Wednesday 8 August 2007

We have a problem. Please be patient.

Dear Reader

I haven't mentioned this before, largely I think, because I'm in denial.

Tomorrow the packers come. They will wrap up our worldly possessions - including my trusty desktop - load them into a container, ship the container to Nairobi via Mombasa. Once in Nairobi our container will be opened and our goods will pass through a customs process which seems to be a bit, um, fluid. We will be leaving Scotland in early September. And then we'll all be happily reconciled at the other end. At least that's the plan.

It is possible that we will emerge from this process a little lighter in wallet and, indeed, in load. But that we will survive. The far greater question is how I will survive the next +- 6 weeks without Skype, email or (sob!) Blogger?

So dear online friends, I apologise for not being able to visit your blogs or publish posts of our final adventures in Scotland over the next several weeks. I will miss this part of my day more than you know.

See you in October.

The Good Woman

PS Any suggestions as to a new name for this blog are welcome!

58 comments:

Lady Latte said...

Wow, I just found your blogg and now you are down for quite some time. I lived in England and Switzerland for a short while then followed my husband to the States. Now we are back in Sweden since 1985...a long time ago. I did not have to worry about internet connections. In Switzerland we worried about taking an electric or a "normal" typewriter!!

BetteJo said...

I too just found your blog! *runs away pouting*

Okay, I guess I'll wait. Good luck with all that moving - what a huge transition!

Annie said...

Bon Voyage!

You'll be missed!

Martin said...

Happy trip!

PS. What is wee...?

Anonymous said...

It will just mean that we expect 6 weeks worth of stories when you do get set up in your new destination.

I suspect though that you'll miss your broadband connection!

Safe travels.

Squirmy Popple said...

Good luck with your move - I look forward to reading about your new adventures.

Anonymous said...

Sincerely hope all goes well. You will be greatly missed in blogland and we look forward to your return and your interesting tales no doubt.

Best wishes, Crystal xx

Drunk Mummy said...

Oh, Bon Voyage Good Woman (or, as they say in Scotland 'See You Jimmy')
Can't wait for you to be saying 'Jambo' to us all when you are in Nairobi.
Hope it all goes well, and look forward to hearing about your new adventures when you are settled.

The Good Woman said...

Hi Lady Latte. So you'll know something of the excitement and trepidation of an expat move. I do hope to see you again post relocation.

Hi Bettejo. No! COME BACK!!

Thanks Annie - you too!

The Good Woman said...

Martin. In Scotland 'wee' means 'little'. So my 'wee blog' is my little Scottish blog, my 'wee girl' is my little daughter and a 'wee drink' is ... okay, there are exceptions.

Everywhere else in the English speaking world 'wee' is urine.

The Good Woman said...

Hi Fairy - we have already costed broadband in Nairobi and will be buying in! Never again the download speeds we endured in Zambia!

The Good Woman said...

Thank Katie - I look forward to writing them.

Crystal, I'll be missing you too.

Impressive use of Swahili Drunk Mummy! - you're clearly a woman of many talents.

jenny said...

Oh oh oh.. You'll be missed!! I can't imagine how you'll fare without your desktop, but you'll muddle through well enough! I know there will be plenty to keep you busy and you may even decide not to keep up with Blogger, having so much fun with Bambi and the Good man (please come back!). I shall miss your witty and insightful comments on my posts and your witty and insightful stories on your posts. Good luck, Bon Voyage, Happy Trails... xoxo

laurie said...

such an adventure before you.

we won't forget you--i have you on bloglines, so the moment you post, i'll be looking in to see how things are with you.

(but i bet you find an internet cafe here or there along the way.)

you'll miss scotland. i'll miss scotland through your eyes. but i'm looking forward to Nairobi.

MommyHeadache said...

In a way I am jealous, because I am such a blogging addict. If I was forcibly unplugged I think I would do more useful stuff like cleaning or making jam. But I can see that it must be awful. What about writing a novel with a pen and quill?

Misssy M said...

I can promise you that i will not desert you for another South African blogger writing about their life in Scotland.

I look forward to the new blog in particular because I am going on a school trip to Kenya next year!

Kim said...

I hope the move goes smoothly and wish you Godspeed. Can't wait to hear from you when you arrive and are settled in your new home.

queencake and titangirl said...

dear good woman,
all the best for your move,may everything work out well and better than you ever expected! will be thinking of you in faraway germany,anja

The Good Woman said...

Hi ther and thanks to you all for your good wishes for the move. Misssy, please do let me know when you'll be in Kenya.

The Good Woman said...

And there's the packers.... Au Revoir! Auf wiedersehen! Signing off....

Scotsman said...

That's why internet cafes were invented, coffee comes secondary to the withdrawals of the dreaded screen. It was a sad fact that whilst I was travelling around new zealand trying to cram in as many sights as possible I did so whilst also tracking down the internet cafes.
Wee Blog In Nairobi was my first thought, reference to both here and there, but Wee World Wide Blog might be more accurate since you seem to move every couple of years.

Anonymous said...

oh dear! Good Woman; and we're going to miss you too. Your posts and your comments in recent weeks have been spirit lifting for lots and lots of reasons. May the last weeks in Scotland be wonderful, may your move be smooth, may your desktop arrive intact, may Kenya exceed expectations for all the right reasons and may October come quickly so that we can read all about your adventures. Bon Voyage x

Anonymous said...

PS And how come Drunk Mummy knows Kiswahili?! We are not a wine producing region here. Well. We are. But a really, really bad one. On thankfully, for everybody's sake, a really, really small scale.

dulwichmum said...

Oh no, don't go... You are such a good blogger.

I shall look forward to reading you in October. Have a good journey, bon voyage. XXX
DM

Unknown said...

Will really miss your blog.
Come back soon!

All the very best in the packing and for the trip.
Looking forward to more blogs in October.

Bananas said...

ooh... that is a long time off-line! it will be character building (at least that's what you can tell yourself). Bon Voyage!

lady macleod said...

Take care, take care. The most important thing is you all arrive here safely.

New name, oh now we have fun -

A Broad does Africa?
My travels and travails through - a list of countries
Can you hear me from here?
It's 45C and I miss Scotland
Bambi's Mum and the Temple of Doom

I shall have more when you return. I will miss you! Tell us the minute you are able!

ciao.

Daniele said...

Good luck with the move. I'll miss ya and will await your return impatiently!

Gwen said...

Best of luck with the move. Looking forward to your tales of your new home once you are settled.

Motheratlarge said...

Wishing you well in the next stage of your adventures, Good Woman. I know we never met in person or anything, but it was still sort of nice to think of you and the family there in Glasgow, not so far away from Edinburgh, and I enjoyed your blog, even if it did highlight how cold and expensive this country can be! Best of luck with the move. Sure you've got it down to a fine art by now. Here's a small farewell - I've given you a Thoughtful Blogger award. Look forwards to catching up again with your blog once you get settled.

Anonymous said...

I too - can you believe - have also just found your blog and am situated in the big bad Nairobi. Can't wait to see what you have to say of our great country. As Reluctant Memsahib filled you in - there are bad bits but the great things make up for them i think and there is quite a big SA community especially here in Karen - lots with small children - so i think you'll fit right in.
Karibu!

Elsie Button said...

Oh no! - i think i'm too late to say goodbye and good luck, for now anyway. you are probably incommunicado already. very sad. Good luck anyway, and hear from you soon.

Sparx said...

Hi hon! Missing you already... hope you find an internet cafe soon!

How about this for a name:

'My New Nairobi Blog'
'My Nice Nairobi Blog'
'My Nutty Nairobi Blog'

Err... you get the drift. I know. Derivative, hey? I so hope it's all going well for you, I imagine you clothed in safari green with a trailing mosquito veil poised against an African sunset looking all adventuresome. I'm right, aren't I? Hm?

Stay at home dad said...

Good luck TGW.

A broad abroad?!
Ken ye Kenya? !!

Iota said...

All best wishes for the journey. I'll so miss your reflections on Scottish life, but will enjoy the new ones on Kenyan life.

I like the suggestions "My New Nairobi Blog" and "Ken ye Kenya?". My own suggestion is "Ibo Rain", which just came to me. It is, of course, Nairobi backwards.

Hope all goes well.

Lavender said...

I came to Australia for a two week holiday - 10 years ago ROFL!
Im visting all the TopBlogMag Blogs, and have just found you - Look forward to your return in - fingers crossed - October.
Hang in there!

Zinta said...

I suggest you name your blog " My wee sottish blog moves to Nairobi"..Happy Trip!

Jo Beaufoix said...

Goodbye and good luck.

Let us know your new name if you get chance.

Take care.

@themill said...

I trust, by now, you've landed. I'll be back in October. Happy unpacking!

Anonymous said...

Assuming that your blog is likely to be your first port of call when you get access to an internet cafe / connection, I thought I'd post this for you.

I wanted you to know that in the run up to your departure, I tried to call but either you were out or on the phone trying to sort out the last minute bits and pieces that are associated with a large scale move. What I wanted to do is reassure you that me and my good man have been thinking about you, your Good Man and Bambi and hoping that you move has gone smoothly and without incident.

Let me know your new email (as I assume the Scottish one will be come redundant) so that we can pick up where we left off.

I hope we're in contact again soon - I feel bereft!

Life As I Know It said...

Hope your move is going well, and looking forward to your return!

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