Day 29 Week 5 19th February

Today is the start of our 5th week here in Cape Town, we are flying through the weeks and now have less than 8 weeks to go. We are now fully settled in, we're now into our routine, we're getting used to the area and the tans are finally starting to look like we've spent some time in the sun.

Today we were invited onto the staff outing. We had no idea what to expect other than we were going on a tour bus around the area. We left early this morning as we didn't know where we were supposed to be meeting. As we were driving down the road we saw another Communicare car up in front of us so we thought our luck was in and we would just follow them, they then pulled over so we pulled over to let them know the 2 tourists would be following them. The driver came out of the car to tell us she pulled over because she was going to follow us, sorry guys you've chosen the wrong car to follow, but we managed to get them to the meeting point. 

We were 1 of the first there but soon everyone started arriving and luckily we recognised a few friendly faces. In total there were 62 members of staff on the bus and after some time we were all aboard. Me and Harry spotted Joe, Lourens and a few others that we recognised downstairs so decided to sit with them. Big mistake, the company was good but the views were pretty poor if I'm honest. We drove for a while with our guide telling us about different places until we arrived at Hout Bay. We had a little look around and there wasn't much there but there were amazing views, and a few seals in the water that were coming close up and there was a nice little fish and chip shop. We were treated to fish and chips and I must say it was really nice so thank you so much. Apparently there are some of the best fish and chip shops in this area. Definitely worth another trip.

We then got back on the bus, not making the same mistake we went straight upstairs and a lot of people had the same idea. We then carried on through some really nice places, some expensive houses being built into the mountain, some street sellers and even the nudist beach was pointed out to us. Some of the other guys on the bus recognising we weren't locals were also giving us added information which was really nice. We then stopped off at Camps Bay, we had been here before and it's a nice sandy beach with lots of posh bars and restaurants, we stopped for lots of photos with everyone, and it was nice because it didn't feel like Arsenal coaches photos like we've had so many of but friends and colleagues photos, it's nice we've been accepted in and made feel so welcome. 

Then back on the bus for the drive back to where we started. We arrived back and it was time for more big group photos which I hope to get hold of at some point. We then headed into the park, we sat around and chilled out, pizzas were order and we had time to kill while they were being delivered. We had a few comments like, 'you should have brought a ball' and 'if only you had a ball I'd show the Arsenal coaches my skills' so inevitably I went and got a football and we had a kick around. It was a right laugh and a chance for us to get some playing time. We decided to play like most of the kids we'd come across, so the shoes went off and we played with no boots. A team of me, Harry, Joe and Conan was too much for the opposition and we were easily 4-0 up when the pizzas arrived. There were loads of pizzas and chicken wings, 5 pieces of pizza each I think I heard, I managed about 2 but it was nice to just sit down and chat with these guys. Everyone was then up for another kick around, me and Harry were split up, our combination play for the first 4 goals was obviously too much (anyone that knows me knows I'm not the best footballer but some of the stuff the 4 of us was pulling off was definitely premier league standard). It was all good fun and everyone had a good time. Slowly groups left and it was time for us to go, we dropped Danielle off at the office then it was back to Berghof.

Really great day, thank you for the invite we really enjoyed ourselves and the food was great.

Day 28

Another early start today, we are really getting into a routine now. We had a call from Lourens first thing asking if we could stop off on our way and pick up his phone from Goodwood, so we made our way in picked up his phone and made it to the learning centre for 9. We then set up for our first session of the day, Sunflower crèche, a nice sized group of 5/6 year olds. The group came in abit quiet so we made it our goal to get them running around to make loads of noise. The first activity was the movement game we used at Goodwood, they were slow to start but by the end were fully into it making all types of movements and finding the cones after the whistle. We then did the relay type races with a ball which again started slow but progressed well. We ended with the sitting down rolling game but with targets to aim for, it's a nice way to end, the kids enjoy it but it also allows them to cool down and calm down, which helps out the teacher a bit as well. We ended as we always do with shouts of Arsenal and lots of high fives.

We the went back to the learning centre, it was a quiet day and other than logging people on there wasn't much to do. Harry was asked to help a lady with her emails and I think he was getting slightly frustrated by the end. Growing up with computers you don't realise how difficult it can be for some people and the lady was very greatful for the help. After lunch we took a drive to Sunflower crèche to drop off some boxes, we were invited to walk around and have a look, the kids we had in the morning were fast asleep, we had obviously tired them out so nap they were happy to get their afternoon nap. The crèche was tiny, very cramped and with no real space to run around, it now makes sense why they're all so shy when we first ask them to run around. As we were leaving the principle said that the kids love our sessions and she's had loads of parents tell her that their kid came home last week and all they went on about was us, so that's nice to hear. After sunflower we took a drive to De Waveren Primary School, we would be there in about an hours time but Joe wanted us to have a quick look. We met the sports coach and he told us that he had 25 kids for us from 10 years old to 13 years old, but there could be more. 

We returned shortly and walked to the field there were kids everywhere, surely they weren't all here to be coached were they? We said our hellos and the coach showed us the 8 balls and 4 cones he had for us to use and then he called the boys over, all 64 of them. So with 40 kids more than expected this was going to be a hard session specially with lack of equipment. We were determined not to take the easy way out and just play matches we wanted to put on a session. We started by  putting the boys into 8 groups of 8 with 1 ball per group and a simple pass and move activity. By the time the groups had found space another group of boys turned up. With lots of kids and only the 2 of us the kids were easily distracted and as soon as we moved from group to group they started doing their own thing. Very frustrating session, we then started splitting the groups into 2teams and started abit of keep ball. We found that every group now had a 5 v 5, 16 different teams 80kids, some tried to make goals and do their own things still which led to mass confusion as everyone then copied the group next to them that weren't doing the right thing. A very unproductive session and I walked away very unhappy with what had happened. We are going to have to sit down and rethink next weeks session we really don't want to take the easy way out but it may just have to be games, maybe taking team by team away and spending some time do something with them. 

We made our way home absolutely shattered it had taken a lot out of us and with it heating up this week it's been a struggle. Dinner was poor tonight, sorry Berghof don't mean to be rude but it wasn't great. 

Tomorrow we have been invited on the StaffOuting we are going on the red tourist busses like we have back home, visiting lots of places and answering questions and doing activities, it's supposed to be a fun team building trip with over 60 people so we're looking forward to that. Will take lots of photos and act like a tourist. 

Our 80 kids on the field.

Day 27

We started our day with our last scheduled visit to Goodwood Crèche. If you've read my last few Tuesday blogs you'll know we've enjoyed the sessions but have had mixed results. We started today with our most advanced group, they started off with a game where we would give them a movement such as run, walk and skip and then they'd have to do it until I blew a whistle and at that point they would have to run to a cone. They did really well and picked it up with ease. We moved onto relays with a ball, after some confusion they finally got the concept and did really well. We finished with our sitting in a circle and rolling ball activity, I've said it before it's really simple but really effective. Lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal and we moved onto the next group, by this time temperatures had risen to 30+ degrees so we decided to cut out the relays and cut the session shorter. All groups understood exactly what we were trying to get them to do which was pleasing, even the slightly slower group did really well in the first activity. Again lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal and our time at Goodwood was over, just time to have some lunch. We would like to pass on our thanks to Goodwood they have looked after us with cool drink (everyone over here calls juice and other cold drinks cool drink) and we can't forget the lunches and Harry has been very impressed with the jelly. The kids have been really well behaved and it just shows the hardwork the teachers have done with them. Hopefully we have given you a few ideas of things to do with the kids when we go. With this crèche we have tried to use games/drills that need little equipment and can be done by anyone, we are here to coach but also to give the people we leave behind something they can get on and try when we leave. Hopefully for the kids it isn't just 3months of us and then nothing until next January when 2more coaches come out.

We left the crèche and quickly went back to Berghof as Harry had forgotten a few things. It was then onto the learning centre where we again caught up on emails and some other bits. We then made the short walk to the circle (roundabout) to coach some of the local Ruyterwacht kids, Harry and myself went over a bit earlier to kick a ball about. We were quickly spotted and strategy into a 5 a side game while we waited. It was too hot for us so we took a seat and watched on, the boys then left and the Ruyterwacht girls team and a few of the boys team turned up. We went for boys vs girls 5 a side game with me and Harry joining the girls side. With the scores level at 5-5 we called time, the girls really got stuck in and again they showed they didn't care who they were up against.

We then waited around for a sleeping Yonick and drove to the Italian club to coach the Atlantic club, we had originally planned a session around the amount of equipment we had last week and the number of kids we were told we would have. We found that we actually had a lot less equipment and a lot more kids. We therefore decided we would go to our tried a tested possession session, I don't like to keep using it but with lots of numbers and little equipment it works. It also allows coaching points to be made and groups to be more manageable. With slight language difficulties as well it's a very easy setup. Always have a session you can use just incase something happens and ruins your plans. We've got a few but this 1 works well and has easy and natural progression. I couldn't fault the group, very well behaved, got on with what was asked and were generally a nice group, but both of us said it felt weird taking a session that went in near complete silence, no moaning, no jokes or banter just quietly getting on with it. 

So that was that our long day over with, the heat has killed me today along with the 4 crèche and 2 club sessions. Another early start tomorrow, definitely not on holiday over here.

Day 26

Not much to say from today but trying to keep this going daily as long as possible.

Spent the whole day sitting around the learning centre. It was a good opportunity to use the computers and catch up on a few things Harry and I needed to do. We uploaded some photos for Joe, helped set up some nets ready for Saturday's tournament and helped a few people with computer work. We ended the day with a quick trip with Joe to Drommedaris and a stop off at the Brooklyn office. Here we met up with Conan, he is leaving the company at the end of the month, he feels he can do more elsewhere. He has told us though to pass on his number to future Arsenal Coaches visiting Cape Town as he loves the club so much. So if you're reading this just ask for his number, he'll help you out and will talk Arsenal 24/7. 

Going to finish today's blog with a few photos we found from last Thursday and Friday.

Day 25

I'll start with last night, Harry and I both agreed that we would go out yesterday as we hadn't had a proper night out since we arrived. Both of us like a good night out but can live without going out at every opportunity. When we went out on Wednesday for an Indian we saw a lively bar full of people our age so said we'd give it a go. We walked into the bar and ordered some drinks looking around it was very dark and the atmosphere wasn't great, we realised that it was the bar upstairs that we had previously seen and not this 1. We finished our drink and went upstairs, now in the right place we went to get a drink from the bar to find it was table service only, we managed to find someone who worked there to take our order but after about 15 minutes still no drink so we decided to give it a miss and go onto somewhere else. We'd seen a bar the other day that looked like a student bar, we went in managed to get a drink but again the place didn't feel right, overcrowded and no atmosphere. We have written last night off as a failed attempt and I think Harry might take some convincing to give it a go again.

Today we were either going to go to the beach or the aquarium, both came with good recommendations. After waking up late again and the buses running around every hour on a Sunday we decided to go to the aquarium and then stop off at the pub to watch the Arsenal game and get some food. We walked down but before we went into the aquarium we fancied a drink so went to a place called La Playa, we both had a milkshake and they were huge and tasted great. We then made the short walk to the aquarium, lots of weird looking fish that would be found not far from these shores. We then found the penguins and the sharks. It's not the biggest aquarium but it was really nice and had a lot to look at. 

We then went to the Ferrymen which is a pub just around the corner. It's where we watched the Arsenal v Spurs game, Harry looking to redeem himself ordered ribs again, I think they were even bigger than the last lot. Harry rose to the challenge and managed to eat all of the ribs (to be honest he did leave some meet on the bone) so well done. We finally managed to get them to put the football on just after half time, already 2-0 up and coasting around not much of a 2nd half but oh well.

Back home we went for a quiet night, hopefully an early night tonight, too many late nights, my body clock is all over the place.

Day 24

This morning I slightly overslept, not getting up to around 12ish, my mum always says you only sleep till late if it's needed and it really was. After about 10minutes I had a knock on my door, it was Harry telling me that lunch was about to be served. Awake for 20 minutes and I was faced with sausage and mash for breakfast, it was alright but I wish I'd passed on having lunch. 

After lunch we took a walk to the shops, we needed some juice and some fruit. It was here we experienced our first load shedding black out, it's a bit confusing but I'll try to explain based on what we've picked up. Basically there is 1 electricity supplier, they are running out of power so there's a schedule in place where different areas face losing complete power for around 2 hours to save electricity. Shops, houses and even traffic lights all lose power, some places have generators to help but not everywhere.

After returning from the shops we decided today old be the day we did something touristy, we climbed lions head mountain, nowhere near as high as Table Mountain but still really high with some interesting paths and climbs. I'm really gutted as I had to stop about 5 minutes from the top, I don't really like heights and I've never been a good climber but I was doing really well, I tried climbing up and slipped a little bit and it knocked my confidence and made me a bit queasy. Standing at 2200ft above sea level was an amazing experience, great views of Cape Town and not a bad work out. Some of the paths were steep and narrow and at 1 stage you have to use metal hand rails to help climb up and down. Harry went all the way up and got some greats pictures on his GoPro which I'll get hold of and show you. I wish I'd gone up that last bit but am really pleased with what I managed to achieve.

Tonight we are going to get our 1st real taste of Cape Town night life, going out for a Valentine's Day drink, should be interesting. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Have a look at a few photos from today.

Day 23

Friday the 13, I'm not superstitious but it might have been best to stay indoors today. Our first late start of the week and we were hoping for a lay in, unfortunately the cleaner wanted had other ideas. Apparently last year the 2 guys always left the room in a mess so the cleaners want to come in every few days now so it doesn't get too messy, thanks guys. To be honest neither of us are that messy and don't see the point but we can't complain, the rooms are looking nice and clean. As we were up early we decided to go for a run, we walked past reception to be told the manager was looking for us, great no lay in and now wondering what we've done wrong. We walked out the door to find it chucking it down with rain, to be honest it helped with the run but I think I'd prefer to struggle in the sun. We got back and the manager was waiting for us, apparently Harry had left a few bits of popcorn about last night. We then showered and got ready and went to sit downstairs to be told that our food order had been changed from fish and chips to roast chicken, not a big deal but we were looking forward to the fish and going on previous experience the roast chicken wasn't much to look forward to. 

A bad start to the day was about to get worse, we left early to get some lunch on the way to Ruyterwacht. We decided to go to steers, big mistake, the girl serving us was new, we wanted to be quick as we had to get into Ruyterwacht, unfortunately she didn't know the menu and she didn't know how to use the till. She took forever to work out what we wanted and how to put it in, she then put it down as just a burger when we'd asked for meals and got confused even more when Harry asked for large chips. She finally managed to get an order sorted but didn't realise you get a drink with the meal so we had to wait for her to get the manager to check, I'm normally quite patient when I know it's someone's first day but there was no way she should have been left on her own to serve the public. Anyway we got our drinks and left, Harry specifically asked for no cheese as he it doesn't agree with him, we heard her say to the cook no cheese but as she didn't know how to put it through the till it came with cheese. Back we went, this time the burger came quite quickly and looking at it the burger looked the same but had just had the cheese scraped off,mback for a third time, all sorted and we were finally on our way.

We arrived at Ruyterwacht about half hour late after all of the trouble with steers and because every road we took had traffic. Anyway Joe met us and we went and picked up Lourens, we were off to another complex in the Southern Suburbs, it's not a retirement village but apparently 95% of housing is taken by people that have retired. We were introduced to some of the people that stay there, I'm sorry Berghof but they are a lot more lively than you guys. We chatted for a while and they told us about their very own Olympics, and how they win all the golds. We then posed for a few pictures, the ladies were very friendly but 1 took a liking to Harry and as everyone else said cheese she had a little squeeze of Harry's bum cheek and invited him to the valentines ball tomorrow, her husband watched on.

We left with invites to come back soon, we dropped off Lourens and went to pick up some of the Ruyterwacht girls. We were doing a girls session for both Drommedaris and Ruyterwacht girls, 11 girls in total turned up and they seemed to enjoy the session we put on for them. After training we had planned a game, this morning we did a draw, similar and of same importance as a champions league draw, I ended up with Drommedaris and Harry with Ruyterwacht. We had 7 girls to Harry's 4, in training it was clear I had the older, bigger, stronger and higher ability girls so we gave Harry 1 of our girls, arguably the best player on the pitch. Still confident about my team I decided to give Harry a 1 goal lead as he had 1 less girl. Ruyterwacht managed to score a dubious goal early on, we were doing kick ins instead of throw ins and the ball seemed to go straight in, so no goal, but in all honesty it took a deflection off 1 of our girls and proved to be an important touch. Harry's girls were by far the better team and controlled the game after their goal. So Ruyterwacht won and that means it's now Martin 2-1Harry. 

A good session and it was now back to Drommedaris for a games evening with both sets of girls and all the other kids from Drommedaris. Loads of kids turned up and they all wanted to be picked up and swung around and put on our shoulders which was really nice. Joe told us most of these kids haven't got a dad living with them so they love some attention, we were swamped and a lot just wanted a hug or an arm around them. Harry is now turning into a ladies man, after the old lady earlier, he then received a valentines card from 8 year old Inam that said I love you Hagry on it. Cute kid, her and her sister said they were our valentines and that Harry was her boyfriend. These kids really cheered us up and made up for such a bad start to the day. The girls want us to come back and coach them again, and everyone said they'd come see us Wednesday when we come back. The Ruyterwacht girls got on really well with the other group and everyone posed for loads of photos. Looking forward to next Wednesday.

Meet Inam and Alonso

Day 22 Week 4 12th February

Last night after going out for food and watching the football we came home and took full advantage of the wifi working by skyping and messaging our loved ones. Unfortunately we lost track of time and when we looked at the clock it was the early hours of the morning. So an early start on not much sleep and a busy day ahead, it's safe to say we weren't in the best of moods.

We arrived at the learning centre ready for our 2nd session with Maja Crèche, they were a good group of kids last week and we were looking forward to the session. The group arrived slightly late but full of energy, after our little chat we do with all the kids we went straight into huddles, a game we had tried with mix success at Goodwood. It started slowly but as it went on and with help from the teacher and parent the kids managed to do okay. We then attempted domes and dishes with a football, last time we tried it the wind blew all the cones away, this time we were inside and the kids manage to understand the concept, but couldn't get what the hang of what way around they had to turn the cones. We then moved onto the rolling a ball in a circle game, the kids out here all seem to love it, they then went onto the knocking the ball off the cone part of the game which was really good. Our time was up and of course we ended with lots of high 5s and shouts of ARSENAL!!!

We then had a 4hour gap so we sat around the learning centre checking emails, uploading photos and helping people that need our help. Some people just don't know how to use the Internet so we are there to just give them a hand. Some people want business help or help with getting a job, this is part of our community work here and it's nice that we can be of some help. We then sorted out some games for the games evening tomorrow, in the bag was a table tennis set, the table was already set so it would have been rude not to have a game, after starting slowly I managed to narrowly lose 3 games to 2 against Harry, but the real winner was Joe 3 games undefeated an unbelievable serve that neither of us saw coming.

We left for our 2nd visit of JG Meiring, we were looking forward to this session as it went really well last week. We turned up to find out we had a different age group this week but roughly the same kids which was good because we had planned a session around that size group. We went with a shooting practice, we aren't here long and we want the groups we train to have some fun but also to get something out of the session, most kids like to have a shot. We started off with a simple drill that involved 1 person laying off a shot, the other taking the shot and the 3rd guy running in for the rebound. Great group of boys, full of enthusiasm and all gave it a go, I'm going to give them an excuse and say the wind was awful and the balls weren't great, but in all honesty the majority of shots didn't even work the keeper and the balls were going everywhere. After seeing this we went onto a game called over the bar, it's like a game of cricket, you bowl the ball, the person at the front takes a shot, if the ball goes in its a point, if it is caught they are out. They seemed to enjoy the game but with only 3 goals and few shots it's clear they could benefit from a few more of these sessions. We ended with a game and they asked if we could join in, you don't have to ask us twice. After 15 minutes of play and summing up the session the game ended 1-0 to my team, my second victory over Harry so far. 

Onto our 3rd session of the day, we had originally been scheduled to go to Edmead but after Harry and I had spoken to their coach the other night we realised there had been a mix up and we wasn't needed there at all. Joe phoned around and got us a replacement club, at first we were slightly disappointed as we were looking forward to having the evening off but we both agreed that it would be good. We met up with Kurt, Table Views coach who we were to follow to Table view as we had no idea of where to go. We wouldn't be taking his team but another group he just wanted to get involved. We managed to get stuck in loads of traffic, long enough for Harry to fall asleep, I'm tempted to put on a picture I took of him sleeping. We arrived slightly late and the coach had already done a warm up, we were introduced to the 36 under 14s and under 15 boys. The space we had wasn't quite big enough to do what we planned so we chose to go with our tried and tested possession session, it's always good to have a session you can use anytime, anywhere, just incase you turn up and things aren't as planned. Like the majority of groups we've had they got stuck in and were really into what we were doing. What we've found with these boys in Cape Town is that they are very well behaved, very disciplined with lots of enthusiasm and energy. Oh and everything is yes coach, no coach, thank you coach, so polite. We ended with some small sided games which were played in the RAIN yes we had a little down pour, it felt like we were home. The session came to an end and we exchanged numbers with Kurt, he has offered to take us out out, as a thank you for today, will definitely take him up on his offer. 

Well that's me for today I think I've gone on long enough. Keep reading, we are now a quarter of our way through our African adventure.

Few photos from Tuesday

Day 21

Today marks 3 weeks since we left London, for us it has flown by. We are now settled in nicely and getting used to Cape Town life. Cape Town gets some bad press, and since we have been here we've heard stories and see some things that hasn't changed my opinion of the place, there is the feeling that you are only a wrong turn away from trouble. I don't want people back home to worry but it's how we see it, and to those living here that are reading this I don't think that you'll argue with that comment. However there are some really nice areas and the majority of people we have come across have been nothing but friendly and welcoming. Harry and I have both said that there is that slight worry when you go out but we both agree that are biggest concern is the taxi drivers and not the dodgy people walking about.

Onto today, first up was a new crèche for us, our third crèche. The were a mixed ability group and started off really shy but a quick game of traffic lights soon livened things up. We then tried out our relay races, we've had mixed results with these but it's so easy to increase or reduce the difficulty we have used it in all crèches now. The majority of the group understood and took part but Harry was concerned that some of the group weren't getting it at all and it'd be unfair to continue, we'll go back to it at a later date. We then had the group sitting in a circle rolling balls to each other, a simple activity but the kids enjoy it and the more balls that are added in the more skills they have to use. We both said after that the guys that trained us probably wouldn't be too happy with it but we have improvised and created something simple, enjoyable and also something productive. We ended the activity by placing balls on cones within the circle and they would have to knock the balls off. The more they knocked off the more they would have to knock the rest off with. I then go around the group collecting all the balls, except for 1, I pretend I don't see it and the kids are screaming to get me to get it, it's a bit of fun and Harry and I find it quite funny and so do the kids. After lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal the session is over we wave goodbye and the walk out. Good session,not the best ability but I enjoyed that session.

We were then invited to watch a presentation from a company trying to get more football into local schools. The man running the organisation had previously done Joe and Communicare a big favour so Joe wanted the 3 of us to return the favour and show support to him. There were teachers and sports coaches from the local schools in the room, and the ideas being thrown around sounded really good, and we really hope he gets the support he was looking for and that we helped a little bit hopefully. Are only issue was that he was offering a lot and had a lot of ideas but kept saying "I can't promise this will happen". It was a shame as he had good ideas, but I'd have my doubts if I was one of the teachers, sorry, I know we we're there support but I'm being honest.

Onto our last job of the day, last week we went to Drommedaris and we taught the kids how to wash their hands, this week it was a class on blowing your nose. Something that you and I do naturally but something these kids don't know about. We had a nice chat with the kids and gave them a quick lesson and then we handed them some colouring in to do that  Azille had printed out for them, it was based on Valentine's Day. I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day and luckily Tina agrees with me but the kids liked the idea and they were telling us all about their boyfriends and girlfriends, these kids ranged from 8-12, 1 boy apparently had 5 valentines for Saturday. Harry on the other is into celebrating the day and I wonder if I'll be able to drag him away from his phone and girlfriend on Saturday, apparently his card is in the post and he is awaiting its arrival. Everyone here is shocked we're not out chasing girls every night as the 2 guys last year were always out apparently, but we are both happily in relationships and hoping to keep it like that. 

I know you shouldn't have favourites but it's difficult when you come across 2 kids that are just adorable, I'll put some pictures up at the end but we both agree they are our favourites so far and they both were sad when we left so that just added to it.

After we drove home we went for a short run and then it was time for what Harry had been waiting weeks for, we went for an Indian. He finally got his chicken korma, really nice food, giant portions and reasonably priced. Harry's happy now so that's good. Anyway off to watch some football, a busy day again tomorrow and an early start.

Day 20

Today has been our longest day so far. An early start this morning, we were up and out and off to Goodwood primary school again for our 3rd visit. Again we had 4 sessions here, on arrival we were told we would me inside today, not a bad size area but lots of tables and chairs and potential safety risks. However when our first group came out their teacher told us outdoors would be fine which was a relief as it was a much bigger area. This group was the older more advanced group we've previously mentioned in our blogs. They manage all three of our planned activities, firstly we played huddles, this is where all the kids run around, we call out a number and they have to get in groups of that number. Next we tried an activity out where half the group were on the outside of the area while the other half had a ball in the inside, they could bounce, kick, roll or do whatever they wanted with the ball and then when the whistle sounded they swapped with those on the outside. It went ok, it needs work but I'm pleased we gave it a go. We then went inside and sat in a circle and we had about 10 balls that they were rolling to each other. The second group did the huddles game, and the rolling, and so did the third, we left out the swapping over activity as these groups weren't as advanced as the first group. We were really pleased with the first 3 groups and went into the last session with high hopes, this is our youngest, least English speaking class, least advanced group, to put it simply it was our most challenging group. We cut out huddles and went with a start stop sort of game, we didn't give up but it just wasn't happening, we then tried the rolling a ball in a circle, again we tried and tried but they weren't having it at all. We later found out that they'd had sweets and chocolate before coming out, would like to thank the teachers for this, not being rude but in all honesty we could have done without them being high on sugar. The session finished like all of our sessions with lots of high fives and claps and of course shouts of Arsenal. All kids seemed to enjoy themselves and even though disappointed with the final group the first 3 gave us a lot of positives to think about. We then were given a nice lunch from the school and Lourens wanted us to film a short clip for a video he is putting together for the school. 10 takes later it was spot on, not all our fault, lots of noise from the traffic ruining our Oscar winning performances.

After leaving the crèche we were off to our 5th session of the day. We set off to another futbol five venue like the 1 at the waterfront. This time we only had 5 kids, but it was a special session, an organisation called Reach for a Dream, organise days out and special events for terminally ill children, a bit like the make a wish foundation back home. We sat down with the boys and some of their parents and spoke about ourselves, Arsenal, England and snow for a bit before getting on the pitch. This wasn't a normal session and was more about making these kids feel special for a few hours so we had a penalty shootout, keeps uppy competition, some passing and finished with a match. The kids and parents seemed to really enjoy our time with them, 1 of the boys we were told spends most of his time resting because his body doesn't allow him to do much and has led to him spending a lot of time in hospital, even he got involved and into which we were pleased to see. I'm pleased the parents got involved as well and for 1 hour these kids acted like kids and played around, it didn't matter what conditions they had they were a part of our session.

Our 6th and final session was at the Italian club with the Atlantic team, we were told we would get 16 kids max and planned a session around that number. Unfortunately by the time they all finished turning up and because we now had 2 different age groups we ended up with 26 kids. We couldn't quite do the session we wanted but we adjusted and it was nice after 3 weeks to put on a proper football session. The kids took to us really well and put up with the chaos that occurred with the adaptions of the session, chaos is good though, any of the guys on this programme will tell you that.

After chatting with a few coaches and parents we finished up and headed back to Berghof, shower, food, Skype and then was time to watch the Arsenal game. A 2-1 win but a poor performance, and poor refereeing but a wins a win, long day over with and early start but easier day to look forward to tomorrow.

Day 19

 Monday's were supposed to be our days off but as the Saturday league hasn't started we had Saturday off and were asked to come in today. There wasn't much for us to do we were just asked to hang around and help people if they needed anything. It was a quiet Monday morning and the centre was quite empty, we started helping someone with their CV, she was a young single mother, looking for work, we had seen her about a few times and we spent some time altering her CV with her, best of luck to her with the job hunt.

Joe called me over and asked me to upload some of the pictures from the last few weeks, the internet was going quite slow so this took a bit longer than expected but there were some nice photos. I'll post some at the end of the blog. I had to sort through some as well as Jodi had managed to take over 200 photos from the session at her school. While they were uploading Harry spent time helping a local businessman with his invoices and other bits. Joe then called us over to go and meet the owner of the local shop who will be supplying some goods for the tournament we are organising. A very friendly man who was really into his football and supports Charlton, bit of a random club wasn't really expecting that but he has followed them for years apparently. We then went back to the centre and were introduced to 3 psychology students that are going to be working at the centre on a Monday teaching basic computer skills, we both said that we might stop by and look in when their sessions start.

Our last task for the day was to sign a few bits for the kids we will be coaching tomorrow, we are going to be spending just over an hour with 5 terminally ill kids. I'll tell you a bit more about it tomorrow when I know a little bit more. Looking forward to the session though as we are told they are excited to see us and our appearance will mean a lot. So hopefully we can make the day special for them.

1 of the teams from the tournament the other day

The JG Meiring boys 

Victory Outreach Centre 

Ruyterwacht Q&A session 

Even the Chelsea fans want a photo 

Day 18

So today was another day off, we had planned a trip to the much talked about Camps Bay. Apparently it is 1 of the nicest beaches in the whole of Cape Town, we were told by everyone to go sit by the beach get some nice food, drink some beers, look at the beautiful surroundings and everyone keeps telling us it's where all the girls go, for obvious reasons, we had no interest in looking at the girls, we both have girlfriends waiting for us at home. But for anyone that is reading this and thinking of coming out here it may be useful information. 

Anyway, we both had a nice lay in this morning, we both woke up early and decided it was was too early and had a few extra hours. As I've previously said lunch here on a Sunday is at 12, so waking up at half 11 meant it was Sunday roast for breakfast, something I don't think I'll ever get used to. Lunch today was quite nice, it was roast beef, which Harry and I had been looking forward to, it wasn't until today we realised that beef had been on the menu near enough all week, hopefully not the same bit re heated. After lunch I tried to Skype home but the wifi wasn't working too well, it did work long enough though for Anna, from Berghof, to come over and tell my mum she had been looking after us. We get on really well with the majority of staff here they are so friendly and are making us feel really welcome and it was a nice for Anna to take 2 minutes to say hi to my mum. I think that the staff here enjoy us being here, not being rude but it must make a change to have to young guys walking about chatting and laughing with them, so quick thank you to all at Berghof but I think Harry will agree, a special mention to Anna, Elizabeth and Rosie.

I gave up with the skyping and we set off for Camps Bay, this would be our first day actually in the sun with the intention of catching some rays and losing the pale tourist look. Just to let you know if you didn't already, Harry is ginger and I'm naturally quite pale, what could possibly go wrong? Everyone has been worried about us burning but we've managed to get this far, somehow. On a Sunday the bus comes every hourish so we decided to walk, both of us are quite impatient, what we didn't know was the the route we chose was uphill most of the way. We managed to find a bus stop which said there'd be a bus in about 5 minutes so we gave up on the walk and we jumped on a bus. A short 10 minute drive and we had arrived, and they weren't wrong, beautiful views of sand and sea and a  row of bars and restaurants.

We decided that it'd be rude not to go and take a seat in there sand, there were sun loungers everywhere to hire out but after seeing 2 men standing by 2 different stacks and arguing over who was going to get the custom we decided to give it a miss and just sit in the sun. Nice sandy beach no stones or pebbles or messy rubbish, I'm not normally a sitting on the beach person (I get bored far too easily) but even I couldn't resist laying back and taking in the sea air and the peaceful environment. Even the countless people trying to sell various items, sunglasses, drinks, paintings etc couldn't ruin my mood. You get lots of people trying to sell you things or begging in Cape Town but these people weren't going around bothering people for money or annoying them or pestering them, they were actually really friendly, my favourite of the day was a man selling various cool drinks, he was really happy and was making up rhymes like "have an ice lolly it'll make you jolly" I know small things impress me. After a few hours and a burning feeling beginning we headed for food, we started off at some upmarket cocktail bar, I forgot to mention this is 1of the nicer, well off areas, full of tourists like us abusing the exchange rate. This bar was really nice but after walking in I felt slightly awkward standing at a bar smelling of sand and sun cream whilst everyone else had made a bit more of and effort. So we moved on to a place called Ocean Basket, it seems to be like a chain restaurant and had been recommended to me previously. As the name suggests it sold all types of fishy meals, I had my mind set on fish and chips, after all we were by the seaside, but all the dishes looked great. We finished our food which was really nice and took the short walk to the bus stop to make our way back.

Had a really chilled, relaxing day which after a few down days has lifted my spirits and I think Harry's as well. Definitely what we needed and we hardly got burnt, just little patches that had been missed by the sun cream. Great weekend and now a busy week to look forward to, I'll keep you updated. Sorry this is becoming more of a diary entry every day than a blog full of info but I hope anyone reading is enjoying and I hope that it helps my family and Tina know that I'm safe and that I'm ok. Speak to you tomorrow.

Day 17

A mixed day really, highs, lows and some in between.

Harry decided to get up early and go to Ruyterwacht to see Yonick play for his new team. I on the other hand chose a lay in. Sorry Yonick I'll see you another time. So I waited around, did some tidying up and got myself ready for Harry's return. We had planned to go down to the waterfront to have a look around the shops and to find somewhere to watch the Arsenal game.

Harry turned up about half12 with Yonick, he hadn't gone to the game as his registration hadn't gone through, I didn't feel bad about not going now, and was pleased with the extra couple of hours sleep. We then walked through town to the waterfront, it took about an hour, but it was a nice enjoyable walk, probably would have taken just as long by bus anyway. We checked out a place to see if they were showing the football, a nice pub/restaurant with loads of TVs with sport on. We just about had time to get some lunch have a look in a few shops before the game.

The game, it was the North London derby, we had high expectations, but we were awful, blowing a 1-0 lead and losing in the 87th minute. They were by far the better team as much as it kills me to say it. But oh well we will say how much it matters come May.

We then walked back to Berghof picked up some bits and went back to Yonicks, Harry and Yonick, while I was sleeping this morning organised to go see a film tonight. They had chosen to go see 'The Kingsman' I thought it was a good idea so we met am with Yonicks sister Jodi and we set off to go see the film. Arriving early we had chance to check the place out, it wasn't just a cinema, it had a casino, an arcade, an ice rink and loads of places to get food. Tickets for the film were R46 which is about £2.50, not bad, much cheaper than back home. The film was really good, great pick Harry and Yonick.

So today has been a nice day off, shame about the result but a really good way to end the day. Harry and I are both starting to miss home, I think it's because we've had a lot of time to sit around and think about things. Hoping a busy week next week will take my mind off of it. Another day off tomorrow and we are planning on going to the beach, everyone keeps telling us we have to go to a beach so we are looking forward to it, I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Day 16

Today we were woken by the cleaner so no lay in, oh well there's always tomorrow, hopefully. So we got up had some breakfast and had a visit from Anna, we view Anna as like 1 of the managers here but I'm not quite sure what her job role actually is, but I do know she is always busy and is the person to go to if you need something done. She wanted to discuss our lunch and if we wanted it in the dining room or not, apparently we went out yesterday without telling them we wanted lunch for dinner. Anyway we said we would have lunch downstairs in the dining, we then asked what was for lunch to which she replied fish cakes with a funny look on her face, we asked what the look was for and she simply said I like fish cakes, but nice ones and laughed. Harry and I looked at each other with the same disappointed look and after recent meals we were now not expecting a great lunch. 

However lunch wasn't bad and whether it was because we had low expectations but it was probably one of the better meals we have had here. After lunch we headed to the Communicare office to pick up some posters and then made the drive to Ruyterwacht to drop them off. With our only session of the day starting at 3 and with all the traffic we sat in yesterday we decided to leave with plenty of time. But to our surprise we made it into town to Ruyterwacht and then back into town in just over an hour, so we were very early for the Waterfront 5's session. On went the boots and we had a kick around on the pitch for a bit to kill some time. Harry and myself really enjoyed last weeks session and wasn't actually scheduled here today but after being asked to come in we rearranged what we had planned. My session went well and considering the majority spoke no English at all (my translator was in and out of the session) I chose my words carefully and managed to get my message across. We had a 45 minute session followed by 40 mins of quick games, it's difficult to do much with these guys when there's large numbers, limited equipment, small space and you speak different languages, but we gave it a go. Harry on the other hand had less luck, his group spoke even less English or chose not to understand English, we had a group the other day that were not very responsive to English but half way through we were told actually they understood every word were just choosing to be awkward. I had a part time translator that helped out a bit, Harry had no one. He then witnessed what we had been waiting for, a boy in boots with studs standing on a boy that had no shoes on foot. Blood everywhere apparently, pleased I didn't have to deal with that, after carrying him off the pitch Harry asked for a first aid kit, he was given one but was told 'we don't know how to use it' doctor Harry to the rescue, he managed to bandage it up and stop the bleeding but meant his pitch had been left for around 10-15 minutes. By the time he returned the group had become restless and were even more difficult to control. He managed to get them into matches, he also managed to get the ball kick at him at some pace just below the belt so not his best day ever but the games finished  and the session was over. We were handed a Gatsby for the second week, a thank you from the guys for doing the session, they are messy but so nice, a bit like a subway but bigger and with chips inside the roll. 

Another week over with and a weekend to ourselves, we've been invited to go and see Yonick play again but its also the North London derby tomorrow so it'll depend on timings and we need to go into town as well. Tonight we were going to go out but after Harry's disastrous afternoon of blood, pain and frustration we've opted to stay in and watch the first game of the 6 nations. Come on England!!!!

Day 15 week 3 5th February

So we have now been in Cape Town for 2 whole weeks. The tan is coming along nicely, the homesickness has started and we are slowly making the transition from tourist to local. We are planning on going full tourist this weekend and go and check out what Cape Town has to offer.

Today we had a new crèche, Maya crèche, so we were up early and out door. We made our way to the learning centre as we would be using the hall as the crèche was only around the corner and they didn't have enough space. They turned up just after 9, only the 1 group but we had them for about an hour. Me and Harry said we would stick with the session we did at Goodwood as it had been successful there, the traffic lights, followed by relay session. It went really well and we even had the class teacher and 1 of the parents taking part, at this age it's all about fun and getting the kids moving and use to a ball. I think that it's best to give little coaching and let them work out for themselves how the ball moves, how's best to kick it or hold it. When they get a little older step in and coach the session but for now stick to fun and giving them time to experiment. After lots of shouts of Arsenal and even more high 5s (kids love high 5s out here) it was time for them to go. Just enough time for the parent who came to help to ask for a quick selfie. Don't think I'll ever get used to people wanting pictures with us.

We had a few hours until our next session so I got on the computer and designed a poster for the Ruyterwacht football tournament in 2 weeks time. It's the official opening of the Ruyterwacht circle, it should be a really good event and will be good to be apart of. We then had some lunch and followed Joe to a local school, it was his kids school and his sons team. After a while everyone slowly made their way over and we ended up with about 20 boys. This was our first proper football session and we chose to go for a possession, quick passing type session. Firstly they were in teams and each team had a ball and had to pass the ball in their teams within an area, we then took out 2 balls and made it into 2 5v5 passing possession games. Some of the boys had really quick feet and the passes were moving around nicely. We then moved it into an end zone type game, 2 teams in the middle with 2 on the outside, the objective was to get the ball to the end zone with a pass and then the other team would leave the area and another would come on. I tried this back in London and after about 15/20 minutes of explaining and re explaining, walking it through and even writing it down gave up as they just couldn't get it, these boys today got it first time and and played some good football. We finished off with a game, no keepers but a small cone goal that the ball had to be passed through. With a lack of bibs and struggling to make teams based on shirt colour the boys opted for skins v shirts, not something I'd advise doing back in London schools but things are slightly different out here. After the game we again posed for photos which I'll try and get off of Joe to show you.

On our way home we gave Yonick a lift to football training, he has now gone back to his old team, hopefully he'll get some more game time with them. Traffic was awful and took forever, if you're reading this from anywhere but Cape Town I'll quickly ( I say quickly but could write a whole blog on Cape Town driving) tell you about local drivers. Firstly Taxi drivers, they are the worst drivers you will ever come across, ever, anywhere you go, they constantly beep their horn to attract custom, they make up their own rules, they speed, they cut you up, if there's a big enough gap they will create their own lane, they just come to a stop in the middle of a road, they are a nightmare. I don't know how I wasn't in an accident yesterday, a taxi (they are mini buses rather than cars) decided he wanted to be in the same lane as me so literally pulled over, doing about 60mph down a road that was like an A road back home, but didn't cut me up, he wanted to go into the side of me, I swerved, the car by the side of me had to swerve and the taxi then pulled back into his own lane and went off in a different direction. Other drivers stop where they like, aren't to bothered about red lights and generally ignore the left/right only lanes and just use it to cut you up. Anyway I'll stop moaning but honestly it's a nightmare.

We eventually made it home and have been given tomorrow morning off so a nice lay in will be good, need to catch up on some sleep.

Day 14

So it is now 2 weeks since we departed and for me it's gone so quick. We are starting to miss things a bit now, family, friends and girlfriends obviously but the little things as well. Harry has been going on all day about having a chicken korma but it doesn't look like its very popular out here. 

Last night before we went up to bed George offered to take us out today at 11:30 so we made sure we were up, had a little run and were showered and dressed ready for him. He said he was going to take us to see the noon cannon. Me and Harry hadn't heard anything about it, we've both been looking for 'things to do in Cape Town' but hadn't come across it. Every day at 12 noon a cannon is set off, it was originally done to let sailors know what the time was so they could use it before settling sail. The cannon is in a base on signal hill that was used during the war, the views were amazing and it's a shame it was slightly cloudy but I'll put some photos to show you at the bottom of the blog.

After seeing the cannon we were straight back to Berghof for lunch, you'll be pleased to know it was much better today, things are looking up. After lunch we headed to Ruyterwacht where we met Joe and he briefed us about our afternoon activities. It wasn't going to be a football session but a games session with an important lesson as well. Communicare go into these areas and try and give the people life lessons, in particular the kids. This weeks lesson was hygiene and how to wash your hands properly. After walking around there were no kids to be seen, it was the first session of the year and Joe had predicted a low turnout, just as we had given up and were discussing the programme around 7 kids turned up. After a quick lesson on how to wash your hands (easier said than done) we went outside for a game of handball the kids really took to us, touch wood I haven't come across a kid that hasn't been polite, welcoming and well behaved. Once we had finished and stopped for a few photos and said a long goodbye we were off. Quick stop at the Italian club to pose for a few photos with their new Communicare sign and were done for the day.

As I mentioned earlier Harry was craving a korma so we sat down and searched for an Indian in the local area, after looking at different places comparing prices, menu and distance we found a nice little place. So we headed out unfortunately without a map and it wasn't where it should have been. So an unhappy Harry checked out a few other Indian restaurants but no luck finding 1 that did a korma. Instead we ended up going to Kloof street and ended up in Da Vinci's, and I highly recommend it if you're ever in the area. As I've mentioned before the exchange rate worked in our favour and everything is so cheap out here. Harry settled for the next best thing to a korma, BBQ ribs, he went large and said he'd never been defeated by ribs, until today, I had a giant bit of steak which was so nice and filling. Add in a starter and for drinks the total came to around R350, sounds expensive but is about £20. Great value, we gave a R50 tip which works out to less than £3 and the waiter was very happy, but it was worth it for the food and the service. 

Now to sit down and watch the Bolton v Liverpool game, I've eaten far too much I can't move.

Day 13

Thankfully the wifi is back today so I've been able to Skype the family, I haven't really been homesick yet, I've been missing home and everyone but I wouldn't call it homesickness. But I think that's because I know everyone is just a Skype away, so the wifi being down really does get to you because it's your link to home. On that note if anyway wants a chat feel free to Skype, but be prepared for me sitting in the sun while you are sitting there freezing with snow on the way. 

Onto today we were back at Goodwood crèche today, last week we felt we tried to fit a lot in so we simplified stuff this week. We had the same 4 groups as last week and the first 2 were 5/6 years olds the second 2 were 4/5 years old, the ability levels between the older and younger groups are considerably different. We started with traffic lights, a classic coach ed warm up game, 1 cone means walk another means run and the whistle means freeze, with only 3 instructions all kids managed to understand what to do even the ones that spoke no English at all. Every now and again we would count to 3 and the kids would shout Arsenal as loud as they could, it gets everyone involved and also gets them interacting with us. From traffic lights we moved onto relay races, varying difficulty from group to group, some would run some would run with the ball in their hands others ran backwards and some dribbled the ball. You might be thinking we've come here to play football why aren't we coaching football? Well the crèche sessions are all about introducing the kids to a ball and having fun and just getting them moving and learning about different movements they can do. Once we finished, it was lunch time, now if you've read previous blogs you would have seen food hasn't been great recently so the food at the crèche went down nicely. Both of us went back for a second plate, and even had jelly for desert, they apologised it was only crèche food but we couldn't be happier.

From the crèche we went to Khayelitsha, Harry and I didn't know much about the area but were told on the way that it was the biggest black township in the Western Cape, we were also told that not that long ago a white man would never walk into this area. A township for those that don't know (correct me if I'm wrong) is an area usually on the edge of town that was given for non whites. So as we are driving along and are being told this we drive down a road and on either side were metal containers made into shops, and lots of houses made out of what you can only describe as anything these people can get their hands on. At this point we are getting deeper into Khayelitsha and are told that Joe and Lourens are a little lost and don't quite know where they are going, so we pull into a petrol garage and ask for directions. I don't know if I was being paranoid but I could definitely feel eyes on me, and after what we had been told it was quite uncomfortable. I didn't take a camera so didn't get a photo to show you what it was like, but it definitely opens your eyes and makers you realise how lucky you are. Anyway after finally getting some directions we arrived at the place we were looking for. We arrived at the GrassRoots Soccer Centre, GRS is a non profit organisation that teaches important life lessons, primarily about HIV and Aids using football to try and get their messages across, we met a great bunch of guys that are working hard to improve their communitie. That is definitely 1 thing I can say about all the groups we've met, they are all working hard to help improve the situations they find themselves in. There's a real sense of community spirit everywhere we go and people are working towards change. We were invited to play a quick 5 a side game which of course we accepted. Just before going onto the pitch we were introduced to 2 American interns that are working here for a year. Now as we haven't had a proper kick about for a while in our hurry to get onto the pitch we didn't hear Lourens mention they were staying a few roads from us and we didn't get to exchange numbers etc, it's a shame we could have met up and gone out but hopefully we will be back there before we leave.

Home time, we returned to find the gate had broken so getting cars in and out will be interesting. We were going to go out and watch the United game but by the time all the skyping was done Harry had settled into his chair, feet up, cup of tea, football on, definitely turning into 1 of the residents. 

Sorry for the long blog today I'm making up for the shorter 1s last few days. Late start tomorrow, nice lay one!!!

Day 12

The wifi here has been awful today but luckily there isn't much to say. After an eventful weekend Monday was a scheduled day, unfortunately we were called into the office this afternoon. This morning we went for our 2nd run in as many days trying to battle the heat and keep fit. Not as far as we would have liked but this heat is going to take some getting used to. We then had our lunch (it's not getting any better and this weeks menu doesn't feel me with hope) and made our way to Ruyterwacht, quick meeting over with, Harry had to do some work and we came home.

I told you there wasn't much to say. Not sure what this evenings plan is, Harry mentioned tea and biscuits in front of the tv watching the deadline day transfer news would be his perfect evening, after 12 days he's turning into 1of the residents here. 

Day 11

Today me and Harry went to the launch of the new supporters club in Cape Town. They are keeping the old 1 but have a new venue that's easier to get to for people in the north of Cape Town. We had such a good time and we would like to thank Conan for the lift, the Cape Town supporters club for having us and Mario for the food. An impressive 5-0 win helped the day go even better with everyone in good spirit. Lots of chanting and celebrating and photos. Over here we are the closest thing to the club so everyone wanted to chat and have their picture taken which was really nice. We've been invited back and invited for a kick about so we'll have to see how that goes.