Voice of an African Nation

BY SHAWN DOWNS, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA - I'm positive that everyone will inform you of the progress of the film, but I want to breifly bring you into our lives apart from the film. At the time I first joined this project, I had imagined that we would be staying in a hut somewhere and sleeping completely wrapped in mosquito nets. Upon arrival I was very surprised to see how fortunate we were to be staying in such a fine place. The Kwazulu Kraal Resort it is called. Each room has two beds, a kitchen, bathroom, shower, and anything you would find back at the States. It is excellent in that it contains everything anyone would need and boasts its Zambian culture.

The first few days my roommates (Carlos Espinosa, Mike Montesa) woke up to take freezing showers. So cold was the water that we had difficulty in breathing while showering. Screams were heard every morning as we dashed in and out from under the water. On the third morning I felt rather stupid when I discovered a switch near the ceiling in the hallway; directly under it were the words "Hot Water".

The mosquitos are seen from time to time at the resort but in my room we have DOOM. Carlos and I discovered this at the supermarket. It is a device that when it is plugged into the wall it releases fumes that repel mosquitos. I am fairly positive it doesn't work, but Carlos and I still believe. And justifiably, we have not been bit. Mike isn't a believer. He has been bit.

Lately a few have been saying their own versions of "You know you are in Zambia when...". The other night I learned that "you know you are in Zambia when you think you are about to eat mashed potatoes but you are actually in for quite a surprise". The other night I became really excited when I thought I was piling mashed potatoes onto my plate. With no warning I found with the first bite that it was NSHIMA -- a boiled corn meal that Zambians eat twice a day. It is an acquired taste.

Despite the little negatives of every day life, the country of Zambia has shown to be a very beautiful place with very generous people. You will not find many Zambians without a smile on their face. I am so grateful for everything Zambia has done for our crew to make our stay as comfortable as possible. We are so excited to be shooting this film so people can see the beauty of Zambia and all it has to offer.