a nearly perfect weekend

"Nearly" because its not over yet! :) ok, step by step.

Friday: around 4pm, I was asked if I would have time for a meeting. Knowing that he has been talking about me a lot with Doreen, I was sceptical about having a "meeting". Well, it was a very stange meeting :) But it's official, I have a boyfriend back home in Switzerland. If you ever come to visit me, please confirm this story (what ever will happen in the meantime!) It's the only way here to make it very clear. The coaches by the way believe the same. Since two Musungu RTP volunteers are now with a Zambian's (one married, one getting married soon), I have to make very clear to everybody that I am not interested... not easy!!! The boyfriend, is helping a little bit, even though some keep hoping that the long distance will set me "free" again...

After this "I hope you will never regret" discussion, I continued working. Around 20.30 I stopped, knowing that after 12 hours of concentration it just doesn't make sense to continue. Especially not on a Friday evening. There is just too much work at the moment. I have to prepare for 3 full week workshops in a row, one in the North, in the refugee camp. For some reasons it is impossible to get the French version of one of the manuals. Means we have to adapted and we will have a workshop without any material (manuals, handouts) in Mwange next week. Yep, I am travelling again 12hours (this Tuesday), but this time I will not stay in Kawambwa. The whole team will live in the refugee camp Mwange for 10 days. Will tell you soon what that means, at the moment I really don't know what to expect.

When I was ready to go out I called the same taxi driver as always. I call him Mister C, but his real name is Charles. He has a beard (unusual here) and a funny way of talking. Every sentence starts or finish with "M'ma". On Friday he had a (for me) strange request: "M'ma can you call this person for me and tell her that I am a reliable driver. She is Swiss as well and will for sure believe you." Hm, shall I start calling another driver from now on?

My friends were already waiting. After dropping one "tired" friend (she was actually waiting for "somebody" to come and watch "TV" with her) we we went to Vaida's home. Vaida has a flatmate, Mwanga who was already in a "party mood". We watch for a few seconds Zambian National Broadcast (I do not miss TV at all!) until everybody was ready to get out. Vaida, her boyfriend (sorry no name), Mwanga, Themba and me went out in Northmeat. Northmeat is one of the places RTP has a program running (but I did not see any coaches). We went first to a bar called "Lounge". It was packed with middle class Zambians (managers & co.) A band played well-known oldies. However, it is not really a place were you can dance. Therefore, we went after a while around the blog to "Alpha". Everybody in Lusaka knows Alpha, for its bad reputation. You do not want you phone anymore, go to Alpha, it will get stolen for sure... (they seem to cut even your trousers, without you realising!) To our surprise it was nearly empty when we arrived. According to Vaida they have done some renovations lately, and it looks now a lot better than before. Slowly more people arrived and when "our" DJ came, we really started to enjoy dancing. "our" DJ, because I do not know the name, and Vaida's boyfriend and Themba were saying all the time: "just wait until our DJ comes..." Anyway, I really had a good time, did not thing a single minute about work, was not home sick (usual thing for me on Fridays) and nothing got stolen.

Saturday started slowly. As some of you know, I do not hear anything when I am sleeping. Indeed, I did not hear Joe (Country Director) calling Doreen (who was sick) at 6am in the morning. I did not hear the car of the IT guy in front of our house at 6.30 either,... I just was sleeping in.

Went for "coffee" at 1pm with Vaida and at 14.30 Charles, a friend of Maria, picked me up and drove me to the football station. Yep, right, football station, to be more exact: the Nkoloma Stadium in between Kamanga and Chelston. Maria, is the communication coordinator at RTP Zambia and we share an office. Beside RTP she is still studding and she is also working for a radio. As the only female football commentator in Zambia, she seems to be well known. She had organised a (VIP!!!) ticket for me for the Final of the BP top 8 cup. In addition she organised somebody to pick me up, somebody standing at the gate handing me a ticket (I am easy to recognise, I am the only Musungu...) and somebody to make sure I have a place to sit. The later was actually Moses, our driver, who is at the moment on leave (lucky him). I met his brother, his sister in law and an other friend. Maria was sitting close to the play ground. Microphone in the hand, sunglasses and very busy talking. Moses had his phone on radio mode, and we could listen what Maria was saying. Well, I did not understand a word, and even if it would have been English, I would have had troubles to follow. She speaks just sooooooooooooooo quick!

The game was lots of fun (first goal in the 2nd minute!). People around me where commentating a lot and fans from both teams very sitting mixed. Lots of jokes and lots of screaming. (like everywhere else in the world). The short rain did not make a difference, but was just refreshing. I was sitting "in the shadow" but with the wind, even we got wet.

In the break some music and girls marching in uniforms that were for sure not new. The instruments also looked a little bit old, but it did not really matter.

The Kabwe Warriors won 3 : 1 agains the Nakambala Leopards.

After the game, Maria interviewed the "top scorer", who is by the way also a RTP Ambassador! I was waiting. While people left, lots of streetkids arrived. Looking if anything valuable had been forgotten. Collecting the water bottles (drinking the water if there was some left) and starring at me. Bar foot, dirty old clothes, all younger than 9 years old and very happy if I answered their "hello, how are you?". I was waiting for Maria and was thinking about why we at RTP are not concentrating our efforts to reach this kids. Government schools (or private once, like the one that had organised the "mini" play day a few days before) do not need us as much as those kids.

Went home quite early and let Doreen (who does not have Malaria according to the test she did yesterday) go out with her friends without me.

Got an sms from Kelvin, who is again at the hospital. No news yet from Catherine. Got a phone call from Malambo who would like me to come and evaluate his RBCP session next week. Told him to get in contact with Amos and Cecilia, the two Coach Trainers from Kamanga, as I am going to be in Kawambwa (should be me anyway!)

This morning, I spend time in the garden. We have lots of plants all around the house. There is just one part behind "my" house that looks desertic. It seems that it was a garden before, but right now its just earth, stones, glass and some grass. Lots of water and some hours later, it looks again like a garden. Still not green (that takes a little bit more of time) but now I can start waiting. Water melon, tomatoes, potatoes, okras and other vegetables are hopefully growing in short future in "my" garden. I am completly relaxed and back down to earth after the hours spend in the garden... great!

so much about my weekend. how was yours???

big hug
mirr