All packed up and on the move

So this is what all my belongings look like, expertly squeezed on to the back of a small canter and tied together to make sure that nothing was lost along the bumpy road to Lusaka.

The volunteer exodus begins

Something which I had failed to appreciate before coming out to Zambia to volunteer is how transient volunteering can appear, particularly where I am a long term volunteer (two years) and everyone else comes and goes around me. In Mazabuka the VSO vols like Peter, Andrew and Phyl have already arrived and departed and over the next month or so many of the non-VSO vols (mainly my Italian friends) will be moving on. Of course new people will arrive and new friendships will be formed but I have been very, very lucky with the people that I have got to know and shared many happy times with since I came out here. My timing could not have been much better. And so the leaving process started this weekend with a goodbye party for Lucia and Francesca (and it was Roberto’s birthday party too). I have a vague memory of getting muddy playing football at some early hour and not feeling too great the next day. Good times and with all these new friends the opportunities to travel to other countries increases more and more.

Goodbye to a great flatmate

A top weekend for a good friend and a wonderful flatmate. It was a busy few days and for me both happy and sad times with Andrew leaving Maz and Zambia, though it was the right time for him to go before working at the Council drove him mad; I may feel the same about DATF in a few months time. In honour of Andrew we finally got around to playing a game of Frisbee. A mixture of us volunteers and some of our Zambian friends charged around a field chasing after a flying disc with a Canadian flag on it, which was lots of fun and something we should have done sooner given how many of us were red faced and knackered at the end. Later on Saturday night there was plenty of the usual tasty food, a few games of pool, the Champions League final and on Andrew’s insistence we visited a local nightclub in Maz called Afrikana Fiesta. This resulted in the usual over attention and close, in your face dancing from the locals so we did not stay too long.

The goodbyes continued on Saturday and Sunday with lots of people visiting to wish Andrew well and also hoping that he would change his mind and stay a little bit longer. To my surprise the Council managed to organise themselves and did Andrew proud with a good send off of speeches, food, presents and amusing (or silly) dancing. It all showed that he will be missed by many including me.

Goodbye to Emily

Little I say can do this justice or really explain how this all came about.  Simply, a couple of VSO vols put together a short play (and some accompanying music) to capture Emily's one year here in Zambia, and then a few more of us acted it out.  It was hilarious and I am pretty sure Emily enjoyed it too.  She will be greatly missed.

Birthdays and Goodbyes

Drinking, dancing, smiles, tears and hugs. The usual weekend out in Lusaka. On a happy note it was Marco’s birthday and the photos should show him modelling some tasteful (or amusing) new clothes. Sadly, Kristen left this weekend to return to Canada and her studies. She will be greatly missed but is already planning to return next year as Zambia seems a hard place to leave for many people.


 

Packing and panicking

Random thoughts . . . packing, packing and more packing, decisions on what to leave behind after I had been given so many presents; am I taking the right things? what to wear that work, what’s the weather going to be like, where will I be living?; before all that there was more packing but this time boxing up everything in my house, finding space for it in the loft, in others’ homes (thank you) or just giving things away, how did I manage to accumulate so much?; some serious stuff too like renting out the house, bills and more bills, doing a will; so little time and too much to do; I must have forgotten something; anxious, nervous, worrying; then there were the goodbyes with friends and family, everyone being far too generous, very touching and very hard; but lots of promises of visits!