Sick...again.

Hi Everyone,
I am sick…again! My bladder infection came back to haunt me on Friday night…and it came with a vengeance. Luckily, the clinic that I went to last time is open 24 hours. I gave another urine sample and was told that my original infection never actually went away, so this time round I had to be given more antibiotics AND an injection. What fun.So…this pretty much spoiled the plans I had this weekend to host a braii (party) for my birthday. I have given up on doing anything to celebrate and am just going to accept my 21st birthday as a downer. Moving on.
Due to the return of my infection, I had a low-key weekend. I spent Saturday cooking with Tom and chatting with mum on skype. Sunday was a bit more eventful- I met up with a friend named “Fred” who lives in town close to a market called Kamwala. I never get to go into town very often because I can’t go unless I’m with someone so this was a good opportunity for me to see more of the local Lusaka life. Fred and I ended up going to a sports bar and watching a football match (Chelsea vs. Man U). Football here is massive and a lot of people root for Chelsea or Manchester, so this was a big event. The bar was packed and everyone was either wearing a Chelsea or Manchester shirt and there was a lot of yelling. If it weren’t for everyone speaking in Bemba or Nyanja, you’d think that you were in England. After the game, Fred ran into some of his friends who insisted that they take me to another local place out near Kalingalinga- which is one of the poorer ends of town. I trusted Fred and decided to go (I’ve learned that I’m generally ok to go wherever I want so long as I am with a guy). The place we ended up going to was pretty interesting. Zambians like a good party, so even though it was a Sunday night, you would have thought that it was Saturday. Because I was with a group of guys, I didn’t get much trouble from anyone except for a lot of interested looks. All was well…and then the power went out (not uncommon here). I’ve experienced a lot of power outages here, but never have I been in a bar when it happens. Its pretty funny because you can hear everyone go “nooooooooo” at once and then everyone continues to go about their business. Nevertheless, I made it home safely in one piece.
I have made a new female friend! This is big news- mainly because most of my friends here are male and its harder to befriend girls here. I met “Jane” on a minibus a few weeks ago and she helped me figure out where my stop was. We met up for coffee last week (REAL COFFEE! I had a mocha) and had a really good chat. After hanging out with mostly guys, it felt good to talk to another girl for a change!
Bad news; the bakery near my house (with the Chelsea buns and espresso) closed. I was devastated when I found out! I admit that I have been feeling a little lost these days without it.
Work is still slow  I’m not quite sure what to do about this. I really thrive on activity and I’ve noticed that when work is slow I tend to feel down. Its hard for me to talk to my boss because he’s always running from one point to the next, so I’m not sure how to deal with this. I am hoping for some divine inspiration or something. I met with Nancy last week and she said that she wants to meet with stakeholders about my thesis today. I hope with every fiber in my being that this actually happens!

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