Mwadui ladies year end celebration

It's the end of the year and what a great excuse for a ladies' get-together again!

As always, it was held at the club, next to the swimming pool

Louise, Amanda and Debbie made lunch, salad and dessert

Debbie said I was always behind the camera and took mine to photograph yours truly.

Moi, at the pool. Isn't this the most beautiful setting for a ladies' luncheon?

While we waited for the proceedings to begin, Debbie snapped me trying to get to grips with my new Samsung Smartphone! 

Once Marita had welcomed everyone, she had an ice-breaker 

We were  each given a paper plate and a pencil. With the plate upside down on our heads, Marita gave us step-by-step instructions to draw a Christmas tree, decorate it, (with a star on top) add a fireplace with flames alongside, hang a stocking from the mantelpiece, and add a wrapped gift at the foot of the tree. Of course, I was taking photos and kept turning my plate and created a bunch of nonsense.

This lady took the game seriously! 

I'm sorry I didn't video this scene. Much hilarity when women get together and play silly games! 

Later everyone tucked into the delicious lunch: chicken lasagne, salad and bread rolls 

Which was perfectly rounded off with Debbie's cupcakes

Marita then recapped on the year's meetings and projects that had been implemented. At our last get-together in September, she'd asked the ladies to bring ideas of new projects in 2015 to this last function. 

Several ladies stood up and made suggestions. It soon became clear that the ladies would like have informal workshops whereby we all share our skills. They'd love to know how to knit, make toys from recycled items, use up tomatoes in a puree, bake inexpensive cookies,  and more. I for one, would love to improve my Swahili, learn basket-weaving etc. 

I  suggested that we form a women's group which meets monthly.  We could display items we'd made during the month and be judged on them. We'd have a speaker: Debbie could show us how to bake cupcakes; Amanda would show us how to cut and sew soft toys;  I would do a talk on budgets, how to write a business e-mail or draw up a business plan. (Amanda says she'll catch up on her much needed sleep - she suffers from insomnia - during my talk, LOL!) Anna made a list of all the suggestions for the new year. 

Then it was time for the gift exchange; we expat ladies suggested that  Marita do it as "Pass the Parcel". 

This was when the fun actually began!

Marita explained to everyone that the parcel in front of them had to be passed to the person next to you (she decided that we'd pass these to the right) When you'd passed your parcel to the lady on your right, you held out your left hand and took it from your neighbor. 

Simple? 

Nyaah!

When Marita stopped the music, some women had two, three and even four parcels in front of them;  others had none. As you can imagine, this caused great hilarity and squealing in truly lady-like fashion! 

Each person starts with one parcel on her place mat. When the music started she had to pass this parcel to her right and take her neighbor's parcel on her left! 

After Marita thanked the WDL ladies for providing the lunch, and all of us for joining her,  I set up her camera on self-timer and we had a group photo.  I haven't yet worked out how to use that function on mine, so don't have that photo!

Here's wishing you all a Happy Sunday.