Up town in Lusaka - or was it downtown!!

After the wedding we headed off to a pub called Rhapsody’s somewhere in Lusaka. Was pretty much like a lot of pubs you could find back home – and most importantly it sold wine!! An interesting observation I made was that at some point during the night my nose was assaulted by the smell of smoke – and it dawned on me it was the first time I had smelt cigarette smoke since I left home. I turned round and was not surprised to see it was a white person puffing away on the ciggie! Zambians don’t actually smoke very much, although I did see one or two of them that night, but I guess it is too expensive for them. Which is a good thing, as they have enough things shortening their life span out here, they don’t need to add lung cancer to the list!!

We went on to a sort of night club a bit later where I got to do a bit of boogying to some Zambian music. I quite liked some of it. It sounds a bit like reggae. It was all going well and we were having fun until some plonker decided to talk to me. He was coloured but said he was from London originally. Anyway shortened version is he said that I was wasting my time coming over to work for a charity here as it wouldn’t make a difference. I couldn’t even be bothered to reply when he asked what difference I thought I had made already (in a sarcastic you will have done nothing sort of way). I didn’t bother to tell him about the books and how happy the children and teachers were to get them – it wasn’t worth the breath or the effort of shouting over the music! He finished by telling me that they didn’t need a white girl like me coming over thinking she could make a difference. I was pretty shocked and I have to say it smacked of racial discrimination – which I can assure you does not feel pleasant at all. I am however glad to say that his reaction is in stark contrast to what I usually get. With most people thinking it is wonderful I have given up my time and come over here to try and help them. So Saturday night up town in Lusaka is not that much different from Saturday night up town in the UK - you are always going to be accosted by at least one idiot wherever you are in the world! Glad to say I am well over the upset now!

Have added some photos for your amusement, which to most of you will seem much more like the Valerie you know! Although I am sure you will be keeping the ones of me with the kids as collector’s items! Yep it really was me!

In the pub!

Well  I had to do some dancing at some point on the trip!!