“Ladies and Gentlemen – welcome to the post. The post that you’ve all been waiting for. It is time for the post that marks the 200th day of our time here. It’s big, it’s exciting, it’s wondrous. To be compared with wonders of the world such as Niagra Falls, The Great Wall, as well the feeling of water on the back of your throat after a long sports day to which you forgot to bring your water bottle. May it be as the cool breeze on your sweaty face.”
I’d like to say that about this post. But the truth is, the day crept up on me, and I am now quite stumped for what to write this busy afternoon. But alas! I shall go on. It is the 200th day, and whatever I write will hold with it the character of being written on the 200th day, and that is enough.
200 days. That’s a long time. 4,800 hours; 288,000 minutes; 1.728e+7 seconds. Lots of things can happen in such a time. It comes with it’s regrets and lessons, and just as much it comes with it’s successes and joys. As you have seen, our time here has brought us many experiences from eating rectangle pizzas to having our friends under attack by men with rather nasty intentions. But time, and the man upstairs, has seen us through it all so far. And so, mirroring the format of past review posts (Day 100), let’s take a look back at some of the things that have taken place so far and have a little reminisce together.
Tom’s review of the posts is his last reminisce ended with the post The Shop & The Bus – one of out most viewed posts. And so it is from here that I shall pick up where he left off, and think about a happy day. A birthday. On this day the three English teenagers of Mozambique became two English teenagers and an adult, if you catch my meaning. I am talking, of course, about Rachel’s Birthday. If you fancy yourself a nice interview with Rachel herself, take a look. If you fancy yourself a more narrative story like kind of post, you can find for yourself a post about our trip to Catembe written in the same week. And it’s written by Tom, so you know it’s a good read.
I remember that week well; the week of Rachel’s Birthday. But it proved too much for some of us, and some people ended up… Fainting. I shan’t mention any names. But the fainting was timed well, as just after came: trip to South Africa #2; an opportunity to nourish oneself and restore lost body salts and ion in the name of Her Majesty. But if any such nourishment was gained, it was quickly lost in the excitement of the “Riots” as the transportation system of Mozambique went on strike. If you can, ignore the first picture of that post. As you can see from the comments on said post, it was quite the controversial image, and I was not best pleased with the banter.
But the banter soon passed, and the season of forgiveness came. The time of singing, joy, merry-making, and trousers made in traditional Mozambican craft. Alongside this came the Advent Update. A short but necessary post. It marked the beginning of a new season. Even though Advent was not the half-way mark, it felt like it. A chapter closed, and a new one begun. And with the changing of the season, so changed many other things. A prime example: the hair on our heads. Our Haircuts were due. Without parental pressure, our hair was pushed to the limit, and without a hairdresser, we chose Rachel to do the honours.
As the season morphed evermore into it’s character I morphed even more into change, and Visited Home, what’s more, Tom finally went to Pick N Pay; the shop we much desire over Shoprite. With all this change, it seemed that the very world could not handle it, and it’s end came. Before existence halted, I wrote a short Doomsday post. Funnily enough, things changed even more, and the world didn’t end! Oh the torment of constant change. In the end I decided to ignore it all and have myself a merry little Christmas Build Up. After which, I had a merry little Christmas in England. Christmas also found it’s way to the rest of Delfryn, and Tom had a Christmas in Mozambique, while Jonny (who may not go without a mention in this post) had his Christmas in Togo.
But the change did not end there! The very year changed. But I was too out of it too care. I was also about 30,000 feet in the air and asleep. And so, the New Year came, and I Returned to Mozambique. Since then, a lot has happened, but it has all been recent. And if you’re reading this, then I imagine you are up to date with recent events. But the review and reminiscing must end here friends – with Day 200. Why did you click that? You’re already reading that post. Oh, you.
Now, I’d like to look at some statistics. I am going to take four or five from those in Tom’s late review post and update them, since things have quite changed since then. Let us see what time has brought us:
Shaves:
- Tom
Day 100: 9
Day 200: Approx. 18
Comment: “I shave infrequently, the girls love the stubble.”
- Ben
Day 100: 12
Day 200: Approx. 24
Comment: “My hair follicles are becoming ever more persistent.”
Books read:
- Tom
Day 100: 12
Day 200: 16
Comment: “If it weren’t for Kindles…”
- Ben
Day 100: 5
Day 200: Approx. 12
Comment: “If it weren’t for books…”
All nighters:
- Tom
Day 100: 9
Day 200: Approx. 27
Comment: “What I struggle with is all dayers.”
- Ben
Day 100: 5
Day 200: 7
Comment: “It seems like a good idea at first, but when the sun comes up…”
Chairs broken:
- Tom
Day 100: 0
Day 200: 0
Comment: “I broke a chair air-drumming once. Never again.”
- Ben
Day 100: 1
Day 200: 1
Comment: “It’s quite disheartening when you break a chair.”
Thunderstorms:
Approx. 15
Comments:
“God’s bowel movements have become increasingly disturbing.” – Tom
“I never used to fear them.” – Ben
If I have not gone terribly amiss, I have jut reviewed the last 100 days of our time – and hopefully fairly well. But before I come to an end, I should like to leave you with last token of review. Photo Booth on my computer is perhaps one of our most common modes of picture taking, and so it only seems fit to give you a slideshow showing the images from my Photo Booth over the last 200 days. Enjoy:
Love the slideshow!