Hen Night

Had an excellent weekend. We were planning to have a cookie and movie afternoon as Anja has an oven, but Giudi is getting married in November and due to holiday and work commitments this weekend was the only time most of us were in the same place at the same time. We decided to turn it into a hen party instead.

Saturday morning we did a mad dash around Nakumatt and bought loads of goodies, then Anja kept Giudi distracted at Novotel with a manicure and pedicure whilst Cathryn and I took over Anja’s kitchen and made lasagne. We were on an Italian food trip because Giudi partly grew up there. Cathryn did the meat sauce and I did the white sauce, then we made canapés: bite sized bits of spicy sausage, mozzarella, sun-dried tomato and black olive on a stick.

We laid it all out on the table with candles and loads of balloons. Epiphany also joined us, another Canadian volunteer who used to share a house with Giudi when she was a VSO.

We finished up the main course with a run down of Giudi's ex-boyfriends. For each one she brought closure by popping a balloon in their honour.

After the meal came the cherry on top. The partner of the Belgian Consulate is a chocolatier and made the most heavenly to-die-for chocolate mousse cake. Seriously, sexual fantasy on a plate. But before Giudi was allowed any she had to answer ten questions about Maxime, her husband to be. Anja had collected his answers the day before and they ranged from easy - What is his birthday? What’s his favourite colour? - to difficult: What was his most embarrassing story from childhood? She did really well, scoring seven out of ten.

To accompany this, we had several bottles of red wine followed by Champaign.

After the long, leisurely meal, we made waragi (Ugandan War Gin) punch with fruit, and the games began. We’d hidden twelve truth or dare envelopes around the house: behind cushions, in flowerpots, in balloons, under things. For each one she completed, she got a prize.

One was to inflate a condom, and when the dancing later began it turned into a very drunken game: whoever dropped the condom would get pregnant! [NB 2013: We were all avoiding it like the plague!]

Much, much alcohol was consumed and, having started around five, we fell asleep around one-thirty to Dexter. Anja’s got a beautiful big house with spare rooms and bathrooms. It was the perfect, out-of-the-way place to hold it.

The next morning, and feeling rather rough, we watched Rome whilst eating oven-crisped croissants and drinking coffee.

Later, as wedding dress and hairstyle discussions ensued, I made chocolate & coconut cookies and peanut butter ones with M&Ms on top.

It was an excellent party, made all the sweeter by the fact that today, Monday, is a public holiday for Eid. I’ve caught up on loads of sleep – now for movies.

I was just a bit bummed that my tinfoil-wrapped cookie had been infiltrated by ants. Horrid things get all your food.

Had a slightly freaky experience last week. I was at home and often leave the back door open to let air circulate, it’s been hot lately. I walked out of the hall and screamed. Two of next-door’s kids were standing there. I know them, they’re the ones who bombarded me when I first moved in, but they were just standing at the open door staring into my house. I told them that this is my private space and to go. They often like playing hide and seek around my house and it can be a real invasion of privacy. Berlize tried to cover her tracks by walking to the corner and picking up my cup-cup (a thing for cutting grass) as if she’d been sent to get it. I told her that was my cup-cup and she looked sheepish and put it down again. The lack of respect for people’s privacy and property is quite draining sometimes. I did notice that some rubbish had gone, so I wondered if they’d collected that, but they really shouldn’t be because that’s what I pay my guard to do. Hope he isn’t contracting out to kids.

Bumming out big-time on jobs. Had the tantalising waft of a contract in Uganda with Deaf Child International but it wasn’t to be. Should get my flight dates this week. Took the Live Career careers test, it was pointless. Seems to think I should be a writer, do something outdoors, or go into science or the arts. Then at the end it told me to take up healthcare. Total waste of half-an-hour.

Oh well. It’ll aaaall be fiiiine.