Being
immersed in a different culture is so interesting. It's fascinating to observe
the way that people live here, and think about why they do what they do. Some
things that I’ve noticed seem logical, some bizarre or random, and others just completely
different to what we’re used to at home. Here are ten things I've found out
about life in Zambians that I didn't know before I arrived:
1)
A lot of women wear wigs! You can meet a lady one day who then looks very
different the next time you see her. I would have thought it would be rather
hot wearing a wig in the heat but it seems to be a pretty popular thing to do. Every
so often a child at school will turn up with completely different hair from one
day to the next - going from almost bald to long braids, or cornrows to crazy
afro!
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| Hair straighteners heated on the brazier |
2)
Nshima is the staple food here. It seems that all Zambians love it and some will
eat it for every meal. Nshima (pronounced ‘sheema’) is a kind of maize and
looks like something in between rice and mashed potato. It doesn't actually
have a lot of flavour! I think every African country has its own version, since
it is very much like Ugali which I have previously eaten in Kenya.
When
visiting orphans and guardians in the village, we might ask them when they last
ate. I've discovered that if someone says they haven't eaten that day, they may
have actually had rice or something else but what they actually mean is they
haven't eaten nshima.
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| Dad trying nshima |
3)
Believe it or not, a prime location for wedding photos here is a roundabout! I
have seen several wedding parties gathering on the local roundabout leading
into town for their photos. This apparently started several years ago because
there were very few pretty areas in Ndola and the roundabout at that time was
new.
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| Wedding photographs on the roundabout (taken whilst driving past!) |
4)
It is OK to ask a Zambian pretty much any question, except whether they are HIV
positive. It is acceptable to ask someone how much they earn or how they
sustained an injury or deformity, but unfortunately there is still a lot of
shame concerning HIV and so this question is avoided.
5)
It's not awkward to have conversations about God or spiritual things. Quite a
lot of Zambians go to church on Sundays. After a service, everyone forms a very
long line so that they can greet and shake hands with every single other person
that is there!
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| Part of the long line shaking hands! |
6) The people here are very patient, until they get in their cars! Perhaps the heat promotes patience and a slow approach to life. However once behind the wheel, most drivers appear anything but patient as they overtake, dart about the road and barge in front!
7) Trucks that carry beer stop for people at the roadside to buy from. Here we often see people waiting whilst surrounded by lots of containers. They’re waiting to buy beer from a truck which they can go and sell in their village.
8) Women seem to have it quite tough here. They have to work hard but are generally not respected as much as the men. It is impressive how many things the local women can carry on their heads! I’ve been told that one of the things a Zambian wife is expected to do is shave all of her husband’s hair once a month!
7) Trucks that carry beer stop for people at the roadside to buy from. Here we often see people waiting whilst surrounded by lots of containers. They’re waiting to buy beer from a truck which they can go and sell in their village.
8) Women seem to have it quite tough here. They have to work hard but are generally not respected as much as the men. It is impressive how many things the local women can carry on their heads! I’ve been told that one of the things a Zambian wife is expected to do is shave all of her husband’s hair once a month!
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| Masala market |
9)
Knees and thighs are considered raunchy parts of the body here. This means that
women have to be careful to keep them covered up. I live in leggings and
cropped trousers here, so my best tan is on my feet! (although they could be
just permanently dirty!?).
Covering
knees is becoming less important in town and the urban areas of the country,
but it is still observed in Kaniki and the more rural areas. It does not seem
as necessary to totally cover the top part of the body though – so we do see
the occasional flash of a boob!
 |
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| Women wearing African chitenge material |
10) People live life earlier here. The day starts and finishes earlier compared to the UK. Some children arrive at school earlier than us, around 6:30am on some days! I often get woken up at 4.30am when the Bible College students have a prayer meeting. Not surprisingly, quite a few of them have regular naps.
Most
of the workers at the college start at 7am and finish at 4pm. The sun sets
predictably at 6.30pm every day. I guess many people in the villages wouldn’t
have much of an evening because they only have candles to help them see once it
is dark.
