Teachers In UK


Carrying on from my ‘wingeing poms’ piece from yesterday I liked this piece of irreverence sent to me by a friend in England!

“After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:

‘Let me see if I’ve got this right.

‘You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.

‘You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.

‘You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a cheque book, and apply for a job.

‘You want me to check their heads for lice, recognise signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.

‘You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.

‘You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.

‘You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . . I CAN’T PRAY?”

The picture? My late parents – both teachers!

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The Brown Dog, Barnes


My son Jan Martyn – seen above being dangerous on Livingstone Island in 2006 – is Chef at The Brown Dog in Barnes, West London on The Thames. This is what Time Out recently had to say about it:

“There’s much to cherish about this gastropub tucked among the cute backstreet cottages on the border between Barnes and East Sheen. A handsome space by day, with cream wood panelling and retro metal signs, it positively twinkles by night thanks to the warm wooden furniture, polished red ceiling and copper globe lamps above the central bar.

The bar divides the smallish space into drinking and dining areas, and there’s also a back courtyard for summer lounging. Prices and clientele are upmarket, but not stuffy, and the food can be very good. Classy ingredients are used in unfussy combinations, whether it’s top-notch seafood (dressed Cromer crab or Colchester rock oysters to start, beautifully cooked lemon sole with brown shrimp and parsley beurre noisette to follow), a lavish Sunday roast (Longhorn ribeye or whole poussin with all the trimmings), or comforting puds (rice pudding with damson jam, egg custard tart with raspberries).

Attention is paid to seasonality, witness a whole baked vacherin mont d’or as a starter to share. Kids get mini portions of adult dishes. French bottles dominate the wine list, and there’s Hepworth Sussex, Bitter and a seasonal guest ale on tap. Dogs (of any colour) are welcome.”

Sounds nice doesn’t it? Doing well isn’t he?

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Relief, Desperation or Fear


When my daughter’s friend Tatenda Dune sent me this picture of her and Alexandra’s recent white water rafting trip on the mighty Zambezi, I asked her whether it should be called ‘relief’ or ‘desperation’! Her one word answer? ‘Fear’!

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Kids Go Rafting!


It was really lousy experience for me the night my daughter Alexandra and her friend Tatenda appeared on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient, our Sunday night radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm almost three weeks’ ago now, I was really not well! And I’d been looking forward to the show so much. I did appear on the programme but only just, and I have very little memory of what took place. In retrospect it probably would have been better if I’d stayed in bed….

Alexandra and Tatenda are both students at Kingsmead College in Johannesburg. Bright, pretty and witty they were, I’m told, great Guests on the show! Were they having a good holiday in Livingstone? “Awesome!” What activities had they done while they’d been here? They’d been, or were going to go rafting, and on the sunset cruise. Alexandra had been on the Cheetah Encounter with Mukuni Big 5 Safaris while she was waiting for her friend Tatenda to arrive – the latter had passport problems in South Africa and was late coming up to Zambia.
We’d also had a great family day out together at the Falls.

How was it living in Johannesburg we wanted to know. They liked it. Were they ever scared given the security problems? “Not reeeeally”. What did they like most about Jo’burg? Shopping and parties! Did they have boyfriends? I seem to remember Alex saying “why’s my dad always asking me that?” or something similar. We played Miley Cyrus (“she’s everywhere at the moment” said Alex) and ‘Supernova’ by Mr Hudson ft Kanye West which will now forever remind me of Alexandra. We played Corinne Bailey Rae who the girls like as well. I also remember ‘Puzzle’ by Alexandra Burke.

“How come Richard invited you as Guests on the show?” DJMJ and George wanted to know. “I’m his daughter!” Yelled Alex and everyone laughed. Which football team did the girls support? I can only remember Alex saying “Arsenal” (yes, all my kids are somehow obliged!). “Are you into sport at school”? The guys wanted to know and the girls explained they were usually too busy with drama. “Are you drama queens?” I wanted to know. “You bet!” They replied laughing. Actually they’ve both been very involved with directing and acting in plays at school.

What did Alex think of her brother Mike’s rap music? “Liquid D? Fantastic!”

The picture, Alex and her brother Mike with Tatenda after their rafting trip. Alex is third from the left, Mike on the far right and Tatenda next to him!

Incidentally, after a two year run, our radio show has come to an end. We might be back on air in some shape or form in 2010, meanwhile thanks to everyone who’s been involved with or taken part in the programme over the two year period! Peace!

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Happy Anniversary!

A good place to wish my son Jan Martyn and his wife Josephine all the very best on the first anniversary of their wedding in London last year. The couple met when they were both students at Hull University. Jan Martyn is a Chef at a restaurant in Barnes and Jo is Technical Manager at the Design Museum in Lonodn.

Wishing them a great day!

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Henry Kondwani Chanter, 7


Here’s a great up to date photo of my son Henry at the Victoria Falls. He was pretty scared but by the time I took this he had recovered! I’m sure next time he’ll enjoy it more!

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Scary Place!


As mentioned yesterday, my seven year old son Henry Kondwani Chanter was quite scared of Victoria Falls. Was it the noise? The huge volume of water? We don’t know and he’s not saying. Anyway he was seeing the Falls for the first time in his memory and his mum wasn’t around, so I guess next time it’ll be nicer for him.

While we waited for his brothers and sisters to tour the place, I took lots of photos of him, including this one when he was just ‘getting over it’!

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Family Visit To Victoria Falls


I drop Guests at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone off at the Zambian side of Victoria Falls so many times a week, especially at the moment during these busy months, but seldom get to see anything much of the Falls myself, other than the spray on my way to work (and that’s a thing of the past now as the river level has dropped and the ambient temperature warmed up). So, instead of falling asleep in front of the TV on my half day off this week, I took five out of my 5+2 offspring to see the Falls and what a wonderful sight it is too! Never fails to impresss.

My daughter Alexandra (16) is visiting on holiday from Kingsmead College in Johannesburg, she’s in Grade 11 and is pictured back left in the photo. Next to her is rapper Michael (23) known as LiquidDanger (after the Falls?) and a keen Gooner. Chris (14) is one of my foster daughters and in front of her Grace (13) is the other. The family photo is made up be Henry age 7 who was quite scared of the Falls. More of that tomorrow!

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Artistic Alexandra!


This piece from Alexandra Chanter’s school newsletter academic section, Kingsmead College, Johannesburg.

KALEIDOSCOPE

GRADE 11 SUPPER THEATRE EVENING
The programme consisted of seven items each representing a different genre. An expressive movement piece was first on the programme which was a workshopped piece performed by the whole class. Sound (as opposed to music!) was put together by Alexandra Chanter and Slindile Mthembu.

Next up was a beautiful and poignantshort play by Samuel Beckett entitled “Come and Go” performed by Tatenda Dune, Raeesa Kahn and Zahra Musa. Then, an hilarious and highly physical extract from Lewis Carroll’s “Mad Hatter’s Teaparty” was presented by Josephine Stubbs, Alexandra Blyth, Alexandra Chanter and Edwina Lederle. Next, a riveting and dramatic extract from Jean Paul Sartre’s “No Exit” was performed by Jill Curr, Camilla Pearson and Sabelo Mthethwa. Kathleen Butler, Nokwanda Zwane, Thuli Gama and Slindile Mthembu then performed a highly entertaining extract from the South African play “Sophiatown”.

The theatrical technique of the “soliloque” (speaking ones thoughts aloud only for the ears of the audience and not for the other characters on stage) was explored by Alexandra Chanter and Edwina Lederle in an amusing extract from Alan Ayckbourn’s play “Countdown”. The programme ended with the group dramatizing
the Lewis Carroll poem “The Jabberwocky”.

That’s Alexandra above left and you can imagine how much we’re looking forward to seeing her when she comes on holiday in August with a friend!

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