money never appeared. What are the odds of that happening! Only in Africa perhaps? He went into the bank and they told him that the money had registered in the account as having gone out - but it would be reconciled back in when the cash is counted in the machine at the end of the day. They said he should come back today to check this has been done. He did this and they said the money has not been recredited yet, come back tomorrow. It makes you wonder if there will be enough tomorrows and changes over of staff to forget the money - one wonders if returning to the bank numerous times to check the cash has not disappeared into the ether is really worth it?
In September we had a mad panic to buy our eldest daughter a ballet outfit. M&S failed to deliver the pretty pink concoction before we left England to return to Nairobi last August, so there was a huge panic over not having a thing to wear - then the school told us ballet lessons would be postponed for a couple of weeks while they sourced a new teacher. In the end, my husband's boss very kindly brought the ballet clothes out from England to Kenya - we heaved a collective sigh of relief. My seven year old daughter did one lesson (looking fantastic in pink), then the following week we were told the teacher had left town to care for a sick relative and there was no one else suitable currenly living in Nairobi, to fill her place. (Any ballet teachers out there? I am appealing to you!!!)
After making enquiries a week ago, today we were told, after careful consideration by Brown Owl, that our daughter could not join Brownies as she was too late this year and would have to wait until September. Damn, and there I was hoping to take her home to parade her new Brownie skills in front of relatives in England this summer - perhaps a helping hand, or a stitch in time? - it transpires that I might have to step up to the plate myself if I want her to perform....
It's so annoying when things are not straight forward in spite of the best laid plans and it reminded me of being disinvited to a new baby group as my baby was the wrong age, and told that the informal housewives book club was 'full'....