Zambia

Family tradition has it we all meet for Christmas, and this year it's in Zambia. My sister just moved here a few months ago. I'm not sure if she actually invited us all to descend on her only 2 days after she and her husband moved into their new unfurnished home here, but with the way the Kenyan elections turned out, we're all quite glad we opted for Lusaka instead of our parents' place in Nairobi. I'm changing my return ticket to Nairobi today, since there were fresh dead bodies on the streets this morning and people are advised to stay indoors.

ANYWAY.. Zambia is interesting. People who lived in Zimbabwe before say that Zambia is the way Zim was 10-15 years ago, and Zim is the way Zambia was 10-15 years ago. With things actually working etc. Since I'm kind of nostalgic about the time I grew up in Zim, I kind of like Zambia.

Though what I actually know about the place is pretty limited:

1. My sister says she's seen more female drivers, including truck drivers and taxi drivers, here than any other African capital she's lived in. Interesting.


2. An economist from Lund university I met in Arusha says she's studying inequality and that Zambia is the most unequal society in Africa. Though I found that a bit strange at the time, and even stranger now that I'm here. On further investigation I found that at least 50 nations have been claimed to be the most unequal country in the world, and it all depends on how you calculate the Gini coefficient. Poverty seems pretty average by African standards, and it's hard to see who those super-rich people would be, compared to for example Namibia where people have private jets and all that. Intriguing.


3. Bars and Restaurants serve shandy. Rock Shandy and Malawi Shandy. Important.