Meet Chris Hendriks (front), his daughter Chikonda and Chikonda’s husband Tijerick Dood who made up the ‘Dutch invasion’ on the latest edition of our regular Sunday night radio programme – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild – airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s favourite local radio station, every Sunday evening. Chris, Chikonda and Tijerick, Guests staying at Chanters Lodge, kindly agreed to appear on our show, though Chikonda claimed to be ‘shy’. ‘You don’t seem shy’! Milli Jam commented early on in the affair. Giggles!
Chris answered most of the questions on the show and explained that he and his family had come to Zambia to visit a project in Chinsali, Northern Zambia, in which they were involved, setting up a Trades Training School in conjunction with a friend married to a Zambian. The school would initially teach brick laying and plastering to 20 students. Chris said it was hoped to extend the courses later to cover tailoring, agriculture and computers. “Of course” continued Chris “we couldn’t come to Zambia without seeing the mighty Victoria Falls, though my daughter and I have seen it before – Tijerick hadn’t but he has now”! “Why have your children got Zambian names”? Milli Jam wanted to know. Chris explained that Chikonda and her brother Chintu had both been born in Zambia at the time he was teaching at Chadiza Secondary School in Eastern Province, then later at University of Zambia. When they turned 18 the children had been given the option of dropping their Zambian names but had refused to do so! “Good on them”! We said.
The music on the show was great. We opened with ‘Give Me Everything’, by Pitbull ft Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer, (the current UK number one), back to back with Lady Gaga’s ‘Marry the Night’ from her smash hit album ‘Born This Way’. George chose his own track Kaufela’s ‘Pass Me By’ and told listeners he hoped his CD would soon be released. Milli Jam chose ‘Plantain Boy’ by Timaya (plantain – ‘big bananas’ I explained, when asked by the guys) and ‘Play Back’ by Collie Buddz. Diana Vickers with ‘Four Leaf Clover’ and Mohombi’s ‘Fade Away’ were also on our play list and we closed with Kelly Rowland’s ‘Motivation’ ft Jeremih and Lil Wayne.
Chris explained to listeners that he’d left Zambia in order to be able to educate his children in Europe and because he wanted a change from teaching. Before branching out on his own as a consultant he’d been responsible for setting up the computer centre at University of Rotterdam. He was now retired, living comfortably on the coast in Spain just south of Valencia. Tijerick told listeners that he worked at an oil terminal in Rotterdam and that he and Chikonda have two children.
While they’d been in Livingstone the family had spent a whole day at Victoria Falls, taken a game drive in the Mosi-o-Tunya National Park and had lunch at the Arts Cafe to eat Zambian food and watch traditional dancing from around Zambia. They intended taking the sunset cruise on Lady Livingstone before they left for Europe the following Tuesday.
Before we closed we gave listeners Twitter and Facebook updates, plus local and international chart news, including news of the Dutch charts (in English!) We gave away dinner for two at Chanters Lodge, as we do, to the first listener to text us telling us from which country our guests came. Crispin won. This kind, generous, charming Dutch family told us they’d felt at home during their stay at Chanters Lodge and we were happy!
24
MAY
Livingstone Island has re-opened though it is not yet possible to swim in Devil’s Pool. Check my drenched friend Kwameh!
