As we settle into life in Zambia I notice similarities and some drastic differences… one being that I am writing this by candle light. Twice a week we have load shedding where the power goes out on the whole estate for 3 hours. Once you get used to it it’s not so bad. I just have to be organised and make sure torches, laptops and phones are charged up, that I have a candle in each room, a hot bath is run and that tea is made before the power goes out. The boys still don’t get it, at least every 15 mins they ask things like “can we have the lights/tv/fans on”… it’s amazing how dependent they have become on electricity in there short lives.

Although sometimes I forget I’m in Zambia as life generally is as comfortable as it was back in the UK if not a bit easier. We have a large house with all the comforts you would expect, the estate feels very safe and clean and I have a maid! I’m getting used to having staff and I think she is getting use to us. She will even chase Middle Man around trying to put pants on him. She has her ways of doing things and finds some of mine very strange, we seem to have struck up an understanding although she will not call me by my name but insists on calling me madam!

Things do happen that make sure I am reminded of where I am though… for example Lego Boy announcing this morning “Mummy there is Zebra poo in the garden”! Or when I was driving up the road to play group I came across a big group of young males throwing stones at cars and putting giant boulders in the road. Or middle man bringing this to show me!

Last week we had our house sprayed with poison, again something I never expected. It keeps the mosquitos (and other insects) at bay apparently. So just two days after unpacking the shipping (which arrived earlier than expected it was like Christmas) we had to pack it all away again and cover everything with plastic.  A man dressed in a white suit and black mask (think scary scientist guys from ET) then came in a sprayed all the walls with a white powder, it stunk! Two hours later we were allowed back in and had to clean all the surfaces which are regularly touched, so kitchen, baths, showers, door handles, floors, etc. I was worried about the boys, as they touch everything, especially baby blue in his walker but I have been assured that the stuff used meets European health and safety regulations and it seems to be the norm here.

I experienced my first independence day, it had been 51 years since Zambian Independence. The boys school hosted an event show casing Zambian music and dance. Lego boys joined in his class performance happily but Middle man wasn’t so keen, he spent the entire time hiding under his hat as the audience Arrhhed. It was a fun day and the boys particularly enjoyed the not so Zambian bright blue slush puppies on offer.

(Can you spot Middle Man)

Another first was taking Baby Blue to his first under 3 clinic for a weight check, similar but also very different to the clinics back home. We lined up on wooden benches slowly moving forward towards the nurse at the front. Baby Blue got a lot of attention as he was the only white baby in the place, they are all impressed with his size. Over here if you are large you are healthy?! Whilst waiting our turn I couldn’t help but watch and listen to a lady who was quite obviously telling her labor story in a language I couldn’t understand. To relate to somethings you don’t need to speak the same language just have gone through a similar experience. Don’t get me wrong I know my experience in a lovely NHS funded labor ward was nothing like what a lot of Zambian women experience but labor is labor. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying but I know she started terrified, which changed into pain and finnaly had the joy of holding her beautiful baby for the first time 🙂

When it was Baby Blues turn to be weighed the nurse looking at me very approvingly and said “He is fat!”. He is referred to as the fat baby by quite a lot of locals, I can’t buy a loaf of bread without being asked “How is the fat baby?”.

Life carries on in Zambia, Baby Blue is growing up to quick he’s practically sitting, rolling all over the place, and getting into the crawling position, as if my older two starting school wasn’t emotional enough! We have also started him on solids, at first he wasn’t sure but now he wolfs back him banana and pear. My next mission is to try and plan Lego Boy a birthday party! I hope it doesn’t rain cause when it does it buckets it down!

(Middle Man playing in mud next to the beast)