happy

heyhey!!!

its Friday and I am in the mood to celebrate. Yep, tired and exhausted as usual on Friday, but a few minutes ago I got a phone call. I am shortlisted for one of the jobs I applied for!!! Wow, finally feedback! I hate the application process. You spend a lot of time, write nice letters, answer questions, adapted the CV,... and most of times you don't even get a "sorry, unfortunately you were not shortlisted". Silence is worse than a "no"! Well, today I am motivated again to write plenty of applications :) and I should do so, than who knows how bad I mess up the interview... I don't have a lot of experience with interviews. The one with RTP I messed up, the one with Mr. Jacobs went well... that's the only two interviews I ever had. Does it mean that I have a 50% chance to mess up the interview and get the job anyway? Sounds not too bad... whatever, they called in a nice moment. Great to start the weekend with this kind of news. Gives me the energy to post something on this blog before going for dinner (Chinese or Indian?)

Had another nice moment yesterday. Was the full day in Linda, a compound a little bit outside of town. In the evening, instead of waiting for the driver to pick me up (I hate waiting) I started walking. Felt like I have finally arrived in Africa!! Its getting cold now in the evening (and the mornings), the grass is dry yellowish, sunsets are great,... while I was leaving Linda, many people were on their way home (coming from town). Students in uniform on bikes, chatting girls with books under their arms, woman carrying things on their heads and couples talking to each other. On Mount Mukulu (its a hill!!! can't be more than 100m high!!!) the grass was burning at different places. In front of one of the houses a big fire with lots of kids around. I could here laughs and saw them putting more grass into the fire. Of course they started calling "Musungu" when they saw me. Happy faces when I reacted.

Some women reacting strongly when I made a picture of their house (200m far away) convinced that I made a picture of them and very surprised when I told them that I liked their house and that the they were too far away to be seen on the picture.

Of course I took the "wrong" street and did not hear my phone ringing. Moses (driver) got nervous (told me later he drove around trying to find me). At one point, I saw the miss calls and called back. I had of course no idea where I was, but a man waiting on the side of the street did help me. Workshop Mount Mukulu, ha, try to find that on a map! ;)
Waited there for a few minutes talking to some men and making fun about myself the Musugu who got lost. Well, to be honest I did not feel lost at all. It was just a great moment and I knew where I was. If I would have continue walking I would have come to the big road and to Chilanga. The tower of the cement fabric in Chilanga is quiet high and I saw it all the time... I just took a different road than Moses. Was happy smiling on the way back to Lusaka.

Happy made me also the teacher we have trained in Linda. Great people. The workshop takes place in a very amazing community school. I think it is the best school I have seen so far in Zambia. They have even a computer room! Its a huge community school with nearly 2000 pupils. As the school gets no money from the government they have different programs to create income. Garden, kitchen, shop, fund proposals to all kind of donors,... AMAZING!

The teachers we trained there (workshop ended today) did love the idea of Sport for Development and have already plenty of ideas what they are going to organize, also outside of school in the community! Community teachers are most of times not paid. I don't know how they survive, but I am very impressed and humbled when I see what they have build up in Linda.

What else makes me happy? I bought a cable to connect the computer to the stereo and I am listening right now to songs I love with full power! Great! And hey, I bought a camera so that I can skype with a it. Have tried it, but now for some reason the microphone is not working anymore. hm, anybody an explication? (Steph??) Would make me even more happy. Since I might stay a little bit longer in Zambia than planned, I though that a camera would make skype even more fun...

Happy makes me also Volleyball I have started to play each Sunday with some other people. We play in David's garden and its lots of fun. Last Sunday there were also two Lebanese brothers they got so upset when we lost, it was lost of fun. The people I play volley with is mixture. Some people who are Musungu but have been forever here in Zambia (e.g. David), some people like me and some Zambians. Apparently they play also on Monday and Wednesday, and some Marrins join them and things are a lot more serious. I have problems to believe it, but I have mainly no time during the week. Just too much work... can you believe it, I go to bed around 21hours! Just too exhausted...

Happy makes me also that Matutu is no longer crumby. He is (like all guys?) pretty crumby when he feels sick. The sons of the former president have been a "pest" while their father was in power (Castro even shot a person!) and they still misbehave. For some unknown reason (maybe because Matutu did not recognize him?!) Fred decided to beat him with the help of a friend last weekend. Matutu's eye looked scary! To Fred's surprise he found himself in prison. His friend is still running from the police. Here in Zambia its just a question of who bribes the police first... ups did I say bribe? Hm, I meant, who pays the police some money for fuel so that they can do their work...

But hey, corruption is reducing and Zambia is pretty safe, so don't get afraid because of this kind of stories. Zambia is a very peaceful place! Remember, I walked alone in the evening through Linda and was not scared a second, but enjoyed the walk and enjoyed to be in Africa. So plan your trip to Zambia, because I am staying and its a great place. You can do great game drives here, we have the Victoria falls and Zambia is for sure a different place... do you need more reasons to come???

Lots of love from this side of the earth where its "cold"(but I don't need a coat). Hope it stops raining soon on your side so that you can enjoy summer fully.