Family Veluka and other pictures

The children of the family: Ireen (16), Rita (4), Buumba (11) and Vin (21). Coming from Arcades where we spent a Saturday afternoon bowling.


Our house in Chawama. Mrs Veluka and Rita at the door. We were going to Mrs Ngoma's House Mending Party. We have the privilege of a fenced yard which makes living at least psychologically safer.

In Chawama, a scene from our gate. It's wet! The roads are flooding, and since it's practically impossible to avoid stepping into the pools you just need to cope with your feet being wet all the time. Laundry doesn't dry for days, bed sheets are damp, everything is just a little bit uncomfortable and miserable. On the other hand, it's easy to forget these inconveniences since the people are so adorable and a lot of nice things happen all the time.

At the Finnish Ambassador's Independence Day party at the Residence on the 6th of December. On the left, the admirable Mrs Maki, the wife to the famous late Niilo Maki who brought neuropsychology into Finland. Mrs Maki is still involved in many research projects.

Religion is important in Zambia: at least the children go to church every Sunday, and we pray at every meal (I've got the honour to say the prayer a couple of times - the first time in Finnish since I didn't have any idea what to say :) This is the home church of the Velukas. Been there twice.

Three very Zambian things: in the front, man collecting Shake Shake cans. Shake Shake is a type of chibuku, grainy yeasty beer. Next, unsafe traffic: people speeding and driving without seat belts etc. At the background, a football match between Chawama and Chilenge (Chawama won! Yei!)

Mr Ngeto'o, an artist at KYP. Mr Ngeto'o is specialised in religious wood sculptures that are often ordered by the Catholic Church.

At the Munda Wanga Botanical Garden. As you can see, it is actually possible to find something beautiful in Lusaka. I took the kids to Munda Wanga Zoo the other day but liked the garden even better than the animals.

The family buys their meat and fish in Kafue, a couple of hours drive from Lusaka since Mrs Veluka thinks meat is purer there. The absolute favourite is offoss, cow's stomach. Haven't tried it yet. But I have eaten chicken kidneys!

We used to be KYPT.

Now we are KYP (or K.Y.P., they haven't really decided yet).