10 Things I have learned while living in Lusaka

1. Pedestrians never EVER have the right of way.
2. 24 people on the minibus is perfectly acceptable
3. The concept of lines doesn't exist here.
4. A burning fire on the side of the road is nothing to be alarmed about. People are just burning their trash usually unattended.
5. Shards of glass protruding from the top of a wall is the common burglar system.
6. AK47s slung on cop's shoulders doesn't seem to bother anyone.
7. All women are affectionately called momma.
8. Excessive honking while you are walking doesn't mean that people think you are hot. They assume because you are white that you have an endless amount of money for taxis.
9. Hanging out at the mall hasn't been this much fun since Jr.High
10. "You've gotten fat." is a compliment which means you are doing well for yourself.

Weekend Wrapup

On Friday we went to spend the evening with the Sherry family. They just put up a zip line in their backyard and Will needed to make sure it was legit. Caroline is an amazing cook. She prepared enchiladas and for dessert brownies and vanilla ice cream. 

The Sherry Family

On Saturday we planned to have brunch with another couple. We headed over to their house and to our surprise all our friends were there. They put together a surprise baby shower for us. We ate and played games. They bought us a gift certificate to Amazon, a handmade baby blanket, and a dvd highlighting our time here. I was speechless. I have only known these people for 6 months and I was blown away by their generosity.

I cried.

Just chatting it up.

Mimosas

Posing with Julie and Kali.

The game coordinator

The yummy food.

Games...all kinds of games.

The Roomies

On Saturday afternoon we went to the hash. The hash is popular in the expat world. Their moto is "a drinking club with a running problem." Each Saturday they have a new place to run. This week it was held at the forestry club. The scenery is typically beautiful. They mark out different paths and you have to figure out which way is correct. It ends up being about 5k once you are finished. There is also a walking path which is what I did with my friend Julie. When the run is over they all stand in a circle to punish, reward, or recognize individuals. Then they sing the following song each time someone is called into the circle.

"Here's to Jill she is blue. She is a hasher through and through. She is a piss pot so they say she'll never get to heaven in a long long way. Drink it down down down......Why are we waiting?"

When the song gets to drink it down you have to finish your beer. They called us into the circle because I am pregnant. They called us 2 and 7/8s. It is really random and also really fun. 

Julie and Syd were called into the circle because of their
matching bright colored shirts.

Our crew.

Giving love to the bean

On Sunday we headed to the market to buy a few last minute gifts for people. Will and I finally set goals for 2012. We are a little behind but better late than never. We managed to visit our favorite doughnut shop for one last time and then headed to lunch with some friends. We capitalized on a rainy afternoon with an office marathon. It was one of the best weekends I have had in Lusaka. 

We are both starting to get sad about leaving. We have loved our time here and wouldn't trade it for anything. We have met some wonderful people and will cherish the time we got to have with them...especially our house mates. We love you guys.

My First Fondant Experience

My roommate Sydney and I recently got to help one of our co workers, Peggy, who was making a cake for a Christmas party at a local orphanage. I had no experience with fondant before this adventure.  Peggy showed us the ropes and taught us how to mix the colors and make the presents.

Our fondant balls.

Making colors.

The pro at work.

We like to call her creative fingers Syd.

Our handy work.

Our presents.

Peggy's cakes for the party.

Those are some of the prettiest presents I have
ever seen.

I always enjoy exploring new creative avenues, but fondant is a world I may not visit too often. It is very tedious. To all that make fondant cakes like my sister in law I am seriously impressed with your creativity and attention to detail.

32 Weeks

As far as bean updates go I think I hit my pinnacle last week with the monkey. This week I went for more of a standard cliche picture. The bean is getting big. We had an ultrasound this past week and the baby weighed 2.2 kgs which translates to around 4.5 lbs. Everything looked great. We heard the heart beat which was so sweet. I teared up a little. My stomach is SO tight. I have been having more backaches. It feels like the bean is going to kick through my stomach. From here on out they say that I will gain a pound a week which I have a hard time imagining where that will all go. Other than being uncomfortable from time to time everything else is fine.

Beach Time in Zanzibar

After a night in Stone Town we headed to Pwani Mchangani, the northeast part of the island.The beach was beautiful. There was a reef in the distance which kept the waves away and also caused the water to be a bit warm.

When the tide went out women would collect seaweed and tie it together in a line. Then they would set the seaweed out to dry. The seaweed is sold and used to make shampoo and other body products.

When the tide goes out all the boats rest lazily on the shore.

Hermit crabs. I have never seen these outside of a pet store.

Lil and Sydney relaxing on the beach.

The hotel monkey.

Meet Stephon

The Zanzibar group.

Some locals.

Playing bananas, also known as speed scrabble.

Look at that concentration.

Sunrise 

Laying in the water while the tide is out.

Stonetown, Zanzibar

We were only  in Stone Town for one night. It is the biggest city on the island. The city has a large Muslim population with a Middle Eastern ambiance. The architecture is beautiful. We wondered through the alleys and shopped at the market. It has a very different feel than the other parts of Africa I have been to so far.

The Spice is Right

After leaving Ethiopia we headed to Zanzibar, Tanzania. We checked into our hostel and headed for a seafood dinner. The restaurant over looked the beach where we watched as the children played soccer and the boats came in from the day.

The next day we went on a spice tour. Zanzibar is known for its spices. They export the bulk of them. It was crazy hot but very interesting.

Now we will play the game guess that spice, herb, or fruit. Whoever gets the most right wins a souvenir from Africa. (you think I'm kidding)

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

Post your answers in the comment box and I will give the answers at the end of the week.

Ethiopian Excursion

Over Christmas we decided to take a trip to Zanzibar, Tanzania. We flew through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a night where we met up with Nuri and Lil. Nuri is working in Zambia for an NGO,but is originally from Addis. Lil is one of our roommates in Lusaka who was also headed to Zanzibar for the holidays.

Nuri was a wonderful hostess. She had a bit of a challenge since we were only there a night. She took us to Yod Abyssinia an authentic Ethiopian restaurant. Yod means "a respect of declaring to pay attention to a visitor." This restaurant didn't just cater to foreigners there were a mix of locals which is always fun. Who wants to be in a place without locals? It kinda defeats the purpose.

One of my favorite things about this restaurant was the seating. It was very open, each group was seated near the other. We all participated in the same show as we sat around our food. There were no booths to barricade us from one another which offered the feeling of sharing in an experience together.

One of the many things I learned that night was about the dance patterns of Africa. The type of dancing a person does may be an indicator of where in Africa they are from. The further down in Africa you get the further down the body the dancing goes. For example: In Ethiopia they dance more with their shoulders and head. In Zambia they use more of their hips and legs in their dancing. The dancing here is incredible, it brings such life to the culture.

A little live music, we don't get that too much in Lusaka.

A little drama in Amharic, the local language.  

They danced for hours.

This is our beautiful hostess ordering for us.

Getting cleaned up for dinner.

Honey Wine (it is very sweet)
and an Ethiopian Beer.

The performers came around to different
people and danced with them.

Couple shot.

Our delicious food.

They serve popcorn when you order coffee. The coffee
is some of the best I have ever had.

It was a quick trip to Ethiopia. We wished we could have stayed longer but Zanzibar was calling our name.