Monthly Archives: September 2013

Sep23

A bird watch…and cows!

Posted on September 23, 2013 by juliechilton

Sunday, I joined the Zambian Bird Society (http://www.birdwatchzambia.org) on their monthly bird-walk. It took place at the Kalamazi Game Ranch, not far outside of Lusaka. I borrowed a pair of binoculars for the occasion (and really need to get some of my own soon!) I was also armed with a camera, a couple of bottles of water, a hiking pole and sunscreen. I had neglected to bring my hat, but I made do with my trusty bandanna.

We met at the “Bird Watch Office” and caravanned towards the Game Ranch. There were 7 of us…and no one was really a “regular,”, it seemed. Once we turned off the tarred road, I realized that I should have jumped into one of the 4-wheel drive vehicles as my little Starlet was not meant for rutted dirt roads. When we hit the turn to the ranch, which was little more than a dirt path, I parked my car and grabbed a ride with a very nice American couple who had a sturdy 4 x 4.

As we drove in, we passed several flocks of guinea fowl, which are very common and have been domesticated. They apparently make good eating!

Birders can be an interesting bunch. I was asked if I had brought my notebook – apparently it is common to record sightings and observations as you encounter different birds…or think you encounter them. Everyone had a pair of serious binoculars and when a bird was sighted (or someone thought a bird was sighted) everyone would stand perfectly still, binoculars up and steady, looking to see if certain markings or beak colours could be discerned before confirming the sighting.

Some people thought this bird was definitely a “lizard buzzard” but others were not so sure. The light was not good enough to check to see if he had the requisite black stripes down his chest, as shown in the close up picture (not mine!)

We came across a whole bunch of nests made by a bird called a “weaver.” They weave their nests onto reeds and thin branches. There are several kinds of weavers, some that make neat, tidy nests like these and others who are sloppy and make ratty looking nests with loose ends and bits of sticks and grass sticking out. .

The game ranch is part of a farm that borders a large dam and the lake that has been created. We walked around the lake to the mud flats, where we hoped to see some of the “waders.” It was very pretty and there was a nice breeze coming off the water.

We were able to see several kinds of birds – ones that were positively identified were the pied kingfisher, the stilt, a common bulbul, a jacana (also called the “Jesus Christ bird” because it appears to walk on water!), a black-necked heron (which could possibly have been a grey heron) and a bee-eater.

The stilt is a very attractive bird – long red legs and black wings with a white body. And the pied kingfisher is unique amongst kingfishers in that he hovers over the water before diving for his prey. The bee-eater is a very pretty little bird – bright yellow body with a colorful head. And the jacanas really do seem as if they are walking on the water – they have incredibly long toes which allow them to navigate on even the smallest leaves or twigs.

(Please note: the close-up bird pictures are NOT mine! I would have needed incredible luck and a much more expensive camera to take shots like these! But they show what the birds look like!)

Dark-capped Bulbul WT09216

And then…someone told the cows it was time for morning tea. One came down to see if it was ready.

Then, using some unknown cow-communication, the rest of them slowly followed.

These cows are quite unusual in that they have a hump between their shoulder blades, in some cases quite pronounced. They are called “Zebus” or Brahman cattle and originated in Southern Asia. They are well adapted to tropical temperatures and used for dairy, beef, draught animals and also hides and leather. Their dung is used for fuel and fertilizer.

Most of the cows moved placidly down to the water, but every once in a while, there would be feisty one who would seem more curious.

Behind the mud flats, there was a curious structure that I first took to be an old foundation of some sort. Upon closer inspection, and some discussion, we discerned it to be a “cattle dip.” The cattle would be driven into the shoot and into the deeper end, where they could be soaked with insecticide or cleaner…

There was much interesting flora, as well. Thorned acacia trees and various bushes and tall rush-like plants.

And as we returned to our cars, we could clearly see a marabou stork wheeling about overhead. This bird has a wing-span of almost 2 meters. From a distance, it was beautiful, but it was considered to be one of the ugliest birds, with its short neck, featherless head and huge neck- pouch.

Right before leaving, I found a long-discarded impala horn on the ground…

It was a fun morning…and next time, I plan to have a stronger pair of binoculars (and my hat!)

Sep21

The Lusaka Children’s Choir

Posted on September 21, 2013 by juliechilton

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As I have mentioned before, Fridays at the school are a bit different. There is a section of the day called “Global Issues.” This is devoted to assemblies and events that (hopefully) connect the students to the wider world. About once a month, there is an extended period of time where students take part in a service project of one kind or another. Every student grade 6 – 12 must be involved in one of the projects. Selected students function as leaders and organizers. Every teacher must also be involved.

I was asked to co-lead the “Lusaka Children’s Choir” along with Geofrey, who is the manager of our Performing Arts Center and also directs a choir at his church and one of the local schools. They started this activity last year…students from several local schools are bused in and combined with students from our school in the hopes of making music. At the end of the year, there is a concert, which helps raise money for the local schools. Apparently, last year, they spent almost the entire time rehearsing one song for this concert…and I got the feeling that the students had become quite frustrated with this. Anyone who has seen me teach music knows that this really isn’t my style. I suggested we jump right in and learn as many songs as we could…both African songs and songs from other countries. So we started with some simple rounds – “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and “Music Alone Shall Live.” I taught them Natalie Sleeth’s “Gaudeamus Hodie” and the calypso tune “Shake the Papaya Down.” And Geof taught (or rather, reviewed, since most of them knew it!) a traditional Zambian song called “Tiyende Pamodzi” and also “Siyahamba” which we sing in the US as well.

I thought we sounded pretty good for a first attempt! Please forgive the horrendous quality of the video…I am just learning how to use the camera on the iPad! I also haven’t yet figured out how to embed the videos into the blog, so you’ll have to click on the links! But please do click – it is worth hearing!

The uniformed kids are from a local school called “Appleseeds” and the younger children are from a primary school called “Open Arms.” They were quite shy at first, but as you can see, they become more involved and expressive as we sang together.

Tiyende Pamodzi is a traditional African song that was popularized by Zambia’s first President, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, who used the song in his election campaign. For his purposes, the title would likely be translated as “Let’s move together with one heart.”

Learning Tiyende Pamodzi

Siyahamba is a South African song…some you might know it as “We Are Marching in the Light of God.” I used to sing this with my kids at the Academy of Notre Dame and they loved it, too. Such a great choral song.

Siyahamba – getting the alto part right!

Adding movement…

Putting all together.

I am really looking forward to working with Geof and this choir as the year goes on! And I bet our end-of-the-year concert will be fantastic!

Sep18

“Everybody Ought to Have a Maid…”

Posted on September 18, 2013 by juliechilton

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Meet my wonderful maid, Mary.

In Zambia, as in many parts of Africa, it is very common (and expected) that anyone making any kind of decent living will hire household help. A maid, a gardener, maybe a cook and a nanny if you have children to look after. Sometimes a person might do more than one job. If you have a large family and a big house and yard, you might have a couple of gardeners and maids.

At first, this seemed very odd to me and a bit uncomfortable. After all, couldn’t I pick up after myself? I am perfectly capable of doing my own laundry, aren’t I? Wasn’t it lazy of me to hire a maid for my little flat? Would it be condescending for me to hire someone to fold my clothes and make my bed?

Zambia has an incredibly high rate of unemployment and many people who are employed live well below the poverty line. When you hire a maid or other household help, you are giving someone a job who otherwise would not be employed at all. Some of the people who work as maids or cooks have been doing this their entire life – they are trained, experienced and knowledgeable about what they do. And they are proud of the quality of their work. Some younger people work as domestics in order to put money away for college or training school. And while the expected pay is very low compared to what you might pay in the states, it is enough to make a living and put some money aside. The minimum wage for a maid in Zambia is 550 kwacha per month, full time (usually 5 and a half days per week) however, most experienced maids charge more and deserve it. I pay 50 kwacha per day, plus money for weekly bus fare and lunch. (One kwacha is a little less than 20 cents.)

My block of flats has a communal garden and the gardeners are hired by the landlady. However, everyone hires their own maid. The two other folks who live here and work at the school “share” their maid (thus giving her a full-time job.) Mary was recommended to me by one of the teachers who knew her. Having never had a maid I wasn’t sure what to expect or what to ask her to do and I felt a little shy about it. Luckily, Mary knew exactly what she was doing. The first day, I showed her how to use the washer and dryer, where I kept everything and how the flat was set up. She took it from there. She is the kind of person who just “feels” comfortable and although her English is not the best and I speak no Nyanga, we can talk about our daughters and our ex-husbands and our lives and laugh together, just like two women anywhere.

She comes 3 days a week and cleans, washes, folds, irons and in general, makes the place sparkle. Because we rarely cross paths, we leave little notes for each other! It is absolutely wonderful to come home and have the flat all organized, the laundry done, ironed and put away (neatly folded!) and the bed linens changed, the towels fluffed, the dishes all clean and in the cupboard. I came home a bit early today and was able to take her picture in her new uniform (they sell them at the grocery store and she had specifically asked for one.) When I told her I wanted to take her picture, she made sure to put her apron on to look “professional.” After the picture above, she went and got a dust-rag so she could pose as if she was “working.” She asked me if I would show the picture to my children and I told her yes…I would show the picture and tell everyone, “This is my wonderful maid, Mary!” She beamed.

(PS: For those of you who are Broadway musical challenged, the title of this post is a song from Stephen Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”)

Sep16

“24 Hour Drama”

Posted on September 16, 2013 by juliechilton

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Besides hanging around at various Zambian locales and investigating the flora and fauna, I also work! I teach music, and I am fortunate to be working with a drama director with lots of experience, plenty of energy, an enormous amount of creativity and a healthy dose of insanity.

This past weekend was the annual “24 Hour Drama” event.

About 50 middle-school students (grades 6 – 8) descended upon the Performing Arts Center at exactly 7:00pm Friday evening and were greeted by about 10 High School drama students, who would be their teachers and guides for the next 24 hours.

The kids were divided into three groups for warm-ups, brainstorming, discussion of themes and plots, various theater games and finally, creating, rehearsing and performing an original short play for their parents and friends on the following evening.

In between, they would eat, swim in the pool, drink plenty of water and (at some point) sleep.

I showed up Saturday morning to check out the scene and take a few pictures. Everyone was into the “brainstorming” phase, which included lots of physical activity and movement.

When I returned that evening, the motley groups had been transformed. Now they were in “costume” and focused, ready to go on stage with their premiere performances.

I was very impressed. Each little play had a theme, a plot, an over-all “message” and every single student was involved. Some had choreography and singing, too. From chaos had come order – and it was all their own work (with a big boost from the High School students, who looked only slightly bleary at the end!)

Sep14

Leopards Hill Park and a new fruit!

Posted on September 14, 2013 by juliechilton

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On my drive to work each day, I pass an old and crowded cemetery, known locally as the “Old Leopards Hill Cemetery.” Graves are crowded together in what seems to be a haphazard fashion. Markers are made of slate or even wood. There are no real roads or even pathways amongst the graves.

Funerals are big here in Zambia, and at least once or twice a week, I will see a large group of mourners gathered in this place, standing amidst the dirt and the dust. But a new cemetery is being developed, literally right in the middle of the old one. Called “Leopards Hill Memorial Park” it is privately owned and purports to “offer world class facilities and a tranquil final resting place.” The front page of their website states “Rest in Peace – FINALLY.” It is apparently going to be quite a comprehensive cemetery with a “full range of burial products.”

Friday market…and lunch at Sugarbush Farm

Posted on September 6, 2013 by juliechilton

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Fridays at the school tend to be somewhat more relaxed than the other days. The students have an activity period called “Global Issues” which is usually an assembly or other activity. It’s a half-day – we get out at 12:30. And…there is the Friday market.

Early in the morning, a few of the local farmers bring their produce and set it up outside the canteen. You have to be quick – it starts at 7:00am sharp and people are ready for it! Everyone brings their own large shopping bags and coolers to fill.

There are bags of potatoes and onions, bins of cabbage, cukes, lettuces and packages of tomatoes (which are year-round here) and a variety of other produce and herbs – today there was fresh spinach, scallions, dill and parsley. My haul included a big sack of smallish onions, some plum tomatoes, a bag of spinach, some spectacular carrots and more…and it cost only 50 kwacha (about $9.00)

They also sell beautiful fresh flowers…

At lunchtime, there is a different kind of market. Local restaurants and privately-owned business come in to sell their wares. In addition, there are a few other produce-sellers. You can buy corn, pineapples, big bags of apples or pears and avocados. There is the “Italian Guy” who sells chunks of Parmesan and mozzarella, and packages of prosciutto and other Italian delicacies. And you have a smorgasbord of options for lunch – including food from an Ethiopian restaurant or hand-made burritos from an authentic Zambian-owned Mexican restaurant. (No joke! The guy who originally owned it went back to Guatemala and before he left, he taught his employees how to make all the food – and now they run it!) There are fantastic home-made cookies, fresh-made bagels and snacks like popcorn and muffins. And this happens every Friday!

Today was the first Friday of the month, and so we had the “Ladies Who Lunch” – just a group of us who meet at the Sugar Bush Farm for a glass of wine (or two) and a nice lunch. Sugar Bush is a local farm, craft shop and restaurant and it was a great way to unwind from a busy week.

Hard to believe that I’ve been here more than a month – and that the first few weeks of school have gone by so quickly!

Sep2

Victoria Falls…and a cruise on the Zambezi

Posted on September 2, 2013 by juliechilton

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The Victoria Falls are considered one the natural wonders of the world. And even though I went during “dry season” they were still spectacular. The pictures I took definitely do not do justice to the magnificence of the falls, the cliffs, the deep gorges cut by the river or the scenery.

When I entered the park, I was asked by a very nice young park ranger if this was my first time at the falls. When I said that it was, he offered to take me around and show me everything. There was no charge (although I gave him a sizeable tip, because he made my experience so much more informative and fun.) His name was Francis.

“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

There was a large statue of David Livingstone near the park entrance. He was the first European to see the falls and he named them after his queen.

My first glimpse of the falls took my breath away. The sight of the silver water, cascading down the mile-high cliff was just…well, “beautiful” seems inadequate. During the rainy season, all the bare rock you see in these pictures is covered with water, and the falls are one huge wall of water, thundering down and creating a smoke-like mist that can make it difficult to see the falls themselves. In fact, the local (and official) name for Victoria Falls is “Mosi-oa-Tunya” which means “Thundering Smoke.”

We could see the bridge that separates Zambia from Zimbabwe. You can walk across this bridge (you have to go through customs to do so!) and also bungee jump off it! There were some people bungee-ing when we were there…you could hear them screaming with delight (or fear?) as they bounced down and back.

After we had taken in the view from several vantage points, Francis asked me if I would like to walk down to the “Boiling Pot.” This is a place where the water comes rushing in from several directions, creating a churning pool, as if the water were boiling. He told me that the path down took about 15 minutes, but going back up would take about 25 and that I would be “very tired.”

Of course I said, “Yes!”

It was a lovely place; shady and cool. I took off my shoes and socks and soaked my feet in the water. I would have loved to sit there for the afternoon!

On the way back up (which was tiring, but not a bad climb!) we stopped to rest where a large family of baboons was hanging out under a big tree, playing and chattering in a very human fashion. There was a mother nursing her baby and after the baby was done, it peeked out over its mothers arms to look at us.

Back at the top, I realized that I was starving. I thanked my guide and took off for the refreshment stand. The only food that they had besides snack-type things like chips or candy were meat pies. So that’s what I had for lunch…and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a proper British-style pasty, with a wonderfully flaky crust and deliciously spiced beef and potatoes inside. I devoured it, along with a bottle of fruit punch.

When I got back to my B & B, I took a hot shower and sat in the cool of the gazebo for a while, with a cup of tea. Then it was time to go on the cruise. The proprietor had recommended the “cheaper” cruise; he said they served free drinks and you could see much more from the smaller boat! Four other people from the B & B were also going, so we had a nice group.

It was a wonderful evening. We were served a huge plate of appetizers, there was an open bar and then we had a braai (charcoal bar-b-que) with chicken and sausage, plus salad, cole slaw and rolls. We watched the “rich people” boat gliding near us and decided that we definitely got the better deal. (Apparently that cruise cost almost three times as much and there was no food or drinks included!)

We saw elephant, hippo and some beautiful birds…also more baboons and a warthog who came snuffling down to the edge of the river. Unfortunately, he was camera shy.

And as the boat turned around to head back to the dock, we were treated to a Zambian sunset.

I plan to return to the falls in March, to see it during the rainy season…in all its thundering, smoky glory.

(Oh, and I took a different bus line back! Much more comfortable and no blaring music – although they did start with a prayer for safe travels. And given the state of Zambian roads and the way people drive, was not a bad thing!)

Via Con Brio!

Travels, treasures and taking a chance.

Monthly Archives: September 2013

A bird watch…and cows!

The Lusaka Children’s Choir

“24 Hour Drama”

Leopards Hill Park and a new fruit!

Victoria Falls…and a cruise on the Zambezi