Almost Time for Some Adventure

Life in Lusaka continues to be comfortable and not terribly eventful. I’ve been to the James Bond movie, visited the museum (boring) and then the Kamwala market (not boring), and yes, I’ve been to the mall(s). Last Monday evening I played floor hockey at the Swedish Embassy (using those crappy, little plastic sticks). I didn’t make any jokes about chicken Swedes and they didn’t mention the outcome of the last Olympics. I had a nice chat with this one fellow and when I asked him what he did he replied that he was the Ambassador.

On the work front, things are getting cleaned-up and organized. With no hand-over from my predecessor and my assistant going on study leave just two days after my arrival it has certainly been on-the-job training. One of my activities this week has been hiring a new gardener. This is ironic to say the least, as have no clue as to what to look for in a gardener or even what to ask them during the interview.

I’ve been in Zambia for three weeks now and I still haven’t gotten out of Lusaka. This is about to change, however, as the next couple of weeks should be quite eventful. The following is what I have in store:

Dec 15-16 – Kasanka National Park for a Country Management Team meeting. Although the meeting will be held on a Saturday, the upside is that we will be staying in a national park. As luck would have it Kasanka is located at the halfway point between Lusaka and the MSF project in Nchelenge, about a six-hour drive from each location. I don’t think that there is much in the way of wildlife to be seen in Kasanka, but who cares? It’s a national park in Africa and it’s outside of Lusaka

Dec 17-26 – Visit the MSF project in Nchelenge – This visit will be a combination of work and the Christmas break. I’m looking forward to spending time with the team there seeing a different part of the country.

Dec 27-28 – A few days back in Lusaka. The office will only be open for just 2 ½ days this week.

Dec 29-Jan 1 – New Year’s weekend in Livingstone. With Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River there is apparently no shortage of things to do.

After all this activity it will then be time to return to Lusaka. I suspect that by then I will be quite content to be back in the capital for my final three weeks in Zambia. Final three weeks…didn’t I just get here?