Getting Settled

This post is being copied and pasted in a rush. I’m working on my lap top battery because we haven’t found our adapters which we packed last November so I have to be quick. Here it goes……

We arrived back in Zambia on Wednesday January 20^th to a wonderful reception from our staff and friends. LiPAF remains intact although somewhat altered by our absence.  For the most part things ran smoothly while we were away.

January has been terrible for the tourism industry in Livingstone. Some lodges are empty while others are operating at 30 to 50% capacity. This has a direct impact on our operations as we depend on ticket sales to survive.  Our goal has been to survive the recession and see what 2010 will bring.

It's all Greek to me

On the airplane from Canada we met a couple escorting a group to Egypt on behalf of a Canadian tour company. They are also bringing a group to Livingstone in February and we have exchanged emails in the hope that they will pre-book our show.

Charles de Gaulle Airport

In Johannesburg, we met two men from Minnesota who were on their way to Livingstone to build schools in the area. Bob and Garwin are with the Seventh Day Adventist Church and will be leading 140 volunteers who will be arriving next week. They were quite interested in having their volunteers attend our show and we are looking into the possibility of moving it to the resort in which they are staying. It seems if Marilyn and I could just spend our time hanging out in airports we might actually increase the attendance at our shows significantly.

JB Airport

Right now we realize we are at a cross roads. As I’ve always said “When you come to a fork in the road…..take it!” We have inspected a facility which may be available for rent. It was once a garage and petro station which had been converted into a restaurant. It has been empty for about 3 years. We looked at it in order to see if it might be suitable as a place to develop our ‘ARTS CAFE’.

The idea behind an ‘ARTS CAFE’ is to bring together artists in Livingstone thereby creating an environment where tourists and locals can meet and mingle while being entertained. We will also use the venue for our performances of a new show we are developing and have something scheduled each night of the week. We envision workshops being held as well in storytelling, script writing, acting skills, etc.

Tall grass at the farm

We are still working out the details but the ARTS CAFE may have an Improv Night, a ‘Livingstone’s Got Talent Night’, poetry reading, an evening for up and coming performers, and various afternoons with local schools using the venue for drama, choirs, etc. There will be an art gallery displaying works of local artists and perhaps a library of arts and culture.

Although LiPAF has presented many unexpected challenges to us, we are still dreaming big. We’ve been discussing the idea of the ARTS CAFE with a number of community leaders in the hopes of establishing a strong working committee. So far the reception has been all positive and many people want to help.

Our biggest challenge will be financing. The venue we are exploring will need renovations. There is lots of ‘grunge’ work to be done by volunteers but also some materials and supplies to be purchased. Whether we can afford to get it up and running is questionable. We are still waiting to hear back from the owner to see what he wants for rent.

On other topics, I am having a lot of problems with my back. In the mornings it takes me a long time to get some relief from back, buttock, and leg pain. Usually as the day wears on, the pain subsides somewhat but it does restrict my movement. Getting in and out of our vehicle is quite painful. I keep hoping things will improve with my exercise routine but, if not, I will have to deal with it when we return to Canada at the end of July (We are planning a Canadian summer vacation this year)

I also picked up a cold which is improving. I think every time I fly, I get some bug or another. I’m still not smoking though and I think that has helped me get over the cold much quicker. (two full months free of cigarettes now)

As I mentioned, Marilyn is working on revamping our Dancing Around Zambia show to include more theatre. We have decided to take the next two weeks to rehearse instead of having our regular shows. It is the rainy season in Zambia and the roads are filled with massive puddles. Everything is green and lush and the grasses are higherthan me. It is quite something to see how lush everything has become and to know the rains will soon be gone and everything will start to dry out again in this continuous cycle.

Our temporary home

We have been house hunting and have seen several places which may be suitable. However, most of them have one or two problems and we haven’t made a decision yet. It’s either the location, the size of the yard, or the lack of a decent kitchen or shower which has kept us from renting. In the meantime we are staying in one of Tjisse’s chalets.