One of the things we have come to accept as normal is the inconsistency in availability of...well....everything. Multiple times we have gone to the bureau of exchange only to be told they have no kwacha (the local currency) and we can't exchange money. Today's lunch was another typical example:
[at an Indian restaurant]
me: I'll have chicken tikka masala and naan.
waitron [local term for waitress/waiter]: we don't have naan right now.
me: okay. what else don't you have right now?
waitron: we have everything else.
Henry: I'll have the saagwala mutton (a spinach dish).
waitron: we don't have spinach right now.
Henry: okay. I'll have the lamb & pea dish.
[waitron leaves to place our order, then returns]
waitron: we don't have peas right now.
[slowly walk away...]
It is a a fierce reality check to be shown how much I take for granted the availability of anything I could want in the US.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Easter Weekend and a Rant
(posted late, I know....) I am worried that my current circumstances are going to give what was otherwise a lovely weekend a negative slant. I am at our house in Kitwe, where it is growing ever darker and ever warmer. We haven't had power really since last night at 10:00 pm (it was on for about an hour this morning before shutting off again). Henry made a lovely Easter meal, including a turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. Sadly, all the leftovers are probably spoiling in our ever warming fridge. We also don't have water. The warmer I get, the more I just want a shower, and would gladly welcome a cold one at this point. However, we certainly don't keep enough water in reserve to accommodate that request. We are already having to ration our toilet flushes. I wish I could say this was a rare occurrence. While it is uncommon to have our power off for this long, it is not uncommon to have to plan our days around not having it and it is not that rare to have our water shut off for hours at a time. We find that having a pressing laundry need is a good way to predict when you won't have water...otherwise, it can happen any time without warning.
Our current dilemna is figuring out how long we can make it using only the waning sunlight without turning on our battery lamps. I'm not sure they would last from now until bedtime, and it would be pretty annoying to find out they didn't.
So let me back up a few days when things weren't feeling so grim. Easter is a national holiday, so the university was closed on Friday and Monday. Henry and I had a relaxing weekend of doing some work, cleaning, taking care of things around the house, reading, watching movies, and playing some games. We decided that we were going to watch all of the police academy movies again (let that be your guide as to what the entertainment options here are like).
On Easter day, we were invited to one of Henry's colleague for lunch. It was really pleasant. Dinner was served at 10:30 am because they were expecting their power to go out at 2:00 pm. Of course, Henry and I often take advantage of these situations to get clarifications on things we've observed in Zambia that confuse us. Most interestingly, we got into a long debate about beliefs around witchcraft, magic, and things that do not have immediate and clear explanations. Henry used his excellent sleight of hand skills to make the point that just because we can't immediately find the solution does not mean there isn't one. What I found fascinating was how common beliefs about witchcraft seem to be.
For Easter supper, Henry cooked one of his favorite meals: Turkey. He gets all of the credit for the meal - I think my only contribution was looking up a recipe for mashed potatoes. I didn't even make them. It was very tasty and a nice reminder of home.
Our current dilemna is figuring out how long we can make it using only the waning sunlight without turning on our battery lamps. I'm not sure they would last from now until bedtime, and it would be pretty annoying to find out they didn't.
So let me back up a few days when things weren't feeling so grim. Easter is a national holiday, so the university was closed on Friday and Monday. Henry and I had a relaxing weekend of doing some work, cleaning, taking care of things around the house, reading, watching movies, and playing some games. We decided that we were going to watch all of the police academy movies again (let that be your guide as to what the entertainment options here are like).
On Easter day, we were invited to one of Henry's colleague for lunch. It was really pleasant. Dinner was served at 10:30 am because they were expecting their power to go out at 2:00 pm. Of course, Henry and I often take advantage of these situations to get clarifications on things we've observed in Zambia that confuse us. Most interestingly, we got into a long debate about beliefs around witchcraft, magic, and things that do not have immediate and clear explanations. Henry used his excellent sleight of hand skills to make the point that just because we can't immediately find the solution does not mean there isn't one. What I found fascinating was how common beliefs about witchcraft seem to be.
For Easter supper, Henry cooked one of his favorite meals: Turkey. He gets all of the credit for the meal - I think my only contribution was looking up a recipe for mashed potatoes. I didn't even make them. It was very tasty and a nice reminder of home.
 |
| delicious! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)