1.7.06
Zamwipe?
So I’m a slacker. I haven’t updated in over a month. Sorry about that. But along with that, I haven’t really had any good stories. In the past month my accomplishments were finishing English 10, finishing half of Math 10 (IN ONE WEEK!!), and doing provincial exams for both those courses. Basically in the past month all I’ve done is school. Half of Social Studies, P.E. and Planning, then I’m done. I saw my first chameleon, which was really cool. I figured out a new combination of food – cold chicken and peanut butter. But other than that, really, not much. Yesterday we went to Ndola to get my driver’s license. My plan was to get the license here, switch it to an international license, and eventually get a B.C. license – pretty much beat the system of the three-year license process. Unfortunately, we got to the building - which my dad described as a yurt with a low ceiling – and after waiting in the chaotic place for a few minutes, a guy who worked there told us that now you had to be 18 to get your license in Zambia. The law was changed two months ago! I’ve been here for three months, which means if I tried to get my license right after I turned sixteen, the law wouldn’t have been changed yet. It was pretty much the worst ever.
We went to the trade fair in Ndola (which was the other reason we went there), because my parents wanted to check it out for HTI. It totally surpassed my expectations. In my mind I was expecting a bunch of the stands that you see on the side of the road with information on different businesses. Apparently not. There were actual fair grounds, complete with rides, food, buildings, drink stands, the works.
The rides weren’t the main attraction, since it was a trade fair, but Lauren and I checked them out. There were about ten different rides, and they looked pretty shady. One of those giant swings was there, but the long chains that hold the person on the swing were rusty! The ferris wheel was old looking.
We went in the health booth, and saw malaria and HIV things underneath a microscope. I thought it was funny that there was a bucket of pills that said, “Get free medicines.” I wasn’t sure if you were just supposed to take them… or if they were advertising.
We also went in the Kenya booth, South Africa booth, took a picture at the Water and Sewerage booth. Pretty sweet. Then we looked at the railway to Tanzania place, the Pakistan Stand, and the agricultural station.
The Pakistan Stand was a building containing a bunch of stands of authentic clothing, leather jackets, wallets, and purses, furniture, carpets, and herbal drugs. Almost every stand had those overstuffed cylinder, Middle Eastern floor cushions. But we left pretty soon, because there was this creepy old man calling Lauren sweety, and asking her name. creep. My favourite stand there was a real live demonstration that was like the shopping channel. It was awesome. It was for equipment that sliced vegetables really thin. The salesman was skilled, because he had mastered the infomercial art of selling while he demonstrated the product. It was fascinating.
We spent forever in the Agricultural station. They had live animals including sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and baby chicks. Across from the live animals was a station with a guy explaining all of these animal diseases that were contained in jars. A pig fetus, double beaked chick, lumpy skin disease. Gross. Outside were some weird hump backed cows in a corral.
My parents talked
to some men at a coffee tree stand, and ended up buying coffee plants to harvest. Each booth was selling their photocopied brochures for different products. Later on Lauren and I posed with Zamwipes at the sign that said, “1 woman with a Zamwipe can weed the same area as 10 strong men with hoes.” We walked through some mini clothing shops, and Lauren managed to find MAC makeup and it wasn’t even a knock-off. The packaging said Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was awesome.
Throughout the day, announcements over the loudspeaker were calling, “John, your uncle is waiting for you under the large tree.”
Today is Canada Day; so I brought out my Canadian umbrella hat that Kathryn pretended to secretly and stealthily shove into my bag. But Lauren wouldn’t wear it. Too bad. I’m also wearing my cfire shirt with a maple leaf on it – it isn’t red, but it’s the best I can do. I realized that the one kind of socks I don’t have are Canadian ones.
# posted by alanna @ 4:37 PM 
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ha creeps. sweet sign. pig fetii are tasty. just cook them up on a date with your girlfriend but dont burn them or 2 firetrucks will come to your house....based on a true story while cooking chicken catchetori for anna
# posted by 
: 9:17 PM
: 9:17 PM
ALANNNA DARLING.
well, commenting here for the first time. (...sorry about that) It sounds like your having a good time, and your ajusting well. I walked past your old house thats actually still yours yesterday and thought about you. cool.
Guess what?! I passed math. HA.
Okay. thats all. byee friend.
well, commenting here for the first time. (...sorry about that) It sounds like your having a good time, and your ajusting well. I walked past your old house thats actually still yours yesterday and thought about you. cool.
Guess what?! I passed math. HA.
Okay. thats all. byee friend.
Canada says hi!
Aww your adventure story almost makes me miss Kitwe. Almost.
Right now I'm enjoying quite the African style rain storm, it's nuts I tell you!
I'm so tanned somebody thought I was native the other day. But my back is peeling, and it's gross. So now I'm two-toned back there.
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Aww your adventure story almost makes me miss Kitwe. Almost.
Right now I'm enjoying quite the African style rain storm, it's nuts I tell you!
I'm so tanned somebody thought I was native the other day. But my back is peeling, and it's gross. So now I'm two-toned back there.
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