I had a good visit in America seeing a few friends and my family. We looked at a few colleges for Sarah and I tried not to think about her going off, away, far away to school next year.
It was hard to say goodbye to my parents though and It seems like it only gets harder each time. We get our luggage checked in and then there is the waiting before you go through security and the waiting after security. It used to be that we would wait together until we had to go, but now since it is hard, better to get the tears done with and over.
So hard.
We got home and I had alot of trouble with jet lag both going and coming back, I know...its because I am quickly approaching 40, and maybe the body just takes longer to adjust. Or maybe it was the high level of stress I was under before I left that I never fully got rested and recovered. At any rate the jet lag ended after about a week and then a bad stomach thing took over the next week. I think just re-adjusting to eating the food here possibly. But that wasn’t pleasant. And then there is the adjustment back into life here. The kids did great while I was away. My bakery not so great. And the country, even worse.
It seems that Zambia went from a 3rd world to a 4th world country while we were gone.
In the 5+ years that we have lived here, there has been the occasional power outages, but nothing major. We had major water problems the first few years and continue to occasionally have several days in a row where we don’t have any water. Which also makes us thankful for the pool to at least get water from and flush the toilets.
Our house is on the same electric line as the President’s house and so we rarely had no power, which all along we considered a blessing! But this week we became like every other household in Zambia that is now struggling through daily load shedding. 8-10 hours a day every day the power is off. This week it was 8am to 5 and 2-10pm. It is only fair if everyone has to deal with it, but I will honestly say it has been more difficult mentally and emotionally then it has been logistically. We have a gas stove so have been able to cook and have our meals without any trouble. We have lanterns and candles and if we prepare, after dinner there is just about an hour and a half til bedtime anyway so its not too terrible. But the water is pumped up into the gravity fed tank that gives us water into the house. Once the tank is empty, say 4 people take a shower and we wash the breakfast dishes, then we are out of water until the power comes back on.
So far, this means the water is off for about half a day. Still, it can be manageable.
Its amazing how much you can adapt to, and what can become the new normal.
But the situation has really become a crisis here.
The main electricity for the country is fueled by the Kariba Dam. There was not much rain last year, coupled with the fact that there was a leak in the dam and so water levels were purposefully lowered to fix the dam (rumors are that they actually then did not fix it) add to that power being sold off to other countries plus huge mining corporations that use a lot of electricity up in the copperbelt and there is a storm a brewing in this land.
The kwacha continues to devalue and is currently at 8 kwacha per one dollar. When we first moved here 5 years ago it was at 4.5. Six months ago it was at 6. The estimates are that by the end of the year the kwacha to dollar rate will be K10 to $1. The economy is tanking. The uncertainty of the future is a bit unnerving. Predictions are that by October ,November there will be a blackout. Even if the rains come early this year (October) and the rain is ALOT, it will still take months for it to effect the water levels and in turn effect the electricity. There is no quick fix.
It feels like Y2K. Remember that? December 1999 and people were scurrying around buying generators and stock piling food in basements and bunkers?
But here, there is a real crisis and no one is prepared or giving help to the people or advising on what to do.
I am currently typing by candle light and the white screen, taking a chance that the power will come on in the night while we sleep and recharge my laptop before it goes off at 8 again in the morning.
The options here are generators,- which of course are very pricey and dependent on fuel. Not too encouraging though when 5 months ago we had a fuel shortage crisis. Inverters- which store the electricity when the power is on- Helpful only if the power routinely comes on for days. It's not going to help when there would be a black out. There are solar lights and cookers and panels, but the availability and the cost of converting those to useable energy make things very expensive and not too feasible either.
We went to get fuel yesterday at the gas station and there were long backed up lines. I assumed they had no fuel (routinely happens or they are waiting for the fuel truck to arrive). This time they said, the fuel is there, its just the power is off and the generator is not working...well, doesn’t the generator run on fuel?
Aren’t we sitting at the fueling station?
Sometimes things just don't make sense.
The propane is in high demand and the supply can’t keep up with it so now we have trouble getting our gas cylinders filled up for both cooking at home and the Cakery. It can be a couple weeks before the gas is available again.
The issue of water has been causing me some stress over the weeks and so we just ordered a small generator to use when we need to switch on the pump for the water. Just knowing this is on its way here, gives me some peace of mind.
Frustrating as it may be, we are getting used to it at home, and it is certainly simplifying life on the home front. But for the simplification it brings at home, the complication it brings at work is tripled!
We have most the staff for the Cakery coming in to work the night shift.
I don’t work the night shift. Its not feasible or doable, or probably even that safe.
During the week I am in bed by 9. So this has provided many “challenges” ( read: frustration, stress and irritation) when quality and productivity drops because of the time of day the work is done and the lack of external supervision.
But it is pretty much the only “semi-guaranteed” time of day that the power is on at the Cakery. So it is when baking and chip making is done. For now this is working. If there is a black out and there are days when there is no power? Obviously it won’t work.
I am looking at the cost to get a gas oven ( small one for back up) and to see what an inverter that could run the chip production equipment would cost. Back up plans that need cash obviously.
My plan was to eventually open a small cafe for breakfast and lunch. We have the space, and had a donation of tables, chairs, stools, cabinets, dishes, mugs, fabrics etc, so that now, though a bit mismatched we could actually do it.
My aim all along in the business has been to have good quality items. AND to only offer on the menu what we can readily make. A novel idea to many places here in Zambia. There is nothing more frustrating at a restaurant here than to sit down, look over the menu for 5 minutes, finally decide , have your order taken, only to be told 5 minutes later, oh sorry we don’t have that today. It’s finished.
So now with the power cuts, I have turned my focus to just a few simple but good items for the menu that can all be done on the gas stove or grill or be prepared the night before.
Breakfast: Pancakes, Egg n Bacon, Homemade Granola, Bagels, Doughnuts
Lunch: Shredded Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches, Tacos, Chicken Salad Wrap and Hamburgers.
Keeping it simple and I’m keeping it American.
Sorry Sir. There will be no fish heads, caterpillars, and nshima served here.
A couple restaurants in our area have folded or are going downhill recently due to the common problems with utilities but also the economy. The opportunities are still there though. The zambian middle to upper class as well as the expat community still want somewhere decent to eat. Even more so now that they cant cook at home.
So, if we can prepare ourselves and weather the storm, there might actually turn out to be a beautiful double rainbow (double blessing..favor, favor) with a pot of gold at the end. If I can just. hang. on.
But, if a year from now I just still see the storm clouds and there’s no rain or rainbow even, let alone a pot of gold... well then, I gave it a good run.
