SUNNY SUNDAY BRUNCH

SHOPPING AND CLUBING

Monthly market with all the expats is a necessity as we get our favourite marmelade from there. We got surprised by the rain along with everyone else and found ourselves standing in a small river. In the evening we went to the Lounge and Alpha to hang out with the local middle class kids. Those girls can really shake their booty! Thanx Petter for being our club guide.

FRUITBOWL

WALLS

There are a lot of walls around, even though all do not look as nasty as this one. I'm not sure it is that necessary to have though, it's quite calm. But maybe it's like having a pool, you dont really use it, you just show that you can afford having one. The fact that people don't use their pools gave me a hard time when trying to find a bikini. Zambians don't swim.

SWEDISH MIDSUMMER?

It just happens to be that there's a cloud the size of Europe over Southern Afrika right now, and we're in the middle of it. So it is a bit like a hot Swedish midsummer´s, sun and then rain, and sun and then rain. So I end up running in and out, the only thing missing is the herring.

THE PERFECT CURE

Brunch followed by popcorn and James Bond at the cinema in Lusaka - made us feel better in many ways. /Mrs Bond

SHAKING WHAT MY MAMA GAVE ME

Club 101 in our neighbourhood is the new hot thing in town, of course we had to check it out!

GERRITZ TO THE RESCUE

These little creatures are apparently supposed to be evil and people kill them when they get the opportunity. So Gerritz came up with the plan to give the kids some money every time the bring him one. He gets about one a day, he suspects that they bring him the same one several times though. Yesterday we got to borrow it, I can't imagine that they're evil but they sure make a georgeous flower decoration.

AMAZING SKY AND ZAMBIAN WEATHER

Two hours before this picture was taken, it was so hot and impossible to walk barfoot on the veranda without saying "aoo!". Two hours after the picture was taken it was raining hippos and elephants.

STAFF

Being a Swede and thinking that home is quite a private thing, having staff around took some time to get used to. Also the number of contractors walking in and out has something to do with it. In the morning the maid arrives at about 8.30 to clean the house and do the ironing, which is fabulous. Then there's the caretaker that looks after the houses. And of course the gardener, watering the flowers and cutting the grass (with a pair of sissors! Rather bonsai I must say). About 6 pm the night guard arrives and stays the whole night to see to it that we're safe. Although we´ve had a few guards, most of them slept through the whole night and got fired. And I don't really know what the would actually do if someone broke in. I think more of them as a man in uniform standing at attention saying "welcome home madam" when we get home in the evening. So, being properly dressed at all times is essential as you never know who's knocking on the door - and to cover up while going to the pool is a good idea. There´s always someone around that may get offended by too much bare skin...

A DAY OF SPORTS

Saw cricket being played for the first time, funny rules, but I think I've got a clue of how it works now. It was what we in swedish would refer to as a "korpen-match" between England, South Africa and Sri Lanka. It was great, we had a beer in the shade, ate chicken and saw Ash´s team (South Africa) win. After that, feeling sporty, we went to Showgrounds to watch Petter'e team "Lusaka Locomtives" win over "Lusaka Toyota" by 6-3. Finished the day with a pizza at Porticos, a perfect sporty Sunday!

A VISIT TO THE LOCAL GAMBLING DEN

Chinese architecture and me trying out the black jack.

HOW TO SHOP VEGGIES

The first mango harvest of the season is coming to town, and of course we had to get hold of some! Inspired by this we then drove out to Sugar Bush to buy some organic veggies directly from the bush.

SHOPPING FOR DIAMONDS

I fell in love with diamonds the day Mattias brought one home from South Africa. It was not for me though, but for Amis wedding ring. So now I'm getting one as well, the ring has been ordered and Ross says it will be ready in two weeks, can't wait! I've been told that "jagoda" means "strawberry" in some language, so of course I'm doing it there.

PRINTING LETTERS FOR GRANDMOTHERS

Mattias and I had prepared a letter with some pictures and stories to send back home to loved ones who don't have internet. So I went down to the local printshop (Fedex) to print it. All went really well. I was escorted in to the office and sat down. Two men were in there, one doing something on his computer. The other one, with a belly as big as two bags of onions, was laying a solitaire. No one looking at me for a minute or so. I was in no hurry so it didn't bother me much, I just relaxed and enjoyed the exitement of the solitaire. Eventually one of them started to talk to me and started the printing. After he had looked at all the pictures and asked what the letter said, that is. After pushing the print button he yelled to his colleages in the other room and explained to me that the printer shakes so much they need to hold it when printing. Letters are now prepared and waiting for stamps, that's a mission for tomorrow.

STRANGE NAME

WHO IS YOUR NETWORK OPERATOR?

HOUSEWARMING AT OUR NEIGHBOURS PLACE

A great party with drinks, food and lots of dancing, practised my bootyshake! Also learned a new way to say hello: shake hands and then bumb shoulders together.

COOL ZAMBIAN ARCHITECTURE 2

ART EXHIBITION AT INTERCONTINENTAL

This is called "drunkard". Too much Shake Shake perhaps?

LIGHTNING, CHOCOLATE AND CHILI AT GERRITZ

Gerritz is a restaurant run by a german, mr Gerritz, as usual dressed in leather pants and a thin ponytail. The food was great, I had a beef fillet with chocolate-chili-sause and they even serve good wine, even though the wine of course is served as warm as a zambian kitchen. The setting was even better then the food, there was a thunderstorm that lightened up the whole sky and the wind played in the trees. The local band did only play for a couple of minutes before the sky opened and they had to run for shelter. Amazing night.

GO-OBAMA-GO-NIGHT

COOL ZAMBIAN ARCHITECTURE

STORE IN KALINGALINGA

ELECTION POSTER AND THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY

STILL WAITING FOR NEWS

Seems like Banda won the election for his party MMD, but there are almost no news to be found anywere. Eventually we found an announcement from the Electoral Commission, between two shows on Zambian wildlife. Election rigging is suspected, at least by Sata who lost by just one percentage point or so.

EXPATS, SHOPPING AND LUNCH AT DUTCH MARKET