First day in Zambia- on my Rotary NGSE! 1/06/14
The only bad thing about moving to Zambia for 2 months is the neverending flight that you have to take to get here!
Now enough with the moaning, and on with the story. I left Romania and came back to London to catch my flight, after seeing my friends and some lucky encounters I managed to make it in time for my flight to Amsterdam. That was the easy bit, as the flight from Amsterdam to Lusaka take aprox 12.30 hrs and first stops in Harare, in Zimbabwe. The flight was quite tiring but the view and the entertainment made up for it, vast stretches of the Mediterranean sea at first, then the joining of water and land as we passed above the countries bordering the African territories, then neverending Saharian dessert and dunes, with temperatures so high that they made the air turn into clouds of heat and then, as the sun set on the horizon, the glimmering lights of Zambia's captal, the sea of lights, that drew me in as we touched the tarmac.
When I first set my feet on Zambian ground, the air was cool and smelt of roasted pumpkin, the scenery did not make me feel like an outsider but like coming back to visit an old friend. The Rotary family that has "adopted" me was waiting after the arrivals gate and I already realized how warm and caring Zambians are, after the gentleman that I sat with during the flight, stayed with me until I collected all my luggages, as one was being cheeky and kept us waiting, and then saw me to Mr and Mrs Pramar safely.
My first day was great, everyone was very acommodating and made me feel at home, we went to have lunch at a restaurant and then did some shopping at the mall. The shopping reminded me of being in the London underground, hundreds of people hurriedly passing by and neverending ques. I found out later that it was actually because it was a Sunday and it was also the first day of the month, so everyone got paid the days before.
I have started to learn a bit about the educational systems, industry and business here thanks to Mr Pramar and his son, to which I am very grateful as they all made me feel part of the family. I also found out that I might be going to the Copperbelt in Ndola, for my second month, but first I want to enjoy my time here!
Now enough with the moaning, and on with the story. I left Romania and came back to London to catch my flight, after seeing my friends and some lucky encounters I managed to make it in time for my flight to Amsterdam. That was the easy bit, as the flight from Amsterdam to Lusaka take aprox 12.30 hrs and first stops in Harare, in Zimbabwe. The flight was quite tiring but the view and the entertainment made up for it, vast stretches of the Mediterranean sea at first, then the joining of water and land as we passed above the countries bordering the African territories, then neverending Saharian dessert and dunes, with temperatures so high that they made the air turn into clouds of heat and then, as the sun set on the horizon, the glimmering lights of Zambia's captal, the sea of lights, that drew me in as we touched the tarmac.
When I first set my feet on Zambian ground, the air was cool and smelt of roasted pumpkin, the scenery did not make me feel like an outsider but like coming back to visit an old friend. The Rotary family that has "adopted" me was waiting after the arrivals gate and I already realized how warm and caring Zambians are, after the gentleman that I sat with during the flight, stayed with me until I collected all my luggages, as one was being cheeky and kept us waiting, and then saw me to Mr and Mrs Pramar safely.
My first day was great, everyone was very acommodating and made me feel at home, we went to have lunch at a restaurant and then did some shopping at the mall. The shopping reminded me of being in the London underground, hundreds of people hurriedly passing by and neverending ques. I found out later that it was actually because it was a Sunday and it was also the first day of the month, so everyone got paid the days before.
I have started to learn a bit about the educational systems, industry and business here thanks to Mr Pramar and his son, to which I am very grateful as they all made me feel part of the family. I also found out that I might be going to the Copperbelt in Ndola, for my second month, but first I want to enjoy my time here!
