Animal Antics

As many of you will know, one of the things I was nervous about when coming to Africa was the animals.  I had nightmares about snakes and spiders and cockroaches. Whilst things have largely been quiet on the scary animal front last week was rather a testing week in terms of animal antics.

The week began with a sly little lizard.  In the main I have got used to eating my dinner and going to bed with lizards on the ceiling / wall.  Indeed as I sit at my kitchen table writing this there is a lizard walking up the wall beside me.  In the main we stay out of each others way and life continues happily.  However, last week a couple of lizard decided to come a little closer than I like.  Firstly, one walked across my desk at work, causing me jump a little, then one decided to sit on the mosquito net above my bed.  I have a dome mosquito net so the damn lizard was bouncing around like a toddle on a bouncy castle.  It couldn't get settled and neither could I, laying as I was beneath it!  Needless to say I didn't have the best night's sleep that night.  I kept the light on all night so I could see it and in doing so alerted the pastors wife who, the following morning, enquired whether I was a either a workaholic, staying up all night or sick.  I didn't have the heart to tell her I was a pathetic expat Mzungu who was intimidated by a poxy 3" lizard!  I was mildly reassured about my have love/hate relationship with lizards though as Angela in our office told me a lizard dropped on Musonda, a guy in our office, the other week and he jumped around like a girl in distress....see its not just me who hates them :) I swear if one dropped on me you'd hear the screams in the UK let alone Lusaka!  Apparently (according to the gospel that is Angela!) if a lizard goes to touch you it means you're pregnant so its a good job my sister isn't here as she's expecting her baby this week and she's hate a lizard on her skin.  Mind you, not sure if the theory is altogether accurate as Musonda doesn't look due to give birth any time soon.

The week continued with a slug incident.  Now, I am used to slugs in the UK as I normally find them on my garden path as I walk to and from home.  However, they have been known to come indoors.  My sister once found a load in her kitchen cupboards - I know, eugh!  This week I was a treated to a slug, on the ceiling, above my cooker.  Since I enjoy a nice bowl of porridge in the morning and I didn't want an added slug relish, I decided to attempt to remove it from the ceiling with a long stick and a bowl - the bowl, ideally to catch it, so it wouldn't land in my porridge, or on me.  Well, all was going well, I had flicked the slug from the ceiling and into the bowl in my hand, until the slug began to move in the bowl.  I physically flinched and dropped the bowl containing the slug.  The bowl smashed and sent crockery pieces all over the kitchen floor and my slug made to escape.  Needless to say I was having none of that and promptly scooped it up, stuck it in the loo with a load of bleach and flushed it away.  I thought that was the end of it but no, the blighter returned (or at least its identical twin did) on my door padlock the next morning.  As you can imagine I'd had quite enough of it by this time and proceeded to flick it off the door and out of the door where I promptly covered it with a brick.  Haven't seen it since so hopefully its got the message!

Next up were the ants.  I'd happily gone to bed on Thursday evening and was reading my book however I got thirsty and got up to find a drink.  On the way out of the bedroom I noticed a collection of ants, maybe around 40) moving up the wall towards the corner of the blinds above my clothes cupboard.  It seemed quite odd as, whilst I often see ants, I'd never seen that many in my bedroom.  So, I proceeded to open the blinds - what a horror awaited me.  A fly or insect had died on the corner of one of the burglar bars on my windows and thousands (that's not an exaggeration) had come to munch it for dinner.  It made my skin crawl so I set about working how to sort out the situation.  Needless to say since it was gone 9pm, the light wasn't great and I wasn't wearing alot of clothes!  Anyway, I found my DEET spray and squirted that in the vicinity of the ants and that seemed to stun them nicely.  I then got a bucket of soapy water and sponge and started washing them away.  Their dead carcases started to drop onto the floor / my clothes cupboard so not only was I washing the windows, I had to do the floor and cupboard too.  It took about 30mins to do but eventually they were extracted from the scene.  So, even if the DEET seems largely ineffective at stopping mosquitos it wasn't wasted luggage as it makes a damn fine ant killer.

So, as you can see, this week I have rather had my fill of tropical animals.  One could almost call it my Africa initiation week.  Thankfully I survived but I hope not to have all those incidents in one week again.

Memory Lane

This past week has been Francophonie 2013 week at the Alliance Française in Lusaka.  There have been a range of activities and events organised from Cinema evenings, to Pétanque competitions and musical performances.  A few of us at SolarAid had decided to attend the closing night concert by Dobet Gnahore on Saturday night (23rd March).  

Dobet is a singer, percusionist and dancer from a small village in Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa.  Her father, Boni Gnahore, is a master percussionist who founded a sort of artists' community in which Gnahore grew up. She dropped out of school at age 12, determined to become a musician, and by her mid-teens, she had become a touring musician and dancer. By her early 20s, she hit the international music scene.

The concert last night was held in the auditorium at the Alliance Française, a bit like a school hall.  We (the girls) arrived early and had a few drinks at the bar as the concert wasn't due to start until 8pm.  However, 8pm passed and nothing seemed to be happening.....African timing was coming into play.  Eventually people started drifting into the auditorium but things were a little unclear, some people were taking their chairs and others were standing around.  We chose to take our seats from the bar and took a position about three quarters of the way back in the room but it was quite odd as people were standing all around us.

The concert began and Dobet came on stage.  She certainly had a presence, dressed in black skinny jeans embellished with a red and orange African print fabric, the same used to create her bodice top and hat.  Her long braided and coloured hair sprouted defiantly from the top of her hat.  Her wrists, ears and waist adorned with chunky, colourful jewellery.  For me it was like stepping back in time to my trips to West Africa, the boldness of her dress being perfectly fitting there but, in my opinion, in sharp contrast to the more subtle clothing / fashion style of Zambia.

The first few songs were relatively mellow and pleasant and had people gently swaying in their seats / the aisles.  Many of the songs were in French or tribal languages so I couldn't understand the lyrics however Della, a friend of a friend within our group, said one of the songs was about orphans so she couldn't understand why people were looking joyful - good point! - I guess that's the difficulty when you don't understand the lyrics.  The tempo quickly livened up, especially when her supporting band did solos. 

First up was the drummer / percussionist, his combination of rhythms and instruments transporting me instantly back to Benin and the voodoo festival I'd attended in Abomey.  I could almost picture the dancing with masks around the tribal elder's fire.  My friends commented after the show that they didn't think the music made them 'light up and want to dance' which I guess is partly true as some of the rhythms they were hearing were traditionally more likely to accompany tribal ceremonies or what I'd almost call 'dance theatre'.  It's not like Western dance, more a shaking / vibrating of the body that suggests an almost trance like state.  Second up was the acoustic (?) guitarist.  He was fantastic....I'm still trying to find out who he was as his playing was divine.  It sounded almost South American or Cuban in style to me.........maybe Creole music was the influence, I will have to let you know.  I would say his playing was the most popular as it was the easiest to dance to for the predominantly expat audience.  Finally, the base guitarist.  The style changed completely when he played and I could hear essences of Bangra music in the rhythms he played.  The music seemed to be seeping into my soul and drawing up memories from all my various travels, it was wonderful, a cacophony of music and memories.

By the time each had done a solo, the vibe in the room had changed completely.  We gave up our seats and joined the throngs, dancing to the music.  Dobet, a lady with an incredibly 'ribbed' body took to the stage dancing, sometimes with members of the audience and the party started :)  After over two hours of dancing and singing the band retired and we went our separate ways home.  The night had taken me down memory lane and made me realise just how much I missed the vibrancy and energy of West Africa.

I was awoken this morning by the sound of a marching band at the Dutch Reformed Church so it really is a weekend of music.  There's now an Afrikaans choir singing akapella in the garden.  Such joyful sounds have put a smile on my face.

Change to the Christian Calendar?

I know it's coming up to Winter here but I didn't think Christmas was in April?!  I think there's a slight typo in the banner for the next church craft market :)

Photos of the Dutch Reformed Church

Photos of my neighbourhood

Kabulonga Girls School

(opposite the Dutch Reformed Church on Kabulonga Rd)

Kabulonga Road

(The bus stop 'Kabulonga Lights' is by the garage you can see)

India House on Twin Palms Road

My local greengrocer stall

(He sold me an amazing Pineapple last week - very juicy!)

Month End......in more ways than one

As normal, I'm sitting here on a Sunday evening, trying to write up my diary / musings from the past week in order to give you a little taste of life as a volunteer in  Lusaka.  Normally it's fairly easy as, given I spend most of the week in the office, I'm not overwhelmed with things to write.  However, this week I am struggling to know where to start as I have so much I want to say.  Being British (English, if you'll let me be specific) I feel it necessary to start with the weather.

Now, I know those of you in the UK will kick me for saying this but Lusaka has been cold, wet and quite frankly miserable this past week.  Despite last Sunday's (10 March) extensive downpour God felt it necessary to have another power shower and soak Lusaka for pretty much the whole day on Monday too, to the point I was awoken from my sleep again at 3am by the rain hammering on the tin roof.  With the rains came cloud and a nasty chill.  I always sleep under the duvet but this week I was considering taking the second duvet off the other single bed and doubling them up!  I know those of you in the UK have been having snow and negative centigrade temperatures but I was cold this week despite it being c.10C as I'd grown used to the +30C sunshine. 

It was a Bank Holiday on Tuesday but when everyone returned to the office on Wednesday after their long break they found their Finance volunteer huddled in the corner with goosebumps on her arms.  I think it's because my corner of the office is naturally more shaded than the rest of the office but I had come to work very inappropriately dressed for the weather in a T-Shirt (I do have a jumper with me but I'm doing my best not wear it as that defeats the object of leaving the UK for warmth) and so was suffering somewhat.  It isn't only me though, the housekeeper Donna was in a fleece all week and yesterday I saw a man in scarf, coat and gloves!!  Even the clothes shops have brought out their thermals, jumpers and fleece lined clogs (yes, honestly, I saw them in Levy Junction on Sat!).  I think God has finally heard my prayers though as today (Sunday 17 March) has been scorchio and Kate is a happy lady once more, walking around in a vest-top and crop trousers.  I had got a list of household things to do and even some work I wanted to address but that went straight out the window when I saw the sun and I have just returned from a 3hr walk/amble in the sunshine - yiippeeee.  I know we're entering the Winter season here but please God let the sun remain......

Another of this week's events was my trip to renew my visa.  I'd come into the country on a 30 day Business Visa which I'd obtained in the UK prior to departure.  On my arrival SolarAid had immediately engaged an immigration agent to apply and pay for a work permit on my behalf.  The forms were extensive and required certified copies of my Finance qualifications, passport and photographs however the application went in and I was asked to present myself in front of the immigration officer a few weeks later.  So, on Thursday, I went to the immigration agents office and they took me to immigration in Long Acres. 

The building itself was somewhat imposing, another 80's style concrete monolith rising into the sky.  However, the inside was even more scary looking a bit like an institution.  I was shown to the second floor where there was a long corridor filled with people standing outside office doors.  Each office door was covered in a metal security grill, the presence of a padlock hanging from the corner of each door indicating whether they were open or not.  The corridor had hundreds of paper files filed up and in one corner a stack of papers had a dirty mop laying on top of it.  I hope, but am not convinced, one of the files didn't contain my personal details. 

I was invited into a small room (the plaque outside described it as the Risk Management Office - a very dubious start!) with three immigration officials and asked to take a seat.  Beside me were some very interesting characters; three young (~25yrs old) Chinese men who were trying to setup a factory in Lusaka, an older American gentleman, an  Indian gentleman trying to apply for a job in Zambia and two Muslim men in full prayer clothes (I didn't establish their reason for visiting).  I sat there for a good 2 hours with the representative from the immigration agency, Francis.  After seeing the Indian gentleman have his application refused and told to leave the country I started getting a little concerned; was that going to happen to me?    In the end Francis became frustrated and left the room saying he'd 'be back shortly'.  Half an hour later I was beginning to get a little hot underneath the collar as Francis hadn't returned yet he had taken my passport with him.  Thankfully he returned about 20 minutes later and instructed me to accompany him downstairs to another office where a gentleman had my passport and was busy stamping it with a month's visa extension.  Apparently the Home Office have run out of work permit booklets so, until such time as they have a delivery, I have to return to immigration once a month for a new stamp in my passport.  Other expats claim this has been going on for months so not to expect a work permit booklet anytime soon.  Ah well, at least my passport is getting some nice stamps. I must return in a months time for another stamp and adventure :)

As for work, you'll be pleased to know that I successfully completed my first ever month end - yay!  I'd be lying if I said it was a piece of cake but it is completed.  If I'm honest I was feeling a bit smug at first as I'd done my Trial Balance in Excel in a timely manner and had everything balanced and coded so was, in my head, ahead of schedule.  What a fool! 

At present, SolaAid Zambia uses a financial system called Sage Pastel.  Now I know my Finance friends at John Lewis in the UK think Oracle has been sent as an extreme punishment from God, to torture all those stupid enough to go into accountancy, but Oracle has nothing on Sage Pastel.  As soon as I started to enter the month's data into Pastel I began to realise why Lorraine said she hated it and why she'd heeded me to leave time for doing this part of the Month End process. 

I diligently typed in the journals and pressed 'Update' to have the system process them only to find when reviewing the output report that journals had been deleted at will, shuffled in order and amalgamated at random.  The deletions I could fix by re-entering the data but the amalgamations drove me to despair as it prevented me undertaking the bank reconciliation in the system.  To add insult to injury, the system duplicated sales and then prevented the reverse journal for 'tax reasons', forcing Lorraine and I to agree a 'fix' journal through 'Other Income' - argh!  After a two day battle with Sage Pastel I was about ready to sling it out of the window.  Now I understand why we'll shortly be moving to a new system......the sooner the better is all I can say as nothing can be as bad as Pastel!  However, it was another vital lesson learned; don't declare finished until you've done all the tasks, 98% complete is good but not done!

Despite the trials and tribulations of Sage Pastel I can confidently say my role at SolarAid Zambia is one of the best jobs I've had in my career so far.  For once I feel like a true member of a team and not just a tiny cog in a wheel.  My role is quite a privileged one as I get to interact with both the Directors (Ops and Non Execs), the Zambian Field and Office teams, the Zambian Banks and the London management team. Compared to John Lewis its also alot faster pace.  At first this was a little tricky for me as I am quite a methodical, process driven person but I think I'm starting to adapt.  The pace has its advantages as it allows to quickly make decisions and adopt changes as appropriate. 

One of things I am passionate about is Finance not being a 'dark art' that other people don't understand as that generally results in the isolation of the Finance member of the team, particularly in a small company.  I had been speaking to Sarah, our Operations Director, about this and mentioned that I was keen to get Finance included in our regular staff meetings, to raise awareness of what Finance 'does' and how it interacts  with other roles.  We kicked this off this week and I'm hoping it'll bear fruit over the next few months.     

One of the other things I'm passionate about is Finance data 'telling a story' and being useful in the day to day running of organisations.  I think the emphasis historically has been on financial reporting and bookkeeping which, whilst good, goes not help guide the day to day ops as its all focused on the past.  I did some work in this area at The Passage charity in London, in the latter part of 2012, and its given me some ideas and 'food for thought' as to what I can do here.  I've instigated some basic weekly reporting but there's a long way to go.  The challenge I have here, as always, is what I can realistically achieve in 4 months (well, three now - eek!) that will stay and be utilised.  You may just have to watch this space and see what materialises.

Finally, since I have now been here a full month (I know, doesn't time fly when you're having fun!) I've had a chance to reflect on the things I brought with me and what I would / wouldn't bring with me if I was coming again.  So, here goes......

Essential Packing

·       Umbrella - great for sheltering you from the heavy tropical rains but equally good as a sunshade when the sun returns.  I brought my Poundstretcher umbrella and its perfect.

·       Calculator - I know I'm an accountant and so this was important for my work but its also really useful for working out how much things cost.  8 Kwacha = 1 GBP so unless you're an expert in your 8 times table (and I am not, much to my parents dismay) a mini calculator comes in very handy

·      Primarni Flip Flops - I wear them permanently in the cottage as they keep the dust and bugs off my feet and they make showering much nicer as, good as my shower is, its not the white bathroom I have back in London

·       Shower Glove - its like a loofar but in a glove and its great for removing the dirt from my feet after a long day walking in sandals.

·    Funky Laundry Bags - My sis got me some really funky pink laundry bags from a sample sale at Superdrug and they're invaluable for keeping my pongy clothes contained after a hot sticky day walking about town.  They also look pretty sitting in the bedroom which is an added bonus.

·      Soap Dish - Most people here seem to use bar soap so I was really glad I brought with me my £1 purple soap dish, obtained in the John Lewis sample sale.  I told my team at the time that it'd come in useful but did they believe me.......no, they thought me mad as normal

·     Washing Line - as Joy, my roommate in China can attest, I never go anywhere without my Lifeventure washing line.  I know Donna helps me with the laundry but I still prefer to wash my underwear myself so the washing line is getting utilised :)  It's also very useful for hanging curtains if required and even, when I was camping in West Africa, got used to keep the tent outer secure in high winds.......do you see why its so useful yet?!

·       DVDs and Computer - I really deliberated over including these when I was leaving London but I am so glad I brought them.  It gets dark here really early and when there's a powercut entertainment can be even more limited so my trusty laptop comes into its own then, allowing me to watch movies on battery.  I brought all sorts of weird things with me....ended up watching My Fair Lady the other night which was surprisingly good.  I've even managed to find microwave popcorn in PicknPay to accompany tonight's movie.....sorry I'm digressing as normal

·       Kindle - I used to be a die hard paper book fan but I'm sorry to say the Kindle has won me over.  It's so easy and light and slips right into my pocket so I can easily take it out on my adventures to read on my regular tea and cake breaks.

Things I should have left behind

·       Alarm Clock - its so bright here at 6am that I challenge anyone to stay asleep.  Added to that, the dawn chorus I get as an added bonus for living in the 'garden' cottage and the thin homemade curtains and I really never need the alarm clock.

·       Makeup - I do occasionally wear it but more often than not my skin is so sticky from the heat (not last week, but normally) that the very thought of wearing makeup seems repulsive.

·        swimming Kit - The swimming pool is so far away from my cottage that realistically, I don't think this is going to see sufficient outings to justify the space in my small suitcase.

·         Travel Towel - Now this item would normally be essential but I am lucky enough to get fluffy towels with my cottage so the travel towel has rightly been relegated to the suitcase....adios amigo!

Things I wish I'd brought

·      Nail polish - I always forget this but its vital when toenails are permanently on show in sandals.  I got some pink stuff here but its not a great quality one.  I miss my purple, turquoise and blue nail polishes

·       Toilet paper - I know I'd never realistically pack this but I do miss nice Andrex toilet paper.  The stuff here is virtually see through and not at all quilted ;)

·        Hair conditioner - just a small amount though; the water here is doing funny things to my hair and I miss my hair oil and conditioner to get the gloss back.  Maybe it's because I'm not blow drying it and am letting it dry naturally?

There are other items that are still in the maybe pile.  I brought an emergency bag of Haribo with me (needless to say they didn't last long, despite my trying really hard to keep them for an emergency) and I still considered them essential packing until this last weekend when I discovered Percy Pigs in Woolworths.  Yes, you read it correctly, I found Marks and Spencers products for sale in Lusaka.  So, Waitrose friends, if Marks and Spencers can do it, surely you must be able to direct me towards some of your goods here........they've got to be somewhere.....you know how those B2B guys like to bend the rules :)

If you're not already comatose from reading another of my extensive inane ramblings then congratulations and see you same time, same place next week.  Cheerio folks.

Long Weekend

Friday 8th March

Today is Women's Day in Zambia and a public holiday - I know, I'm a lucky lady to have a holiday so soon after my arrival.  A few members of the SolarAid team had planned long weekends away as Tuesday (12th) is also a public holiday (I know, I know - it's brilliant!) but I wanted a relaxing long weekend as the past three weeks have been quite hectic at work. 

I marked the start of the long weekend with dinner at Mahaks on Thursday night.  Karla and her family had already planned a visit and invited others to join them; Claire and I took up the offer.  I had a thoroughly good evening.  Mahaks is semi-famous (it's even mentioned in Bradt!) for its bargain KR 25 (~£3) all you can eat Vegetable Thali so I tried that and was definitely not disappointed.  It was mildy spiced, fresh and very tasty.  Accompanied with an ice cold Mosi beer it was the perfect start to the weekend. 

Karla was kind enough to drop me home and this time, having pre-warned my night guard I was going to be late home, he left the front gates open.  The gates are relatively low but having had to climb over them the previous weekend, torch in mouth, I was keen not to repeat the experience!!  I wish someone had told me the night routine earlier (i.e. pre-warn the guard) as he accompanied me to my front door where he'd left the night light on in preparation - quite the gentleman :)

I'm starting to recognise the church staff and learn their names.  They really are a fantastic bunch and they always say hello to me when I come and go.  It's like having an extended family and feels alot more homely. 

Anyway, in aid of Women's Day I decided to have a spot of girly pampering so booked a Back and Shoulder Massage at Senses @ Sensorium Spa in Rhodes Park.  I arrived early as I'd walked part of the way there and wasn't sure how long the journey would take.  The building was quite large and not at all what I expected, having only seen a small advert for the Spa in the February Lowdown magazine.  Spotting a shaded veranda out the front, I expected to pass the 30minutes before my appointment reading my kindle on the veranda.  However, the receptionist quickly shuffled some appointments and had me called in for my massage within 10 minutes - very efficient!

I was settled onto the massage table, the blinds were drawn and soft music set playing.  The masseuse, a petite Zambian lady only just taller than the table, asked if I was comfortable and then began massaging my back.  It was heavenly and I was semi-conscious within minutes, just what the doctor ordered.  I could feel the tension slipping away and was thanking my lucky stars for showing me that Lowdown advert!  About 40 minutes later the music and massage stopped and I entered consciousness again.  At c.£12 it was considerably cheaper than similar treatments I'd had in England and I made a note to come back again and try their other treatments; certainly not an every day event but well worth it for a public holiday treat.

I walked home through the sunshine and back streets of Rhodes Park to Long Acres.  It may be marginally quicker to take Addis Ababa Drive but the traffic is horrendous.  I particularly enjoy walking around Lukasu Road and the back of the swimming pool.  There is a street (I've yet to find out its name) there which has high grasses on either side that attract the most amazing wildlife.  I've lost count of the number of different species of butterfly I've spotted around there - at least 30, of all different colours and sizes - orange, black, white, pink....  As I stand under my umbrella shade, the butterflies often come and rest on my hand or foot before fluttering off.  I always forget to take my camera with me but maybe next weekend I'll go early and try and get some shots.

Lusaka is filled with wonderful wildlife if you keep your eyes open.  This week I opened my front door to find a giant snail on the external doormat.  Luckily I didn't squash it with my size 8's!  Karla and I also spotted a gecko jetting across the office floor on Thursday, the cheeky fellow.  I have a bright grasshopper carcass (he wasn't so lucky as the snail) under my desk and I found a 20cm long, jet black millipede in the grass yesterday with Donna's daughters.  Oh, and of course the lovely Slippers, the pastor's dog which has taken it upon himself to sit barking outside my bedroom at 3am every morning this week - no wonder I needed the massage :)

Saturday 9th March

Yesterday, Saturday, I left home early (i.e. pre-8am) to get to ProFlight's Ridgeway office.  Mum and Dad have decided to pay me a visit over the May bank holiday, so I am trying to arrange a trip to Livingstone for us all.  The bus was unusually packed for that time on a Saturday morning and I was jammed onto the back seat with three huge teenage lads.  Weirdly, they were dressed in white lab coats!  I've seen this quite a bit on Saturday mornings, particularly around Alick Nkhata Avenue so if anyone can enlighten me as to the reason for their unusual attire I'd be much obliged.

Anyway, I got to ProFlight at 9am and was first in the queue - yay.  I specified my required flights, passenger names etc and agreed the flights and costs with the man in the office.  However, when it came to pay I offered up my Visa credit card.  Easy I thought, and no card fees - STA could learn alot!  The trouble was I'd forgotten my PIN code.  Three weeks in Zambia, dealing only with cash, my brain had erased all my PINs.  Argh!  After two attempts I left the office in panic and embarrassment.  I only had one attempt left otherwise I'd be blocked for good with no hope of receiving a new PIN from England.  Thankfully our booking was secured until 16 March so I went for a walk in the hope of reviving my memory.  It worked and I remembered the dratted number, returned to ProFlight with my tail between my legs and paid for the tickets.  Phew!

To revive the spirits after all that excitement I headed to Mugg and Bean at Levy Junction and treated myself to their 'today's special'.  It was apple pie and they served it warm with ice cream - delicious - the pasty was as light as air and the apple thinly sliced yet with a touch of bite remaining.  I couldn't have cooked better myself and it was all I could do not to have a second slice.  For those of you who watch Lark Rise to Candleford, like Dorcus Lane I have my weaknesses and food, in particular things like apple pie and cheese scones, are one of them.  I have yet to find a decent cheese scone in Zambia but I will continue searching.  I tried one of Pick and Pay's Cheese Scones on Thursday but it was as dry and tasteless as cardboard so they get a resounding 'nil point', as they say in the Eurovision.  I think I may have spotted some decent Pick & Mix at The Food Lover's Market in Levy Junction but am holding out on trying those until I need an emergency pick me up :)

After Levy Junction I began my wander home and, now knowing the correct way down Independence Avenue (!), decided to head south down Dushambe Road towards Independence Avenue.  At the junction of the two roads I noticed a huge crowd and edged my way forward.  It was fantastic, there was a parade through the streets in support of Women's Day.  There were marching bands and costumes and lots of noise which was shortly added to by a military fly past as three fighter jets flew overhead in formation.  The trees and roads shook with the vibrations they were that close to the ground.  Thankfully I remembered not to take pictures as you can get in alot of trouble taking pictures of the military here, and instead stood amongst the crowd admiring the scene.  Here, when dressing for such events, its common for a group to pick a fabric design and each have dresses/outfits made in the fabric so you could easily spot specific groups within the parade.  Some churches had even had fabric printed with their name as part of the design which I thought was quite impressive.

The bus back home was similarly packed as people tried to get to and from the parade.  On my return I asked Donna whether it was a parade only on Saturday but she said it was taking place every day between Friday 8th and Tuesday 12th, the next bank holiday.  By this time I was quite tired from my adventures so sat in the garden and watched the comings and goings of a wedding at the church with Donna and her daughters.  Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon :)

Sunday 10th March (Mothers Day - Happy Mothers Day Mum!)

What a miserable today Sunday is turning out to be.  I was awoken quite early, maybe 5 or 6am by the start of the rain.  It was hammering on the tin roof and pouring off the porch.  Since I was awake I awoke and had an early breakfast then, noticing the rains were persisting went back to bed to read my book.

I downloaded quite a few random books onto my Kindle before I left the UK and found out yesterday that one of the free titles I'd downloaded is quite a gem.  It's called 'Stairlift to Heaven by Terry Ravenscroft and is about Terry's retirement experiences.  Since Terry used to be a scriptwriter for BBC sitcoms and comedy shows (Les Dawson, Morecambe & Wise, The Two Ronnies etc) and a writer on Radio 4's the Huddlines you can imagine the humour.  I have been laughing out loud so much I thought I was disturb the parishioners in church :)  The particularly liked his trip to York charity shop shopping and the swimming lesson story.

Sunday is normally the day I go grocery shopping.  I could go to Melissa's in Kabulonga which is local and reasonably priced but if I am honest I prefer the selection at Pick and Pay at Woodlands.  The only problem with that is it's a 20min walk away.  This is lovely on the way there but, depending on what I buy, can be a long trek home if the bags are heavy.  So, I try and do a bit of planning before I go.

There are alot of Chinese restaurants in the streets around Kabulonga, Ibex Hill and Crossroads and this is represented in the shoppers at Pick and Pay.  I regularly share the aisles with Chinese people on a Sunday morning.  Last Sunday was quite amusing; I was walking down the toiletries aisle and on the parallel aisle a Chinese family was talking loudly, discussing their shopping for everyone to hear.  I was chuckling as it reminded me on the noise and bustle in China but the Zambian Pick and Pay and staff were outraged at the noise, debating the manners of the Chinese and whether it was normal for Chinese people to shout at each other in public.  I laughed and quietly informed them it was perfectly normal but it didn't make it any better in Lusaka on a Sunday morning. 

Anyway, by noon the rains still hadn't stopped and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get to Woodlands for my groceries.  Needless to say since I run quite a tight ship re: kitchen supplies I was clean out of lunch options, well apart from boring old cup a soup and on a miserable day like today that was the last thing I fancied.  I was beginning to consider calling Noah as, after 6 hours of continual rain the animals (spiders, geckos etc) had started entering my cottage two-by-two to try and shelter from the rain.  I took a tentative look out the window and my garden path was completely underwater so things didn't look promising.  However, at 1pm I decided to venture out, kitted as I was in my North face jacket and chunky Merrell trainers. 

It's good I did wrap up as it was nippy (well for here, anyway) and everyone seemed to be holed up in inside as the streets were deserted.  All the streetside vendors had gone home, even the trusty mechanic at Kabulonga lights had packed up and shock of shocks, Mellissa's supermarket was closed (!!).  Anyway, I decided to continue on my journey and slipped and slided all the way to Woodlands, dodging the roadside lakes and minibuses intent on spraying me with muddy brown water.  Thankfully Pick and Pay was open but there weren't many customers.  I figured since it was cold and wet I'd need something warm for dinner so opted for a hearty spaghetti bolognaise and bananas and custard - yummy.  I even bought some pork bangers in case the rain continues tomorrow and I need another pick me up.

I eventually got home but was completely soaked, albeit the rain was much lighter than earlier, so my cottage now looks like a Chinese laundry with my coat and trousers hanging up to dry.  Roll on teatime and those bananas and custard.  For now, its back to bed to curl up under the duvet and read my book - yay. 

Cheerio folks.

SunnyMoney on Radio 4

Just a quite note (bet you're sick of me this weekend!) to say that BBC Radio 4 are covering the work of SunnyMoney in their upcoming 'Costing the Earth' radio programme 'Electrifying Africa: Beyond the Grid,' which will be broadcast on Tues 5 March  at 15.30 GMT and again on Wed 6 March  at 21:00 GMT.

If someone could record it for me that's be fantastic!

Mosque to the rescue!

Sunday 3 March

Today is both a good and bad day; good because I had an unexpected and unplanned adventure but bad because I am truly exhausted as a result.

I started the day wanting to complete a simple task; to purchase some new underwear.  In my infinite wisdom I brought a whole stack of new knickers with me to Zambia.  My previous travels to West Africa had taught me firstly that cotton underwear is preferable in hot climates and secondly that handwashing wreaks havoc on clothes so not to bring anything fancy.  As such, I decided to opt for two new sets of cotton underwear from Primark - what a mistake!  I've only been here a fortnight and already they're shredding at the seams.  My Primark socks are fantastic but they can stuff their knickers when the sun don't shine as they're rubbish.  Never again am I buying cheap underwear.  As such, I was on a mercy mission to the shops today to rectify my undergarment crisis. 

Early last week I'd made a work trip to Levy Junction, a new shopping mall on Church Road.  I'd met Glenda, a member of our Board there, to get second signatures on a bunch of cheques.  I didn't have time to wander around on that trip as a driver was waiting for me but I noticed it had quite a few clothes shops so made a mental note to visit this weekend.  I caught a minibus from Kabulonga Shopping Centre to Ridgeway and planned to cover the remaining short distance from Independence Avenue to Levy Junction on foot.  However, I made fatal error of taking Independence Avenue in the wrong direction compounding the issue by taking a side road because I found Independence Avenue busy - duh. 

At first the side road was leafy and pleasant but it quickly turned a bit more gritty.  Looking round I noticed I was the only Muzungu (foreign person) in the vicinity and started to inwardly panic that I'd ventured somewhere unsafe.  I was reluctant to pull out my map and draw further attention to myself as 'little girl lost' so I soldiered on, found a main road and started to follow the blue/white transit buses, figuring they'd eventually direct me to a major junction.  I didn't get any hassle, other than the normal pointing and 'hi' when people see a Muzungu walking, but I was unsettled.

As I walked and walked I realised there were absolutely no road signs on the side streets.  By now I was starting to get a bit agitated - what if I never find my way out? how can I call a taxi if I can't tell them where I am?  Then, I noticed a tall tower ahead rising up on the skyline.  At first I thought it was a hotel or monument but then I realised it was the minaret from the city mosque.  

Shortly afterwards, on the left hand side of the road, I noticed a sign for Kabwata Cultural Village and a light went on in my brain - I'd seen that dot on my Bradt map as somewhere to visit - it was in the SW corner of the map.  It was then that I realised my mistake; I had walked back in the direction of home.  What a plonker as Delboy would say :)

I managed a sneaky look at the map in a petrol station, realised I was on Burma Road and followed the road straight up to the mosque on Independence Avenue, barely 500m from where the bus originally dropped me.  My 4 mile detour had worked up a hunger so, despite my tiredness, I continued my walk up Dusihambe Road, onto Church Road and into Levy Junction.  Needless to say I crashed and burned in Mugg & Bean, having a huge roasted vegetable panini with chips and pot of tea before even considering looking for knickers!

Eventually, after a good look around the shops, I bought the desired articles and headed for home, this time taking more care with the direction I was headed!  The whole adventure took roughly 5 hours and was, in hindsight, great as it showed me parts of the city I may never have seen before.  However, my feet are black with dirt and I am whacked so please excuse me now, I'm off for a well deserved afternoon nap.

What a week!

Firstly, sorry to all those who've checked my blog this week and have found it devoid of news. I have had rather a hectic week so haven't had chance until today to update my diary - hopeless I know! As a result, this may end up quite a long post so now may be the right time (especially for those of you reading this at John Lewis's "Cake o'clock") to get a cup of tea and a bit to eat before you settle down to read.....

Saturday 23 February

As I've mentioned before, I am living in the Dutch Reformed Church compound. There were two things the pastor warned me about before letting me the garden cottage: firstly the absence of a door on the bathroom (I live so this doesn't bother me unduly) and secondly the monthly market. On the last Saturday of every month the church grounds host, what was described to me, as a craft market. Now, having been raised in a small Derbyshire village I was expecting something akin to our local church or WI fair i.e. a few trestle tables with homemade cakes and tea, a craft table and maybe 20-30 visitors at a time. How wrong could I be!

The church market was huge. At a guess I'd say there were around 150 stalls (?) selling all manner of things: second hand books, jewellery, homemade cakes, tailored clothes, vegetables and fruit, furniture (you could get an entire dining table and chairs if you wanted!), fabric, carvings, homemade toiletries, paintings...and the list goes on. I wandered for a good hour or more just browsing the stalls. There was also a food section where wonderful smells kept drifting past me....Chinese stir-fry and spring rolls, BBQ chicken, lebanese wraps, cupcakes etc. My boss was at the market with her husband so we got a cup of tea and sat at a table under a shady umbrella just soaking up the atmosphere. It felt terribly civilised and a wonderful way to spend a lazy Saturday morning. Unfortunately I haven't got pictures as I was so busy exploring I forgot to snap away but I will fix that later this month when the market returns.

After the market I went for a walk around Kabulonga and managed to pick up a copy of The Lowdown, a monthly magazine advertising clubs, restaurants etc in the city. I found an advert for a local yoga class and sussed out the location so hopefully I get to try that next week. It's fairly reasonable at 40Kwacha (~£5) a class so it sounds promising. Ironically, the classes are held at a local accountancy office so it may not provide a break from work if I find myself bending into weird and wonderful shapes with a bunch of bean counters but it's worth a try :)

Sunday 24 February

On Sunday I decided to go on a bit of an adventure and explore the wider city. Now, I like walking but as I discovered the previous weekend, Lusaka is quite spread out so an hours walking can still leave you miles from you desired location. As such, I made the bold move of trying out the local transit buses.

The buses don't have a timetable or published routes like the UKand they are most certainly not numbered. Essentially, its guesswork to a foreigner such as myself. Over the prior week I'd noticed that, if I was walking along a road, most minibus drivers would parp their horns at me and holla out the window something unintelligible. I guessed that they were trying to find out if I wanted/needed a lift on the minibus and had invariably shaken my head at them to indicate no. However, on Sunday morning, much to their shock I returned their holla with a smile and I was invited on board.

I had started walking in the direction of town from Kabulonga (a pretty straight road towards Longacres/Rhodes Park) so I figured the worst that could happen is I ended up further long the same road but I indicated roughly where I was headed, negotiated the price and set about finding a seat. That was the interesting part! Like Nigeria the buses tend to just have benches that you try and perch your bum cheeks on and as more people get on your get more and more squashed along the bench. It is amazing how many people you can fit in those little buses. I considered myself quite lucky as it was early-ish on Sunday morning so there weren't too many passengers and I was seated next to lady in a beautiful African print outfit on her way to church. The bus ride was quite pleasant with the breeze drifting through the window and certainly alot easier than my walk down Los Angeles Boulevard the previous Saturday.

I think I did quite well on the bus and ended up close to Acacia Park where I'd been the previous weekend so naturally I popped into Mint Lounge for a food top-up. I couldn't resist the idea of pancakes and so polished off a huge plate of apple & cinnamon pancakes with ice cream -yummy! Who said you have to slum it when you're a volunteer :) Making a packed lunch during the working week means I have money to splurge at the weekends which suits me just fine!

After Mint Lounge I walked along Great East Road to Manda Hill shopping centre where I swear half of Lusaka's population was hanging out. It was absolutely heaving with people at lunchtime. It seems quite a weekend past time, hanging about in malls - very odd! I made a quick escape and walked down Addis Ababadrive, through the back streets of RhodesPark to Longacres where I picked up another bus home. It was a long day but I certainly have a better feel of the Eastern side of Lusaka now. Next job is to explore Cairo Road.

Monday 25 February - Friday 1 March

My working week began with a meeting with Henry, an advisor SunnyMoney have been using to navigate their way through the Zambian tax system. Henry used to work at the Zambian Revenue Authority (ZRA), the equivalent of HMRC for those of you in the United Kingdom, so I had arranged a Monday meeting with him to get a quick 'download' of the key taxes and returns and their due dates for the Financial Calendar I'd started to draft.

The best way I can describe my first impression of Henry is that he is a 'wide boy'. He came across as someone who'd know how to 'duck and dive' the bureaucracy and get things done, in short a very useful person to have on our side. It was a bit overwhelming meeting him as he spoke incredibly quickly, almost as though he was trying to catch me out, but I think I got the main points and I quickly realised my first deadline was 1 March - eek - the PAYE annual return!

I spent alot of the early part of the week pulling together the various strands of our employment records (payslips, contracts, PAYE monthly returns and receipts) into a single file so I could consolidate our data records and complete the annual return. It was quite a satisfying, if somewhat dusty job, as the pieces of the puzzle were in various files and cabinets but we now have a single source of accessible employment records that match our return -bonus!

Luckily there were some nice treats in the office this week to fuel all my activity. Karla, who sits out front with me, is a bit of a baker and made the most amazing cheesecake on Thursday and birthday cake for Angela on Friday. So, before heading off to the ZRA on Friday morning I had a big chunk of chocolate cake for brekkie - bad I know but very very good as well :) I had brought in Steve Wonder's 'Happy Birthday' tune on my iPod so we played that and Angela boogied round the office whilst eating her cake. It was great but I needed to submit our return so so waved goodbye and set off in a taxi, bound for ZRA.

The traffic was insane on Great East Road and it took us quite a while to get to ZRA. ZRA is on the Kafue Roundabout which sits at the crossroads of Great East Road (road in from the airport) and Cairo Road (the commercial hub of Lusaka). The ZRA building is concrete monolith that rises up into the sky and is, in of itself, a daunting prospect. I've never liked tax, right from my accountancy exams and my various dealings with HMRC in the UK. Tax authorities are inevitably bureaucratic and the ZRA was no exception.

The taxi dropped me at the entrance gates and I set about trying to work out where to go. There were no signs as I expected. I was momentarily distracted by a man in a midnight blue crushed velvet suit and wincklepicker shoes (amazing sight to be seen when it was a good 35C outside!) but eventually followed the crowd into the Advice Centre. I asked a lady at the welcome desk where I should go to submit the PAYE annual return. She mumbled something about rebased currency which wasn't relevant as the return was pre Jan 2013 so I ended up having to ask other people and hope for the best. I was eventually motioned towards a row of chairs sneaking around the perimeter of a glass walled room. I took a seat at what I thought was the end of the line and was promptly shouted at - this isn't the end, that is. I looked and realised there were a good 150 people in front of me; I sat down and realised it was going to be a long morning.

From there on it seemed like I was a participant in a huge game of musical chairs. Every time someone was called to the returns desk everyone would stand up and move along one seat. I kept waiting for someone to remove a seat and leave me as 'odd one out'. There were all sorts of people in line, army officials, Chinese business women, taxi drivers, market stall holders, me, and a man with a Deloitte monogrammed shirt (they get everywhere Deloitte!).

The man next to me was there to register his business; I glanced over at the form on his lap and noticed that he'd been asked to sketch out a map of the location of his business. He'd neatly drawn out the position near Cha Cha Cha Road(loved that name) and the 'X' marked the spot where he was going to sit and sell his wares. He didn't plan to have a physical shop, just a trestle table at the side of the road. I admired his honesty as surely noone would ever bother to go and check if he was ever paying taxes.

After about an hour and a half and much shuffling along to progress my position in the queue I was called forth to an official desk. She was a vibrant lady with a huge afro hairstyle and red hair band keeping it off her face. I explained our position, handed over the form and with a quick stamp was free - 2 hours of queuing for a 1 minute interaction and stamp - amazing! There was a metre high pile of stamped forms beside her so I worry about where our form may end up and whether it will get lost in the caverns of ZRA but I've got my stamped submission form so we're done for now - phew!

My taxi journey back to the office was fun. Lance, my taxi driver and I noticed the Welsh flag (you'd be so proud Lauren!) flying at the British Embassy and so started talking about the British Monarchy and devolution of power to Wales and Scotland. It was really quite surreal and not what I expected to be discussing with a taxi driver in Lusakaon a Friday afternoon but Lance was very well informed and so it passed the time nicely.

I returned to the office to find we'd had a power cut. The place was eerily quiet without the hum of computers and fans. Thankfully Musonda had still managed to rustle up our Friday lunch of Nshima using a gas canister so we sat down to enjoy our lunch and wait for the power to return. It really was a most civilised end to the week.

A few of us headed out for drinks after work at Miki's bar. I enjoyed a few Mosi beers but unfortunately the mosquitoes also had a good evening and managed to bite me on both thighs and wrist - damn them!!

Saturday 2 March

Today I've been chillaxing as my sister would say. I had a lie in, a lazy breakfast and another explore of the local area. I love walking and have been trying to draw up a map of the local area as my Bradt Guide only has the major roads mapped out.

Today I discovered some real gems, Middle Wayand Cheetah Road. They are really quiet residential streets that lay between the busy Kabulonga and Leopards Hill roads. I walked for a good 30mins along those roads and only saw two people during the entire time, an American couple out jogging. Here's a picture of Cheetah Road so you can see how sublime it is:

The best bit was there were no vehicles passing down the road so it was incredibly quiet and peaceful, so much so that I could hear the buzz of dragonfly wings buzzing overhead. I know there are fun things to do in the centre of town but I do love where I'm staying as it has the balance of being near shops and peace and quiet.

Thankfully I arrived home just in time to escape the afternoon rains but here are some pictures of it from my cottage - I told you it was rainy season :)