Although I'm physically in Zambia, a lot of my time and thoughts are with my dance school and students back in Maryland. Fortunately I have a handful of strong assistants who are running the institution in my absence. Teaching Bharatnatyam classes continues every Saturday at Stars Studio, Laurel. Several performance opportunities during Sept/oct of 2010 kept the senior group busy with rehearsals and shows. From what I heard, the girls did a fabulous job at Towson University's Many Moons festival, Carrol Community college's "INDIA DAY", Taste of Bethesda, Hyattsville Intl. festival and the Unitarian church in River Road Bethesda. They even got some press coverage! I'm really proud of the fact that they are keeping the Jayamangala flag flying high even in my absence.
I continue to do long-distance online monitoring of the grants administration, tax filing and overall supervision of the non-profit activities. But for an occasional crisis, there has not been any major issue so far. High speed Internet is available for home offices, but at a premium cost! And also with limited time usage during peak hours. So I try to keep internet activity to weeknights after 6 pm and during weekends.
Arangetram team
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Performance opportunities
Word had gotten around the Indian community that an Indian dancer from the US is coming to Lusaka and many students were waiting to join my classes. I wanted to stay off teaching to begin with, but couldn’t avoid it completely. So in Oct 2010 I started teaching Natyam to a handful of young children. As I had mentioned earlier, the Indians are a very enterprising and energetic group of people, especially the NRIs that live abroad and want to keep their heritage alive. So I got invited to participate, perform and choreograph dances for almost all Indian festivals celebrations in Lusaka – Navratri, Diwali mela, Sai Baba Anniversary, Kerala Nite 2010. I have recently been inducted as executive committee member of ZATACA (Zambia Tamil Arts & Cultural Association) and LILA (Lusaka Indian Ladies Association). I established a special rapport with High Commissioner’s wife Mrs. Jassi Kumar and hosted a dinner for them along with the South African Indian dancers Yshrene and Manesh who gave an incredible jugalbandhi (kathak-Bnatyam) at the Lusaka Hindu Hall this month.
I have been looking for venues and fellow artists to present my MFA thesis project “Shakuntala” and came into contact with Mr. Chilala, the Creative head of University of Zambia’s Arts Division. I also met with Tobias of Barefeet Theater company which takes street actors, dancers and musicians and then trains and turns them into professional performers. I am looking forward to seeing their Christmas production next month. I have also started dialoguing for using the space at Alliance Francaise in Lusaka which has a nice blackbox theater and a mailing list that reaches a mixed international audience (consisting of Diplomats, Expatriates and locals) in Lusaka.
So far I’m really excited to be in this part of the world. Three months and I’m still learning new things about the local culture, making more new friends and trying to adapt to this totally new environment....
I have been looking for venues and fellow artists to present my MFA thesis project “Shakuntala” and came into contact with Mr. Chilala, the Creative head of University of Zambia’s Arts Division. I also met with Tobias of Barefeet Theater company which takes street actors, dancers and musicians and then trains and turns them into professional performers. I am looking forward to seeing their Christmas production next month. I have also started dialoguing for using the space at Alliance Francaise in Lusaka which has a nice blackbox theater and a mailing list that reaches a mixed international audience (consisting of Diplomats, Expatriates and locals) in Lusaka.
So far I’m really excited to be in this part of the world. Three months and I’m still learning new things about the local culture, making more new friends and trying to adapt to this totally new environment....
Local Travels
LIVINGSTON AND VICTORIA FALLS.
During the Labor day long weekend, we decided to take a trip to the famous Livingston and Victoria Falls which lies on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. A six-hour road trip took us to Livingston where we camped for the weekend at Protea Hotels, a comfortable 4-star lodging, ten minutes away from the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls. Livingston is named after the English explorer David Livingston who discovered this area in the year 1855. A statue of David Livingston adorns the entrance to the national park. The waterfall known as Mosi-o-Tani (thundering smoke) by the locals was named Victoria Falls after the Queen. Though locals claim that the falls has more water after the rainy season (March), we were still pretty amazed by the untouched natural beauty and the volume of water. The Zambezi river water drops down a thrilling 355 feet and winds through the second gorge before going into the neighboring Zimbabwean land. The walk across the small bridge brought us so eerily close to the waterfall that the spray completely drenched us. We also got to see many baboons in and around the Victoria Falls National Park. Some people stayed to watch the sunset at the Falls, but we decided instead to take the sunset cruise down the Zambezi river on the “Queen of River” boat. The two-hour ride on the boat with some 30-40 other guests sipping a drink and eating refreshments as we took pictures of Hippos, elephants and antelopes along the river banks was very relaxing. At the large bridge, where the road leads from Zambia to Zimbabwe, the primary activity for tourists was bungee-jumping. We stayed to watch for a few minutes as a brave white harnessed guy decided to plunge head first into the depths. Always makes me wonder how people muster up the guts to do this bizarre activity. And come out of it safe and sound. But the falls were the real heart of Africa. And I lost my heart to the heart of Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA.
During the Fall break (mid Oct.) when the American School closed for a week, we decided to explore Cape Town and Durban in South Africa. Many people had told me Cape Town was one of the most beautiful places on earth. I expected a heaven-on-earth sort of city. I was not disappointed. I truly found this to be a very nice place. The open top Red City Tour Bus gave us a nice glimpse of Table Mountain, Camps Bay and other lovely white sand beaches, Victoria & Fred Waterfront shopping area, Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned as a political prisoner for 17 years), museums and Cape Point, with the flexibility to get off and on, wherever you want. There was so much to see. Three days was not enough. Nature was at its best and the city was well planned and built around the natural scenic beauty in such a way that you rounded a curve on the road and faced breathtaking views of the mountains and Atlantic ocean. It reminded me a bit of California roads with the long stretches of scenic coastal drive flanked by mountains. Drive into the countryside also involved a wine-and-cheese-tasting visit to Zevenwacht winery where we tasted a variety of locally produced wines such as Merlot and Pinotage.
Population was a mix of local Africans Blacks and Whites with a good sprinkling of European, Asian and Indian tourists. I did not see too many Hispanics there. The locals spoke English and Afrikaans (a derivative of Dutch). Because of the heavy British and Dutch influence, the Cape Town we see today is a result of the mixing in of those international cultures with local South African culture. This mix is also seen in the racial composition of the local population.
And excellent international cuisine is a big plus point that brings visitors back to this gorgeous place. The weather was on the chilly side and we needed light jackets to ward off the high winds that this place is prone to. So getting into the water was out of question.
Durban was very different. The temperatures are higher and so is the water. So swimmers and surfers took advantage of this and spent hours in the Indian ocean waters. South Africa has an spectacular location at the tip of the African continent, with Atlantic Ocean as its western coastline and Indian Ocean on the eastern border. We visited UShaka marine world, which boasts of the largest aquarium in Africa and mini-water park. The dolphin show was enjoyable. The Durban stadium built for the FIFA World Cup games June 2010 is an amazing structure that can seat 60,000 sports fans; with a cable car that takes you to the top for a view of the city.
During the Dutch East India Company rule in South Africa, Indians and other Asians were sent to South Africa in the 1800s to work on sugarcane plantations. They came as indentured Indians and stayed over in SA for generations. Today these 3rd, 4th and 5th generation Indian immigrants populate Durban and KZN in large numbers. When we drove down to Phoenix, Gandhi’s home for 21 years and the Indian settlement I realized what people meant when they told me that Kwa-Zulu-Natal has the maximum number of Indians abroad (concentrated in one region). After battling thru torrential rains and wild winds, we finally got to Gandhi’s home-now-turned-into-a- museum. A quick walk thru the place revealed facts about Mahatma Gandhi and his life that I had hitherto been ignorant about – that this London-educated lawyer had lived in south Africa for 21 years to make a living, that he was thrown out of the trains during apartheid; how he worked with local Indians and south Africans in a peaceful Satyagraha against the East India Company– fight for freedom for the colored people of South Africa etc.. Indian history had only taught me of his involvement in the Indian side of politics.
GAME SAFARI.
Back in Lusaka, along with a friend who was visiting from India, I took a day trip to the Chaminuka park to see animals. It was my first time riding in a jeep with the guide who was giving us a running commentary of the various animals, their food habits, lifespan, etc. We saw a large number of antelopes, zebra, buffalo, a few giraffes, lion, and birds of various kinds. Looking forward to more such trips to see more animals.
I'd love to hear you views on any of the above.
During the Labor day long weekend, we decided to take a trip to the famous Livingston and Victoria Falls which lies on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. A six-hour road trip took us to Livingston where we camped for the weekend at Protea Hotels, a comfortable 4-star lodging, ten minutes away from the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls. Livingston is named after the English explorer David Livingston who discovered this area in the year 1855. A statue of David Livingston adorns the entrance to the national park. The waterfall known as Mosi-o-Tani (thundering smoke) by the locals was named Victoria Falls after the Queen. Though locals claim that the falls has more water after the rainy season (March), we were still pretty amazed by the untouched natural beauty and the volume of water. The Zambezi river water drops down a thrilling 355 feet and winds through the second gorge before going into the neighboring Zimbabwean land. The walk across the small bridge brought us so eerily close to the waterfall that the spray completely drenched us. We also got to see many baboons in and around the Victoria Falls National Park. Some people stayed to watch the sunset at the Falls, but we decided instead to take the sunset cruise down the Zambezi river on the “Queen of River” boat. The two-hour ride on the boat with some 30-40 other guests sipping a drink and eating refreshments as we took pictures of Hippos, elephants and antelopes along the river banks was very relaxing. At the large bridge, where the road leads from Zambia to Zimbabwe, the primary activity for tourists was bungee-jumping. We stayed to watch for a few minutes as a brave white harnessed guy decided to plunge head first into the depths. Always makes me wonder how people muster up the guts to do this bizarre activity. And come out of it safe and sound. But the falls were the real heart of Africa. And I lost my heart to the heart of Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA.
During the Fall break (mid Oct.) when the American School closed for a week, we decided to explore Cape Town and Durban in South Africa. Many people had told me Cape Town was one of the most beautiful places on earth. I expected a heaven-on-earth sort of city. I was not disappointed. I truly found this to be a very nice place. The open top Red City Tour Bus gave us a nice glimpse of Table Mountain, Camps Bay and other lovely white sand beaches, Victoria & Fred Waterfront shopping area, Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned as a political prisoner for 17 years), museums and Cape Point, with the flexibility to get off and on, wherever you want. There was so much to see. Three days was not enough. Nature was at its best and the city was well planned and built around the natural scenic beauty in such a way that you rounded a curve on the road and faced breathtaking views of the mountains and Atlantic ocean. It reminded me a bit of California roads with the long stretches of scenic coastal drive flanked by mountains. Drive into the countryside also involved a wine-and-cheese-tasting visit to Zevenwacht winery where we tasted a variety of locally produced wines such as Merlot and Pinotage.
Population was a mix of local Africans Blacks and Whites with a good sprinkling of European, Asian and Indian tourists. I did not see too many Hispanics there. The locals spoke English and Afrikaans (a derivative of Dutch). Because of the heavy British and Dutch influence, the Cape Town we see today is a result of the mixing in of those international cultures with local South African culture. This mix is also seen in the racial composition of the local population.
And excellent international cuisine is a big plus point that brings visitors back to this gorgeous place. The weather was on the chilly side and we needed light jackets to ward off the high winds that this place is prone to. So getting into the water was out of question.
Durban was very different. The temperatures are higher and so is the water. So swimmers and surfers took advantage of this and spent hours in the Indian ocean waters. South Africa has an spectacular location at the tip of the African continent, with Atlantic Ocean as its western coastline and Indian Ocean on the eastern border. We visited UShaka marine world, which boasts of the largest aquarium in Africa and mini-water park. The dolphin show was enjoyable. The Durban stadium built for the FIFA World Cup games June 2010 is an amazing structure that can seat 60,000 sports fans; with a cable car that takes you to the top for a view of the city.
During the Dutch East India Company rule in South Africa, Indians and other Asians were sent to South Africa in the 1800s to work on sugarcane plantations. They came as indentured Indians and stayed over in SA for generations. Today these 3rd, 4th and 5th generation Indian immigrants populate Durban and KZN in large numbers. When we drove down to Phoenix, Gandhi’s home for 21 years and the Indian settlement I realized what people meant when they told me that Kwa-Zulu-Natal has the maximum number of Indians abroad (concentrated in one region). After battling thru torrential rains and wild winds, we finally got to Gandhi’s home-now-turned-into-a- museum. A quick walk thru the place revealed facts about Mahatma Gandhi and his life that I had hitherto been ignorant about – that this London-educated lawyer had lived in south Africa for 21 years to make a living, that he was thrown out of the trains during apartheid; how he worked with local Indians and south Africans in a peaceful Satyagraha against the East India Company– fight for freedom for the colored people of South Africa etc.. Indian history had only taught me of his involvement in the Indian side of politics.
GAME SAFARI.
Back in Lusaka, along with a friend who was visiting from India, I took a day trip to the Chaminuka park to see animals. It was my first time riding in a jeep with the guide who was giving us a running commentary of the various animals, their food habits, lifespan, etc. We saw a large number of antelopes, zebra, buffalo, a few giraffes, lion, and birds of various kinds. Looking forward to more such trips to see more animals.
I'd love to hear you views on any of the above.
Getting Oriented
It has been three months since I landed into Lusaka, Zambia from Baltimore, USA. Wow! What an eventful three-month is has been. A lot has happened; so I'll try to summarize as quickly as possible without missing the highlights. The family had started on their routine of work and school while I was wondering how in the world I’m going to fill my days in this new place where I knew nobody! Little did I realize that within the first two weeks I would be making dozens of new friends – from among the local Zambians, the very active Indian community, expatriates consisting of Americans, Europeans, South Africans and you name it. I met new and friendly faces wherever I visited – grocery stores, temple, school, homes, neighborhoods, community. Zambians are a very welcoming group of people.
The first few days we stayed at Fallsway Villas, a serviced apartment until mid-September after which we moved into our own rented home. But we still felt ‘not settled in’ because our container of household goods which had been shipped out mid-July did not arrive until Sept-end. After the shipment arrived, it was a crazy busy week of unpacking, and setting up the home. But I was finally happy to have our own used sofas, beds, kitchen pots and pans. We hired a housemaid for domestic chores and a full-time driver (until such time that PK and I could feel comfortable negotiating the Lusaka roads. Which by the way are in no way close to being crowded or congested compared to Capital beltway or I-95. But the locals complain about “traffic problems” as an excuse for being late.)
Opening bank account in Standard Chartered Bank, getting DsTV cable channels (so I could watch my favorite channels HGTV, Travel Channel, Disney, and of course Indian channels for Bollywood films) took up a good chunk of my time during the first month or so! Not to mention getting set on utilities such as ordering prepaid phone cards for landline, cell phone, paying electricity bills etc. Though most of the day-to-day chores are easy to run, there is a general inefficiency and ‘laid back’ atmosphere in dealing with things in government-run offices and so delay is inevitable.
LOCAL LANGUAGE & CULTURE
Zambians are mostly Christians and visit the church every Sunday. (My maid takes the day off on Sundays to go to church.) They speak local dialects Nyanja or Memba. I don’t understand a word of it. But that’s not a problem, because Zambians also speak fairly good English; everyone, shopkeepers, drivers and maids speak passable English. The folks are very friendly and courteous to foreigners, but while on the road at night, one needs to be wary of thefts and burglary. Majority of the people live below poverty line and are susceptible to temptation. One really fascinating thing about Zambian women and marriages. Dowry is a payment that the groom makes to the bride’s family to compensate for taking her away from her parents. Now I’m not even sure if this is better or worse than the Indian system where dowry is given to groom’s family along with the bride. The Indian dowry system is bad. But the Zambian system? Doesn’t it amount to buying the girl if you pay money to her father? Hmm….
FOOD!
When I figured out where to buy what for the kitchen, I was on a roll. So here’s the list: Supermarkets such as Shoprite and Spar for milk, bread, fruits, and other American groceries; Premuni and Tuesday market for Indian vegetables and spices; Arcades and the newly opened Manda Hill for shopping malls which includes clothes, shoes, restaurants and movies. The big problem is that everything is VERY expensive. Yes, believe it or not. I thought cost of living in Africa, especially a small place like Zambia would be less than the US. But I was so wrong! Many daily use things are as costly as, some even more than, the US. This is because Zambia is a landlocked country and all imported goods have to travel by road from ports into the cities. There is a variety of restaurants such as Mexican, Indian, American, African dishing up a decent fare of items. Of course I had also carried with me from Costco the following which I store in my pantry: Mac & Cheese, Pasta, Ziploc bags, Paper towels and napkins.
Very soon I realized that food seems to be the highlight and grand finale for any event - performance, prayer or party - in Lusaka. And its almost always free. Or its included in the tkt price. No wonder Indians attend all functions in large numbers! I also started entertaining and having people over for parties at home. Mostly I cooked Indian meals for my guests and they seem thrilled with it.
Typical Zambian staple food is Nshima made with corn flour accompanied by spinach/rape/meat/fish. I haven’t tried Nshima yet. But my maid cooks it every day for herself and my driver.
The first few days we stayed at Fallsway Villas, a serviced apartment until mid-September after which we moved into our own rented home. But we still felt ‘not settled in’ because our container of household goods which had been shipped out mid-July did not arrive until Sept-end. After the shipment arrived, it was a crazy busy week of unpacking, and setting up the home. But I was finally happy to have our own used sofas, beds, kitchen pots and pans. We hired a housemaid for domestic chores and a full-time driver (until such time that PK and I could feel comfortable negotiating the Lusaka roads. Which by the way are in no way close to being crowded or congested compared to Capital beltway or I-95. But the locals complain about “traffic problems” as an excuse for being late.)
Opening bank account in Standard Chartered Bank, getting DsTV cable channels (so I could watch my favorite channels HGTV, Travel Channel, Disney, and of course Indian channels for Bollywood films) took up a good chunk of my time during the first month or so! Not to mention getting set on utilities such as ordering prepaid phone cards for landline, cell phone, paying electricity bills etc. Though most of the day-to-day chores are easy to run, there is a general inefficiency and ‘laid back’ atmosphere in dealing with things in government-run offices and so delay is inevitable.
LOCAL LANGUAGE & CULTURE
Zambians are mostly Christians and visit the church every Sunday. (My maid takes the day off on Sundays to go to church.) They speak local dialects Nyanja or Memba. I don’t understand a word of it. But that’s not a problem, because Zambians also speak fairly good English; everyone, shopkeepers, drivers and maids speak passable English. The folks are very friendly and courteous to foreigners, but while on the road at night, one needs to be wary of thefts and burglary. Majority of the people live below poverty line and are susceptible to temptation. One really fascinating thing about Zambian women and marriages. Dowry is a payment that the groom makes to the bride’s family to compensate for taking her away from her parents. Now I’m not even sure if this is better or worse than the Indian system where dowry is given to groom’s family along with the bride. The Indian dowry system is bad. But the Zambian system? Doesn’t it amount to buying the girl if you pay money to her father? Hmm….
FOOD!
When I figured out where to buy what for the kitchen, I was on a roll. So here’s the list: Supermarkets such as Shoprite and Spar for milk, bread, fruits, and other American groceries; Premuni and Tuesday market for Indian vegetables and spices; Arcades and the newly opened Manda Hill for shopping malls which includes clothes, shoes, restaurants and movies. The big problem is that everything is VERY expensive. Yes, believe it or not. I thought cost of living in Africa, especially a small place like Zambia would be less than the US. But I was so wrong! Many daily use things are as costly as, some even more than, the US. This is because Zambia is a landlocked country and all imported goods have to travel by road from ports into the cities. There is a variety of restaurants such as Mexican, Indian, American, African dishing up a decent fare of items. Of course I had also carried with me from Costco the following which I store in my pantry: Mac & Cheese, Pasta, Ziploc bags, Paper towels and napkins.
Very soon I realized that food seems to be the highlight and grand finale for any event - performance, prayer or party - in Lusaka. And its almost always free. Or its included in the tkt price. No wonder Indians attend all functions in large numbers! I also started entertaining and having people over for parties at home. Mostly I cooked Indian meals for my guests and they seem thrilled with it.
Typical Zambian staple food is Nshima made with corn flour accompanied by spinach/rape/meat/fish. I haven’t tried Nshima yet. But my maid cooks it every day for herself and my driver.
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