Zoe in Zambia

Back home!

2008-03-18T07:55:00.001-07:00

I'm back in Canada, safe and sound :) Kind of stressed out with an upcoming interview but also very very excited to see everybody I have missed seeing the past 6 months!

Happy early Easter!

Looks like I need a ZoeinCanada blog now :)

... Thanks for reading xo

A peach coloured wedding...

2008-03-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

Jen, Julianna and I went to a real live Zambian wedding last night!

Our friend Kabuswe (an UNZA student I work with) invited us (it was his cousin’s wedding) and a bunch of his other friends (who we also know from UNZA)… so many brackets, oh my!

Before the wedding we got dressed (& drank a little wine) at Jen’s house, enjoyed Jen’s random music assortment haha and tried to hail a cab in the rain (which ended up being an empty somewhat sketchy mini bus). Once at the wedding (we were quite late) there were many speeches (some in French because the groom was from France), comedy interludes (from the oh so witty MC), a lot of excellent food (surprsingly, no nshima) and dancing. It was a fun time, and everybody looked great (the bridal party wore peach coloured dresses). I’m trying to recall particularly ‘Zambian’ features of the wedding but can’t point out much in particular except that there were some pretty fun dance interludes (performed by Kabuswe’s little sisters) and after cutting the cake the bride and groom presented the top tiers of their cake to their parents in quite a ceremonial fashion.

All in all, an excellent night...

Photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2198057&l=5c213&id=13613119

Week II

2008-03-01T13:45:00.000-08:00

Once showered, fed and relaxed (i.e. the day after we came off the mountain) we had a full day in Tanzania (because we had descended a day early). Most the morning was spent sorting out our rented equipment and swimming in the pool (so nice!), after which we met with our guide, cook, ‘waiter’ and porters to go for beers in town. This was Rob’s idea and ended up being a really good one as our tour staff seemed to really enjoy it and we got a taste of local Tanzanian life. We found out that our (very young looking) tour guides actually ranged in age from 17 to 40, ranged in faith (Christian and Muslim), and in the late afternoon we got to visit our guide Freddy’s home and family. His house was quite close to the downtown and was decorated with wedding pictures/momentos, stuffed animals (much to my delight) and pretty high tech (a huge television in the small living room). It was really nice spending the afternoon there talking to his wife, looking at their various photo albums and playing with our guide’s son and nephew.

Once we got back to our hotel my mom was just arriving from her various safaris (she had a great time!) and we all had dinner together in town. The next day we headed back to Zzzzambia!

For the next week I toured Rob around UNZA (my workplace), introduced him to some of my friends (we had a fun dinner night out), bought some curios at the Sunday market, took him to the hot and chaotic city market and even squeezed in a little viewing of the local soccer teams (they were an intense bunch!).

As you can see from the pictures we also managed to fit in a little trip to Livingstone… Because of the floods the roads were pretty bad between Lusaka (i.e. L-sack) and Livingstone (L-stone) and the bus took forever (plus it left late), so we were pretty tired when we arrived in town. However, we mustered up some energy to enjoy our swanky hotel, check out the falls, go for a swim and have a very romantic dinner (!). Very nice.

The next day we went on safari at the small national park nearby and saw a whole bunch of animals: zebras, giraffes, a hippo, impala (which Rob happily ate for dinner the day before! Shocking!) and the ever elusive white rhino. An excellent safari, followed by an excellent bus ride back to the L-sack. Actually, the bus ride wasn’t so bad because we had top notch Nigerian (?) videos playing much of the time. Of particular amusement were the cheesey endings (i.e. a man kneeling in the ocean, screaming/crying, waving his fists in anger because his girlfriend has died/disappeared – sort of hard to describe) and our favourite film entitled ‘Butterfly’ – a film about a man (formerly a bit of a ‘player’) who met a woman ONCE, decided he wanted to settle down and make this woman his wife and therefore spent the whole movie ‘pulling the moves/wooing/convincing her’ despite her clear and consistent rejection of him. ‘Stalker’ would have been a better title. It was pretty hilarious. Of course, in the end he won her over…

The rest of the visit was pretty low key. We drank a lot of local beer, watched Eastern Promises (excellent movie! 4 thumbs up!) and enjoyed the sunshine. And now Rob is back in chilly freezing Canada. Yuck!

Oh and for all of you who have asked when exactly I will return: It’ll be March 14th… but I’ll be pretty MIA until March 21st due to school stuff. I’m looking forward to being home!

Zo Versus the Volcano

2008-02-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

First things first: We made it all the way up! Sorry for ruining the suspense, but I’m pretty excited and shocked that we made it all the way… Oh, and for all of you who (rightly?) suspect that I’m too much of a pansy to make it all the way, we have about 300 photos to prove it! Ha!

Where to begin? I guess I’ll start at the very beginning…

About two weeks ago Robinson and I met up in Moshi (a small city in Tanzania, at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro) and began our climb up the tallest mountain in Africa (the tallest free standing mountain in the world!), with Zara Tours. Our climb began on a Monday at Machame Gate and was a full day of climbing through the rainforest. The rainforest was really lush, there were waterfalls along the way and we stopped for a huge packed lunch half way up. I think the most surprising part of the day was realizing how many porters were joining us up the mountain (5 porters, 4 staff) and how much stuff they had to carry. Most of them were carrying about 25kg (on their head or on their back) and were constantly overtaking all us visitors. It was pretty crazy to see, and really put our ‘heavy’ backpacks into perspective. The first day was pretty manageable (not too steep), but some of the questions we were asked made me doubt whether we were actually ready for the climb. In particular: ‘So what other mountains have you climbed?’, to which we replied, ‘we’ve never climbed a mountain before’… or to avoid further scrutiny Rob would sometimes say ‘Mont Royal’ (which usually caused sufficient confusion) haha. Our first campsite was pretty nice, surrounded by short trees covered in long Spanish moss and constantly surrounded by fog/clouds. It reminded me of the movie Labyrinth (which quickly turned into a discussion of David Bowie’s current fate). When we arrived at the first campsite our tent was already pitched (yay!), tea and popcorn was waiting for us, and we were given a big bucket of hot water to wash ourselves (a system of bathing we grew to despise with time haha). Dinner was also pretty great, always beginning with an excellent cream soup, followed by some sort of meat, vegetables and fruit dessert. We ate very well the whole week. The first night’s sleep was pretty good too, our sleeping bags kept us warm and we got lots of sleep (minus the odd middle of the night bathroom trip that Robinson kindly/grumpily accompanied me on haha). Oh and when I say bathrooms, I mean dirty, poorly designed huts with holes in the ground. Niiiice. Clearly not designed for the lady climber ;) … the rest of the night was pretty uneventful except for the elephant shru that I heard outside of our tent snuffling around. I felt privledged to be so close to the elephant shru, as it was discovered only about a year ago due to its elusiveness. Robinson seemed bitter to have missed out on the little animal, and therefore remains suspicious of its existence (/my truthfulness).

The next day we were treated to a hot breakfast and sent climbing by 8:15. The climb was a lot steeper than the day before, with more big rocks to climb over and around, and we were climbing in the clouds much of the day. Although it was a bit more challenging the climb was pretty interesting because the vegetation started to thin out and trying to scramble over the rocks added a bit more excitement. For lunch we were again treated to a feast, but this time on a table, sitting out in the sun. It was great, except that half of Team Extreme (our very original team name) doesn’t like eggs, so I was required to eat double egg portions at every meal (in exchange for my porridge in the morning). As a result, I don’t really like eggs any more haha. After lunch we kept climbing (not much further) and reached our campsite at about 3pm. There’s not much to tell about this campsite, it was pretty bleak and forgettable, but a fine place to stay. The only bad thing was that it rained all night and our stuff got a little wet. But still, a good night’s sleep.

The next day was less steep than the one before but the altitude started to become noticeable. Landscape-wise it was sort of rolling hills covered in slate-like rock. No plants or animals at all. At lunch time we had to decide whether to take the long, higher altitude trek to the campsite (past Lava Rock) or take the more direct, low route. Although I was feeling a bit nauseous (I pretty much felt nauseous on and off for the rest of the trip), we decided to take the longer route because it was better for acclimatization and we wanted to see the Rock. I actually felt better after lunch and the hike up was really enjoyable. The Lava Rock is just a huge black Rock (I was relatively unimpressed, but I think Rob was amused ha), but the walk down from it was gorgeous (my favourite stretch). We passed through a lava gateway (two lava walls) and climbed down a steep valley towards the campsite. The whole way down it snowed/hailed and rained, the vegetation started to reappear and there were a few streams/waterfalls at the bottom. The plants were great to see after so much rock, but looked pretty random (i.e. “plant, why would you choose to grow in this most inhospitable spot?!”). Our favourites were the random Kili trees (medium-tall, gangley, palm/cactus-like plants found only on Mt. Kili), though I took pictures of most of the flowers we saw (much to Rob’s delight). Haha. The campsite was absolutely beautiful. It overlooked the city and had the snowy mountain as a backdrop. We had an excellent time at that campsite, but really could feel the change in altitude as we were out of breath whenever we moved around.

The next morning we had a big breakfast – good preparation for our very long day ahead. The first task was to scale Barranco wall – a very steep, tall, lava rock wall situated beside our campground. It took about two hours to scale it (mainly because we had to do it single-file very slowly), but it was a lot of fun to do because it was real rock climbing (minus the harness). Once we got to the top we had a few more hills and valleys to hike through, another steep climb, and finally lunch. Along the way we saw caves and got a drink of water from the last little stream (at the base camp there isn’t any water). Lunch was at a campsite that some people stay at to acclimatize (they take 7 days versus 6) and was a very rushed meal as we were running a little late. The rest of the hike was really really cloudy, rainy/snowy and bleak. Again, there were only grey rocks, and no sign of life – much like I imagine the moon must be. Tired, wet and cold we finally reached base camp at about 6pm. I won’t get into all the dreary details, but the next few hours were pretty unenjoyable as we were exhausted, our tent had been pitched in a mini ice lake and all of our clothes were wet. I was pretty snappy and Robinson was pretty unimpressed. Happy Valentine’s day, eh? Haha. Anyways, things were a little better around supper time (we had a very romantic candlelight meal!) and our guides came into the tent to prep us for the final climb. They clearly had been drinking (actually pretty customary for guides during the last stretch) and had many humorous comments pertaining to Valentine’s Day, the final climb and how good they thought Rob’s and my relationship was (awk-ward), haha, yeah but pretty funny. After that they sent us to bed for three hours to rest.

For those three hours (8-11pm) Rob coughed, I rolled around (too cold to sleep) and neither of us actually rested. We were woken up at 11, told to get dressed, have some tea and biscuits and then we were off. With our headlights on, and bundled in our warmest gear we began the very very very slow walk up the rest of the mountain. It was (of course) pitch black, and the terrain was pretty steep and flat (i.e. just gravel, few rocks). Not to get into unnecessary detail but we were both feeling pretty uesless. Rob had an upset stomach and headache and I felt really nauseous the whole way up. As a result we had to stop a fair bit, and I required coaxing much of the way up. Because Rob wouldn’t play 20 questions with me (we were both too dazed to talk properly), I had to amuse myself looking at snow patches and deciding what animals they most looked like. There were many geese and giraffes en route…

Finally, at 6:30am the sun began to rise and we arrived at Stella Peak (the second tallest peak). At this peak I told Rob something along the lines of “I feel like dieing, I’m not going any further, please go to the top without me”…. However, him nor the guides seemed to convinced of my ill state and made me keep walking. In the end I’m glad we all kept going because the sunshine made us both feel a lot better. After about an hour of hiking (fortunately at much less of an incline) we were at Uhuru! It was gorgeous up there! We were above the clouds, so close to the sun and surrounded by snow and glaciers. Really beautiful, and well worth the trek. Unfortunately though, in my oxygen deprived state I forgot that the peak was on the edge of a crater and didn’t even see the crater. Rob claims to have seen the huge crater (despite his lack of photographic proof), but I somehow missed it :(

As the sun kept rising we began to descend. We basically ran and slid down the side of the mountain (the gravel was no longer frozen and became all sandy). It was a lot of fun though the fatigue started to kick in near the end and our toes hurt from descent. Aside from the expected difficulties Rob actually began to suffer from serious altitude sickness. His heachache was much worse, he was dehydrated and lost all energy (he staggered down the mountain and appeared intoxicated) and finally he actually collapsed on the trail. Altitude sickness can be life threatening if you don’t descent quickly (your brain swells), so I was really really worried about him. Fortunately though, we got water from other hikers who were walking by and the porters brought water up from the base camp. At camp Rob slept a bit, drank a lot, took altitude medication and we decided we’d descend all the way to the base on that day (normally you go part way, sleep the night, and finish the next day).

The rest of the day was spent descending the mountain through a shorter route than we took on the way up. Fortunately, we went quickly and Rob felt much better by mid-day. However, the trails down were pretty miserable (we were basically walking through a rocky river the whole way down), it rained the whole time and I seriously hurt my toes (even now they’re all infected and I’ll probably lose two toe nails, grosssss). So walk walk walk, lots of rain, few stops, moon scape-mossy forest-rain forest…. And finally we were at the bottom (it took about 8 hours). Unfortunately we were both too useless to take pictures on the way down. Luckily, we were picked up by the tour company at the very base (at about 7pm) and whisked off to the hotel where we showered (the best part of the day!), ate well, drank a little ‘Tusker’ (Kenyan beer) and went right to bed.

So that was Kili. It was great!

Despite my minor complaints, I’m really glad we did it and couldn’t have asked for a better partner. I think we both had a lot of fun and will never forget the adventure and unbelievable landscapes of those five days : )

... More 'off the mountain' details to come...

Photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2196187&l=0d859&id=13613119

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2196303&l=cd5b4&id=13613119

looking back...

2008-02-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

(Other than the people at home I really love and miss…) I’m pretty sad to be leaving Zambia so soon. As I was walking home at sunset today, dodging the rocks and mud on one of my field short cuts I thought ‘this is a pretty sweet deal’. Every now and then, when left to my own thoughts and devices, I really appreciate how excellent my life here really is.

I’m really enjoying the work I’m doing these days (the gender project), my coworkers make me laugh a lot, I’ve made some friends here I think I will keep in good touch with for years to come and who have been such fun companions during lunch breaks and on the weekends, the weather here is almost always great (sunny, sometimes rainy), I get to swim and run around a fair bit and I am learning so much, often in the most unexpected of places. All this to say that I’m very happy these days and getting all sketchy at the thought of leaving.

Don’t get me wrong though, I am certainly very much looking forward to being at home, seeing everybody I have been so far away from and of course chowing down on some sushi/lattes/bagels!

p.s. Robinson will be here in 3 days! ahhh! :)

more love

2008-01-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

So, unlike my last grim little entry, I think this one will be a bit more upbeat. I woke up today smiling, avoided the bitterberry juice (ha), and couldn’t help but notice all the lovely things about living here. So here they are.

Things I love about Zambia…

- The rains. I’ve always loved the rain, but it’s particularly nice here because it lasts so long and puts you right to sleep at night.
- Talking to people while I walk to work. All sorts of people.
- How young men here wear sweater vests, even in the boiling heat.
- The clouds and sky line.
- The sincerely happy smiles you get when you attempt to speak nyanja.
- How walking on muddy paths requires many of the same skills required of walking on ice.
- How women carry things on their heads. All sorts of big, awkward, heavy things, and they always look so elegant.
- How, despite very difficult lives, people don’t really complain at all.
- How people say ‘sorry sorry’ when you do something foolish, like fall in the mud. And they actually do seem concerned/sympathetic.
- That I have so far managed to avoid eating caterpillars.
- How dark and richly brown peoples’ skin is. It’s very unusual (for me) and beautiful.
- That (Zambian) MacBrian is as much of a hypochondriac about malaria as I am.
- The tall grass. It’s so tall! It adds a sort of mystery to all short cut paths.
- The traditional, brightly coloured, often animal-patterned chatengeh (sp?) material.
- How much people love and take care of their families.
- That my office mate Chiluba is such a girl. She wears frilly, lacey tops and gets genuinely grossed out by bugs all the time :)
- The uniquely Zambian (British?) English: Knocking off (leaving work), give you a push (walk you part way), drink-y, lunch-y, talk-y (nyanja-English).
- How almost all vendors quote me a gazillion times too much all the time. E-way.
- How moms carry their babies tied to their back.
- How easily I can integrate ‘dolla dolla bill’ and ‘come under my umbrella, ella ella eh’ into conversation.
- How happy people are to help – if you’re lost, covered in mud, or just want to know where to buy shoes.
- How the hardest decision of my day is often whether to take the short cut through the muddy, grassy (somewhat unsafe) field, or take the super long and twisting less dirty road to work.
- How interested people are in snow (i.e. how it tastes).
- The snails. The snails here are huge and have really nice shells.
- How upset (for me) my coworkers get when I come to work covered in mud (on the ‘short cut days’)
- Nshima (the local corn meal staple dish). It’s so bland, but also kind of comforting.
- That I get hugs from my coworkers fairly regularly.
- The puppies they sell at the crossroad by Manda Hill. So cute, but also so sad.
- The dangerous but oh-so exciting and affordable mini-buses.

… I think that’s all for now!

that loving feeling

2008-01-29T12:37:00.001-08:00

As interns over here begin leaving for snowier pastures, I’m starting to think how quickly this whole experience has gone by. I can’t believe it, and feel rather sad when I realize how soon it will all be over. I must admit, I’m not sad to go because I ‘love Zambia’ as some foreigners will attest. I’m sad because I have met some really great people (both foreign and local), love some of the projects I have been part of and find the culture to be quite beautiful. But, I’ve been thinking, why don’t I love Zambia?

I think I don’t love Zambia because, despite my relatively easy lifestyle here, it’s a relatively hostile place to live and showcases some of the worst human conditions I have ever seen. As a foreigner, I still feel very much on guard much of the time (because of general health/safety concerns and relentless mazungu comments). The city itself is a very business-focused, practical (vs. beautiful) place, with few recreational areas (i.e. green space, water). As a person, it’s heartbreaking to so often see the child labour, subtle sex work and desperate living conditions of many of the people here. I know this is just how the world is, and it is important to experience and acknowledge, but at the end of the day, it’s sometimes hard to see so up close.

Another major reason for my ‘lacking love’ is because I haven’t made the lasting, intimate connections with people here I had hoped to make. I think this has a lot to do with the difference in cultures, religion and politics between me and many of the Zambians I have met. On the surface this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but really, these differences permeate all facets of life (i.e. weekend activities, priorities, views on social issues, etc.)… However, despite my very rational explanation for not connecting with all Zambians, I must admit I feel pretty guilty for not having made more of an effort to get to know people.

Hm, so there. What a sad little entry. I’m not actually very sad, I’m just thinking about where I’m at. Fortunately for me, I still have a couple more months.

Overall, I am very happy here, sad to leave and have grown to feel quite at home.

Definitely not looking forward to the snow ;)

L-stone & Botswana

2008-01-14T01:02:00.000-08:00

What a h o l i d a y ! Although most of you probably think my entire time in Zambia is a holiday, sometimes life here actually gets a little monotonous and tiring, so the chance to leave the city and relax was most welcome! We had a great time :) Though I am tempted to just report on animal sightings and factoids I’ll try to restrain myself and provide a more balanced account…

The first few nights of the break were spent in Livingstone at the Zambezi Sun Hotel (a very nice hotel right beside the Victoria Falls) and were pretty lazy. One of the days we spent trying to sign up for an elephant safari (to no avail) and visited the falls again (it’s truly breathtaking now that there is more water!), while the rest of our time was spent swimming in the pool, eating, watching movies and reading. Perfect.

The next part of the trip we were off to Botswana. By car and boat, we made it there in about three hours and stayed in Kasane (a small town right in Chobe Park). As we were drinking coffee at the hotel bar the first day I spotted an elephant in the marshy fields in the distance. Very exciting to see. On our second day my mom went on an early morning safari and saw many lions (I was asleep). Fortunately, I don’t care too much for lions (maybe it’s their giraffe eating qualities?), so I wasn’t so disappointed, and her pictures are pretty great.

In the afternoon we went on a river safari and saw many hippos. It was nice to see them out of the water (they were only out to eat because it was cloudy and they didn’t have to worry about sunburns), they are such huge, slow, peaceful animals. Half way through the safari we saw a little elephant grazing close to the water. It just stood there and ate, flapping its ears a little bit while we took its picture. What a sweet elephant. The rest of the safari was spent viewing pukus, impala, birds… but the elephant was by far the best part.

The next day we went on a morning safari in Chobe Park and saw our first giraffes! As soon as they saw us they tried to hide behind some short trees, but they were far too tall to gain any proper shielding. From behind their tree hiding spots they continued to eat, bend down for water and move around a little bit (in a further attempt to hide). They were so sweet to watch, I could have stayed there all day. However, to add to the excitement of giraffes we saw an elephant on the way back to town. It was also fairly small and was waving its ears (a sign of hostility) and eating leaves. We found out that the elephant shakes the leaves it eats before eating them (we saw the shaking) to shake off the sand from the leaves, so as to avoid damaging its sensitive molars. Maybe I should follow suit.

When we got back to Livingstone we were upgraded to the Royal Livingstone Hotel (I had asked how much it would be to upgrade because we weren’t so happy with the first hotel and because my request contained a bit of a complaint the woman sneakily upgraded us free of charge, yay). The first day was spent lounging around the hotel which is right on the Zambezi river (above the falls). I swam around the pool, read a bit, met a woman who recognized me from Lusaka and spent the afternoon drinking tea and watching people. How civilized haha. Meanwhile, my mom was at our room on the back porch reading her book and drinking coffee when (as she candidly reported) she felt a wet, furry little arm brush past her face (she screamed) and grab the biscotti she was about to eat. It was a monkey! The monkey then proceeded to drop the (rather hard) cookie into her coffee, wait for a moment, and then fish it out and run off. What a clever monkey. The monkeys are actually rather well known for their mischievousness and the hotel has a whole slew of young Zambian men hired for the sole purpose of watching and chasing the monkeys away from the guests.

The next day we went on a great safari at Mosi-a-tunya National Park just outside Livingstone. I think it was by far the best safari yet (and so close to home!). It was raining and we were the only people on the tour so we were able to stop and look at animals for as long as we wanted and told our guide at the beginning that we had no interest in birds, if he wouldn’t mind skipping over them (something I feel a little bit guilty for saying since I’m pretty sure that the guides kind of love the birds because they are really the only challenging animals to spot and distinguish on their millionth safari tour). Anyways, it was a great safari. We saw lots and lots of giraffes – even a mom and her baby. Did you know that the giraffe gestational period is 15 months?! Isn’t that crazy? Also, giraffes are the only animals that are born with their horns already full grown at birth (though fortunately quite soft until after birth). We also saw three beautiful zebras – two adults and a baby. They were really gorgeous and startling to see in the wild. We found out that the mom zebra stays alone with her baby for the first few months of life so that the baby grows to recognize the mom’s stripes. Only after the baby has the mom’s pattern memorized will the two join the herd of other zebras.

After the safari we went into Livingstone to look at crafts. I ended up buying this fertility mask from Congo that I’ve been thinking of getting for months (it’s really unique and beautiful) and my mom and I got some colourful wood prints made by a Zambian artist. It was a good little shopping trip. The rest of our stay in Livingstone was spent reading, eating good food, enjoying the lovely hotel piano bar and relaxing... an excellent break.

Now, back to work! Fortunately, work is quite busy (we got that CIDA gender grant I applied for!) and I have a new Toronto colleague at UNZA (Jen), she’s very nice and should be fun to have around. Meanwhile, my mom (a.k.a. Mummi, as the Zambians call her) has started working at a community school and quite enjoys it. That’s all for now… next adventure: Kilimanjaro (for Rob & me), Serengeti (for mom)… 26 days!

View photos @:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2183652&l=bb475&id=13613119

My birthday!

2007-12-25T09:01:00.001-08:00

I am pleased to report that I had an excellent birthday (except for the absence of a few key people!)... Some people say that I get too excited about my own birthday... those people weren't invited to my party... ;) haha Really, it was a great day... I was at a workshop and gave a presentation during the day but was showered with well wishes by text message and when I returned to work. My colleagues gave me some fun beaded sandles, cards and lots of hugs :) At night my mom and I had a really really nice dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby. It was tres romantic haha. Very nice. Saturday night my mom and I had a few friends over for my birthday dinner. It was very nice to bring my various friends together (the Czechs, Zambians from work/school and a couple other foreign interns) and I think everybody got along very well ... It was a good time :) Photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2180440&l=10912&id=13613119

Christmas has been equally enjoyable, more low key than usual and an interesting mix of old and new celebrations. Indian lunch with one of my colleagues/supervisors yesterday, a relaxing Christmas eve with a bunch of Canadian girls and a Christmas brunch with a pretty diverse bunch (people from: the UK, Japan, Spain, States, Zambia & Canada)... It has been very merry.

Tomorrow: off to Livingstone and Chobe (Botswana) with my Mom for a week! Yay :)

Hope all of your years end well.... xo

Mish mash

2007-12-18T01:52:00.000-08:00

Because it’s been a while and there are many random things to report I’m going back to point form (sor-ry!):

First things first: For those of you who heard through the grapevine and emailed/called to make sure everything is ok: My mother did indeed have malaria, but she is now doing very well, and we think everything will be just fine. She basically just felt miserable one day (aches, fatigue, loss of appetite), got a test which came back negative (which is quite common when you’re on prophylaxis), got diagnosed by a Zambian M.D. Sunday the 9th and has been on intense drugs the past week. We’re glad we caught it though, because malaria is one of the sneakiest diseases out there and reveals itself in various forms (depending on the person) and usually just seems like the flu or something equally nondescript. Although the medication/malaria made her very very tired the first few days (she’s still pretty fatigued), after a few days of medication all of her other symptoms improved. We’re both glad she’s better and just about ready to enjoy our Christmas holiday to Livingstone and Botswana.

- Robinson is coming to visit!! I’m so excited! He figured out how he could get time off work and is planning to come February 10-22! We’re going to meet in Nairobi, take a shuttle to Mt. Kilimanjaro, climb it (takes about 6 days), then fly down to Lusaka and spend a week together in the city and perhaps take the bus to Livingstone (Victoria Falls, safari etc). I am SO looking forward to seeing him and getting to go on an adventure together. I’ll let you know if I survive the mountain trek and if Robinson survives his long list of pre-departure needles. yeow!

- I went to a kitchen party last weekend! It’s basically a much larger, more boisterous, more ceremonial bridal shower. The event takes place in a huge hall and is packed with Zambian women wearing very beautiful traditional outfits. The event begins with the entry of the groom – he is required to unveil his bride and confirm that she is the right girl. After this, the MC provides the couple with a number of comical lessons (some even pertaining to conduct in bed!) and invites the guests to eat (mmm mmm great Zambian food!). Once our bellies are full each guest comes up on stage and is required to dance (very embarrassing) and explain the purpose of our kitchen related gift. It was a great time : )

- What else?... it’s very very rainy here and in turn everything is muddy. I am constantly covered in mud and often soaked with rain. I’m not complaining (better than all that Toronto snow, brrrr!), but it’s so crazy to live in a place that’s so very rainy. To feel a bit more like I’m at home I sometimes wear a scarf (it’s quite cold some days) and often use my ‘ice walking’ skills to survive the slippery, muddy hills and paths.

Photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2172422&l=27b16&id=13613119

Witches & love triangles

2007-12-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

Sooo, witchcraft is pretty huge here. Even though it is well hidden and people deny subscribing to it everybody seems to believe in it. Just the other day one of my favourite co-workers (a highly skilled health care worker) told me how her nine siblings and parents were all killed by her father’s jealous girlfriend using witchcraft. She explained that they all had mysterious deaths and that the family is certain that a witch threw a jugey (sp?) into the house (a small, negative charm), resulting in the death of her entire family.

From the aforementioned taxi driver I heard a similar story of witchcraft. This man divorced his second wife because he had found that she was putting charms in his food to make him love her. He explained that he could not tolerate such tricks and dishonesty. My Czech neighbours (Katerina, the anthropologist) actually has been doing a lot of research about witchcraft in Zambia and even visited a witchdoctor. It’s very interesting and almost always involves charms and love triangles. Although I don’t at the end of the day believe that witchcraft is real I can’t help but wonder. At the very least I understand why people believe in it. When life is so unexplainable I imagine it provides an understandable explanation. Fortunately for me, us foreigners seem immune to witchcraft (otherwise the spells would have been used against colonial powers prior to independence). Very interesting business. I’ll let you know how my spell casting goes.

World AIDS Day, etc.

2007-12-18T01:47:00.000-08:00

This year’s World AIDS Day ( December 1st ) was a scorcher (!) but was certainly well-celebrated in Lusaka, and at the University of Zambia. I was on the University’s planning committee so the pressure was on… and let me tell you: it was crazy! Pure chaos! Although (as expected) the programming was a little helter-skelter, late and last minute, the greatest drama came from the t-shirts we were giving out (baggy, simple AIDS/UNZA printed t-shirts). I was warned back in Toronto that people in Lusaka go crazy over t-shirts, but it was only on World AIDS Day that I realized the true passion that exists. I don’t know what it is (I’ve been told it’s because they’re free and new) but throughout the morning I found myself literally cornered in our small office by twenty boisterous, angry young men (UNZA students), demanding t-shirts from me (it was kind of scary). The problem was that we didn’t have enough to give to everybody, and had to be selective (only giving them to official student associations) – a concept that was unacceptable to the masses. Anyways, I did manage to sneak out, leaving a male committee member in my place (mwahaha).

So, enough about t-shirts. My real job was to organize ‘March Past’ (a march around campus in the morning to signify unity in the fight against AIDS). Fortunately, we had great weather, the marching band showed up on time, the banner we printed looked excellent and we had a pretty good turn out of students (although very few invited staff came). Best of all, the much-loved first President Dr. Kaunda (our Guest of Honour) marched alongside. He’s a wonderful old man and very deserving of all the admiration. He is recognized primarily for his role in the fight for independence and work in the HIV/AIDS field. I’m not sure if during his presidency HIV was such an issue (he began in the mid-60s), but since then he has been very active and vocal. Most notably, he was one of the first African leaders to admit that his family was affected by HIV/AIDS – right after his son died of the disease. Pretty huge… As expected, his speech at UNZA was interesting and passionate, and was started by him jogging onto stage and doing a couple jumping jacks (pretty impressive for an 80 year old man!)… Although his speech was positive and encouraging I couldn’t help but feel sad. As he sang ‘we will fight and overcome AIDS’ in a low, frail voice I couldn’t help but think that he probably won’t live to see the day when AIDS is under control in Africa. He has spent his whole life trying to gain freedom and prosperity for Zambians, he has spent much of his life fighting AIDS, but he’ll never see the end of it. It just seems so wrong, and sad... But, hopefully I’m just a miserable pessimist and things will get better sooner rather than later…

On a less down note, the rest of the day’s festivities went really well. There were a few good speeches, some hilarious dance-drama presentations and awards presented to the most involved students. One of which was Bob (who I work with) and Bernard (the only openly HIV positive student on campus). Can you believe it? 7000 students, about 1400 are likely HIV positive and only one of them feels comfortable enough to admit it... I hope next year Bernard has more competition. :)

~~~

Over the past few weeks I’ve come to realize how much HIV education and outreach remains to be tackled – particularly for the truly ‘working class’ population here in Zambia. I think that the university population is pretty aware of HIV, prevention methods and treatment options but so many people outside this highly educated group are really missing information. For instance, just the other day my taxi driver (after hearing me talk about some AIDS-related work issues to my mom) asked at the end of the trip “can God cure HIV?”. I was caught off-guard and probably answered too bluntly, but fortunately I didn’t seem to offend him. He proceeded to tell me of his positive HIV status and asked a few questions about treatment. The next trip together he told me how he contracted the virus (from his second wife) and how sad he was that his little daughter was also infected. Despite his difficult situation he seems like a very happy and peaceful man, and I think we both enjoy these conversations. Since then, I’ve had similar conversations with the gatekeeper on campus (he’s really eager to distribute pamphlets and condoms to his neighbours in the compound) and one of the security guards at UNZA (he quietly passed me a little note asking for information about STDs). I think I keep getting approached because I am seen as a person who can be confided in because I am not a member of their community (i.e. who would I tell?). While I quite enjoy these little interactions they also totally surprise and frustrate me. Considering all the foreign aid in Zambia it shocks me that simple information about HIV prevention and treatment isn’t getting to everybody.

See photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2176646&l=45b70&id=13613119

Animals, Part II

2007-11-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

Uh-oh, more animals! Last, last weekend my mom and I went away to Kafue National Park – one of the largest parks in Africa. It was suuuuuch a nice break from the city and usual weekend activities… and more importantly, it acquainted me with a few new animal friends :) . The lodge itself was beautiful and totally peaceful, with various decks and dining areas overlooking the river. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to be staying! The first day was a bit harrowing though, as our taxi driver doubled the price upon arrival (a saga that ended a few days later in a number of threats by him that could have easily had him ‘locked away’, as my manager later explained… but it’s all taken care of now!), fortunately, we met two really nice Dutch women our first night, spent most meals with them, and got a ride back to town with them on the Monday.

More importantly: Animals! I went on three safaris in total, and had a really good time, though, because it was quite a rainy weekend I didn’t see as many animals as I would have liked (I imagine the animals also don’t like to leave their warm beds when it’s all rainy). However, to make up for the lack of wild animals, we ended up meeting (and falling in love with) a family of semi-wild warthogs that live at the lodge (the managers had saved the mom warthogs from lions and fed them milk as babies/piglets?). Now the warthogs live close to the house and are tame enough to pet and play with (although they still have sharp teeth, so you have to be careful!). We had a great time with the warthog moms and babies. (*In some of the photos they’re kneeling to eat the grass, because warthogs’ necks are too short, so they find it easier to kneel)

The first night we were there my mom and I went for a ‘sunset boat cruise’ and saw a crocodile (I always have to remember to call them crocodiles rather than alligator!) and lots of hippos. However, the problem with hippos is that they’re really really shy, and therefore you only see their little ears and eyes for a minute before they go back under water. Still, really nice animals to see out in the wild. Oh, I guess we also saw lots of birds, but I don’t care much for birds and therefore don’t remember all their names, so they will be left out of this blog (sorry!).

The next morning we got up early for a 6am safari, but again, it rained and was quite chilly so we only saw a bunch of wild warthogs (they scamper around in a very silly/random way haha) and many deer-like animals (pukus, impala, etc.). One really interesting thing I learned from the guide was that there are three different warthog species that all live in the same area, and differ only in the quality of their senses (one hears very well, one smells very well, etc). As a result, the three species live together and ‘share their senses’ as a means of surviving. Pretty clever biological trick, eh? I thought so.

The final safari was an afternoon/evening one, which my mom was unfortunately too tired (/unimpressed by the lack of animals) to join me for. The beginning of the trip was much like the other one, lots of warthogs and ‘deer’, but as the sun was setting we saw a few more animals. For about 30 seconds I saw an elephant (yay!), but it quickly disappeared (the guides explained that many of the Kafue elephants remembered the days when humans poached them/their relatives and therefore remain quite afraid of humans). Also, as the sun set we saw a hippo outside of the water (pretty unusual for a hippo), walking along the river bank – they’re huge! Once it was dark we ended up seeing many mongooses (mongeese?), which really aren’t as interesting as their name suggests. Also, I saw a small spotted cat (it looked like a mini cheetah), but unfortunately it was impossible to take any good night photos. I also heard another interesting warthog story! I found out that the reason why the warthogs run around with their tails straight up is so that they can see each other (and signal each other) when hiding in the grass. However, the interesting part is that it is a learned skill –the warthogs at the lodge never have their tails up, because they missed having a mom warthog to teach them the skill. Cool eh? (though maybe not so cool for the lovely lodge warthogs)… I think that was about it for animals, except for the hippo we saw the morning we left – it was grazing right beside our cabins! They’re such nice animals (when they’re not busy taking out people!). All in all it was a really fun and relaxing trip, though, I still would like to see a zebra, and more elephants and giraffes… But who’s complaining?

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173938&l=8fc7a&id=13613119

Between campuses

2007-11-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

I can’t tell you how much I want to be out doing community outreach rather than always doing policy development, programming, grant submissions, publications etc, in the office all day. Don’t get me wrong, I do like my work and think that it probably has a greater impact than individual interactions but I really miss working with people and exploring city life. The university community is an interesting, clever bunch to work with (only the brightest students make it to the national university, as it is highly competitive), but it also means I work with a pretty secluded, unique part of the population. For this reason, I love any opportunity to get out and about (i.e. the Livingstone program, Czech school etc). I also quite like it when students come to our office asking for VCT (they usually ask in the quietest little voices) and I usually get to answer their VCT questions before taking them over to the clinic. Of course, they’re really just lost (our office is beside the clinic), but I quite enjoy these random interactions.

However, today provided a real escape from university life, as I took a two hour bus ride back from the medical campus where I had a meeting (should have been a half hour ride but the bus waits until it is full). As I waited for the bus to fill up outside of the hospital I got to talk to a bus full of mothers and some of their children (at the hospital the mothers are at the bedside 24/7), despite their obvious worries about their children, they were a really friendly, happy bunch. They told me about their kids and even asked what tribe I’m from (I’ve got to choose a Zambian tribe, because the ‘canadiana tribe’ just doesn’t cut it haha). One woman in particular really stood out for me. She sat beside me and told me about her son who had recurrent pneumonia and how she was on the bus to town to get him medication (the hospital had run out). As we talked more I found out she had two more boys, was of the Tonga tribe (a tribe that particularly supports polygamy) and had a husband who was a truck driver in the copper belt. Boom, at that point I couldn’t help but think that HIV must fit somewhere into the equation. Of course I don’t know enough to really know and I feel like a jerk for jumping to conclusions, but overall I thought it was an interesting reaction… because if it is true, it demonstrates how stigma prevents people from telling the full truth, and if it’s not true, it shows that I’ve really been programmed to only see AIDS (which I guess is neither good nor bad, nor surprising)… I think this woman and I will stay in touch… so maybe I’ll get a real answer.

The rest of the ride was a bit less serious as much of it was spent sitting in the middle of the city Market while we waited for the second bus to fill up. It was such a good chance to just watch people. Of particular interest was the super sudden mass exodus of illegal fruit vendors when the civic police patrolled. The bus ride back to work was pretty amusing as well, the ‘conductor’ (I’m using this term super loosely) tried to charge me twice the price (the ‘mazungu’ price as I pointed out, which made him laugh even more), but fortunately I knew the real price and all the other bus riders stood up for me (pretty surprising and sweet). And of course, no ride would be complete without a couple marriage proposals/buy-off offers. Although having a boyfriend doesn’t hold any water, fortunately, the threat of a large strong husband works well. Ha.

Finally, when I got back to the office (wow, this story is way too long, sorry!), I decided that my arm ached from malaria and therefore consulted MacBrian (who is almost as paranoid about malaria as me… if that’s possible). He fortunately assured me that my asymmetrical ailment was not malaria and then asked “has somebody been tampering with you?”… haha I couldn’t help but laugh, which made him laugh. Though just to be sure he restated the question and told me he’d go beat them up if they had. Very sweet… but I assured him… nobody ‘tampers’ with me. Ha.

HIV & Ethics

2007-11-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Today I helped provide a “VCT on campus” presentation for a graduate class and learned a few new things which got me thinking/writing…

- Before doctors put you on ARVs your CD4 count must drop below 200. This (I believe) is a WHO standard and based upon the rationale that giving ARVs too early increases the chances of poor adherence or viral resistance. However, what makes this interesting is that cost likely does factor in, even if it isn’t a blatant reason for setting the line at 200. Like many health care issues, health economics is absolutely necessary, but still, when there is the possibility that somebody is balancing human life/quality of life against monetary cost, I can’t help to feel a little uneasy. I don’t actually know how much cost does factor in, but I do wonder.

- I didn’t realize it, but today I found out that all pregnant women are required to undergo mandatory HIV testing. It’s such a double edged sword, because it is a descent (and common) means of calculating the national average, but seems like such an intense measure (i.e. an intrusion on individual rights not commonly tolerated in a country like Canada). What makes it particularly intense is that even if the pregnant woman doesn’t want to know her status she is still informed. Overall, it seems like an ‘efficient’ or necessary idea, but I can only imagine the stress of finding out you are HIV positive just as you begin your pregnancy.

- About a year ago two African trials proved that male circumcision can reduce HIV transmission by approximately 50%. This is huge (!) and certainly caused a major stir (although most people were skeptical as to where grown men could be convinced to undergo the procedure). Well well well, much to my surprise they are now offering the procedure in Zambian hospitals! When you get tested for HIV the counselor rattles off: abstain, be faithful, use condoms, oh, and if you’re not circumcised? You really ought to go get it done. It’s so commonplace now! Really, I’m thrilled to see such a quick translation of research into practice, and curious to see how successful the program actually is. Any volunteers? ;)

Parties and such

2007-11-12T07:17:00.001-08:00

One nice thing about being somewhere new, and meeting all sorts of people who have also been uprooted, is that you get invited to all sorts of parties. Ha! I’ll give a short report of the most notable recent social activities. Last, last weekend my mother and I cooked dinner for our neighbour Katrina’s 29th birthday (on the same day as another special somebody!). We (and when I say we, I mean mainly my mom) cooked this huge feast of roast, mashed potatoes, salad and pie. It was great, and felt like home (minus the archaic, way too hot oven haha). The party with the Czechs was held under the stars and watered by a lot of Czech punch and local beer.

The next night we went to a Swiss embassy party (way more high brow than the Canadian ones!)… It was a pretty shwanky affair, full of old Swiss people (and a couple young girls I spent most of my time with). We ate great food and even better cheese and chocolate. Mmm mmm. Also, I had a nice chat with the Swiss ambassador who told me I should come to Zimbabwe to meet an excellent Swiss AIDS researcher he works with. We’ll see if certain mothers of mine allow me to cross into Zimbabwe ;)

… last week was pretty relaxed, Friday my mom and I got Indian food and watched Dexter all night (our new favourite show!) and Saturday I went to an American girl’s birthday party. But this wasn’t just any party. There was a huge blow up castle and a pool! As expected (by Miranda) I made myself right at home in the castle and had a fun (but pretty early) night out with Marcelle, Catherine and Dr. Julie (the fun visiting Toronto resident)… next weekend we go to Kafue National Park (elephants and hippos!!). I’m so excited! More on that soon…

A few more photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2172422&l=27b16&id=13613119

Married women

2007-11-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

I can’t help but write a short rant about married women & HIV (it’s been on my mind for weeks!). Married women are probably the most frustrating and upsetting ‘HIV risk group’ I have yet encountered in Zambia. For me, the theme of last week was certainly frustration. But really I guess it didn’t start last week, it started a year ago at the AIDS conference in Toronto when an African woman stood up and said “I abstained from sex until I was married, I was always faithful to my husband, I tried to negotiate for condoms… and now I have HIV”… she followed the ABCs, yet couldn’t avoid AIDS. Now that I am in Zambia I am again and again reminded of that woman. I keep meeting women here who have friends who want to use condoms in their marriage but get abused when they suggest it, students whose fathers often cheat on their moms but the parents remain married and most recently a very young, successful, confident, gorgeous woman I met at a party who’s husband hadn’t touched her in 2 years and had repeatedly been caught cheating on her (she said she planned to leave him). My heart aches for these women.

Most simply, I think these stories point out the faults of the ABC approach. However, once you ditch the ABCs what are you left with? Many organizations have tried to empower these women (so they can leave their husband if they need to or feel confident to negotiate for safer sex practices), but I don’t think this is enough. I really have no idea what should be done and everybody I talk to seems equally clueless. Promote female condoms? Dissuade unfaithfulness? Target the men? None of these seem like they’d practically work. It kills me that there is no clear solution to this huge problem.

Notes on a country

2007-10-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

- It was a little bit windy the other day (approximately 20° C) and as I trotted to work in my skirt and t-shirt (feeling quite hot) I was amused to see a few Zambians in hardcore winter jackets! Thick, puffy, winter jackets! It made me smile…
- Speaking of weather: this uniform weather (every day is hot and sunny) is getting a little bit boring. I miss autumn! The only autumn leaves I get are on my computer’s desktop… though though though, it rained today! So exciting!
- The Zambians really don’t seem to like the Chinese. They seem happy enough to have all the other foreigners here but again and again on the radio and newspaper there are pretty brazen anti-Chinese headlines. I’ve been told that the sentiments are due to the poor and unsafe working conditions created by the Chinese mine owners. It’s supposedly pretty miserable and exploitative. Still, such overt statements are jarring.
- Because some of you have asked: the official HIV prevalence rate in Zambia is 17%. However, most people suspect the rate to actually be much higher, with some saying it is as high as 30% in Lusaka.
- Homosexuality is illegal here and they take such offences very seriously. Yesterday’s headline was “white Zambian student gets arrested for homosexuality”…. In line with such standpoints I was not surprised to also find out that the government is considering changing Zambia into a Christian nation (like the Vatican)… It’s not actually so surprising, as most/all people here are very religious.
- I have found that the generosity of Zambian (and foreign) people here is pretty remarkable. For instance, from visiting the dormitories I’ve learned that most of the rooms are actually only rented to two people (which is cramped, but acceptable) however, the majority of students permanently share their little single beds out of charity for friends/strangers who come knock at their door and need a place to stay (as many of them come from across the country and can’t afford rent in town). That’s one small room, two single beds and four people! Also, you frequently hear of people giving any extra money they have to friends or relatives who are in need. The same goes for meals, rides and accommodation. It’s pretty inspiring to be living among such community-centered, generous people.
- It seems as though many Zambians fry up caterpillars and eat them during special occasions… more to come on creepy crawler explorations…
- Just to set all of you straight, there is no Halloween here. It’s quite unfortunate. However, I may dress up as a giraffe nonetheless (not really, I wish!).
- Before these notes get any more random… I’ll quit while I’m ahead…

Mum's the word

2007-10-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

My mom’s here! She arrived safe and sound (and a little tired) on Thursday early morning, and seems to have settled in quite well – it was so good to finally see her! Thursday was spent unpacking, sleeping and going to the mall to get some foodstuffs and appliances. For some reason my mother’s living standards are higher than mine (haha)… I mean really, who actually needs sharp knives, toasters and bowls? Yesterday I had to go to work so my mom stayed at home, got used to the viscous guard dog, slept some more and made a lovely dinner (so nice to come home to!). Today we went to the Dutch market and had a really good time. We bought lots of vegetables, I got a very pretty hat (to shade me on the long walk to work), had some coffee and Chinese buns, and I introduced her to my friends here. She seems quite happy here, likes the apartment, is very interested in the local culture and I have a few volunteer leads she seems happy about (mainly with children, AIDS and education). Unfortunately though, I think she is a little bit surprised by the distance between home and town (therefore requiring long walks or taxis for her). Understandably, she doesn’t feel very independent… however, I think as she gets used to walking, gets a phone and explores the bus and taxis she will feel a lot better. Also, we plan to go on a safari in 2 weeks (yay!) so that should be a fun break for us both… more on that soon :)

Not much is new on my end. I met those two Canadian girls (Emily & Julie) for Indian food and drinks last week, and had a really good time – they’re really nice girls. Independence day was pretty uneventful, except that the Zambians seemed a lot more happy and friendly on their day off and many wore the national flag as an outfit (I just went into work and went for a coffee with my Czech neighbour Michelle). Speaking of work, it’s still going quite well. I’ve gotten used to the speed (and the often cancelled meetings haha), and the big good news for me is that the gender equity project I have been working on has been fully supported by my supervisor in Toronto. On Tuesday he told me he was happy to switch the focus in Zambia from Physical Education (which has proven to be a difficult department to work with) to Gender Studies. As a result, much of my time has been spent emailing, working on proposals and attending workshops. Last week I observed the Gender Equity section of a Peer Education workshop (for student AIDS educators). It was great to see my two student colleagues/the initiators of all the gender work (Bob & Remmy) conducting the workshops and asking the students to debate statements like ‘men are good at raising children’, ‘women should be virgins when they marry’ and ‘men are emotionally stronger than women’. Very interesting and fun to be part of.

I think that’s about it on my end… I should probably scurry home to my dinner!... Please do keep in touch. I like hearing about all of your lives as much as you (hopefully) like hearing about my adventures here!

I (heart) Stephanie Nolen

2007-10-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Guess who just got a personal email reply from Stephanie Nolen?!! Yup, that’s right, yours truly! I am high as a kite right now! I had sent her an email asking about the possibility of writing while in Zambia and she recommended I didn’t have enough time to research for a book but gave me some good advice about writing for the Globe (she even told me to first send her my pitch!). I am really happy that she was so encouraging… this only makes me love her even more. (Jen & Andrea: this just further confirms my plans to have Stephanie and Stephen Lewis at certain upcoming events mwahaha)

On a less exciting note: I’ve been pretty sick the past few days and I suspect it is from drinking a drink which had ice cubes from tap water. Thanks to my doctor neighbour (and Rob’s friend Anne!) I figured out that the ice was likely the culprit. Boy have I learned my lesson!

There’s not too too much to report this week, it’s been very busy at work/around Lusaka trying to get my student visa in order and completing my status report (and other documents) for my supervisor in Toronto. But, it’s been good, and there is constant progress with the gender equity project so I’m happy as a clam.

One excitement was going to visit the Education Center run by my Czech neighbours. The owner of this clinic is pretty awesome – all the profit he makes from his private medical clinic (where I live) goes towards running this education center for street children. The center provides basic education and arts/culture activities – it’s a really nice place and the kids absolutely love being there. The day I went I helped sharpen pencils, watched the kids learn about ‘creating perspective when drawing, and watched a batik-making lesson (provided for the older girls). It was very interesting. I had such a good time, I would really love to be able to spend all of my time there. Unfortunately U of T would not allow that, however, I asked my supervisors here if I could spend an afternoon a week at the Center and they were very receptive to the idea. Hopefully I’ll find time to go!

The rest of the week was pretty relaxed, watched Grey’s Anatomy with my two Canadian friends Wednesday, watched a video with a coworker on Thursday and went to a party at the American Ambassador’s house Friday (the party was okay, not fantastic, especially since that is where I encountered said ice cubes! haha). Other than that, I’ve enjoyed catching up with a few particularly witty girl friends over msn, have been having very nice chats with a certain lovely boyfriend, have been working on PhD applications (I probably should be doing them right now!), have started cleaning up for my Mom’s arrival (Thursday! Yay!) and have begun to contemplate the upcoming Independence Day this Wednesday (it actually will likely be rather uneventful because a lot of people drink and drive that day and I’ve been cautioned to stay home!)… I think that’s about it! Back to melting over Mrs. Nolen’s email! Haha

Check out new photos at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2158772&l=0a815&id=13613119

Livingstone & Victoria Falls

2007-10-13T15:34:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I ventured out of my little city, down to Livingstone, to observe an AIDS prevention abstinence program run by a group of peer educators from UNZA (students involved with the AIDS Response Unit where I work). It was quite the trip.

The first day was spent on the bus, looking for a hostel that would house all 18 of us and (of course) checking out the Victoria Falls! What a beautiful place. I don’t think they are as big as Niagara, but they certainly are breathtaking and perhaps more beautiful. Since the water is low during this season you could see all of the incredible rock formations and even walk on the top of the falls (it’s all rocky, with pools of water)! I’d really like to go back there again when there is more water, and when I have a little bit more time to explore and take in the various views.

The second day was spent visiting three high schools in the area and observing the educators as they gave individual, interactive presentations to the older classes. The format of the presentation was usually: a general description of UNZA and the academic programs offered, general discussion of HIV/AIDS prevention and finally a discussion of the virtues of abstinence. I must admit, I was more convinced by this abstinence program after seeing it (I think it may have actually reached a number of the girls, but the boys seemed less willing). However, it was really hard to listen to the anti-condom banter that often accompanied the discussions. I understand why the educators needed to stress the unreliability of condoms so as to sell the abstinence message, but it was troubling to hear when it was clear that many of these students were already having sex. Anyways, while I am suspicious as to whether such abstinence programs do much good, I am still open to the possibility and think that it is difficult to predict Zambian results when still stuck in a Canadian mindset (where religion is less prominent, abstinence is pushed less and almost all public health programs have a safe sex element). We’ll see.

On a more positive note, I must say I was really really impressed by the peer educators – they were really able to connect with the students and speak articulately about their topic. I just wonder sometimes if it is hard for these educators to resolve in their minds their own religious beliefs (most of them are very Christian), the AIDS science/sociology they have been taught and the grants within which they must work (i.e. this program was funded by the socially conservative PEPFAR program).

When not ‘working’ I had a really good time getting to know the peer educators (we had a big bbq together, spent evenings in the dorms, etc). They’re a pretty fun bunch and I think I’ll likely be friends with a few of them. Already there is talk of going to the movies and shoe shopping with some of the ladies! Haha :) Should be fun.

When the professor and I returned from Livingstone (a painful 7 hour drive) we spent most of the week attending meetings at the University trying to arrange future projects for the professor (hopefully one aimed at mainstreaming AIDS into all undergrad curriculum). Overall, the meetings went well, but I think this project, along with all others, are going to move very very slowly. It’s going to take a bit of time getting used to the pace!

On a very good (personal) note: the gender equity project/ideas I discussed earlier seems to be supported by my Toronto boss, so hopefully over the next few weeks I’ll get a clearer idea of my exact involvement.

… Further (non-Livingstone related!) notes:

- Yes (Evan!), I have been picking up a bit of the local language (Nyanja) although most people speak English fluently. FYI: Muli bwanji (How are you), Bwino (I am fine), Zikomo (thank you)… this is about as far as I’ve gotten!

- I’m still hanging out with the Czechs a fair bit. Last night we had a huge bbq and today went to the game park to swim and bbq more (no giraffes were harmed). Tomorrow I think I’ll see those three Canadian girls again (CIDA interns).

- The rest of my time here is usually spent walking around, jogging (and getting lost), buying hippo-themed things, reading, investigating doctoral programs, emailing and attempting to download Grey’s Anatomy (pretty impossible!).

- I think that’s it!... which means I am off to bed… good night!

Check out photos @:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2163542&l=85251&id=13613119

Thanksgiving

2007-10-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

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!

Pumpkins and such...

2007-10-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

Random comments & activities...

- So this whole ‘you must be home by sunset’ has added a whole new degree of paranoia to my daily routines. The sun sets at about 6:15 so from 5:30 onwards I can’t help but feel like I’m going to turn into a pumpkin. Anyways, this results in a lot of scampering and half-answers when questioned en route.

- I’m listening to CBC radio as I write (mm mmm feels like home!) and they keep saying New-ee Blanche. What’s the deal? Did they (Toronto) totally just anglocize ‘Nuit Blanche’ or am I missing something? Maybe it’s my French that’s off...

- I went to a pretty excellent party last weekend held by a Canadian Embassy person. The highlight was that I got to eat some warthog (it tasted like pork)! Haha, and the party itself was pretty swanky (out in the garden, lots of people, open bar) and I got to meet a whole whack of similarly situated people (some Americans doing a soccer & AIDS program, some other CIDA interns, etc). Fun night :)

- Many of you (exhousemates) will be amused to know that my health/food paranoia has nicely rubbed off on my coworkers. Ever since I explained why I was reading the ingredients on the coffee whitener package (which nicely allowed me to explain my aluminum in deodorant theories), my coworkers look at all the ingredients on packages of food we have around and have checked out the contents of their (full of aluminum) deodorant (mwahaha).

- I want to share some particularly funny questions my one coworker (MacBrian) asked: Are penguins birds? Does cream make your coffee lighter or darker? Do ants drink water? Don’t mosquitoes dislike the light (he keeps his light on at night to scare them away)?... He’s a really funny guy and makes me laugh all day long (I think my questions to him make him laugh too).

- On Sunday I went to church with my coworker Remmy. It was really interesting, enjoyable and pretty different from Canadian churches I’ve been to (lots of singing and dancing!). The nicest part of the morning was the time I spent watching the little kids in the church (the sermon was often in the native nyanga language so I had a lot of time to look around). All the kids were so smiley and also super curious about me (most of the little ones had never seen a white person before because the church is in a pretty remote community). Very sweet to see.

- At work and outside of work everybody here watches this new show called 'Ready 4 Marriage', and I've got to say it's pretty funny. There are about 30 women competing for a full paid wedding if they are deemed 'ready 4 marriage' - there is only one winner. To determine if they are ready they have to cut and cook chicken for their in-laws, iron, make beds (all televised and judged)... I often ask (the guys) why the men aren't doing simillar marriage tests and I am usually told that it's because men are never ready for marriage. hm! I'd still like to see the male version! :)

- People are totally crazy about soccer here! Everybody wears Chelsea, Manchester or Arsenal paraphernalia and will talk about soccer at the drop of a hat… I think I may have to find myself a (non-Chelsea) jersey ;)

- That’s all for now :)

[whistle while you] Work...

2007-09-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

This blog is to answer the "so what are you doing there?!" question... So far, things at the University of Zambia (UNZA) have been going really well as I have begun orienting myself to the activities of the AIDS Response Unit (where I spend most of my time). I'll describe the highlights of my past week and some of the projects...

This past week was mainly spent preparing for a visiting U of T biochemistry professor and getting a lot of signatures/paperwork done for a major grant U of T/UNZA had to submit on Friday (what a headache!). Much of the professor preparation was pretty fun, as I arranged meetings for him with various department heads and tried to figure out how to keep him busy on the weekend (safari!), but the more random part was preparing for him to stay at my apartment with me (haha that will be weird, but he’s a pretty nice older man, so I think it should be fine!).

Okay, so the more exciting part of the week was spent touring the University’s AIDS clinic and getting to know the students and research assistants involved with the HIV/AIDS Response Unit. The students here are great! They are so dedicated to the welfare of their country, so knowledgeable about AIDS and so sincere in their involvement with AIDS activities. In particular, one of the research assistants, Remmi, has been explaining to me his ideas about gender equity & AIDS in Zambia (I’ve been interested in gender issues for a while so getting the Zambian perspective is great). He was explaining that great health achievements can’t be made until men and women are more equal in Zambia (particularly in relationships), but, unlike many other organizations the outreach he has been doing has focused on boys and men (vs. women). I think this great because, while empowerment of women (via microfinancing, confidence boosting, education, etc) is excellent, I don’t think it’s enough – you need the men to also change their attitudes. Okay, I could go on forever (but I won’t), if you want to hear more let me know!

Bottom line is that I am hoping to get the go ahead (from my Toronto boss) to work with this RA on expanding (and getting funding for) his current education program (with young men in urban and rural areas). This is the sort of thing I really want to be doing here, so I really hope it goes through! The other project I’m proposing (and almost certainly will get to do) is a review of the confidentiality process at the University’s AIDS clinic (right now the confidentiality aspect is pretty weak and deters a lot of students from using the services). Aside from these projects, I will keep facilitating exchanges between Zambian and Canadian students/professors, I am helping start up an intramural sports program at the university, and am going to begin laying the groundwork for a grant we just received (that will be used to improve data collection/analysis at the AIDS clinic)… So, in a (large) nutshell, that’s what I’m doing here! I hope that all made sense :)

More photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2158772&l=0a815&id=13613119

Did somebody say animals?!

2007-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

As expected (from those who know me well), seeing animals was high on the priority list. Ah ha and last weekend I saw some! I went with my Czech friends to the home of their friend (a Czech woman and her Zambian husband). Most of the day was spent eating a delicious home-cooked meal (a Zambian lasagna sort of thing - rice, snow peas, cinnamon...), looking at their paintings and playing volleyball in their backyard (they have a beautiful garden which is pretty rare in dry Zambia!). In the late afternoon we climbed into the back of their pick-up truck and went to a game park (animal park!) nearby. Please note, it is my photo taking skills (on shaky trucks) that is not excellent, the animals were quite excellent. The first (and most impressive) animal I saw was a giraffe, eating leaves by the side of the road! It was amazing to see this huge animal in the wild, and it looked a lot browner than I expected (maybe this giraffe had a tan? ha). Throughout the trip we saw Pukus (they only live in Zambia – no where else in Africa!)… there’s no photo of them because they are very quick (but they look a lot like deer). Next we saw a herd of wildebeests (I swear, those bumps in the photo are wildebeests!) – they’re pretty big animals with horns (to me they look like yaks). Haha and the funniest animals were the warthogs – they have these huge tusks that look way too big for their body and they trot around so primly (snout high in the air, tail vertical, hooves lifted quite high). It is the funniest thing ever! Hmmm, I think that's it for animals so far, except of course for the elephant I ride to work and giraffe that tucks me into bed at night, but that goes without saying ;)

View photos @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2158772&l=0a815&id=13613119

Touched down!

2007-09-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

So, I made it to Zambia! Surprisingly (to me), the airplanes worked properly and I didn’t get lost or stolen haha. I could bore you with my various Toronto-London-Lusaka stresses and amusements, but you can imagine what they were (all very groggy and random). My first day in Lusaka (I arrived at 6am) was also groggy and random but more noteworthy. Most of the day was spent negotiating accommodation, wrestling with bank machines to pay the deposit and visiting my workplace. At the end of the day I did a bit of grocery shopping but was SO useless (due to tiredness) and had a hard time sneakily deducing what would and wouldn’t make me sick (i.e. lettuce is generally not recommended) while my Zambian colleague was suggesting all sorts of things (lettuce!) – because her immune system could hack it! Anyways, I made it out with a bunch of random things that I thought would cover my bases (i.e. apples, peanut butter, bananas, cereal). When I closed the door to my (too big for just me) apartment I had the predictable ‘what am I doing here!?’ panic, but fortunately got over it pretty quickly, thanks to some phone calls from home and my awesome new neighbours. I live at the Czech Hospital Flats (pretty nice place) and most of the renters are Czech healthcare workers. They’re really cool and friendly, so I went out for a beer with 4 of them (a nurse, 2 social workers and a doctor) Thursday night. It was great, they’re all young and have interesting things to say. I think that meeting them is just what I needed.

Friday was really good. The overwhelmed feeling changed to something closer to excitement. I was (and continue to be) pretty excited by the purple trees here. They are big bright purple trees that look like they belong in a fairytale. Whenever I see them I smile (see photo). Aside from tree gazing Friday was spent at my new workplace (the university’s AIDS response unit –a very simple three room building), where I spent a lot of time with my 2 bosses (who have been really helpful and kind), met a group of student (AIDS) counselors who were doing a training session, and poked around the office. The first few weeks are going to be pretty slow (which is probably good) because my bosses are going to a conference in South Africa next week. After work I again went to the grocery and at night went out dancing for a bit with the Czech people because it was one of their friend’s Name Day (Czech celebration). When I got home I realized I can steal wireless internet from the neighbours! Yay! It’s a bit unreliable but lets me do this sort of thing at home.

Today was good. I decided to bite the bullet and go romping out on my own (up until now I have taken taxis). I didn’t have a good map so the trip was a bit daunting, but those purple trees kept me smiling ;) I walked along a few dusty roads, dodged cars, cut through the show grounds (don’t really know what goes on there but they’re safe), I saw horses on the way (see photo!) and finally made it to Manda Hill shopping center (really just a strip mall of 10 stores). Most of today’s purchases centered around water purification, cooking, electricity conversion and navigation – a very useful trip. The most exciting purchase was blackcurrant concentrate which I will add to my boiled water to disguise the funny taste. yay! As I have been writing this I ate my dinner - some instant noodles and avocado (they’re huge! holy camolly!), swallowed down my malaria pills, and may make some tea. Here are a few remaining amusements/comments/observations:

- This blog business is kind of tough. I was going to try to write in a witty concise way, but I don’t have the skill/energy - sorry! Hopefully it will improve!

- There’s a guard dog that lives at the apartment complex. He’s random, like sometimes he bites people, sometimes doesn’t. Kind of reminds me of some people in the morning haha. His name is Allan, he understands Czech and I quite like him, despite his possible terror.

- It’s hottttt here and very dry! Wow! And it’s only going to get hotter. Though the nights are nice and cool (you need a jacket outside).

- Sadly, I have not yet seen many animals (haha many of you have asked how my safari life is going). Only birds, the horses and the gecko that lives behind my toilet. He’s a little creepy (all see-through and tailless), I hope he moves out soon.

- All this food safety, combined with my already random cooking habits have resulted in rather sketchy meals. Haha, hopefully my skills improve, or else I’ll be malnourished until my Mom arrives.

- It’s interesting to be working in AIDS outreach among a very Christian population. The religion seems to make people rather kind and welcoming but also requires that I adjust what I say sometimes. (i.e. there is a greater push for abstinence than condom use – which is a little different from Canada). Also, I got myself into quite the pickle yesterday when trying to explain bioethics to some girls (I mentioned euthanasia and abortion) and was asked ‘but when is abortion ever okay?’ …. Yeah, I also didn’t realize that abortions are illegal here (unless it’s an emergency). Crazy eh?

- Mmm mmm I have discovered the local beer – Mosi, it’s pretty good. Maybe I’ll bring some back for you beer lovers!

- I plugged in a Canadian power bar last night and it sparked and blew the fuse! Yikes! I’m pretty intimidated by the power conversion situation here. All the appliances are South African or North American plugged, but have to go into U.K. sockets, and the voltage is much higher here. It’s pretty sketchy, but I think I finally have things under control.

- I’ve decided that living here is like 24/7 camping - what with the water purification, sketchy meals and mosquito avoidance. I predict I will be an awesome camper when I return to my lakes and mooses. Haha, though with that said, I haven’t seen too many mosquitoes. I think they either don’t buzz like Canadian mosquitoes or else don’t exist (yet).

- Yesterday when I poked into a salon with one of my coworkers she asked me why I would cut my hair. She really didn’t know why. I didn’t have a very good answer, but mumbled something about split ends and thin floppy hair when it gets long. I thought it was a good (and funny) question.

- Ever since my miserable dentist visit I have been drinking milk (they call 2% low fat!) and tried to floss. I really don’t know how to, my mouth is so small and my teeth are so close together. I think Sahra needs to come here for a lesson. :(

- The toilet paper has little pictures of puppies. It's too cute to use.

- There are dogs howling outside right now and I am trying to decide if they are guard dogs, wild dogs, or hyenas. Though I suspect guard dogs. I’ll be staying home tonight. ;)

- Hmmm I think that’s all for now :) I hope you are all doing very well, I miss home (!!) please email with updates! xox

***See photos at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2158772&l=0a815&id=13613119

(this application is impossible for loading pictures!)