My First Zim weekend: an adventurous one!

Selbourne Routledge School, same sign as always

Marching band at P.E

And the red sea that follows

Why was it adventurous?
- Cars don't always stop for people and what you're used to in Belgium can be a little different in Zimbabwe - law of the strongest.
- I got lost in the streets of Mabelreign, right next to where I’m staying, but it took me and a not so happy taxi driver a while to realize that.

But it was adventurous more in a positive than a negative sense:
- work wise, a structure of what needs to be done is becoming clearer.
- I saw old friends and went back to the familiar (it’s not adventurous, but important).
- I went to the most popular sports event of Zimbabwean high schools.
- I saw wildlife, from VERY close by.

A more detailed account follows:

So, to start, since I’m here to work, it is quite important: on Friday we had a meeting with “the Communications Team”. This is a new group of people that were only now put together in order to make it ‘easier’/more useful for me and another (Zimbabwean) attachment communications student to work. So we will be working on the main things, with guidelines and feedback, and in general help from other colleagues. The first feedback will be on Monday, or during the week and then we’ll know how to move on.
Sometime this week I might visit Mavambo, a school that does special education for those lacking behind on the curriculum.

Friday night we went to a night club, we ended up just being four of us, but it was really fun! We stayed out till four! A few interesting things:
The place was FULL of guys, especially at the start of the night, and you could tell they came to watch. This made it slightly uncomfortable, but none were too bothersome, except one, who I used my well-practiced Lisboa skills on: “dude, seriously I don’t dance on request”. Who the hell comes up to a girl saying “I want to see you dance”?
The women in the toilets, who, to me looked like toilet women (those that collect 40cents so you can use the toilet) were actually hookers. Seeing my analogy, you can probably get an image of what they looked like. Apparently they get about 10$ per round, and around 30-40$ for the night. US$. Which is nothing, entrance to the club was already 5!
They had two rooms, one with rumba, in which we ended but not for very long, and one with more popular music and also some (South) African house, which wasn’t so much my style.
I tried Castle (the most popular Zimbabwean beer). I have to say, I was expecting a lot worse. Without too much trouble I managed to finish it. Just in case it wouldn’t happen again, I took a picture of me and my bottle.
I had a Freddo chocolate: and the questions on it have not changed: “what is freddo’s favourite song?” “The Hop”.

Saturday was an extremely busy day and despite going to bed at 4.30 I woke up before ten! I started my day with a (bucket) shower, which seems to be the way things work. I’m starting to figure out how to get my hair washed! After breakfast we headed off to Francis Flats where I used to live. There I was going to meet up with our old neighbours. Whilst walking through the flats a wave of recognition came over me: everything was still exactly the same, and in walking through I had a déjà-vu that I knew exactly where I was going. I was just smiling the whole way, probably looking like an idiot. When seeing Francy and her mum it seemed like nothing had changed, there I was again, sitting at the same table. We exchanged stories about what has been happening in the past ten years and will definitely be seeing a lot more of each other again.
After this I went to Old Hararians down the road (the good old tennis club). There, nothing seemed to have changed but the grass was dry and several courts were out of use. But people were still around, playing tennis. A tennis academy has been started up for the little ones so I might spend my weekends giving a couple lessons. Unfortunately the person that kept us there is no more.
I had some time to kill between walking back from Old Hararians and Prince Edward’s sports day so I walked past Selbourne Routledge (where I spent my primary school days). From the gates at both sides it looked like it hadn’t changed, but I didn’t go further because I saw people walking around and I wasn’t sure if I could just go wandering. During this time is also when I nearly got bumped. There were no pedestrian lights, so I crossed when the street had a red light. Halfway through it suddenly turned green, you’d think they wait for you to cross, none of that! They just went, as if I didn’t exist (though they probably went slightly slower than they would otherwise). I ran across as fast as I could and just before I got to the other side the cars from the second half were ready to attack, once again, without willing to stop! Next time, I’ll remember that it’s not because they’ve stopped they’ll let you through, and probably run across every street!
Prince Edward’s sports day was a whole event. Prince Edward vs. St. Georges. They had all sports, in several age groups. And the whole school seemed to be there supporting! We saw the soccer and rugby, where P.E won both. The marching band and the maroon sea that followed behind them were quite a spectacle, and boxing too was impressive, little boys knocking the hell out of each other!
On the way home we decided to take a taxi since it was dark and I didn’t really know where I was going. Luckily Tinashe was with me, I would’ve totally lost it if he wasn’t. The taxi driver didn’t really know how to get to that part of Mabelreign so Tinashe guided him and eventually after asking a couple people we got to the street we needed. Except the first house was not the one I needed. With network not working well and no credit on my phone finding it out was not easy. Tinashe called his whole VVOB phone book and eventually by riding down the street again I recognized the house. Instead of being on the street of the address it was on the corner of the other street. An essential that I hadn’t quite realized. Luckily I made it home, despite the cab driver not being happy with his wasted time. Two lessons learnt: 1. Know where you live, at ALL times! 2. Have credit on your phone for emergencies, at ALL times!

The plan for the next day was to head off with Hanne and her family to Lake Chivero. It’s a lake just outside Harare, but more important than the lake was the wildlife park around it. More on that next time, I’ll be off to bed, ready for a 6.30 wakeup!