Well, first two weeks in Zambia, and I have survived so far. The weather is hot hot hot, and the rain that is supposed to come every afternoon to cool us down is rare. Global warming....

After a long flight, where the guy next to me told me his life story from Heathrow to Kenya we were met at Lusaka by the SPW team and the dog bus. This absolutly made the journey. All the way through Lusaka we were greeted, with people running alongside the bus and jumping up. What a welcome.

After we met with the other international volunteers from New Zealand, we headed (once again in the dog) to Kabwe, in Central Zambia. Here we were treated to hours of Bemba lessons (muli shani - bwino - how are you?) and time to settle in. By the end of the first week we moved to the other side of town to join with the other 91 Zambian volunteers. The prospect was quite daunting as being a white person here is pretty rare and we get noticed wherever we go. No being able to sneak out of training sessions....

I have to admit this week has been difficult. Most people seem to have a list of questions they want to ask a white person, or msungo, which range from my favourite colour, to if my hair is real. Once these have been answered the conversation seems to be pretty much over. But at the same time everyone is friendly, and I have got on really well with some of the ex-vols who are slightly older. I think the main problem is that they just see me as a scary white person who they can't talk to. Zambian's main activities seem to consist of singing, dancing and praying, and as I'm not proficient at any of these, I must seem to them to be very strange. Dancing is a daily activity, and the volunteers love forcing me up onto the stage to dance in front of everyone, which is quite embarassing. I have to work on the African hip shake!

This morning two friends, Cleophas and Nora, took me to their house to meet their family and feed us, which was lovely. The parents and sisters where so excited to have us and so welcoming, which seems to embrace the spirit of Zambia.