What if you slept
And what if
In your sleep
You dreamed
And what if
In your dream
You went to heaven
And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower
And what if
When you awoke
You had that flower in you hand
Ah, what then?

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

HAPPY SPRING DAY !!!!!!!

An interesting thing happened to me last night.

I decided that since I was in Zambia, I may as well do something interesting other than work.
Since I have a close friend whose parents had lived in a little mining town called Luanshya, I decided to visit this town for no reason other than that she was almost born there.

Armed with a map of Zambia ( photocopied from a diary !!)
I drove off looking for said village.

At about 20h00 (thats twenty hours in Zambia speak), I arrived at the Luanshya checkpoint. A checkpoint is a police roadblock, where EVERY motorist has to stop. This practice is in vogue in Zambia, and EVERY town, village, and city has at least two!!!
I asked the kind policeman for directions to the town center and he laughed as he pointed straight ahead. (its kind of a small town)

It was a lovely evening and in the light of a rich orangy/red full moon I discovered a lovely statue of a mother and baby at the roadside outside the Civic Center. Out came the camera, click, click click…..

I jumped into my car and was about to head off when suddenly an old Toyota cut in front of me and obstructed my path.
The driver jumped out followed by two other men. The driver steps out and says “I am Kaunda. Who are you?”
I tried to introduce myself, but he demanded my camera. He insisted I hand over my camera to him.
Thats when I thought I was being robbed. I refused. Then he asked that I give him the film. The man proceeded to ask why I was taking pictures at night, and why in that town, and why pictures of government property. I explained the significance of my visit to the town, and that I had taken the pic as a souvenir, but he was unfazed. He asked that I follow him to the Police station.

So off we went. To the police station where we he gave a statement, and so did I.
It was by now 20h30. I was a little concerned that I was not going to get to my accomodation anytime soon.
The officer on duty had no idea what to make of the complaint.
The complaint laid was “taking pictures of goverment property”. She did not know if I should be arrested, or how to proceed. The complainant was trying to make a case that I could have any intent, and that just the mere fact that I was taking the pictures under cover of darkness alluded to some conspiracy.

The station CIO had to be called, and since she had no airtime on her cellfone, she had to use mine. (sigh). Said officer arrived and she listened to both parties. She also, was unable to fathom which way to go with this. So she suggested letting the staion commander deal with it in the morning. After some “subtle” cajoling from my side, she called out the second in charge to come in and determine how to proceed. In the meantime, I had to remain in an office with no lights. During my wait, I was informed by one of the police officers that the complainant was in fact the outgoing mayor of the town!! and that is why they had to take the whole issue SO seriously. RIIIIGHT !!! Trust me to rile a politician with an attitude.

The second in command finally arrives.
Both parties gave statements to the 2 I C, and he listened intently. Then he asked to see the pics in question to determine if they posed any threat to the people or state of Zambia. After seeing the pics, he discharged me with no hesitation, saying that he also liked the statue, and that I had all right to keep the pics. Sanity prevails!

Two hours wasted away, at 22h30 I was released!

But hey, I got the pics!!!

- The PA
aka A dot K dot

I didnt quite think that I was at that age where I would fall in love in an instant.
but it happened

driving through from Lusaka to Kazangula, at the border with Botswana,
I had set aside time to visit the Victoria Falls
It was a place I had wanted to visit for as long as I can recall wanting to travel into Africa

I was ill prepared for it

even God loves to play with prisms
… a rainbow flirts with the soft mist emanating from the ‘falls

I just simply fell in love !
with the place
with the experience

divine !!

-the P A
aka A.K.

For those of you who could not be at the VIP gala eveing function, here is a video with some snippets.

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