I know it may be hard to believe, but I have agreed to another short extension to my placement in Zambia. I will now be staying at the Council until May 31, and flying home on June 2 or 3.
The reasons for the extension are to coordinate a training workshop on GIS mapping, to conduct a public meeting on the IDP, and to help in polishing the plan for consideration by the Planning Committee and Council in June.
Meanwhile, I am still also going on a planned holiday in Namibia over the next couple of weeks. I've left some tasks for my colleagues to do while I'm away.
Rest assured that I am looking very much forward to seeing everyone back home in Canada. It won't be much longer, I promise!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The mail must go through...
It had been a long time since I'd given up hope of ever receiving a promised parcel from my office in Ottawa. Lo and behold, the shipping slip came just today. I eagerly schlepped down to the post office to collect it.
The package was rather bruised and battered, but it appears that the contents were all there. My colleagues sent me a fun card, some magazines, a book, a collapsible water bottle, lip balm and a few other sundry items.
In true end-of-the-week FoTenn fashion, there were armloads of candy too, most prized among them being the maple sugar toffees! Thank you everyone for your thoughtfulness and generosity!
The package was rather bruised and battered, but it appears that the contents were all there. My colleagues sent me a fun card, some magazines, a book, a collapsible water bottle, lip balm and a few other sundry items.
In true end-of-the-week FoTenn fashion, there were armloads of candy too, most prized among them being the maple sugar toffees! Thank you everyone for your thoughtfulness and generosity!
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| I love the saying on the tape: Found open and officially sealed by Zampost. |
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| Yes, that says November 2, 2010: 170 days ago. |
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| Eager to see what's inside... |
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| ... and even more delighted to find out what's inside! |
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| The loot! |
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| And most importantly, the warm wishes of the FoTenn Family! |
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Same blog channel, same blog time...
I was fiddling with some design settings and realized I couldn't go back. So here's the new blog look, admittedly late in the game.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The only sheet of ice in Zambia
A few days ago, it was my turn to be celebrated. This past week I took another bold step into my thirties. So far so good for the decade.
I woke up to find that my roommate Rob had decorated the house with balloons and a banner, and found a gift of some fancy chitenge pants at the breakfast table. At work, I received many good wishes from colleagues as they discovered it was my birthday.
In the evening, Rob and I held a braii at the house to gather everyone together. Inspired by our friend's participatory sushi rolling party, we cut up and marinated ingredients so that everyone could assemble their own kebabs for the grill. In traditional form, Rob was the expert grill-master. The whole party was just great.
One of the most memorable things about the day was when my friend Lweendo showed up at my my office with a gift. I opened it and was completely blown away. She gave me a t-shirt with the words "Mazabuka Curling Team" and the Canadian Curling Association logo on the front; on the back, the shirt bore my name. She insisted that I wear the shirt for the party.
Little did I know that there were going to be three more members of the Mazabuka Curling Team - Lweendo, Victoria, and Victoria's nephew Mwaba - who all showed up in the team shirt. Victoria also made a cake iced to look like a curling sheet! Definitely the only sheet of ice in Zambia.
In fine Zambian tradition, my neighbour took advantage of me standing alone giving a speech to throw a pail of cold water in my direction. I knew it was coming... the only question was, "When?"
The party was fabulous - folks brought lovely food to accompany the kebabs, wine (and even a bottle of sparkling wine), gifts of art, and a full tray of brownies dressed up with an appropriate number of candles.
I felt so loved and blessed that night. I hope my speech conveyed that same message. Naturally, I will really miss my Zambian friends when I return to Canada in a few weeks time.
I woke up to find that my roommate Rob had decorated the house with balloons and a banner, and found a gift of some fancy chitenge pants at the breakfast table. At work, I received many good wishes from colleagues as they discovered it was my birthday.
In the evening, Rob and I held a braii at the house to gather everyone together. Inspired by our friend's participatory sushi rolling party, we cut up and marinated ingredients so that everyone could assemble their own kebabs for the grill. In traditional form, Rob was the expert grill-master. The whole party was just great.
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| Assembling dinner! |
One of the most memorable things about the day was when my friend Lweendo showed up at my my office with a gift. I opened it and was completely blown away. She gave me a t-shirt with the words "Mazabuka Curling Team" and the Canadian Curling Association logo on the front; on the back, the shirt bore my name. She insisted that I wear the shirt for the party.
Little did I know that there were going to be three more members of the Mazabuka Curling Team - Lweendo, Victoria, and Victoria's nephew Mwaba - who all showed up in the team shirt. Victoria also made a cake iced to look like a curling sheet! Definitely the only sheet of ice in Zambia.
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| The only sheet of ice in Zambia! |
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| Meet the team |
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| "Skip" of the Mazabuka Curling Team and baker of the cake: Victoria |
In fine Zambian tradition, my neighbour took advantage of me standing alone giving a speech to throw a pail of cold water in my direction. I knew it was coming... the only question was, "When?"
The party was fabulous - folks brought lovely food to accompany the kebabs, wine (and even a bottle of sparkling wine), gifts of art, and a full tray of brownies dressed up with an appropriate number of candles.
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| Having fun! |
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| The best housemate I could have asked for. |
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| More fun! |
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| Bring in the fire brigade... |
I felt so loved and blessed that night. I hope my speech conveyed that same message. Naturally, I will really miss my Zambian friends when I return to Canada in a few weeks time.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
A taste of Japan
Last night, my local Japanese friend celebrated her birthday with a futo-maki (sushi) rolling party, hosted at Marco's house. It was a huge hit!
For the afternoon, the hostess/birthday girl invited everyone to come over to learn how to prepare the sushi ingredients. Later, everyone converged on the house once again to find out how to roll and, more importantly, eat the sushi!
I think the photos show how much fun we had playing with our food... :-)
Some time ago, Marco (the de facto party master) asked an American friend of his to make up some Hard Rock Café Mazabuka t-shirts prior to visiting. Marco asked us all to put on our "uniform" for a group photo around our prized possession - the pool table. As the evening wore on, we turned up the music and tore up the dance floor.
For the afternoon, the hostess/birthday girl invited everyone to come over to learn how to prepare the sushi ingredients. Later, everyone converged on the house once again to find out how to roll and, more importantly, eat the sushi!
I think the photos show how much fun we had playing with our food... :-)
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| A lovely Japanese lady shares her skills and love of food with a Zambian, an Italian and a Canadian. |
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| Observing and thinking, "I'll do it better than you." |
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| The next batch... |
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| Hurry up! The rest of us want to eat! |
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| Pleased with the fruits of labour. |
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| The Hard Rock Café Mazabuka crowd. |
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| Marco's bar, designed according to the client's wishes by Yours Truly. My brother would have done a much better job but it turned out pretty well. |
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| The sign behind the bar... a Christmas gift designed by Rob and me. |
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| Marco's conversation piece... a funky lamp made out of an old hospital ventilator. |
The Sweetest Town in the Nation
Yesterday being a bright, sunny Saturday, I borrowed my roommate's bicycle and went out for a ride. I decided to check out mostly unknown territory (to me at least), by visiting the Nakambala Sugar Estate. It was quite a pleasant (albeit hot) ride.
Mazabuka is popularly known as the Sweetest Town in the Nation as a result of its long association with sugar production. The fields that surround the town, particularly those lying to the north in the Kafue River floodplain are covered by hundreds of hectares of sugar cane. At the heart of the cane plantations is the sugar factory, its associated offices and research departments, and several pockets of staff housing.
As I meandered through the housing area, what struck my eyes as a planner was how orderly and normal everything looked. The roads are a uniform width and they have a proper convex profile to facilitate drainage. Being a sugar plantation, the company even coats the roads with molasses as a cheap substitute for tar (on a hot day, the place does have a somewhat cloying scent, but it's not unpleasant). Housing is set back from the road by an appropriate distance and the houses are well kept. There are some community facilities which appear well-maintained and appreciated by residents. My field trip showed me that viable alternatives to the conditions in many Council-run neighbourhoods are very possible. The examples are even reachable by bicycle.
I wondered whether there could be some sort of exchange program for Council staff to learn from the "municipal works" staff at Zambia Sugar. Building and maintaining roads is not rocket science!
Mazabuka is popularly known as the Sweetest Town in the Nation as a result of its long association with sugar production. The fields that surround the town, particularly those lying to the north in the Kafue River floodplain are covered by hundreds of hectares of sugar cane. At the heart of the cane plantations is the sugar factory, its associated offices and research departments, and several pockets of staff housing.
As I meandered through the housing area, what struck my eyes as a planner was how orderly and normal everything looked. The roads are a uniform width and they have a proper convex profile to facilitate drainage. Being a sugar plantation, the company even coats the roads with molasses as a cheap substitute for tar (on a hot day, the place does have a somewhat cloying scent, but it's not unpleasant). Housing is set back from the road by an appropriate distance and the houses are well kept. There are some community facilities which appear well-maintained and appreciated by residents. My field trip showed me that viable alternatives to the conditions in many Council-run neighbourhoods are very possible. The examples are even reachable by bicycle.
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| A molasses-sealed road in the staff area. Looks pretty nice, doesn't it? |
I wondered whether there could be some sort of exchange program for Council staff to learn from the "municipal works" staff at Zambia Sugar. Building and maintaining roads is not rocket science!
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| The Nakambala Factory of Zambia Sugar. Mmm... sweet! |
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| Sugar cane, as far as the eye can see... |
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| The road leading away from the Nakambala House - a relatively posh place to have a drink and a meal in town. |
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| The road leading out of the sugar estate. As I rode back towards home, I realized that this was the skyline of downtown Mazabuka. At four storeys, the building between the poles on the right is the tallest in town. |
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