global warming and a trip to "movie TV"

Rain in May? That would be strange. But the clouds are dark and you actually can see that in some places rain is falling, while in other places the sun is shine through. What beautiful scenery. What a beautiful pictures. But I am driving. Traffic is tense, as it is Friday late afternoon. Weekend is waiting; half Lusaka is on the way home or somewhere else. How do you translate “Stosszeit” in English? And again, I am starring in the sky. Some place in Lusaka must have heavy rains. This is in May in Zambia very unusual. Rain season should be over. The sky is dark, very dark there. And than suddenly, while I am still driving on Great East Road, big drops on my windscreen. Its dark outside and I can’t see anything any more. Suddenly I am in the middle of an “inverno”. I turn on the lights, hope that cars behind me and in front of me are also reducing speed. The Scheibenwischer (another word I don’t know in English, those things that clean the windscreen) go crazy left right left right. I still have to move to the edge of my seat to see something. Flash! Thunder! More rain. I turn on air-condition, because water condenses on my windows inside. The street has here 3 lines, mini-buses are crazy changing lines, the car in front of my furiously hoooooting. I just try to see what is going on around me.
Water all around me. My car becomes a little dry island. Water raises on the street. A boat would be better now!

A little bit later, I reach the bridge that goes over the railway. Not protected anymore by buildings, the wind hits the rain against my car from the left. I double check if all windows are closed; than somehow I have the feeling rain is coming in. At least there are not 20cm of water anymore on the bridge. I move meter by meter, everybody drives very slowly. On the left, I see how the wind pulls of a part of a 5meter high add. The metal construction behind also looks damaged. I start to be scared. All of it is crazy moving, the half turn away add in the wind… but I pass by meter by meter, and than I am in the roundabout. Today it seems that nobody is following the rules, everybody rushes… but miracle oh miracle I make it through. At the busstop people are pushing each other, trying to stay under the little roof of the bus stop and a small shop. A woman runs to a bus, with her Chetenge over the head. After 2 seconds she is wet through and through. Other people start running to read the bus just behind me. A car had a breakdown just in front of me and I have to change line. I can’t see really what is behind me, but can’t see any light. So I hope that the minibus behind me has stopped and that there is no car or bus without lights behind me. The last piece of the road is jammed. I need 10 minutes for 50meters. And than I am at home. Our yard a lake, but its nice to be home.

I call Matutu, whom I do not really get. Something about ice falling and damaging (his?) car. Later I found out, that his car was fine, but the car just parked next, needs a new windscreen. Rain in May? Ice as big as “Ice cubes” in the Middle of Africa?! Looks like I just witnessed how clima change will affect Zambia. More rain, stronger storms, ice rain,… Some farmers are in the middle of the (main) maize harvest. I don’t want to imagine, what this rain means for them.

From home, I hear the following 30minutes, sirens going up an down Great North Road. Later in the evening, the rain has stopped I decide to join Matutu. It is Friday! I walk. Great North and East Road are still completely jammed. Looks like I was lucky; I got through before everything stopped moving. I walk for 30 minutes. Everywhere, also in the small streets, cars were nearly standing. Walking was a good choice! I talk with two women, who walk as fast as me. Further on Great North, a minibus got under the train. From an old man, I get to know that trees have fallen at different places and that this was the main reason for the roads being jammed.

Later in the evening, I got an sms saying that a tree in the garden of the BMI house had fallen. It was lying on the wall fence, threatening the small house on the next plot. Later in the evening, when streets were again passable we went to check, knowing that most probably there was nothing we could do. They have cut the tree yesterday. I will check how bad things are tomorrow.

How will be weather in 5 years from now if temperatures are continuing rising? What will be the consequences?

Only 5 days back, we watched the movie “inconvenient truth”. The movies shows and explaining causes and facts of global warming. What are we waiting for? What???

Zambia is landlocked, and most of the land is above 1000m (incl. Lusaka the capital). Now, I start to understand what means global warming.

Speaking about our global future on this planet. Two days ago, Lucky told me that one day he will make big money and have a big car. I was not very nice (but at least honest) and told him, that by the time that he makes big money, there might be no fuel left for big cars. How can we prepare the kids of today? What are we leaving them? Sorry, enough, I am getting pathetic.

And to add on this optimistic note, another story. Precious told us yesterday, that she was supposed to go singing at Movie TV (the second big TV channel here in Zambia. Two is all we have). Matutu said that she was not allowed to go alone. So I went with her. We found out, that it was actually not on Saturday (yesterday) but on Sunday (today). Despite a big cold (when did I get that one???) I drove her this morning. We met with 7 other girls, an older lady, a “teacher”, a strange looking guy (some kind of disability with his eyes) and a driver. The lady informed us that Precious and another girl would perform next weekend. And that it would be for sure too expensive to drive today “for nothing” to the studio. Looking at Precious’ face and the one of her friend, I said that it would be ok for me to drive also today. I am not sure if this was good or bad news. By that point we were informed that we would actually not go to Movie TV, but to some studio (Tiger studio). Very famous. Many artists are going there. I followed the other car. The old lady did not come with us.

From Kafue Road we entered a mud road. Well, it does not really deserve the name road, “lakes” would be more appropriated. After driving through some small and some bigger “lakes”, touching with my car at least twice the ground, we ended up in a compound (slum) in Makeni. We parked the cars in the middle of nowhere, between houses (not sure at all if the cars were still there when we would come back). The last 50m the girls had to walk through backyards. Than we waited for 15minutes in front of a small house (studio???). The girls (the youngest was maybe 4 years old, the oldest 11 years), Lucky and myself started wondering. The two men disappeared in the house. The driver, I had kindly but firm send back to the cars… 15minutes later “teacher” came out again, explaining to me (why not to the girls?) that we had arrived to late and that we got another appointment next Sunday…

Well well well, I don’t know what you think of this story, but I will ask Matutu to talk to the parents of the other girls. I am not sure what would have happened if I would not have been there. The girl child is very vulnerable in Zambia! Maybe nothing, but I have a strange feeling and for sure I am not going to allow Precious to sing, dance or whatever else in that studio!!! Sorry Precious!!

Ok, I am sick and do not see things were optimistic today. However, I am looking forward to the coming week (just hopping I feel better today). One week of intensive Chinjanja. I want to know a little bit more than the greetings!! Could be helpful, when walking again around in Makeni compound, with some little girls.

Strange days.

Big hug