January- An Auspicious Month

It seems that January’s bring much adventure, excitement, & wonder to me & my hubby.

January 2008 saw our trip to New Delhi for Alvin’s ACL repair.
January 2009 Alvin & I were married- we had lots of family & friends around this time last year

And not to disappoint, January 2010 has brought news that Alvin & I will be shipping off back to my motherland in a couple of months. It will be very hard to leave Lusaka (that’s an understatement but what else can I say without getting all sentimental); it’s been my home for over five years- but different opportunities are knocking at our door & we can’t turn down a couple of years back in Edmonton. For now, we’re focussing on all the positives, but as departure time draws nearer I’m sure there’ll be a couple of posts describing what we’ll miss.

For today I thought I’d post photos:

First, the basketball cemetery- ooooooh, I’m so glad Alinafe was with me when I saw the court because my misery turned into laughter when he saw the expression on my face. It will be resolved…



















Second, it was my first wedding anniversary yesterday so I made a little shrine to celebrate. It has been a heck of a year for us…we’ll be so grateful for plenty more years together!


















Third, I’ve taken Clara’s suggestion to take some more video clips. Saturday was a heck of a basketball day. Alvin’s team beat out the Copperbelt team in an overtime duel to make it to the National Championships. Alvin’s team- Napsa Hurricanes with face the spry University of Zambia team- the Pacers. It’s a best of three series set to start next weekend- if these videos don’t give you a feel for the game I’ll try again next weekend. Fun fun!

In this video the good guys (blue) are trying to run down the clock because they’ve got the lead.



Here, the videographer forgot her job entirely; as Napsa fumbled to tie up the match the camera inched it’s way down down down…cracked me up- not sure the effect will translate? Let me know- I hate when my blog reads “0 comments”*wink*

A minor dilemma…a major heartbreak for me

Another reason for reflection this weekend surfaced when I received a phone call from one of my fellow coaches. There has been much drama in 2009 regarding our use of the court at Northmead basic school, most of it I did not report because we thought all issues had been amicably resolved. Unfortunately, the phone call assured me that the hoops had been uprooted. I have not yet had the heart to go myself & see the result; I just cannot bear the thought. That court has been home to me for several years, we have grown together in countless ways. It started with one hoop and a metal backboard. Then a donation & visit from my cousin inspired fixing that hoop. Then another group came in & put up a full court to our amazement. We’ve spent many a Saturday patching the potholes that appear during every rainy season. We’ve dug trenches to keep the court from flooding. We’ve even spent hours slashing the grass (there’s no ride-a-mower at this school) - plenty of us armed with machetes to take down the tall grass one metre at a time. All of this comes to end in 2010. The school has accused one of my player’s of vandalism (which he did NOT do) and we agreed to give money to the caretaker to replace the broken light though it had later been proven that none of my players were responsible for the vandalism. On that weak accusation the school has chosen to remove the hoops, promising to put them outside the school walls (I’ll believe that when I see it). The truth of the matter is a teacher stands to make some money from establishing a handball team, so she has wanted to take over the courts for several months. I suspect she’s got some money to gain. The heartbreak for me is that this decision has been made without consultation with us (the coaches/ players of the community team) and has been done with no regard for the children.
I feel rather shameful writing this when Haiti is experiencing utter misfortune. Everything seems cosmetic when compared to the situation in that nation…but I can’t help but feel disappointment. Forgetting students/ children at an institution that is supposed to be providing opportunities to youth is shameful. I am crestfallen. But rather than feeling sorry for myself & our situation I have been reminded by a couple of my players, and the same coach who called with the bad news- that it’s just a blip on the radar. These guys are already coming up with suggestions for how we move on from here- there’s no question of disbanding. I am completely bolstered by these guys, and hope that the personal failure, hopelessness & anger I’m feeling will be overrun when we all meet together on Wednesday. I just hope that I don’t have a break down when I see the naked courts. Honestly, it feels like an end to an era; an end that I’m not entirely equipped to deal with just yet.

“The same old”- an epiphany

I had a thought when I was preparing chicken on Saturday…or was it Friday? As I was removing the feet, gizzards & neck from inside the dressed chicken I realized that dear Tom would be shocked. This is not ‘normal’ for a Canadian…I don’t remember ever preparing chicken back home like this. Maybe I should ask my Gran if that’s how they sell turkey- I’ve never prepared one. To make this random paragraph a little more illuminating I took a couple photos. I especially like how grotesque the feet look. Muhahahaah.

Then I realized how odd it would sound if I told my friends back home that I was going to my mother-in-laws on Sunday to oversee the negotiations for my sister-in-laws “lobola” i.e. dowry. What?? In this beautiful but patriarchal society, there is still a “bride price”. A man’s family must pay the woman’s family for his bride. I feel that the sense of ownership that used to be associated with this practice is no longer prevalent (at least for these city-fied families…I’d venture to guess this opinion wouldn’t stand in rural or under-educated areas). It’s not like my sister-in-law is being sold into another family, but to me it seems more like a formal joining of both families. I could have it all wrong but I realized this in not the first I’ve attended and I never even thought it odd that Alvin & I should attend*grin*.

Laughing out loud

What's more fun than sitting in your office laughing out loud? I must confess a couple of these comics have circulated the office & I love hearing colleagues chuckling at how close (or how far) our own experiences are in the challenging world of work. Whoever is responsible for creating
"Dilbert" should be awarded for minimizing workplace stress. Oy oy














I especially love this one!












Otherwise there's not too much report:

- I bought ridiculously expensive floss last night- $6- imagine! But it's nice & minty & I love it
- Alvin's team won their quarter final basketball game on Saturday so they will be progressing to the next level in Zambia's National Championships
- I'm on Book # 6 Harry Potter*grin*
- I tried my first ever "Zumba" class last week. Me + aerobics + dance = pure comedy. Can't wait til I can attend again!

I do believe I'm enjoying a couple of more days in the calm before the storm...

Here we are, 2010 already

I’m back in the office; ready for the New Year. I’ve had a lovely few days of relaxation, visiting with family & friends, and yes- reading Harry Potter*grin*. We went for a lovely New Year’s Day braai & left the camera in the car the whole day- whoops! So the photos below are from Christmas & Boxing Day festivities. As per the past three years- or is it four- Christmas day dinner is hosted at Alvin’s Grandmother’s farm. It’s sort of a big ol’ potluck thing- lots of fun & laughter. I did a bit of my annual baking- pecan squares, pineapple upside down cake. I tried a new recipe for 'thumbprint cookies'. They turned out well but didn't do too much for my taste buds.


















I must be a pretty terrible aunt because my niece was given to me to look after only once she was fast asleep*grin*. But Baby Muttah saved me from having to wash the dishes so I took up the role happily!



















Built-in family entertainment: "MJ" came by his nickname quite honestly, Mutale is always willing to put on a show (he also danced at our wedding, which was a highlight for our guests)!

Alvin & I were invited out to the Longwe-Clarke’s for Boxing Day drinks. What with plenty of food, drink, babies & an extended croquet lawn there was lots of fun to be had! Here are the babes, Ndinawe & Nawiti (both have featured on my blog several times)*smile*


















Nawiti kept looking over her shoulder at me & releasing the funniest giggle from the depths of her tubby tummy- well she had me near hysterics which caused all the other ladies to laugh as well. She is a character!

The girls, or shall I say 'the mothers'?

It’s hard to believe 2009 has zipped past already, there's hardly been enough time to sit back, reflect, and be thankful for all the wonder 2009 has brought. I probably won’t make any resolutions until the end of January- when I’m hoping to take the remainder of my leave days. Fingers crossed we’ll start 2010 with a Zambian road trip- wish you could join us Marty & Pat (that was a road trip to end all road trips)*giggling*.

A rather disorganized end-of-year

I’m back in the office after a couple of days off; it has been a wonderful few days! Alvin & I enjoyed ourselves so much that we left the camera at our friends place on boxing day…so festive photos will have to wait until we retrieve the camera. I’ve decided I’ll post a few photos from our closing youth basketball league tournament that happened on December 19 & 20th. And of other note, I’m partaking in a Harry Potter marathon. When thinking about having a few days off, I thought what better way to enjoy some down time than reading the Harry Potter books one through seven. I’ve already made it through the first two books and movies*hahahah*. I think the only person who doesn’t think I’m a bit mad is the colleague who lent me all 7 books…& could only find 4 of the movies in her house. Awesome.

More basketball photos- surprise surprise*grin*

Here's the team that scooped the u18 title- Magic. My team had a brilliant game against them in the semi-final but lost by a basket- it was a tough loss. But I met with my team a few days later& I think the loss made us all sit back & reflect- I was so inspired by my team & how they're planning to learn from our mistakes in 2009. I predict that 2010 will be a great year for BSA basketball. But I couldn't resist putting up these celebratory faces...



















BSA did win the under 12 division though...here's the notorious "Boo boo" collecting the prize.



















My umbrella was used at the 'table' the whole weekend. Only took me five years to figure out how useful umbrellas can be under the intense Zambian sun*smile*




















Here's an under 12 BSA player...I fell in love with Noah over the weekend because he cried and cried and cried his little eyes out when our under 18s lost. Finally a banana distracted him long enough to dry his eyes.

Mulemwa was coaching his under 15 squad- they also lost in the semi-finals. Also to Magic...

Close-up of my dear friend Mwape Konsolo. He runs the Youth League & is fiercely committed to youth basketball & sports development. He's one special guy- I wish you could all know him

BSA Basketball Year End Awards

On Friday we held our annual basketball awards- what a day! We (that's me, Alinafe & Mulemwa) wanted to make the day special since we've had quite a tumultuous season. The whole purpose is to recognize our athletes, thank our supporters, and consider our achievements over the past year. The coaching team was supported by our family members & friends to get some snacks & soft drinks for the players- & believe me- the kids were excited about that! Thanks to Cory & Sue for the BCHS gear, and to Ingy for the basketball top- the kids are always excited to receive a little something for their efforts.

The event started out with our under 12 team playing a game against our under 15 team. These kids are all good friends & a couple of the supporters who showed up were amazed at the skills the little ones have already attained.




















The big excitement (& not only for me- but for all the players) was having several former BSA players come to the grounds to play a game against the current under 18 team. The younger boys were especially looking forward to playing against those players who play in Zambia's National basketball league, and of course against their coach (not me, Mulemwa)*smile*. And no one was disappointed- everyone participated and enjoyed visiting with old friends, teammates, and neighbours.

Here are the former BSA players warming up on their old court.



















ChiChi had us all in stitches because he wasn't feeling so fit...he claims he'll start running again!


























Mulemwa "Coach Tony"- enjoying a break from the game.





















Mengo, a former captain.




















Kawana, my other former captain!




















Under 12 player Lawrence "Joli" ref-ing the big game. Priceless.





















Here's Mubanga "Bangi", current under 18 player. He also received an award for being the player with the most team spirit- he's brought so much energy and excitement to the team; all of the coaches & players have appreciated his contributions to the season.




















Here I am (yes, looking very short & wide) next to my former players. I do stay in touch with several of these kids, but enjoyed their excitement to come back and play together. I think it will be something we will continue to do as more players move on...





















After the games we had a brief certificate & awards-giving ceremony.

Our attentive crowd.





















The distribution of certificates for the players. Here is Teza who also received an award for being a most consistent player.
























Moses could not wipe the grin of his face. Our 12-year-old best offensive player- a young boy incredibly committed to his team.























Evans "Kilo" Kalumba was proudly named BSA's 2009 Player of the Year. He had an outstanding year starting out with the under 12 team, but managing to compete in the next division during the league. All players and other coaches in the league were thrilled to hear that he has been recognized for all his hard work. Better watch out for this kid- he is a star!






















After the hoopla all the kids enjoyed chatting, eating, & sippin' on their soft drinks. It feels incredible to sign off another basketball year on a high note!

Recommended reading- 2009

Many of you know I’m an avid reader, and being that access to a good library in Lusaka is not possible, I have been exposed to all sorts of books. (It’s fun picking through people’s libraries and lending & borrowing at work- we’ve had lots of coffee discussions about various books. Though I must confess I’ve never read so many murder mystery/ thrillers…at least there are a few good British ones anyway*grin*). I’m still trying to figure out how to frame this so let’s see how it goes.

Must reads (in my humble opinion):

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shafer & Annie Barrows; simply a joy to read

How Green was my Valley, Richard Llewellyn -Beautiful

The Book of Negroes, Lawrence Hill - what can one say about this much-talked about book? I love historical fiction*grin*

Buckingham Palace: District Six, Richard Rive. A laugh-out-loud satire on the implementation of apartheid law in South Africa, also shockingly sad

Other recommends:

Sing them Home, Stephanie Kallos- not too sure why I loved this book about death, but I did.

The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga- another shocking satire.

Emma, Jane Austen- always have to read a couple of classics per year, no?

A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah- boy soldier, heart wrenching but worth it!

The only reason I’m able to remember these books is because my colleague (who was fascinated to see me with a different novel every other week) suggested I keep track of just how many books I get through in a year. My current tally is 48, maybe I’ll reach 50 by the end of the year (I'm sinking my teeth into another PD James- hahah)! Oh, and I do not record all the school reading I do (which is another reason my recommends are all fiction…sorry to those who prefer non-fiction). Let me know what you think of these if you’ve read them or are inspired to pick one up that you haven’t yet read- I'd love to hear your opinions!

Unofficially,

I am still a student pursuing my Masters degree - WOOT! I have received my unofficial grades and it looks like I passed both my courses (that includes the big ol’ research proposal I failed last year). I’m excited to register for my final 4 courses- holla!

Another 2009 Wedding

Al's young brother also decided to get hitched this year- so here we are at another family wedding. It was a beautiful day & the bride & groom were simply gorgeous- you can confirm that by viewing the photos below*wink*

Here's the wedding line-up just after Chisanga & Ethel exchanged vows. Best man Makuza (left) & Maid of Honour Charity (right).

The newly weds posing with their mothers

At the photo shoot baby Grace Mutale can't be left out, the couple's beautiful baby.

I loved this shot- gender equity right- why does the husband always have to carry the wife?!

Later on at the reception there were lots of folks to catch up with. Here's my niece Sasha Ndanji with her father Sam (left) & her uncles Perry (centre) and Dale (right).

Chish & Ethel opening the dance floor.

Here I am on the dance floor with my lovely hubby.

I was also very excited to show off my new dress. My good friend Towani has gone into fashion design & this is what I would call the "beauty of globalization" (though some of you may disagree). Towa fused the high Asian colour with beautiful African fabric...for a white girl to wear- hahaha! It's gorgeous though, I hope I'll be able to get her some more sales because she does have some great designs...

How to start my Monday...

What better way to start a Monday than with homemade carrot cake & cream cheese icing for breakfast? I’ve set myself up for a brilliant week after pouting last week over these stupid cold sores (which are looking much better today I am happy to report).

I just have to say that I went out for a run Sunday morning & the digital sign at Addis round-a-bout read “08h08- 27 degrees Celsius”. It was almost enough knowledge to send me straight back home but I was motivated to tackle some stairs…and no rain. This is almost unheard of- usually this time of year when the temperatures reach the high 30s (someone told me it reached mid 40s on Saturday) we are guaranteed a good rain to cool things down. Ah well, I suspect the weather will change again very soon & we’ll get our rainy season. The clouds are rolling in as I write…

Otherwise:
a) I am composing a blog about my 2009 reads so look out for that one,
b) It’s December tomorrow- I can hardly believe how fast 2009 has sped by, and
c) there's a big family wedding planned for Saturday- can’t wait to share photos!

What could be worse than a cold sore?

Any ideas?
How 'bout two cold sores on the same darn lip?! My bottom lip is decidedly swollen and I am highly irritable. How unfair.

If it gets really bad I'll take photos & post them- muhahaha.

Driving in Zambia

Could you imagine spending a night in police cells in the heart of Lusaka for running a red light on a Sunday evening? I’m sure glad my Pop got pulled over in broad daylight and was able to pay the fine on the spot with no questions asked…

22h00 last night, I’m about to jump into the tub when Alvin says “Dress up, we’re going for a ride”. Turns out our good friend had been arrested by the police and thrown into cells. We were asked to pick up her vehicle because she didn’t want the car to get vandalised overnight. Unfortunately for us (& her) it was too late to visit her to pick up the keys, and there was no one working who could accept the payment of the fine. All this for running a red light on a Sunday evening- if you can believe it.

I’m sorry- I think this is all utterly fantastic. If you’ve never driven in Zambia before, the road laws are merely a suggestion (unless you’re caught without a seat belt &/or speeding- right Pop?) Muhahah. Ok, but seriously- traffic cops generally work a 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday; which means a lot of people do terribly illegal things when they know the police will not be on the street. For example, on my early morning runs I will be accompanied by a great number of overloaded trucks (many that do not have brakes) that ferry farm vegetables into the markets for sale. These trucks are most obviously not roadworthy, which is why they transport goods in the early hours- when they are almost guaranteed no trouble from traffic police. There is also a serious problem with drinking and driving. Every weekend the accident rates must go through the roof. On my Saturday morning runs I have seen many a vehicle in the ditch with men sheepishly calling their wives to help bail them out. I actually detest being in cars at night because there are generally no street lights (it’s dark my friends- dark) and there are often recklessly drunk people behind the wheel (in fact, it is not uncommon to find taxi drivers with a bottle of Castle or Mosi between their legs- & that’s on any given day).

All that to say that I feel my friend’s arrest and mandatory night in cells is horrible; if the manpower is there to make an arrest, shouldn’t there also be a person who can accept the fine? I spoke to her this morning & she was giggling so I’m assuming that all is well & we’ll have good fuel for stories this week!

Oh the drama.

Baby Grace Mutale

At least somebody appreciates my early Christmas decorations*hahahah*

My niece came over for a visit on Saturday afternoon & was mesmerized by the Christmas lights, what a cutie.

Otherwise, the centre-piece Santa that I adore has been much ridiculed. My sister-in-law thought it was a mop at first & couldn't figure out why I should have it hanging up...and Kolo got the giggles as to how anyone would come up with a white, dread-bearded Santa. But I love it- I'm into the Christmas spirit early and it seems that the only supporters are baby Grace & Alaina*wink*

A rain for Gran

I’ve been smiling since the rain started coming down last night- our first big storm of the rainy season. Lightning lit up the house & thunder rumbled so loud I jumped out of the tub lickety split. It was the kind of night my Gran taught me to savour. Happily- after more than two weeks in hospital- Gran has made it back to her little pad in Saskatoon & reports have it that she’s doing well. I’m enjoying the cool wet day for the both of us.

Bad ponytail day

I know we’ve all had bad hair days, and my reliable solution is always to throw my hair back into a ponytail. Ponytails have unfailingly been my “go to” hairstyle for years. Until yesterday; it seemed that no amount of tugging, combing, begging, and straightening would make my ponytail look normal. I looked like a blonde sumo wrestler for the entire day- horrors!

But I have chalked up the minor hair crisis to the weather. Seemingly overnight the reliable dry heat (that I so adore) has evaporated into the sticky humid heat that I dread. (I have not forgotten my prairie upbringing)*grin*. The heat was nearly intolerable yesterday and then out of blue skies fell a light shower. Unfortunately, when there’s no heavy downpour the light rain tends to cause more heat- the water seems to rebound off the dry ground rising in a steamy mist. I contemplated skipping yoga when I was drenched in my own sweat during my 10 minute walk from work to class. I was dreading ‘hot yoga’ Zambian style- sorry cousin Fitzy, I just don’t see the joy of performing yoga tricks in a sauna. But off I went and I enjoyed class nonetheless.

And today is a new humid day and I’m beginning to wonder if rainy season is around the corner…

Neon sunglasses and jerseys with numbers

I think a nomadic Canadian left these neon sunglasses at my flat once upon a time. I finally cleared them out- Ben happened to be the lucky recipient of the day. Such a cutie.

Then, eons ago a supporter back home in St. Albert donated some numbers that could be ironed to basketball jersey's. My star Alinafe convinced a friend who works in the screen printing business to adhere the numbers to our lovely jerseys. They have debuted...and brought a loss*hahahah*. Despite losing, we still had a great day.

Rhubarb crumble

I was so exited the other day. I’d gone into this grocery store that I don’t usually visit because it’s on the other side of town (I had to pass through there for work)- and lucky me- I found rhubarb! In the five years I’ve lived in Lusaka I have not once come across rhubarb. I scooped it up without a second thought and prepared a delicious rhubarb crumble that evening. There is nothing quite like rhubarb, is there?

Other tidbits that may be of general interest now that I’m not spending most of my evenings studying

- I finally got my grubby hands on Dambisa Moyo’s acclaimed book Dead Aid. Good read, pertinent to my work with CIDA, and only a few times I caught myself saying “Ok, that’s a bit of a stretch”; I think it would be good “Development 101” material. It does support my recent desire to go corporate though, hopefully as soon as this fiscal year is over…fingers crossed.

- My outdoor yoga class continues to challenge & stimulate. I was thinking I should take some photos- it’s a rather romantic setting, especially when hanging upside-down when the sun is setting*grin*

- There is a fuel crisis in Zambia- has been for a couple of weeks now- so I am spending more time walking/ cycling than I had in the previous months. It’s been lovely. And the iPod has become ‘well-used’ (I may have mentioned to a few of you that I don’t think some of these toys are made to withstand Zambian heat- the earphones have been melting & the cool running band that Tommy bought for me is quickly losing the Velcro)…but the music still plays so all’s golden.

- My hubby is now busy studying for exams, thus all the photos of me with the girlfriends. Surely when he’s done we’ll throw a small co-ed party

- I’ve indulged in my first mangoes of the season- sorry Carly!!! Deeelicious

And my fave Dilbert comics. Does any body else find them as amusing as I do? Perhaps I should stop posting them, but they make me giggle & then I want to share them*sigh*
Hmm. Perhaps there’s not too much that’s interesting- signing off.