Thank You For A Lovely Christmas Holiday.

Family photos. A lovely Christmas was had by all. Lots of people, lots of presents, lots of games, lots of tablet computers. At one point, there were seven of us playing silly games on our various tablets while watching a film. Lots of food, too.

A month's holiday, almost completely spent away from Mayotte. As had obviously done a good number of my colleagues: it seemed as though half the school, including the head, was in the same plane on the way back. It gave us all someone to talk to while waiting for our luggage.

During this holiday:

_Papi fell off a ladder. Well, a stepladder. Well, a couple of steps. About eighteen inches off the ground. The paramedics came.

_Kim cooked spaghetti bolognaise for thirteen people.

_Bharati's homemade Christmas cake was almost entirely devoured within two days.

_Giles received a rather large foam sword and proceeded to poke surrounding relatives with it.

_Hannah spoke French to her tablet, and the tablet answered. In English.

_Nanny taught Philip and I to knit. Philip can now knit. I wouldn't quite say that for myself yet.

_Therefore, the scarf I will be wearing next Christmas will be knitted by Nanny as a Christmas present.

_Bach's Brandenburg Concerto N°5 was listened to once or twice.

_Bach's Brandenburg Concerto N°5 was heard, in sections or in whole movements, not necessarily in the right order and not necessarily with quite the right notes, quite a few times. Well, the flute part, anyway.

_Bach's Brandenburg Concerto N°5 is now musica non grata.

_Poole, Weymouth and Bournemouth were visited in the pouring rain.

_The Bovington Tank Museum and the cinema were visited on beautiful days with lovely sunshine.

_It was discovered that Nanny was not a born marksman.

_I was allowed to drive the English car. Groundbreaking. Now, driving in Mayotte seems weird and I keep hitting the door when looking for the gearstick.