Inglis in Africa: Margot and Zara: September Diary Writing

Our local library at Mseleni

Margot’s Sept Writing

10 Sept: The Library

Yesterday we went to our local library at Mseleni. It is very different from our one in New Zealand. I decided to write some points about what difference was between our library in Lyttelton (Christchurch) and Mseleni. This is what I found:

The Lyttelton library is much bigger!
Here, there is a variety of English and Zulu books (Zulu is the local language).
To get to the library at Mseleni, you have to walk behind a row of houses and into the community hall compound. It is not obvious.
In Lyttelton you are allowed to keep the books for one month and here you are only allowed two weeks.
Here the library is not in such a good condition: broken windows, ripped books…
Lyttelton library is computerized but her hey can’t afford computers so it is hand done.
At Mseleni you are only allowed to take four books at a time but in Lyttelton you are allowed twelve.
Both library open and close at approximately the same time: Monday-Friday 9:00-4:30 and on Saturday it is 9:00-1:00.

But I feel that they are the same because the books are as good.

12 Sept: As part of her NZ school work, Margot had to write on a special event. Here is what she wrote:

In 2006 my great granny passed away. She was nearly 102 years old. Mum had just picked me up from school and we were driving towards the old stone church, behind the funeral car. We also had my gran and granddad in the car. It was in France and I can still picture use driving through the front gate of the church. As we walked in mum started to cry so I pulled out one of my handkerchief and gave it to mum. My gandad stood up on the platform and started a prayer. While my little sister stayed with my dad, mum and I went to our house to get the food ready. When we came back it was time for singing. Everyone picked up their book and sang. I didn’t know the words so I just hummed it. Then the priest called the kids up to the platform so we could light some candles. I had to help the son of my mum’s cousin Celine because he was only one and a half. When the candles were lit we went back to our seats while lots of adults lined up to eat a piece of bread. Because I was only small I tough it was because they needed a snack and they couldn’t wait to eat.

“Ding dong” went the big bells. Everyone hopped into their cars and with great granny in her coffin, we drove to the graveyard. As they lowered the coffin down into the hole, I felt very sad. My sister and I threw flower petals onto the coffin. I think my sister was leaning too far over the hole because she nearly fell in but luckily Celine caught her!

After that we all drove to our house to have some lunch. That night I was so tired I ran up to my room and fell asleep. I am really going to miss my great granny.

Kirstenbosch Garden in Cape Town

18 Sept: Here is another story she wrote on someone from her whãnau or family and she chose to write on her Granny Michelle from France.

My granny is called Michelle Launay and she lives in France. She is very nice and she likes to send us parcels with lots of presents. She has short white hair and always brushes it. Michelle likes to wear her tight red jeans but she changes shirt every day.

I like Michelle’s house. It is nice and big but even though she doesn’t have any small children, she has a bunk-bed kid’s room! There are lots of toys to play with there. She even has one of those pine tree fences and we made an Indian hut in them. My gran doesn’t like dogs but she loves cats. They used to have thousands of kittens but they had to put them down because there were too many!

Next year we might go to France to visit her. I can’t wait.

Roderick and Merle Sept 2008 in Piertermarotzburg

22 Sept: Merle

Merle was my grandad’s partner. She was very kind. Everyone was sad and shocked when we received a phone call from granddad to say that she had died. Grandad and Merle had been together for more than 10 years but Merle was only in her 60’s. Merle had died suddenly after an operation.

We got the call last Friday the 17^th September 2010.

Merle had lots of other grandchildren but most of them called her granny. I don’t think granny is the right name for her (even so she is my granny in law) because she was always impeckibly (impeccably) dressed, stunningly beautiful and young.

Merle’s hobbies was sewing and baking. She made us the most beautiful dresses and the most delicious cakes. For my birthday she got me a Ginette Mathiot learner cook book. It is really wonderful.

Because we don’t have a TV up her at our house, grandad’s place is the “TV place”. But alas we have to ask, and who do you think we would ask?...Merle. We found out this because when mum and dad were outside, she would push the button to turn the TV on. We would watch until mum or dad came back inside and then turn it off again.

I told you earlier that Merle liked cooking, well so does grandad. I remember one Sunday morning waking up with pots clanging and the sound of voices saying “I will cook the eggs today my darling”, and “no I will my sweet”. It was really funny!

Merle’s favourite flower was the orchic. It really is a stunning flower with its little trunk. Orchids don’t smell because bees are atracted (attracted) by the beauty, not the smell.

Merle’s funeral was four days after she had died. It was a very sad one and everyone was crying. I am really going to miss her!

Jendal Fence + Pool at Mseleni

27 Sept: This story was done using our “story machine”, a cardboard box made with 3 compartments: One with a label “who?”, the other with a label “Where?” and the last with a label “About What?”. In each compartment, I have placed some small bits of paper with names of characters, places and what the plot is about.

For this story, Margot chose:

Characters: A doll maker, a Sangoma, a prince and a monster.

Places: An enchanted forest

Plot: Once upon a time…

The doll maker’s secret

Once upon a time there was a doll maker who lived far, far from here in an enchanted forest. The doll maker was called Julia but everyone in the enchanted forest knew her as Aunty Apple as she lived in the middle of an apple grove. Aunty Apple was very happy as she had lots of friends and a big black cat called Mop. Mop was a very lazy cat. He would lie in the apple tree closest to the driveway and would watch the people come with nothing and leave with a whole pile of dolls. On Sunday he would occasionally come with Aunty Apple to her local Witch Doctor. But Aunty Apple didn’t like to call her that so she called her “Sangoma”. The Sangoma was nice and did her job properly but she was known by lots of people as “the tea lady”. There were always people at her house and she liked to entertain them. The Sangoma was quite old but in her mind she was only 20. She had been on a big case for a long time and still was. It was the case of a three-legged bogy snot monster. He had been stealing lots of things like the grocery man’s cabbages, the fortune-teller’s glass balls, the antique shop old couches and the car dealer’s Toyotas.

Anyway, old Aunty Apple came huffing down Sangoma’s driveway to tell her the bad news. The three-legged bogy snot monster was stealing her dolls! She was not at all happy. She decided that she was going to stay up all night and watch for the monster, but as he approached that night she got such a shock to see a prince coming up her driveway! She walked to him and took him inside for him to explain. He said the mean witch from Mulberry Woods, another witch turned him into a three legged bogy snot monster and he had been to the Sangoma to change him back into a prince. He had come to say sorry for what he took because the mean witch had injected a poison into him that made him steal and bring things back to the mean witch. Aunty Apple said that was OK and she asked if he wanted to stay the night at her house. He agreed and they lived happily ever after.

Mseleni team for sunset up the water tank

29 Sept: Our new kittens

Yesterday we found two small kittens. We found them next to the long house where our friend Sunette lives. There was a litter of three but we only took two because we wanted to leave one with the mum. I love to watch them tackle each other and play!

We went to visit the vet and he said that they were about 4 weeks old. We keep them in the swimming pool box and we left the top open. Our other friends who also have cats lent us some kitten food. The kittens look much like their mum but they are darker. They both have white paws and light blue eyes. They were really wild before but now they are tame. I think they are tabby cats. They are extra cute.

Margot's birthday pop-up tent

The classroom!

Zara’s Sept writing

1 Sept: Saturn

Saturn is much colder than Jupiter. Saturn is the only planet that is less dence (dense) than water.

Saturn is spinning so fast that it makes the planet bulge.

Saturn is the most fascinating planet I have ever seen.

Girls goind their hair with Sphee

6 Sept: On my way to Saturn

On my way to Saturn I had my birthday on mars. I coubn’t (couldn’t) invite any one because there was no reseption (reception). I soomed (zoomed) past Jupiter and around the asteroyds (asteroids) and down to Saturn. The end.

Helmeted guinea fowl

9 Sept: My Weekend

I went to my fiend (friend) Calem’s house for one night. My bed was brite (bright) pinck (pink) with butefull (beautiful) fairies (fairies).

Calem’s mum (Lee) read us a story adout (about) Peter rabit (Rabbit). I’m in love with Calem.

Spider's web in Hluhluwe with morning dew

14 Sept: My babies

I’ve got a baby hamster.

I have a baby rabit (rabbit).

I have a baby pig.

I have a baby goat.

I have a baby hors (horse).

I have a baby cat.

I have a baby mous (mouse).

I have a baby lamb.

I have a baby lion.

I have a baby cow.

I have a baby cameleon.

I have a baby dog.

I have a baby ant eater.

I have a baby frog.

I have a baby leopard.

I have a baby bat.

I have a baby praymantis

Zara with school kids in front of Mseleni Library

22 Sept: Merle (I wrote this story that Zara told me)

I love Merle because she makes dresses for me.

When Margot wants to watch TV, she always ask me to ask merle because she thinks I am better at whispering.

Merle always asks us if we want to do Sudoku. I am good at Sudoku.

Once she gave us a puzzle to do. She’s got lots of puzzles.

She always smokes and drinks Gin and Tonic.

I am very sad that Merle died.

Picking Pawpaws with Grandad

Grandad has a pawpaw tree full of pawpaws.

“Grandad, there are lots of pawpaws in the tree,” I said.

“Yes, I see,” he said in a rather lowd (loud) way.

He took my hand and lead me to his garage. He held out a big ladder and walked right out of the garage whith (with) it. He walked arownd (around) the house and into the garden. I watched him place the ladder in front of the pawpaw tree with my gleaming eyes. He climed (climbed) the ladder until he retched (reached) a big yellow, fat and gusy (juicy) pawpaw. He picked it from the tree. He said “ready to catch.” I replied “yes.” So he droped (dropped) it down. I nerly (nearly) missed so I pouwnsed (pounced) up, I caut (caught) the pawpaw and when I was down I fell. But I didn’t cry.

We went back inside and ate the pawpaw up.

Can you lick your elbow? My Aunty Emilie told me that it's not possible...but I can...just!

10 Sept: Too lowd (loud)!

We went to a party and we turnd(turned) the music on. The man at the party turnd the sound up. We said (said) “turn the sowd downxz (sound down).”

23 Sept: Frog’s noise by Zara Mia Inglis

We have a lot of noise in the evening because of the frogs. The frogs are always at the water tank so we decided to take a tauch (torch) and walk to the water tank.

When we got there, I was so excited that I nealy (nearly) fell into a puddle just in front of my feet.

Them we went home and went to bed.