Mid-October weekend

On Friday afternoon, during a rainstorm that offered fleeting relief from days of escalating heat, I began my birthday weekend with a much-needed nap.

I had just finished three days of intensive work on project plans for persons with disabilities. (I’ve been putting off writing about my work on disability and small arms issues, but I'll write soon!)

After my nap, my housemates prepared dinner and baked a cake and we had a relaxing birthday evening at home. On Saturday starting at lunchtime, we invited most of our friends over and enjoyed the day by our pool. Cold beer, upbeat Zambian tunes, smoky charcoal barbecue… it was a great birthday, and a good distraction from the reality of being far away from family and friends.

Among the guests was Samuel, a first-year art student at a local college who my housemates Bart and Anke – creative industry researchers from Holland – have been working with. Samuel is a prodigy painter and drawer. His work is breathtaking, even though he’s had almost no formal training.

He and his art school friends also make for a hugely entertaining party. We spent much of the afternoon and evening singing and dancing – or in my case, humming unintelligibly and mimicking other peoples’ dance moves.

For my birthday, Samuel drew me in blue pen.


Contrary to what the portrait might suggest, my nose has not been flattened, my mouth still looks like it used to, and I have not gained any weight since coming to Zambia. To his credit, he drew it in blue pen in about 15 minutes.


From top to bottom, me by the pool; Samuel, James and Dickson dancing; Bart and Alex stoking the BBQ; Samuel.


This is a photograph Samuel took with Anke's small digital camera. I'm blown away every time I look at it. But I'll let you see what you want in it, instead of unloading my subjective views on you.