Disclaimer

Apologies, I know the photo quality isn’t great- it appears that when my camera was in my hand bag the dial switched to something other than automatic…but I still wanted to put a couple shots up because it’s been ages since I have.

I submitted my research proposal on Friday & rewarded myself by taking the rest of the weekend off the books- weeeee!

Here I am (after a long morning in the sun) sporting our new Youth Basketball League t-shirts. We’ve started a fundraiser & the shirts are awfully snappy- I think most of our stock will be sold quickly so that we can experiment with other colours!














Saturday night a few of the girls got together. Here are the usual suspects: a pregnant Laurane, a pregnant Kupela, and rather inebriated Kolo & Sarah (we’re so bad)!

(Aside: I don't actually have a triple chin- it's just the camera angle)*giggling*

Yesterday I attended Alvin’s cousins’ matabeto. I brought along my friend (the notorious) Kolo who had never attended a matabeto before. Much fun!! Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of me stirring a huge pot of nshima while shaking my booty, but if Alvin’s cousins send them on I’ll be sure to post one up here- I’m pretty certain I look ridiculous*grin*.

The photos I've taken are after all the food has been prepared, & the "bride-to-be's" family brings it over to the "groom-to-be's" house. There's much pomp, money throwing, drumming and ceremony to go with everything- so here we are waiting to make enough money to bring the food inside.

Here's family- Jackie (cousin), Bwembya (sister), Kolo & Cousin Valerie in the back.

And a shot of the whole crew!

Profound thoughts of the week

As has been the case recently, I’ve been itching to update my blog but frankly- don’t have much to say. I thought I would include a couple of thoughts that have been occupying my time.

1. I have the most painful pimple of my life. But it’s in the best place- it is “invisible”. It’s in that spot where the nostril attaches to the cheek, so it’s completely hidden. But bizarrely enough it has been throbbing like crazy; I’m beginning to think it might not be a pimple…
2. Every evening just after the sun goes down there is a huge raucous of dogs barking, shrieking and yelping. It sounds like it’s coming from my backyard except I know it isn’t. I’ve got to figure out where this pack of dogs is coming from, & what the heck they’re doing making so much noise every night; it’s driving me nuts.
3. Massive research proposal due on Monday…hoping to submit this Friday. Exams only 3.5 weeks away…

I reckon I’m pretty fortunate for these to be my most pressing issues…The girls are meant to be going swimming this weekend- if that’s the case I promise to liven up this dreary blog with some “fun in the sun” shots.
Cheerio.

September already...

Hard to believe another long weekend has passed & we’re already into September. I have a few stories (largely uninteresting) and no photos to add. Shameful isn’t it?

· I did not manage to find my “funeral hat” this weekend, though still attended the unveiling of Chola’s tombstone. Since I missed her burial it was nice to know where she was laid to rest & to remember her while being surrounded by her friends & family.

· I enjoyed some gin & juice on Saturday with a few friends as per one of my goals! Holla.

· I also have successfully applied to convert my Canadian drivers’ licence into a Zambian drivers licence. They have given me a temporary permit to drive & I should receive the official one in a months’ time- watch out Lusaka! (And this may sound like an easy exercise, but believe me- it wasn’t. Thank goodness Canadian Labour Day is not a holiday in Zambia and I was able to spend the day standing in line-ups in several different buildings- I actually felt like a cow in one of those runs that lead it back to the barn. And if you ever want to meet a grumpy person, I now know where to bring you in Lusaka- a particular cashier woman would have rather barked at me than say good afternoon. Disaster- but a successful disaster nonetheless)!

· I did not find time to go shopping at my favourite second hand clothes market, but I did get some school work done, so I suppose that’s worth something (especially since my big research proposal is due in two weeks) YIPE!

· I realized I have missed August’s indulgence. If only I’d found that funeral hat. Or a pair of shoes today. Sigh. Guess I’ll make up for it in September by having TWO indulgences... or maybe that’s more likely to happen after my exams in October.

President Mwanawasa will be buried tomorrow (deemed a public holiday so I will have another day off work), and life should start returning to normal (Youth basketball league should re-commence this Saturday).
Signing off

National Mourning

Despite the country being in mourning, I had a nice weekend. It’s so quiet because all celebrations/ recreational activities have been banned (originally for seven days but they’ve since extended the mourning period for 21 days). I wonder if the mourning period will remain for the full three weeks? All national sporting federations had been told that no games will be held during the national mourning period- for me that means no basketball…crazy! I was giggling to myself because apparently the bars remained opened, but they were only permitted to play gospel music- could you imagine?! Quite funny in its own morbid way.

I actually travelled to the lovely (if exhibiting ghost town qualities) town of Kabwe about 1.5 hours drive north of Lusaka on Saturday. August 14th was the one year memorial of my departed friend & colleague Chola Chisupa. Alison- a star of a colleague- organized a barbeque at Chola’s parents’ place in Kabwe. Since I was in Canada during the funeral of Chola, I especially appreciated being able to contribute to this memorial. It was lovely to meet Chola’s parents (& see where Chola had inherited her beautiful smile), and to see her boys. There were no tears, the purpose was to celebrate Chola’s life and it was a wonderful day for me. I’m so thankful that I was able to be a part of the event. If Alison sends along any photos of the event I’ll be sure to post them up here.

Otherwise not much to report- the rest of the weekend was filled up with a bit of visiting & a bit of schoolwork. I also spent a lot of time “abroad” in my mind. My dear friend Ry tied the knot on Saturday- I was so thrilled that my folks & my brother were able to be at his big day in my stead. AND I got all the news on Seth & Marina as well since they sat at the same table- how lovely! Another girlfriend in Denmark also married her love on Saturday- so despite all the mourning my heart is singing!! (Except that it’s already Monday)*giggling*…

A sad day for Zambia

Well the news finally arrived from France- President Mwanawasa has died. Despite Zambia's challenges, a vast majority of Zambians will sincerely mourn over the death of President Mwanawasa. Such a situation has never occurred before in Zambia, so it will be interesting to see what processes will be followed to elect a new leader. I'm also curious to see how it will be followed internationally in light of the disastrous elections recently held in Zimbabwe. There have been several off-colour jokes about sending Tsvangirai to rule Zambia in the wake of Mwanawasa's death. He did win an election...and has since been encouraged to seek a power-sharing agreement with Mugabe. I don't understand why anyone supports this idea, it only emphasizes the fact that there do not need to be free & fair elections in Africa. But now I've gotten side-tracked. Getting back to Zambia, I feel that Zambia needs a strong leader to take up where Mwanawasa has left off...and perhaps to bring some stability to a region that has turned upsidedown recently.

And I want to add another random comment here that might give my mother a heart attack. I have to admit that I'm irritated by all of the "hating on China". Yes- me. Me who refuses to buy any clothing made in China (for fear that it's made in a sweatshop), and me who has always valued human rights above all else. But I recently had a discussion (with my Rhodes scholar friend) about racism in Zambia. I mentioned that I felt that Asians get the worst end of the stick- they literally get chased down the street by random people doing karate moves & imitating Chinese accents. It's embarrassing. So Kupela went on to tell me that one of her friends did a fascinating study comparing a state-owned mine in Zambia's copperbelt region, and a Chinese mine in the same area. It turns out, in this study, that the workers were actually better taken care of (better financial packages/ benefits) at the Chinese-owned mine, and that fewer accidents occurred on the Chinese mine as well. Definitely different results than what most people would assume...but has it simply become too easy to point fingers at the Chinese because we've done so for so long?
Just some thoughts as the heat is turning up in Zambia...
And I haven't been able to see much of the Beijing Olympics, but I am trying to follow the good stories!!

Blasted wall fence

My girls from back in the day started this "a day in the life" email chain. We re-connected by telling these random stories that we felt like sharing with the rest of the crew. I was inspired to share with them the following story (& their reactions were priceless so I built up the nerve to post it here)...I wanted to update my blog but didn't want to write about another weekend filled with schoolbooks*grin*. Here's the story...

When I go coach at BSA I have to jump over a wall fence to get into the schoolyard (because they lock it immediately after the kids have knocked off). There are perfect little holes in the concrete so I can step up (just call me Spidey). And yes, you can imagine all the little Zambian kids going back to their shanty compounds hysterically laughing at this big “mzungu” jumping over a wall fence. Comedy indeed- though nobody who knows me bats an eyelash anymore.

Well, the other day I had an unfortunate meeting with the wall which could have ended up much worse than it did. My beautiful engagement ring is apparently a little too big for my finger- so somehow it got caught on a protruding piece of concrete just as I was jumping down. My finger really hurt as I was hitting the ground & I dared a glace at my ring hoping all would still be in place & that there’d be no blood. To my horror, one of the small diamonds had popped out & I had no idea what to do. (We haven’t formally announced the engagement to our basketball friends because it would be too annoying to deal with people everyday for the next six months, so I’m in even more of a predicament because I don’t want to draw attention to it). So I move away from the wall & continue greeting everyone as if all is well. I end up caving & asking Alinafe (who will definitely be at my wedding but who we haven’t yet told we’re getting married) to send some of the little boys to search for the diamond because I couldn’t imagine going home & telling Alvin that I lost a diamond. Alinafe very tongue in cheek said “Oh, is it so important”- but trotted off to send the little ones in the hopeless search for a tiny diamond in a sea of dust.

So my ring looks kind of funny (missing a diamond & all bent to hell), but Alvin took it well. Apparently it won't take much to have a diamond re-fitted & the band straightened out (well, at least a few people have said that to make me feel better)*grin*. And at least I didn’t break my finger…

EFMF

Just want to wish everyone back home a brilliant weekend at the Folk Fest! Hard to believe it's been a year since sitting on Gallagher hill & enjoying Nalgene bottles filled with gin & juice, the beer gardens, visiting with family & friends, wafts of patchouli & ganja, & of course all of the music!!

Who knows- maybe I'll catch up with you next year. This year I'll be thinking of you while writing papers for my practices in human resource management course*hahah*

Much love! And I hope it stays beautiful & sunny in E-town for those less acclimatized to the Great White North:-)

India in between basketball & schoolbooks

It's hard to believe that another long weekend has zipped by.

Friday evening I went to support a colleague’s fundraiser- an Indian fashion show. Really I wanted to see Palak dressed in a full sari, because she never dresses traditionally at work. As luck would have it I missed her on the catwalk & only found her & her Shivam after they’d changed. Shame. It was fun anyway.
















I had blackmailed a couple of friends to join (actually we’d gone to Diwali & Ali loved it- so it was pretty easy to convince him), & we enjoyed a couple of beers (ok ok, pitchers of beer) after the show.














Much fun!!















Yesterday evening we bid farewell to our lovely friend In’utu who will travel to the UK, Italy, & Switzerland to attain her Masters degree. I think she found an amazing opportunity…& she’ll only be gone for a year!! We went to a lovely Indian restaurant (my first time there actually), & sent her off in style.
















In between the evenings out there was plenty of basketball & books. There’s a fair bit of school pressure with looming deadlines & exams coming up in October…after this weekend I’m feeling fairly on top of things though- so no other exciting stories to report*grin*.

One for Holly

Christmas in July. Imagine that. Yesterday I received a package from Hol that was sent from Canada in November. I have no idea where it sat for all of those months, but I’m thrilled to be blogging over a cup of Tazo green ginger*YUM*. Funnier still, no rats ravished the package, but the beautiful white chocolate bar had passed its expiry date. So we polished off the one she had recently sent from Ireland*giggling*















Thanks Hol, you are a star!!!

It also turns out the a birthday package my parents had sent has been sitting in a post office since MARCH, but the fools at the post office didn’t send us the correct slip, so it never reached us until yesterday. And now they want us to pay K270,000 (approximately CAD $80) for a storage fee. Have you ever heard of anything more ridiculous? They want to charge us for their own incompetency. Alvin’s up & down between post offices trying to talk some sense into the putzes- I hope we get the package today- wouldn’t that be a lovely way to start the long weekend?!

I suppose I have to admit that the postal system is becoming a bit reliable, but terribly unpredictable & riddled with incompetence*grin*.

The YBL is moving up

I know it looks a bit silly, but I’m so chuffed that the youth league has managed to buy these new benches for our teams!! We had received some money though Norway & we continue to put it towards good use.

BSA also hosted a “Sunday special” fundraiser yesterday (We play 5-on-5 basketball & request that each team contributes at least ZMK7,500). Our basketball court needs to be patched (again) & if we raise enough money we’ll likely re-paint the court lines. Some of my lovely friends back home check in & see if we do our own fundraising ventures or if we always ask for handouts. I guess I’m pretty proud of the young kids for coming up with the idea. So far so good- I think we almost have enough raised in the two weeks we’ve been playing “Sunday special”. One more week to go (and yesterday we doubled the amount we hoped to make, so things are going swimmingly). I also had a blast playing with the kids, I had recruited a couple other girls to join in –it’s been a while since the boys have seen me on the court, I know they enjoyed it too!

Yes, small victories still make me happy!

2nd monthly indulgence

I love it- treated myself to a haircut (well done I reckon) & a manicure (disaster- I think the last time someone painted my nails it was Clara for Grade 12 graduation. Funnily enough, Clara did a better job…so I’ve already removed the attempted French manicure & will stick to nails au naturel)! But it sure was fun to spoil myself anyway. Al & I had a great dinner date after- we hit a new Chinese restaurant!

Here's me with the new doo. I'm also trying to show off this beautiful bag I had made. Claire & Em & I all bought the same gorgeous material during a shopping adventure & I had to boast about what I did with mine*grin*
















Then on Saturday I invited the girls round for a wee get together. It was really nice- I hadn’t met Vicky’s baby, so there was lots of catching up! And I will admit that the baby totally took over, so there aren’t too many photos (& all of them include the baby)*hahah*

Vicky & her beautiful daughter

Spider babe!!

Here's a shot where we were all shocked because this little girl cried until she got her mouth around mum's beer bottle- TOO FUNNY

Here's one of me & the babe that shows off my disastrous manicure*giggle*

Pouting

Well I had received some emails, read some blogs & felt like I was missing out. People were telling me of weekends jam-packed with adventure & what did I have to report? I didn’t visit the misty hills of Chipata, or the breath-taking plains of Mongu. But I spent some time reflecting yesterday & realized my tales are just not nearly as exciting. My major achievement over the weekend: I submitted my first massive assignment to the University of London. I have been labouring away at this research proposal for months (with lots of support from others- thanks for being on 24-hour SMS alert Sarah T & getting me through the stats, & Christine thanks for the wealth of information & comments to improve my ‘draft draft’). I feel great having submitted it & now await comments from my professors before submitting the whole shebang in September.

I have my “monthly indulgence” planned or Thursday- haircut & a manicure- Weeee! Nothing like celebrating our achievements, right?

I took Saturday off the books to enjoy the courts which (let me boast here) has apparently been paying off. Our Youth Basketball League coordinator released the stats upon completion of our “first round” of games. BSA tops the charts in all divisions (except the girls division because well- we don’t have a girls’ team). We’re ranked first in the U18 league (though we’re one game in hand of the only team that’s beaten us…so it’s really more like 2nd place), tied for first in the U15 league- which is a serious feat because Magic had NEVER lost a league game until this year, and there’s a massive 4-way tie for first in the U12 league. I’m really happy that the U12 league is reflecting the ups & downs of kids learning a new sport- almost all the teams are collecting both wins & losses (& that league is too much fun). I had promised some folks photos of the little ones during our recent tournament. I was sticking true to my word on the Saturday of the tourney; but I handed over the camera on Sunday for someone else to take photos & they inadvertently erased the photos of the “babies”. I’m so bummed…but there are certainly more games to come. (Neither the U18s nor the U12s fared well in the mid-season tournament but our U15s won the day- & like I mentioned before, it’s really a big deal to oust Magic from their throne- I’m so proud of of the boys their coaches)!!!

So there are no photos of wild weekend adventures, but I am feeling great about where I am, & I reckon that counts for something.

Oh, & it’s cold & miserable again…so much for me thinking the cold season was over. I really missed my toque during my morning run- I think I’ll ask the folks to bring me earmuffs when they come visit me next.

I’m rambling- signing off- cheers to a brilliant Tuesday.

Why can’t every weekend be a long weekend?

I have had such a lovely 4 day-weekend, I’d love to share the highlights.

Friday: my co-worker Monica’s wedding! Weeeee, I enjoyed myself with my lovely colleagues & my date:-)

Here are the newly weds newly wed.





















Here's the wedding line-up as they dance into the reception- amazing outfits!




















And Al in all his finery!

























Saturday: no wedding hang-over for me; I had to hit the road for my 10 km Olympic Day fun run. And fun it was- did I ever suffer! I’m used to running 10km before the sun comes up*hahah*, this run started late and it was h-o-t. But I managed & have such a gem of a running partner (known as Ba Roomie or Coach)- here we are!

Here are my Youth League colleagues who actually took the photos; Chenge & Willy (yes, Chenge is wearing a skirt & no, I have no idea why)...

And the grand finale:-)

The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning, washing, doing school work & somehow finding time for plenty of visiting.
(I guess I don’t do a very good job of explaining how school works for me, I’d like to say that’s because I’m still figuring it out myself! But I have this massive assignment for the two introductory courses I’ve taken- the draft is due 15th July so I’ve been trying to get all my thoughts in order, figure out the science methodology/ sampling information, and limit it to 3,000 words). Let’s just say it’s a work in progress & I’m so happy that I’m allowed to submit a draft before the whole project!!!

So again, can I have 4 day weekends from now on? I’m feeling productive AND relaxed- how often can we say that??

Zambian burials

I never blogged about the recent death in Alvin’s family; last week was the first time I’d been to a burial since my teammate & friend Chilufya died over a year ago. Uncle Frank was never a well man since I’d known him. But he was always kind and welcoming; I will certainly miss his warmth at family gatherings.

Please see my recent observations:

- I had forgotten that once the casket is lowered down, it is covered with cement to deter anyone thieving bodies or jewellery
- Leopard’s Hill Cemetery is the dustiest place I’ve ever visited. I don’t actually know if women wear headscarves because it’s a tradition, or if they wear them only because of the dust. (This was an exceptionally windy day as well)
- I’ve decided to invest in a ‘funeral hat’; even if it’s cool and windy, the sun is always bearing down on this pale skin. I reckon a broad black hat would suit the sad occasions.
- The day we buried Uncle Frank, we were alongside four other groups of mourners. It was intense- can you picture it? Five graves dug in a row, several tents to shield the chief mourners from the elements, & a group of people doing everything from catching up on gossip to wailing to praying to singing. It was rather shocking to feel involved in our neighbours’ burial as our own. The saddest part was immediately after the group to our left vacated, another funeral procession was on its way to fill in the place and bury yet another loved one. We were left with no other option but to chuckle: “Is this what it has come to in Zambia”? Shame. Alvin thought the parking lot was busier than the busiest street in town, kind of hard to believe...

RIP Uncle Frank

Canada Day from Lusaka

Well the Canadian High Commission was able to host a barbeque for this year’s July 1st celebrations. We always invite Canadians living or working in Zambia and our staff, so this is how Canada Day in Zambia looked this year.














I think I got the best job of all- I got to greet everybody & slap on Canadian tattoos!














Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I picked up a hockey stick- but I had a blast playing a little ball hockey yesterday. After a little post-scoring euphoria I realized that I’d scored on a maybe, 10 year old girl- I quickly handed off my stick to another little one who was waiting to play. Perhaps a bit too competitive for the “adults vs. kids” game?!

Happy Canada Day!

From Zambia
Hope to have photos from today's events eventually...

Monthly indulgence

I’ve come up with a new plan to pamper myself once per month. I don’t really know where this idea has come from, but even thinking about it makes me happy! Now it does not have to be a big expense or saga (this month I bought myself two plants for a whopping total of approximately CAD $3.50) and in July I’m thinking of going for my first ever manicure! So the goal is to do something for myself (over & above buying the chocolate bar at the grocery store) just because.

So far so good! Here are my freshly planted lavender & portulaca (replacement for my failed dill & basil). If they do better I’ll send photos when the portulaca is in bloom- wait a minute- let’s be positive here; when the portulaca is blooming- I’ll post more photos!

Diamonds are forever

Forever…forever.

Yes, I haven’t been able to get that song (cue the 1970s Shirley Bassey tune made famous by James Bond II) out of my head since the rock landed on my finger…

I’m thrilled to announce my engagement to Alvin!!

Wedding details to come as the day draws nearer.

Yiipppeeeee.

Technical difficulties

Dear my faithful readers,

I'm experiencing some problems accessing the Internet- updates will be coming soon.

Thanks!

ManU

Well there are no glamour shots for Al's birthday this year. Marilyne & Sarah T aren't around to do my make-up & dress me:-) Nevertheless we enjoyed a quiet weekend. Here he is ready to tuck into his favourite pineapple upsidedown cake. No, it is not burnt- that's the low-cal brown sugar and butter topping*grin*. Thought you'd like the hat Tommy, and don't worry, I did not buy it for him!

Alan Rutkowski

It’s been a couple of years now that my mom has sent me clippings from the Edmonton Journal of Alan Rutkowski’s column “Grammar Gaffes”. My brother & I no longer take offence to my mother’s endless grammar corrections. In fact, Tommy even admitted that he corrects others & thinks of Ma every time*haha*. My mom managed to find his book and send it my way. Admittedly, it’s been on my shelf for some months- not really inviting is it- “Polish your language skills?” Sounds daunting to me. I pulled it off the shelf last weekend, & though I’ve only found time to read a few pages- I’m convinced this guy is a genius. Who knew someone could make learning English grammar interesting?

He starts out with a joke…and from there- things only get better (for real)!

There’s a joke about two women sitting on a plane. One of them, a Texan, turns to the other & asks “Where are you all from?” The woman looks at her & answers disdainfully, “I’m from a place where people don’t end sentences with prepositions.” The Texan smiles and says, “Oh. Well then, where are you all from, Witch?” Who doesn’t side with the Texan? (P.2)

Can someone give this guy an award? Priceless.

And please, don’t all start correcting my grammar up here…I’ve made a quotation from page two, not page 80.

Special aside: Thanks for Al’s birthday card Auntie Nada- it made it early! (That’s got to be a record). And rumour has it you’ll be visiting??!!

Newsbreak

There I was a few days ago boasting about how safe Zambia is compared to the unrest in the surrounding countries. I guess I spoke too soon:

1) Two University of Zambia (UNZA) students shot; one in the chest & one in the shin. Background: students have been rioting because their allowance (from the government) does not take into consideration the inflated prices what with the looming international food crisis. The government refused to increase stipends, students began rioting, and police were brought in to keep innocent passer-bys (motorists) safe. Both injured students are recovering. Neither (apparently) had been involved in rioting; perhaps a situation of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alvin knew the young man who was shot in the shin as he is a basketball player for the UNZA Pacers. Shame. The government & UNZA certainly need to sort out their issues, if it isn’t an annual riot, it is bi-annual. The investment in post-secondary education does not appear to be serious in light of the recent violence.

2) I’m reading the Zambia Daily Mail Wednesday May 28th & a headline appears “12 Die in accidents”/ while the other daily paper (Times of Zambia) claims “long weekend road accidents claim 13 lives”. One weekend, 12 (or 13) road fatalities; drinking and driving is B-A-D!!! And perhaps not all the fatalities were due to drunk driving, but the rate of intoxicated people driving over the long weekends is shocking to this Canadian girl. We saw one man trying to unearth his Benz from a bus stop as we set out for our early morning run/bike ride on Monday*sigh*

3) Random news: a woman in a shanty compound gave birth to triplets and named them after the two former presidents (Chiluba & Kaunda), and the current president (Levy). She made the front page yesterday; good for her I say, she’s managed to get herself some support from the higher-ups!

4) Another headline: Zambia’s HIV prevalence drops to 14.3%. This information coming from the long-awaited Demographic Health Survey that has provided plenty of numbers, but little analysis. I’m weary of accepting the information since much of the survey was implemented with questionable methodology…but I suppose any small improvements should be celebrated & motivating.

5) A great late-breaking addition: Smoking is BANNED in public places in Zambia- HOLLA. Apparently smokers caught in public places will be fined, or thrown in jail for under two years. I’ll be curious to hear how it is received, I remember it being such a controversy back in Alberta lo those many years ago. But I’ll admit that I’m looking forward to visiting a couple of yummy indoor restaurants if the smoking ban is upheld! Yiippeee

I miss my girls

Over the Canadian May long weekend the girls got together for Jenni's stagette (of sorts). Thanks for sending the photos girls, & know that I wish I could have joined in!!

Gardening feat

At some point this lily of mine looked worse for wear. Rather than giving up on it, I transplanted it, & promptly forgot about it. To my amazement- it’s blooming! It’s just what I needed what with my dill & Aloe looking so down. So here is my revived lily & some gorgeous holly hocks in the back (well, I think they’re holly hocks- feel free to correct me- Janet, Hol?) I have a theory: we have a new gardener; he actually waters the plants- I think he could be helping:-)




































And I’ll openly admit that I can’t remember the last time I used the abdominal bench. There, it’s out & I feel better. I can happily report that I’m back on running though! Looks like I’ll only manage twice a week for now (as we still don’t have a vehicle…so my 07h30 start doesn’t allow for much running time when I have to leave the house on my bike at 06h45)*sigh*. Can’t have it all, right?! I’ll let ya know when I’m motivated for the abs again. I think I just have to start, I felt so strong while doing them, don’t really know how I fell out of the routine.

That’s all from here for now.

Orbit update

Well, the Maui Melon Mint is a letdown. I was expecting that awful watermelon flavoured "bubbalicious"-esque kick. Not even close, too sweet. Thank goodness it's not my last pack!

I know, the world around me is crumbling & I can find nothing better to write about than chewing gum. Pathetic. South Africa is a disaster right now, it's horrifying to hear of the violence, & it just doesn't make sense. Apparently Zimbabwe is safe, but still under the rule of Mugabe indefinitely. I feel awfully boring (but happily safe) in my little corner of Lusaka:-)

Looking forward to a long weekend- Africa Freedom Day! Holla

Girls players clinic

The Youth Basketball League (YBL) hosted it’s first ever all-girls player’s clinic. There was a poor turnout (we had several more coaches than girls to start out)*hahah*, but we did have fun. The, erm SIX girls who came were really keen to learn something new. Here are some of the girls in action. (None of the girls are my BSA girls- they told me they wouldn’t be able to join in because they had school games. Too bad for me). I should also mention here that earlier in the month the YBL hosted a co-ed players clinic, at which there were 22 players, 3 of whom were girls- & one of them from BSA*smile*.

Boxing out drills with William














Bwalya leading a station on footwork














FUN Bouncing drills with Humphrey!!














Shooting with Alinafe














Some of the coaches (Michael, Alinafe, Humphrey, William)

Any good self-respecting Canadian

We all know that a Canadian doesn't give props to the Yanks unless they've done something extraordinary. Well, I have to humbly admit that the Americans do something right...

My folks got a little carried away when they were in Arizona when they remembered I loved Orbit Bubblemint gum. The appear to have bought every flavour of Orbit minty gums off the rack. I thought after tasting Raspberry Mint that it couldn't get any better- but in my desk drawer I've got Mint Mojito- scrumptious. Here are the other flavours my tastebuds are dying to try!!!! (Think you might have to click on the photo to actually read the flavours?)

Why are the small things in life always highlights? Or is it just me??

Neti

On Friday Heather hosted our last yoga class. It’s been so nice having Friday afternoons for yoga, visiting, & yummy lunches. The girls from work & I will have to find a new way to spend time together. Anyway, for all you people who practice yoga, many of you may have already been introduced to neti. This was only my second week doing it, but it feels so great! Claire forgot her neti pot of Friday so decided to film instead. I got the giggles so hard watching these videos I thought I’d try to load one up here. And Pop, don’t roll your eyes, we used to “candle” our ears, this is another method for clearing out the sinuses. And though it looks like pure comedy, it feels wonderful after (especially since this time of year is incredibly dusty & windy). Oh, for those of you who don’t know, you pour a saline solution into one nostril, and let it come out the other nostril, leaving you clean & sneeze-free:-) See here for more in-depth information: http://www.yogapoint.com/articles/spring_cleaning.htm.

Hope you have a laugh! Me, in action.



My colleagues & yoga partners. Priscilla in the front, then Alison, & Sue hiding in the back.

Just by the hair of my chinny chin chin

Well you’d never guess, but I nearly had my first cycling accident when knocking off yesterday evening. I was concentrating on the traffic- looking left & right & left again- to cross a fairly busy intersection. Just as I made my break I realized that a drunk pedestrian had zoned in on me (directly where I was heading). He was standing in the middle of the road, looking as if he wanted to throw me off my bike. His mumbling was fairly incoherent but I gathered that he didn’t like the fact that I’m white, so at the last minute I veered wildly to the right praying that I wouldn’t face an on-coming car round the bend.
Once I realized I was safe & my heartbeat slowed, I was left only with annoyance. What a jerk! But I’m safe & gearing up for today’s cruise to the courts- wish me luck!*hahaha*

Busted!

I learnt on the weekend that the cat’s out of the bag. Let me explain: Saturday evening I went to watch Alvin’s former basketball team play, and found most of my BSA boys still at the courts. So I sat up with them giggling and joking and making predictions for the game. Then Chichi (one of the boys who has started training with a team in the ZBA, so I suppose he’s a former boy) had mentioned some random story about me. I looked at him completely blank. Then he admitted that he’d come across my blog whilst Googling some information on Zambian basketball. HORRORS! I’ve written stuff up here about drinking etc…I considered editing…but then that would take away from the real me. So Chichi, if you’re reading this: you’re too young to drink! I’ll have to be even more sure of my Zambian facts now too*wicked smile*. It’s also funny to see how random the whole concept of a blog was to him & a couple other boys’. I tried to explain that it’s the best way for me to stay in touch with so many friends back home & scattered around the world- I’m not sure if they thought that was an acceptable reason, but I’ll continue anyway!

As promised photos of the visit with Claire & Kelvin (they’re trundled off to the Copperbelt for a few days), but we’ll look forward to a few more days together before they head back to Namibia & Canada respectively.

Sangria

We had a beautiful day at the pool last weekend

Swimming & beers (well, at least beers for the girls)!

Mojitos! This was Saturday afternoon's bit of heaven. (I think the last mojito I had was in Havana Cuba & I didn't like it)...shame- it couldn't have tasted better than on Saturday:-)

It was also Kolo's birthday on the weekend. We went out for a delicious meal at one of Lusaka's finest restaurants to celebrate (it was also a 'farewell dinner' of sorts to Christine & Emily). Here's Kolo at her finest:-)

Comings & goings

I’ve been inspired to post because of my brother. He recently blogged about nothing, & it made me laugh…so I figured I should also throw something up here. (Which reminds me Tommy, what of your fish)??

Updates:

1. I have only taken 2 days off of that abdominal bench (and that wasn’t on purpose, I just kind of ran out of time). I’m feeling much stronger, though I’m still a lifetime away from a washboard stomach*hahaha*

2. Arrival of packages: Well, hand delivered wins out. Kelvin arrived safely with a massive bag of goodies…photos to come as jerseys get distributed. No sign of the snail mail package*sigh*

3. With the arrival of Kelvin, came Claire! YAY, so they’ve been staying with us for about a week now. I’ve actually felt like I’ve been on holiday. Claire & I open a bottle of red- or mix up some sangria- & sit out on the ‘patio’ overlooking my dead grass (that’s another story & photo), chatting, reading, or eating:-). I’ve taken a few photos of our ‘adventures’ that I’ll post later.

4. BSA seems to be doing very well on the basketball side. Both the under 18 boys and the under 12 boys won on Saturday (much fun- no photos)! The week before a couple of ‘my’ girls had pitched up, so they were able to join in a friendly game which was eye-opening for them & exciting for me- we’re still working on them!

So really, there’s never a dull moment. My Canadian friend Heather will soon be leaving Lusaka (which is not the good news) but the exciting bit for me is she gave me about six new books & the board game Clue! (Claire & I worked that board game out over a glass of red too)*grin*. Other than missing Heather as a friend…there goes my yoga instructor:-( Guess I’ll need to find a new Friday afternoon activity after she leaves. Boo.

So really, nothing new; I should have a few more photos & stories coming up. For now it’s back to the grind.

Zimbabwe

Well, it's not getting any better in Zim. Mugabe versus Tsvangirai lives on. Mugabe called for a "re-count" before any official results were released. A boat full of arms from China is docked in South Africa & the most Thabo Mbeki mutters is "there is concern". When he was in Lusaka for the big extraordinary SADC meeting, South Africa did not even admit that there is a 'crisis' in Zimbabwe, which is a shame, because the country is in shambles.

But they say if you don't laugh, you'll cry...so here's my fave email of late:

Mugabe was asked when he’s going to bid the Zimbabwean people farewell.
Looking puzzled he answered, “Where are they going??”

The Birthday lives on & on & on (cue Jack Johnson)

Just in! Kolo sent me these photos & I think they're great.

Here we are actually looking photogenic*giggling*

There were men at the party, but the chose not to partake in the photo opp.

That's Kupela, Layla, Christine, Namukolo, Emily, myself & Lauranne

My birthday lives on...

I was really excited on Monday when I received a hand-delivered birthday gift from South Africa! A Canadian former Commonwealth Games Canada intern-friend is based in Cape Town. Turns out she’s also a schoolmate to my workmate…so they meet in Jo’burg for their classwork. Kirstie being the star that she is, sent along these FAB gifts! I’m so spoiled.
My new Namibian bracelet.














A birthday candle:














I was going to say that hand delivering packages is much more effective then sending anything via post (as I’m still awaiting my birthday package from my folks)- when two things happened.
1. I received a package from Aly- holla to receiving a new book! and,
2. My Zambian friend Kelvin, who is now based in Edmonton is supposed to be en route to Lusaka for his first visit in nearly 2 years. My folks- beginning to get worried that the birthday parcel may never arrive- organized another package to be carried by Kel. But imagine this- he was refused to board his flight in the USofA because he didn’t have a transit visa. He was supposed to arrive in the next couple of days & we haven’t heard anything since the hiccup in the States…so that package may be as close as the package sent via snail mail.

Sigh.

But I do feel loved…& what a long birthday- I’m still celebrating:-)

The newest Addition

Well, Alvin came home on Friday with a surprise. (I hope he wasn't hinting anything about my waistline)- a new abdominal bench















It's a beauty. I've never been one of those people who'd do crunches & push ups everyday. Ask me to go running, cycling, roller-blading, play ball- anything, I'm in...but to be all alone & working on abs never really interested me. But, since it's spreading guilt in my living room, I've been on it everyday since he brought it. I'll let you know how long I last*hahaha*!!

Here's proof that's Al's using it:-)