Places vary across regions. So do the lenses to which they are viewed. I think it is obvious when I note that what encompasses these variations include all things geographical, environmental, social, political, human. These make 'place' unique. The distinctive characteristics of 'place' take time to develop. It can take years, decades, centuries, even millennium for a single characteristic to evolve into its current state and to take root in a lasting form. These characteristics aid in the development of the intricate bonds that form between man and 'place' and are ultimately what root man to 'place'.

When I first arrived in Zambia, its unique characteristics seemed so profoundly different, yet highly significant, that I immediately felt out of 'place'. The air was different. The smells. The people. The language. Greetings were different. Life here, so vastly different than my norm. It took some time but eventually, I realized that I wasn't out of 'place'. I was simply in a new 'place'. As soon as that realization surfaced, I was able to view this 'place' for what it truly was. I was able view this 'place' as my new norm. 

How is life different here in Zambia? The following are the obvious, and perhaps the not so obvious, differences I have recently noted;

  1. We have recently entered spring here in Africa and it is HOT. There has been not a single drop of rain for the 2.5 months I have been here. Hardly ever a cloud in the sky.
  2. The most commonly seen animals are lizards and toads.
  3. Sidewalks are a rarity. Most people walk alongside the road and have carved out their own paths. 
  4. People don't honk their car horns here. If you decide to block a lane of oncoming traffic, they will kindly slow and wait for you to pass.
  5. Speaking of cars, people drive on the left side of the road. I had a hard time remembering then that everything was reversed, including the blinker and the windshield wipers. 
  6. The shower is never in the same room as the toilet. There are always two rooms.
  7. Every sink comes with two handles. A hot and cold. And you will get just that when you turn on the water. Its either scalding hot or frigidly cold.
  8. People are very, very afraid of dogs here. When I walk our dog Kamba, people literally run across the street to get away from us.
  9. Kids love chasing white people.
  10. There are many different methods of hand washing clothes. Knuckle to knuckle. Palm to palm. Palm to knuckle... there are more. I just don't know them yet.
  11. Everyone speaks multiple languages. In Lusaka, the most common is town Nyanja- which is a combination of the 72 different languages that exist within all of Zambia. Why can I only speak english??
  12. Chips are called crisps and fries are called chips. Its confusing.
  13. Pretzels don't exist. Nor do bagels. 
  14. Grocery stores have entire rows dedicated to tea and entire rows dedicated to crackers for tea.
  15. Instead of ending a sentence with Right?! People say Isn't it?
  16. Questions are statements. I would say; Can you show me that report? Zambians say; I am asking you to show me that report.
  17. There are soccer fields everywhere. And I mean everywhere. And its true- people play with balls, with cans, with rags wrapped around more rags. Barefoot soccer is the most common. Sock covered feet is the second most common.
  18. Zambian time is a true thing. Zambian time means you are late to everything.
  19. The Chitenge is the common female garment. They are usually wrapped around the waist and act as a skirt. Chitenges though are also made into anything and everything. Suits, shirts, dresses, curtains. People also carry them everywhere they go and use them as rags. It is so dusty, so when people get to where they are going, they w hip out their chitenge to clean their shoes and feet. That is a first priority when my colleagues arrive to work.
  20. I live with cockroaches of all sizes. And mice. 
  21. Maybe this will give you an idea of safety in Lusaka; I live in a cemented in compound. My house next to my office. The top of the cement walls are layered in shards of glass and atop that- a two foot high electric fence. 
  22. People sell puppies at intersections. I literally asked a man if he was selling puppies because I heard that was a thing. The light turned green,, he sprints down the street and yells I'll meet you at the other corner.. he comes running up to the car with two puppies. 
  23. People don't run so it seems very strange to them when I head out for my daily run. I get a lot of strange stares and faces with the look like "What the heck are you doing?" I will occasionally get the child that wants to run alongside me or the man with his briefcase who thinks it looks fun and joins in.
  24. Its crazy in town. Literally, crazy. Imagine hundreds/thousands of people crowded on streets selling things, stealing things, breaking things, drinking alcohol, blaring music, dumping trash...its enough to make you crazy. If you lapse concentration for just one second, better look down for your purse or keys. 
  25. Minibuses are the main source of transportation for people. You can't imagine the numbers they fit into those things. The buses are so packed that all that is seen through the windows is skin smashed up against the window. The butt of the vans practically rub the road raw.
  26. Its also very common to see 10-15 people standing and sitting in the beds of large trucks driving down the highway. Last weekend, I was driving behind a lovely group of maybe 12 individuals who were sitting in the back of a truck eating their nshima, rice, and chicken while clocking in at 100 km/h. We waved to each other and they offered us in the car a handful of nshima. I could only muster a lot of laughter. They laughed too.
  27. Roadsides are lined with stands of fresh vegetables, meats, clothes, tools. You can buy anything from the side road shacks. Just have to be careful they don't up the price because you're a mazungu. 
  28. Getting directions to somewhere is near impossible. On any one occasion, I could receive 10 sets of directions to the same place; not one of them actually taking me to where I need to be. I have spent a LOT of time getting lost, and getting lost again.
  29. I have been asked by different women on numerous occasions if I would cut off my hair and give it to them so they could have a new weave. Hm, I don't think I will do that. 
  30. Dance. People love to dance. And let me tell you, Zambians know how to dance. Its this crazy hip/leg dance with the arms and shoulders. I am not painting a very good picture of this dance. Hopefully I will learn so that one day I can demonstrate.
  31. Brooms. They also act as rakes. And they are about the length of an arm and made out of straw. It requires a lot of energy to rake an entire yard with one of these. Bent over, whipping back and forth, back and forth. 
  32. Ringtones are the 'in' thing right now. Doesn't matter if you are at work, in a very important meeting with a partner organization. Sound is on. Ringtone blares. The phone is always answered. 
  33. Lusaka is the capital of Zambia. Though living here doesn't quite feel like the urban sprawl of a capital city back home. Everything, severely rundown. There is no municipal waste system so trash is everywhere. The most common form of living is in a compound- where people live up to 20 in a single shack. Unemployment rates are through the roof. People just sit around all day long under a shady tree and watch the passersby. 
  34. People here are very religious. Christianity is the dominant religion. People will spend entire weekends attending services.
  35. Zambia still is dominantly a patriarchal society. Men literally 'pay' for the woman they ask to marry. If the woman has a higher degree, she can sometimes be worth millions of dollars, to which the man will be paying off in installments for the rest of his life. ***he pays her father

 

To Be Continued....

 

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