Well, it’s been a while since I posted anything, there’s been lots going on. I’ve had lots of issues with work, so a couple of weeks ago I made the decision to resign and head back to the UK. I’ll be leaving Swaziland on 20 May and heading to Australia for Con’s Dad’s 70th birthday, and will be getting back to London on 8 June. All a bit disappointing, but it’s certainly been a learning experience (as they say!).The photos are from the King’s birthday celebration a couple of weekends ago. It was held in a parade ground, absolutely miles from anywhere, and consisted of some fairly dull speeches, soldiers marching around, and quite a bit of singing and dancing – ranging from traditional Swazi, bare breasts and all, to marionettes dancing to a particularly manic version of Life is a Rollercoaster by Ronan Keating. Something for everyone! 
The photos are from the celebration. The men in traditional dress are actually members of Swaziland’s traditional parliament. The women in red, black and white are all married (so that’s what I’d be wearing if I was a Swazi). Although you don't see men wandering round with swords and spears, it's not that unusual to see people in traditional dress. It's a bit disconcerting when someone turns up at a meeting in it though - which has happened.
There were thousands of people there, surprising as the King does absolutely nothing for the people of Swaziland, but squanders everything on his wives and palaces. Apparently the last time two of the wives went to New York on a shopping trip they spent $6m, and yes, that’s US dollars. However, everything was made clear at 3pm when the crowd started leaving to queue for the free food they're promised if they attend. The canny ones actually didn’t even bother turning up till 3pm.
