Friday 10/12

Today is a big day. We've been planning a good-bye party with Marion, a French girl that is leaving the country as well (although she might come back because she applied for "my" job in the next Volens programme). We decided that the theme would be "Should we stay or should we go" and have people dress in red if they want us to leave or in white if they want us to stay.

The day starts at 7.30 with a tough work out with Shaun and Vivien. And after a morning at work where things are quite hectic - the partners we work with have realised I'm leaving for good and are flooding me with last minute stuff - and a good-bye lunch with colleague Caroline who's leaving on holiday and who we thus won't see again, time for some big time shopping. I heard about a place where the drinks are particularly cheap and come back with about 120 beers, 12 litres of juice, and 10 bottles of vodka/gin/rhum.

5pm - rendez-vous at Marion's place where the party is taking place. Uwe and Nicola (German friends who are very creative when it comes to spectacular decoration for parties) are already there setting up a 4m high fountain in the pool and coloured spots in the garden. The effect is fabulous! I leave again for some last minute shopping and to pick up the PA system with Shaun at Tafadzwa's, a colleague of Vivien's who rents out sound systems on the side is lending us a system for free because we've been supporting his little business over the past year.

9pm - everything is set. The beers are cold, the dj's playing cool music, we changed in our outfits, the fountain is splashing in the pool. about 30min later the first guests trickle in and around midnight the party goes full blast. I think in the end we had about 100 people partying with us.


5am - it's getting light and we decide to call it a night. I bring some carless people home, head back to Marion's to help the dj pack up the soundsystem and drop him off at Tafadzwa's. In bed by 6. What a fun night.