"Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" is a Bantu proverb that sums up the traditional African philosophy of collective humanity, literally "a person is a person through other people." Or, to put it another way, it is in recognising the humanity in others that we truly discover our own. Right now it feels like the world needs this lesson more than ever - we should be trying to make human lives better, to make our time on this Earth as wonderful as it can be, not letting false prophets spread hatred just so they can siphon off more wealth than any man could ever need...
Anyway, back to the phrase itself. I've been working on language download packs again this week, moving on from Europe into Africa now. I'm starting with the official languages of South Africa - did you know there are 12 of them? So far I've done Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans, and hopefully I'll be finishing up Xitsonga on Monday. For miniature downloads, lately I've done 1910s Magazines, 1930s Groceries, and a St. Patrick's Day cards and decorations set.
Over on the shop I've been busy listing more Design a Friend clothing, and various other bits and pieces. I've got a bunch of Rainbow High stuff I want to try and get on today too. I really need to be making more stock, but I'm just destressing a bit from the move first.
Because the biggest thing this week - and this whole year, really - has been having to move out of the house we had been living in for ten years. The landlord decided they wanted to sell up ('before Labour make us make improvements...' in true landlord style) and all I've really done since the announcement is stress about what the hell we were going to do. The three beds coming up locally were way out of our price range right now, and the two beds were either snapped up instantly or so dire I wouldn't kennel a dog in them. We went to the homelessness advice service who were absolutely useless. First they said they couldn't offer any advice as the landlord hadn't provided the right notification paperwork, as though that changes anything, and then they said to come back once we were actually homeless and they'd try to find us a hostel place.
So, as I initially joked in a fit of despondency, Marianna and I have ended up moving back in with my parents which means she can stay in the same school. Anthony has had to move back in with his mum and dad because there just isn't any room here - they've sacrified their dining room to become a bedroom / stockroom for myself, and Marianna's got my old bedroom. In a way it's nice because I like my family, I like having lots of people around (five adults, one child, and a dog now!), but on the other hand there's just the perpetual feeling of failure that comes with it. :/
At the moment I'm consoling myself with the thought of being able to save while we're here, and possibly scraping together enough for a mortgage deposit. I really don't want to go back into private rental, just to sink another £75k and still have no security. We're obviously still applying for housing association properties, but the list is massive and the likelihood is they'll try and place us in the arse end of nowhere - especially enticing when you've no access to a car, of course!
(I had to go Northville old school and move half our stuff in a shopping trolley. Poverty: 0/10 stars, do not recommend. Lol.)
So, yeah, it's been a pretty miserable few months. But now it's done, the short to medium term is sorted, and hopefully we can now start looking forward!
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