Thanksgiving

Sooo, this entry has nothing to do with Thanksgiving (because it’s not celebrated here) but I’d just like to note: a) I didn’t realize it was Thanksgiving until Toronto emails reminded me and b) no matter how much I didn’t care about Thanksgiving in Toronto, I really am missing being home right now (oh, and the pumpkin pie!). Ok, and back to Africa life…

Things are still going very well (in life and at work), the new photos are from the Dutch market and an art show. The market is super civilized/touristy, but they do have some pretty nice jewellery, and my Czech friends sell orange juice to raise money for a children’s education program they have created. It was interesting to help out with the sales (a lot of my time was spent slowly drinking juice in front of the stand and commenting loudly how delicious it was) and I bought a nice skirt and some tomatoes. The art show was last night and was a lot of fun – beautiful paintings of Zambian things (people, animals, etc), interesting new people, and good food and wine. The photos I uploaded are of Radu’s work, but her husband also had many paintings – these are the people who I went to visit last weekend (volleyball, safari, etc). They are both very kind, and are the two in the middle of the photo (she’s Czech and in black, he’s Zambian, wearing a plaid shirt).

So those are the pictures. I really wish I could show you the other half of my life here, but I find it is difficult to because I feel uncomfortable/rude photographing strangers, plus, in the seedier areas of town I don’t really like bringing my camera. I’m sure I’ll get over both hindrances, but for now you get the fancier side of life here. Despite the lack of photographic proof, I’ve got to say the divide between rich and poor is startling. Even our well educated/paid research assistants can’t always afford lunch or bus fare, while when you venture into town the market vendors are selling out of shacks, many compounds (like ghettos) surround the city, and right beside the Mercedes-Benz building is a vast shanty town (shacks made of corrugated tin and scraps). It’s very sad. However, because copper is on an upswing, the government is quite good, and foreign aid seems on the rise, I hope things are changing for the better.

Meanwhile, my daily life has been stirred by the arrival of a visiting professor from U of T (he’s living with me now). He’s a very nice man, with lots of stories and good company to have around. We went to the city market yesterday (the local, ‘real’ market), where they were carting around full, bloody, cow heads on a cart (yuck) and selling everything you could ever want (a whole lot of used clothing, donated and resold – a foreign aid source that is considered rather debatable here). I bought some gorgeous, brightly coloured, Zambian material (which I’ll get sown into skirts), a dish brush, and some second hand shirts. It was a pretty productive trip and good to have the prof for security and company (he’s a pretty tough old guy!).

Sunday at six in the morning (I may growl all the way to campus) I am leaving with the peer AIDS educators down to southern province (Livingstone etc) to observe their A B (abstinence, be faithful) program at the high schools throughout the province. Sadly the C (condoms) has to be left out because funding is from PEPFAR. However, it should still be a very interesting trip as we move north-east from Livingstone through the rural villages, back to Lusaka. I’ll return on Tuesday or Wednesday though, because I have to be back for meetings with the professor. Don’t worry (Mom & Rob!), I will be very safe out there : ) That’s all for now… off to bed!