Lunch Today:

They served rice but I ate N'shima, and likely surprised some people. N'shima is Zambian "bread" that's made from boiled cornmeal and is a staple for most meals. The texture is a little like Play Dough--though N'shima is really very tasty. N'shima or shima is served with meat and vegetables. The veggies, slaw, various greens, tomato...whatever...are usually referred to as relish. The best part of Shima is that you eat with your right hand. Lunch was delicious.

The conference I'm attending is a global ethics conference, though much of the discussion focuses on media ethics in Zambia in relation to the what's going on around the world and in neighboring African countries. Press freedom today is generally greater than 10 years ago--certainly there are more print publications and now about 35 non-government radio stations, compared with only five non-gov stations 10 years ago.

I've kept in touch with several people I knew from my Fulbright days. But, as I've tried to find out what has happened to others, I've been told they're dead. Victims of AIDS. Many companies now make available ARV (anti-retro viral drugs) for HIV-positive employees. It's been a slow process but it's beginning to happen. Part of the reality of AIDS in Africa is that many of the most highly-educated members of the workforce are infected. Without ARVs, they'd be dead--some may still die.