It seems a long time ago but at the beginning of this month I managed to break up a 10 week stint in Kenya with 1 week back in China: and what a wonderful week.
A weekend at the beach an hour or so east of Shenzhen so the girls could spend hours playing in the sand, the sea, and the swimming pool; as well as eat endless amounts of shrimps.
Daily swimming lessons for Hannah culminating in her being able to swim on her own (though she'll likely need a few more refresher lessons later on) that normally start with lots of screaming, but once she's left alone with the teacher become more productive.
Leah beginning to talk, and pronounce different sounds, though they're not quite fully formed words yet (more like half-words, at least in English; Chinese is easier).
Leah beginning to develop more emotional and inter-personal skills: deciding either to cuddle Hannah if she is upset, or deciding to also be upset "in solidarity" as Andrea puts it.
Regular story time every night with the same favorite books for each of the two; frequent "building" using wooden blocks and of course regular time with the dolls (putting them to sleep or taking them for a walk in their little buggies).
It's certainly tough not being with Andrea, Hannah and Leah in real life, and video connections are always tricky with China. Besides, seeing and hearing is not the same as being with!
Meanwhile back in Kenya I live out of a hotel, which thankfully has a fairly long menu, and another restaurant nearby. There has been a lot of sport to watch, and its nice being on a European time zone and also seeing Andy winning something. I regularly travel within China to the project sites where I am working, usually a town on an island or Mombasa. I've written about the island before and it is a pleasant change from the big city life - even just spending the evenings sitting on a balcony under the stars, or having breakfast on the balcony overlooking the sea.
Mombasa at first sight is nothing special, but hidden away, close to the coast, is an old town, which nice old buildings, small alleyways, and reminders of the city's colonial past (such as a Gentleman's club which even built a swimming pool in the sea by closing off the sides). There's also an impressive Fort, which also served as a prison for some time. Very impressive and in fairly good condition, it's survived multiple handovers from the Portuguese to the Arabs to the British and of course now to the Kenyans.
