One week on.

We've been here in Lusaka for 6 days now, and this is the first time I've got around to sitting down to post something. It's been a busy time, and I'm not sure if I can really communicate the experience of being here in any kind of adequate way. Admittedly that may be partly due to a red wine-related fuzzy head this morning, but I'll have a go.

Three things I have learned this week:

I got my first paycheque this week for Kw 1, 700, 000. One of the other volunteers told me that when Zambia first had its own currency in 1967, you could buy a pound for Kw 1.60. Now you need Kw 5,900. If you know nothing else about modern Zambia, I think that alone probably gives you an idea of what's going on here.

Another thing that has amazed us is that Chas's surname is much admired here. We went to immigration this week and the official who was stamping his identity card said "Gay - what a beautiful name, you must be smiling always".

Disappointingly, Powerpoint has reached Zambia. The VSO staff are definitely in their first flush of love with this technology, although the presenter generally favours having a minion to press the button for the next slide rather than doing it themselves. So, during most presentations, there doesn't appear to be any obvious relationship between what is being said and the current slide. Not for the first time, I am feeling a profound sense of nostalgia for flipchart.

Anyway, time to go now. Ssiter Valeria is waiting for us with her big truck to whisk us of to Mpanshya. I've no idea what will greet us there, but I'm excited in a masochistic kind of way. I hope to be in Lusaka nesxt week, so I'll update you then.