Friday was Independance Day in Zambia. After being strapped to a lampost and made to apologise for the British I was helped down and straight off to a Kitchen Party (I might have made that first bit up...) with Choolwe, Iness and Irene who teach at the school. We met up in town and played 'how many zambian women and a muzunga can you fit into a very small car' to get there (answer is 8, 3 in the front, 5 in the back) and I swear the petrol was actually cans of Tab Clear which I recently discovered you can buy here. Arrived at Kitchen Party to total chaos queing to get in- now, I am not sure I even KNOW 300 women but this party had 300 women there. All drinking, dancing 'cept the old ones who were mostly 'tut-tutting'. We were in the lairy corner, Choolwe's relatives were excitable, and there was a lady there who kept grabbing one of my bum cheeks (Ive checked local traditions and its definitely not one of them) - the event itself took place in a courtyard of some kind, we all sat round like a football match style, and there was a makeshift kitchen in the middle. Then, the relatives and friends of the bride to be bring the woman out and she sits down and the man presents flowers. But as she is covered up it is customary for them to 'ho ho ho' bring out a different woman and cover her in a veil. So the whole proceedure takes bloomin hours. A few hours and more beers on, we were to present the gifts to the bride, and Iness and I had to get up and do a traditional dance that I was taught before I went up. Now, as traditions go, this one has to be more humiliating than most, we had to go up and you do this slow hip girating dance (readers of this blog over 40 may look away now) as if you are teaching the bride how to please her man. Cue embarassing ness all round. And then you kneel down and present your gift to the bride , unwrapping it and I had to say 'urm, these are some pots and pans, urm, you , urm, cook with 'em'. She probably didnt understand a word of it. The bride also has to sit looking down the whole time, and she looked sodding miserable. She wasnt allowed to enjoy it out of respect. I spoke to her right at hte end of the party, she didnt say much but was exhausted from not being allowed to enjoy it. Random.
Jollyboys was more than lively to say the least this weekend. But we ALL went to the local nightclub Hippos after I got back from Kitchen Party, it was quite fun as tons of folk from the hostel en mass trouped down to Hippos, with a mix of local folk too who seem to want to protect us all wherever we go which is very kind of them. So dancing, drinking and generally silliness until the small hours went on. Much of the same on saturday but with a slight hangover- chatting to everyone and having a really good laugh. There are some folk sticking around for another week or two and we are having a Halloween party Friday at the hostel which will be very much fun I hope.
Back at school today was good, but I had to take some classes with Grade 6- English was good but then I had to do a social studies class which was quite tricky, explaining why people should stay in rural areas and develop it instead of moving into towns. Not being a proper teacher I do find it hard but I think I managed to keep them quiet and attentive by doing impressions of pickpocketers and fishermen.
Some of my drama group came up to me today to tell me they'd already learnt their lines for the play! I am VERY impressed.
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