We have had a few
cloudy days. Everything of course is relative and we probably had
more sun than in England on a “bright” sunny day! However it was
a joy to awake yesterday to a pure blue cloudless sky. People here
are wearing jumpers and coats, while I find it perfectly OK in a
tee-shirt when the temperature is hovering around 20°C.
I note that in England's summer, temperatures are reaching 17 or 18,
here in the Zambian winter we manage 24 or 25 most days!
Interesting
insects abound around the house and in the surrounding areas. Some of
the grasshoppers/crickets/locusts are quite beautifully coloured.
There are a large number of butterflies of varying colour and size. I
met Raymond by the railway line a short while back and he asked if I
had seen any snakes – apparently they are abundant in that area,
mainly cobra. There are a few birds around, the local pied crows do
what crows do worldwide and the call is very similar. A house sparrow
joined us at mass, flying in the rafters during the service. A couple
of noisy bulbils did acrobatics in a tree in the garden and a blue
waxbill flew into a tree outside.
Friday
27th
May
I
had a mammoth session in the morning seeing 19 students who are
sponsored under a Hands Around the World scheme called Hand in Hand.
I try to meet all the students each year and find out how they are
progressing. On Friday I saw mainly grade 2 students and they are
often a bit shy and they are not always very confident in English –
I am embarrassed that after all these years I can still only greet
and say thank you in Chitonga! I was sometimes helped with extra
information from Killian about the family background or from their
school report.
I
heard more moving stories about the children – one has a mother who
is mentally disturbed, she stays with her grandmother, but sometimes
roams the streets with her mother, getting food from bins. There
seems to be little treatment in Zambia for mental illnesses, leaving
the person suffering to survive as best they can - this is obviously
devastating for their children.
Mike
grabbed my hand and said hallo. I am not sure whether it was the hand
shake or the face that I first recognised. Mike
was working at the Nampeyo Guest House were I stayed on my first
visit in 2003. I have met him over the years when he has been engaged
in various jobs. Last year I didn't recognise him until he explained
who he was. He didn't seem to look well and I was quite concerned.
This
year he seems much fitter and healthier.
I returned to the house to write
some reports and chase the problem with the funds transfer. I spend a
lot of time on the computer recording what I see for various reports
as well as this blog. I see this very much as part of my work here in
Zambia. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am to be able to spend a
couple of months here with the people of Zambia. I see it as my job
to try to give a feel of what I am experiencing daily. The world here
is so different. I find it very easy to adapt and hardly notice the
different sights, smells and sounds – but for many it would be a
revelation. As I sit I hear African music in the distance, yesterday
the church had a “Brie” (barbecue) with loud music for most of
the day - this was continued by the late night bars. In the market
music is often played on music systems in some shops, a small concert
in the nearest part of the market also added to the atmosphere
yesterday afternoon. Woman often carry goods on their heads and the
most common goods transport for larger items is the wheelbarrow,
which comes in a wide variety of styles – which are designed for
different types of goods – some seem to be chosen for the comfort
of the owner – who can often be seen dozing in them! Ox carts are
another common site on the main roads as well as side roads. Going
really up market you might pull your trailer with a tractor. I pass
chickens for sale every day. Here the people prefer them fresh –
which means alive – when they are bought.
I am always reluctant to wander
around taking pictures of people without their consent, so I have few
pictures of these everyday sights.
Fr. Clement called around briefly
to load some units to the electricity supply. We are on a meter at
the house. I was aware of the position and knew that there were in
fact still plenty of units left, but the extra will last some time. I
needed to buy and load units last year, so I know the system.
Jennipher popped around late and
joined me for some chilli beans and rice.
Saturday
28th
May
There were some more reports I
wanted to get out and I also wanted to spread the word about PIZZ
School.
Diven came around and somehow we
got talking about the European Referendum. He said that he found it
confusing – I don't think he is the only one. I have applied for a
proxy vote enabling Dilys to vote on my behalf – I wonder how she
would feel if I tell her to vote the opposite way to herself!!
I found that I was out of teabags
and low on sugar and coffee. I went around the local small shops –
most of which sell groceries – looking for coffee which isn't
Nestle. Years ago I understand that Nestle ran a campaign encouraging
mothers to use dried milk instead of breastfeeding. This was likely
to have resulted in many child deaths in the poorest countries. I try
to avoid this company for that reason and the fact that their
business methods don't seem to have improved – e.g through
exploitation of poor coffee farmers. After a long search I failed to
find non-Nestle coffee - teabags and sugar are not so difficult,
though the sugar is from a British owned firm that pays very little
tax in Zambia. I will find my Frisco coffee before I completely run
out!!
During my travels around the
market I picked up a few pieces of chitenge material which I hope
will make a nice shirt.
I had thought I might call at the
church brie, but time moved on and I missed the opportunity. I sat in
the garden for a bit – reading and soaking up the atmosphere.
Sunday
29th
May
Today in the Catholic Church we
are celebrating Corpus Christie – the feast commemorates the
institution of the Eucharist which for most Christians forms the
basis of their main liturgical service. In the Catholic Church we
believe that God is, in some sense, fully present under the form of
bread and wine. Quite an amazing claim! But if you believe in God,
anything is possible! - even a universe populated with many trillions
of stars, heavenly bodies, each tremendously hot, giving off light
that can be seen many thousands of years later by creatures who
happen to live on a rock held by an invisible force at just the right
distance to prevent them freezing or frying, sustained by a liquid
which is recycled in a way that constantly purifies and redistributes
it – enabling life and growth. Of course such a universe and all
that it contains might have occurred by chance – but I wouldn't
like to guess at the odds!!
I expected the mass to be longer
than usual as we had some children receiving communion (the bread and
wine) for the first time. In the event this wasn't the case, however
after mass there was a procession which covered about a kilometre
outside on the minor roads. The Host (Bread) was displayed and
carried by the priest stopping occasionally for prayers. This used to
be a common tradition in England – though often confined to church
grounds. However, it is rare that such processions take place these
days. It is good every so often to express your faith in public.
Bringing God to the community in what we believe is a real sense,
cannot do anything but good.
I returned home along the railway
tracks. This isn't the most direct route, though the railway runs
roughly parallel to the main road which I would otherwise use. I
spend a lot of time here rushing around and wanted to stroll a little
away from the hustle and bustle. It is also good to walk along the
railway when it is strictly forbidden in the UK!! At the side of the
railway is an area of grasses and some wild flowers which attract
butterflies and other insects – as well as snakes!! I forgot to
pick up a paper – I might see if they are still selling them on the
High Street!
I hadn't realised have time had
fled and failed to get the Post. While on my way Boniface rang. He
has copied his music and videos to my flash drive and wanted to pass
it back. I have watched the videos and am currently listening to the
music – it is good, maybe if he made some in English it might be
more commercial worldwide.
By the way I have solved the
issue of the massive downloads!! My friends from Micro$oft want me to
have Windows 10 – apparently for free. Why am I a little
suspicious?!! Anyway I had said not to install it, however Windows 10
is provided as an update and if the computer is set to update
automatically – the default! - it attempts to download the
software, all 2Gb+ of it!! No wonder my data bundle ran out quickly.
Presumably because I never let it complete, the downloads failed and
it retried! I have now told it not to download and I can use the
Internet for my purposes not Micro$ofts!!
Chris
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