“How do I pronounce your surname?” I asked Geir and Brit Hoass (pictured above) on our way to the studio last Sunday for the latest edition of ‘The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela’. “Hoowass” was the reply. “It means ‘high hill’ in Norwegian” they added helpfully! ‘The Experience’ is the radio show we sponsor weekly on Sunday nights from 20.30-21.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show is a mixture of latest international and Zambian music, interspersed by chat with our weekly Guests.The show’s popularity is enhanced locally each week when we give away a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge to one lucky listener – usually to the first person to text us the name of the artist singing our ‘oldie of the week’.

Geir and Brit told listeners that they had been in Zambia for some ten days and in Livingstone for the past week. They were in the country to renew links between Oslo University College in Norway and Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation on the Copperbelt, as well as David Livingstone College of Education in Livingstone. This humble and friendly couple are both teachers of student teachers in Oslo, specializing in ‘early childhood studies’ – kindergarten they explained. There is a programme of student exchange between Zambia and Norway – Geir and Brit were happy to report that they had successfully concluded negotiations with both Zambian institutions. It was Geir’s fourth visit to Zambia but for Brit it was her first time to visit the country and she reported that she was ‘loving it’! They said that twelve students from Norway could be expected soon in Zambia, split between Kitwe and Livingstone.

The music on the show was good. We opened with the latest from Iyaz – ‘Da Da Da’ (brilliant title!) back to back with Justin Timberlake’s ‘Mirrors’ – number one in UK as we went on air. George chose Zambian tracks from Salma ft O. c and their track ‘Folo Folo’, as well as MackyZ ft K’Millian with no more love. Milli Jam dropped Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ne-Yo’s ‘Get In’. We closed with Bastille’s smash ‘Pompeii’.

Brit and Geir told listeners about the one day safari to Chobe National Park in Botswana they had enjoyed the previous day and thrilled our audience with their account of seeing a lion on an impala kill – though they admitted to having some sympathy for the impala. “Lunch!” I said. They had also seen a multitude of elephant – as you do in Chobe and a plethora of other animals too. They had loved the Victoria Falls and said that although there were waterfalls in Norway there was nothing like that! They were very much looking forward to their lion encounter and sunset cruise the following day.

Asked why they had chosen Chanters Lodge Geir said that on previous occasions he had stayed at backpackers but as this time he was travelling with his wife, he preferred a higher standard of establishment. They said they had been very happy at Chanters, especially with the food and the staff. They greeted Patrick Kayawe at David Livingstone College Of Education, telling listeners that he was one person in Livingstone who had done so much for student exchange visits.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, they replied that they would like to be retired, enjoying their grand daughter, travelling and perhaps volunteering back in Africa.