Sleeping with Hedgehogs

As any expat will tell you, the secret to making a new country home is to put yourself out there and meet people.Well we have been extremely lucky and managed to meet some great people, some of whom we now regard like family.

I still like to get out and meet people and I will admit, I have an ingrained need to feel useful. So I have a weakness for volunteering and agreeing to do things even though I don't always have the time to fit everything in.

This compulsion to be needed has led to a very enjoyable but very busy few weeks. I volunteered to look after me daughters indoor soccer team and to become a Scout Leader for my other daughter. My extremely limited knowledge of soccer makes looking after my daughters team a bit challenging, but watching them win a game and encouraging them to keep battling on is great fun.

Becoming a Scout Leader is also hugely rewarding and has already led to an opportunity to do something very few people get to do. Last week we got to spend a night at Wellington Zoo and take a look behind the scenes. Myself and the other Leaders, and twenty odd very excitable 6 and 7 year old's, got to sleep at the Zoo and feed a few of the animals as well!

 

Wellington Zoo has a special room equipped with live Hedgehogs, Blue Tongued Lizards, Rats and a stuffed Lion for you to sleep in. When we walked into these fantastical sleeping quarters I have to admit that I was just as excited as the kids. 

We were given a guided tour of the zoo by two very knowledgeable guides and although six year olds have the attention span of guinea pigs on cappuccinos, I found it all fascinating even if we did have to move quickly to avoid loosing the wondering kids in the dark.

I may never visit South Africa in reality, but at least I can now say I have been woken by the sound of Lions roaring in the distance. So despite the fact that I have been totally exhausted for the past week, my house looks like a war zone and the kids are moaning that there is no food in the house, we have still had a fab week :)