7 / 11 / 20009

Well, it’s the weekend! But nothing much is different for me, just no trip to the office, which is a difference from every previous day. The younger tenants of this house seem to enjoy a festive night-life, especially Camilla, she is making the most of her experience working for the Italian Embassy. She and the two young men, Dan and Jack have had a few late evenings this week and they are all sleeping in this morning.

It is a brighter day, but still cold. Today I will try to make a difference by purchasing a space heater. Most of the hours after dark are unprofitable, I’m just too chilled to be productive. Other than that house is very comfortable. I’m sharing a room with Dan, a cousin of Bill and F.K who is here as an intern. Dan finished college last year and is like many of my classmates who is trying to figure out what comes next. For those of you counting, yes, this makes Dan almost half my age, a theme that will be repeated quite often while I’m here

Dan - the lady's man

Jack is half-way through college at Michigan and studying business. He’s a very warm-hearted young man who is family friends with the Day’s. He and Dan have been here a little over a month and will return in early August. Jack likes to remind me of my collegiate days by telling stories about antics in the frat house. If Jack’s mom is reading this, he doesn’t sound like an instigator, but a playful observer.

Jack, the guy lady's want

Camilla, the sweetheart

Camilla is the room-mate I met first, since Jack and Dan were on a bit of Safari that weekend. She is an Italian student working as an intern at the Embassy, and seems the most genuine in her interest in the local people and customs. I like Camilla, mostly because she likes my music and I’m allowed to let the i-tunes play all day. Actually, she is very unpretentious (this photo captures that quite well) and easy to get along with. Besides the music, the only entertainment is reading or conversation. No TV, movies, or newspapers. We do have a wonderful time with the mosquitoes in the evening, trying to see who can catch the most evasive and annoying little bastard I’ve ever had the misfortune to come in contact with. I win the first contest with a leaping 180 from the dinner table. I’m gonna leave that guy on the wall as a warning to the others.

Our house is brand new. You won’t see in on the google satellite shot, but I added the address, so if you punch Ngumbo Rd, Lusaka Zambia into the search bar, it will zoom into our neighborhood. We are right between Embassy Row and the Presidential residence. Its probably the safest neighborhood in the country. The national police are a block away and the army across the road from the state house. The street is tree lined and reminds me of a southern neighborhood. The same walls that surrounded the buildings in Pretoria are also here, with barbed wire and a local improvement: broken glass cemented to the tops of the walls. Every residence is protected by a large metal door, most of which are manned by guards. While we have no guard, we have dogs that are too annoying to bother with.

There are two other homes within this plot (they are on the map). There are two kids living in the homes next door. Lamushi is about 10 and very nice and quick to talk or answer questions. Her little brother is much more shy and about 7. Mfasi is ALWAYS dirty, in a way that would make any boy in America envious. The two have learned that we usually have candy, or water-melon and have been a bit more adventurous about coming to our door.

We also have a maid who visits the house three times a week. This is very good for Dan. She offers to do laundry, which I happily take her up on at the first opportunity. Her price seems reasonable - $10. But this is the same wage earned by the bicycle mechanics after working an entire day. Working for the westerners is obviously a wonderful benefit. But I wonder how many men would be willing to earn so much more by doing house-work.

I interviewed another cab driver. Patson is in very similar situation as Enpol. He drives a private car 6 days a week that belongs to someone else. He has identical aspirations and also thinks that once he owns a car, he would not drive it for hire. I think this is very interesting. However, Patson pays 75 pin a day for the car, (1 pin is 1000 Kwacha, 5000 Kwacha is roughly equal to a dollar) so that’s $15/day for the car, another 5 pin ($1) for secure parking and 100 pin ($20) for gas. Patson makes roughly 30,000 – 40,000 Kwacha per fare, so he needs about 5 a day to beat his costs. That’s often about all he does. A very good day and Patson collects 300 pin ($60, of which only $25 is profit). Patson is probably living on less than $150 a month. He is a very happy and congenial young man with a wife and a son just over 1 year old. Although the pay is meager and nerve-rackingly inconsistent, taxis abound in Lusaka. This opportunity is better than the options.

The “kids” are heading out again, I’m calling Patson to take me to dinner. I was attempting to make one, but the power has gone out, which happens several times a week, usually at this hour. Good night folks.