Lodge Blog – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

Dr Marja Hinfelaar on 107.7 fm

Meet Marja Hinfelaar, pictured above with family friend Frobert Van Zijl (no, that’s not a typo, his name is Frobert!). Marja, an Historian with National Archives of Zambia and a regular Guest at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone, was in town with Frobert, his wife Karyn and their two boys for a weekend visit, so naturally we invited her to guest on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild!

For the uninitiated that’s our weekly Sunday night radio show airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hours on Zambezi 107.7fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station broadcasting in a range of 70kms around Southern Province, taking in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and the Botswana border as well. The show’s a great mixture of music and chat also featuring international and local chart news, as well as stories from Lodgeblog and a regular prize of a dinner for 2 with drinks at Chanters Lodge, ensuring the show’s popularity in town and around!

Marja told listeners that she’s a Dutch national and had been in Zambia since 1997 but in fact her first visit to this country was in 1990 when her uncle was a catholic priest in Lusaka. She has a Phd in African History from University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. (“Dr Hinfelaar? We hadn’t been told!” I offered). Milli Jam asked Marja about her work with the Livingstone Museum and she told listeners that the museum’s clock tower was now open as an additional gallery. Her new project would involve digitally recording all the highly valuable 19th Century documents including David Livingstone’s letters so that the originals could be removed to safe storage, meaning visitors would still able to peruse the records on computer. This would entail Marja resuming her regular monthly visits to Livingstone. This made us happy!

The music on the show was great. We opened with Enrique Iglesias featuring Usher, Lil Wayne and Nayer and their smash hit ‘Dirty Dancer’ which we played back to back with Gyptian’s latest ‘Let Me In’. Our Zambian tracks plugged Slap Dee’s ‘I Wanna Lose Myself’ coupled with XBoy’s ‘Malita’. (XBoy’s from Livingstone and a regular listener to the show). Milli Jam chose ‘Take Off’ by Chipmunk featuring TreySongz and Bobby V’s ‘Altered Ego’ featuring 50 Cent. Wow! We moved on to Beyonce’s latest ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ back to back with Akon’s ‘Can You Believe’ and closed with Alexandra Stan’s ‘Mr Saxobeat’. All the hits!

We asked Marja and Frobert about their activities while they’d been in Livingstone and Marja told listeners that Frobert and his family had enjoyed their one day safari to Chobe. She hadn’t accompanied them as she didn’t care much for elephants! However, she’d joined them for a game drive in Mosi-o-Tunya National Park and the whole family were delighted that they’d been able to get up really close to the rhino. Of course they’d been to see Victoria Falls and got drenched in the process – as you do at this time of year!

Marja told listeners about a new journal called The Bulletin and The Record published monthly in Lusaka of which she’s an editor and which takes an in-depth look at topical Zambian issues. When asked about her private life she told us she was ‘separated but dating’. ‘Fair enough’ we said! She told listeners that they’d travelled from Lusaka by Proflight on Friday and that the plane had been exactly on time. They were leaving the next day with the same airline.

We gave listeners the chart and blog news, greeted guests and staff at the lodge and gave away a dinner for two to the first person to text us Marja’s country of origin. Good response! Great show!

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JUN

accommodation, activities, Africa, airlines, Botswana, Chanters, Chobe, entertainment, Holland, livingstone, Lusaka, music, radioshow, victoriafalls, wildlife, Zambia

Aircraft Maintenance

Another classic from Judy in Australia! Airline unnamed!

Repair Division Of A Famous International Airline.

In case you need a laugh!

Remember, it takes a college degree to fly a plane but only a high school diploma to fix one. After every flight, pilots fill out a form, called a ‘Gripe Sheet’ which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form and then pilots review the Gripe Sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour! Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.

By the way this airline is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.

P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tyre.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That’s what friction locks are for.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you’re right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny………… (I love this one!)
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

And the best one for last………………
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

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JUN

airlines, communications, management, staff, travel

Dalisoul

George da Soulchild contributes:

Not long ago, he said albums were not beneficial and only singles will be heard from him. Today, ‘Mwana wa Mukomboni,’ Dalisoul has changed his mind. In an interview with Times Entertainment Dalisoul said after making that decision fans cried out loud, whenever he was performing, for him to rescind that decision not to compile an album again and give them something that they can listen to in their own time, in this case a collection of his music.

The Musunge Mushe (A.T.M) star said he had no choice but to listen to his fans from the shanties because they are the ones that have made him to be where he is today and it was his duty to honour their wishes. “I made that decision not to release my second album based on my dissatisfaction with the earnings that I got from my first one Shansha and now that my fans want another one and are ready to support me, I will give them another chance” he said.

Dalisoul said that this time around, Supershine, the marketers and distributers of CDs and DVDs, had done their homework and he is happy with the new deal. Supershine has started manufacturing glass covers in order to curb the high levels of piracy, and Dalisoul is happy with the development.

Mukomboni is the new album from Dalisoul and it is out on the streets and contains unheard tracks like Vomela and Mwiko which features Rich Bizz. Vomela encourages people living with HIV to accept their status and that by doing so they will enhance the chances of living longer with the virus.

Other tracks on the album are the old Nalila (condom), Chipyango and Shansha, which appears as a bonus track. It’s a nine-track album and features JK, Petersen, Karasa, Shyman and Bob Muli.

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JUN

Africa, entertainment, Lusaka, music, Zambia

Yellow Fever – Zambia

SASTM Newsflash

Subject: Yellow fever vaccination recommendations: Africa

The WHO has revised the Yellow Fever (YF) vaccination recommendations for Africa. However, the South
African Department of Health has issued the following information regarding the requirements for travellers
from and to South Africa. Effective 1st June 2011

1. Tanzania
Returning travellers from South Africa to Tanzania and those from Tanzania travelling to South Africa willrequire proof of YF vaccination. This is unchanged from the present regulations.

2. Zambia
Returning travellers from South Africa to Zambia and travellers from Zambia to South Africa will now require
proof of YF vaccination. Previously, proof of YF vaccination was not required.

3. In-transit passengers, irrespective of the time period in-transit, will still require proof of YF vaccination.

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JUN

Africa, medical, rsa, Tanzania, tourism, travel, Zambia

Kennedy Chaile & Floating Skies Safaris

Meet Kennedy Chaile (above), proprietor and founder of Floating Skies Safaris and guest on the most recent edition of our weekly Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station. The show is called The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild and is an addictive mixture of music and chat! I co-host the show and as George was not feeling well this week I had more to say than usual. Whilst we often invite lodge Guests to appear on the programme we do like to promote local companies and people as well, hence this week’s invitation to Kennedy.

Kennedy told listeners that his company offers a variety of activities for tourists including an African Foods Cooking Tour which takes visitors into the local markets to see and sample the preparation of Zambian food. Cost – US$50 per person. Floating Skies also offer Cultural and Historical Tours of Livingstone, Jewish Historical Tours and Village Tours. The company offers walking safaris as well as safaris further afield to Kafue National Park.

Our guest explained that Floating Skies was established in April 2009 and, whilst the company did not yet have its own transport, it had no problem hiring transport as and when required. It employed three expert guides to accompany visitors. Kennedy had originally come to Livingstone as General Manager of Natural Mystique Lodge on the Zambezi and having served in that capacity for 5 years made the decision to establish his own company with his wife, whom he described as his partner and greatest supporter. They have three children. Most of his education had been completed on the Copperbelt with a background in accountancy.

The music on the show was right up to date. We opened with Lady Gaga’s ‘Edge Of Glory’ back to back with Aloe Blacc and ‘I Need A Dollar’. Two local tracks were ‘hot’! ‘Got It Bad’ by African Freedom featuring Cri$i$ Mr Swagger while Chika’s ‘Chanibaba’ (I’m hurt) had them rocking in Maramba and back at Chanters Lodge. Milli Jam spun ‘Should Have Kissed You’ by Chris Brown back to back with Keri Hilson’s ‘Lose Control’. We closed with Miguel’s R&B smash ‘Sure Thing’.

Kennedy told listeners that Floating Skies had the most support from Jollyboys Backpackers and Safari Par Excellence but that the company drew clients from lots of lodges in Livingstone. They hoped to introduce tours in the future concerning African insects and trees. He also explained that African Insights had helped with the construction of the company’s website which was helping with marketing the company and that Floating Skies was active on both Facebook and Twitter.

We gave away dinner for two at Chanters Lodge to the first person to text us either the name of our Guest or his company and Zach responded ‘Kennedy from Frightening Skies Safaris’. We laughed and gave him the prize – Kennedy after all was quite correct! We asked our enterprising and hard working guest where he’d like to be and what he’d like to be doing ten years from now and he told listeners that he wanted Floating Skies to be a really successful company with its own fleet of transport. We wished him the best of luck.

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MAY

activities, Africa, Chanters, entertainment, Kafue, music, radioshow, wildlife, Zambia

Texting For Seniors

Thanks to Judy in Australia for these gems of SMS language for seniors! I’m not quite sure why she felt she should send me this information……

BTW – Bring the Wheelchair
CBM – Covered by Medicare
DWI – Driving While Incontinent
FWBB – Friend with Beta Blockers
FWIW – Forgot Where I Was
FYI – Found Your Insulin
GGPBL – Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low
GHA – Got Heartburn Again
IMHO – Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO – Laughing My Dentures Out
WTFA – Wet the Furniture Again
WTP – Where’s the Prunes
WWNO – Walker Wheels Need Oil

There are more but that’s enough to be going on with!

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MAY

joke

Joplin Tornado

This moving and touching piece is from the blog of Linda Gregersen formerly of Namwianga Mission. She and husband David are great supporters of Chanters Lodge. Our thoughts were, and are with them at this time and with all those bereaved and homeless families effected.

“David and I live in southwest Missouri, an area that used to be famous because of Branson. Now Joplin is making headlines, and our entire region is consumed with helping Joplin recover from the devastation of last Sunday night’s tornado.

Sunday night at 5:25 we were in the church auditorium hearing yet another of my husband’s great sermons. My niece who lives in El Salvador sent a text message to my brother that a tornado was on its way and we should take cover. Right after the services ended, my brother (who had then checked out the situation on his Iphone) announced that we should all head for the basement. About 25 church members and neighborhood residents spent the rest of the evening in the church basement. We followed the tornado news on laptops and Iphones, hardly able to believe the terrible reports. Of course, we soon found out that the initial reports couldn’t begin to describe the incredible damage.

Our community of Mt. Vernon is 45 miles west of Joplin, and we were spared. David and my brother have been to Joplin and will be going again tomorrow to help with relief efforts. Everyone here is shocked by the horrible sights and reports of what happened in Joplin. The community and the nation are mobilizing all kinds of resources to respond and help those who lost everything in a few minutes of terror.

I’ve been reflecting on storms, disasters, and my experience of living in Africa. There are no earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes in Zambia. About the only natural disaster is drought, and it is a slow, insidious danger–nothing like the apocalyptic destruction of a tornado. The other slow, insidious killer in Zambia is AIDS. As horrible as the Joplin tornado is, AIDS may be just as destructive–or more so. Every family we knew at Namwianga had been touched by the AIDS epidemic in one way or another. A slogan that is often repeated in AIDS awareness campaigns is “We are not all infected, but we are all affected.”

I weep at the photos of Joplin’s flattened neighborhoods and think of the many lives destroyed by the tornado. And I grieve for the lives destroyed by the quieter and equally powerful pandemic called AIDS. May God help us to be just as shocked, touched, and motivated to help those whose lives are destroyed in years of suffering as we are by those who lose everything in an instant. May God help us all.”

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MAY

Chanters, friends, usa, weather, Zambia

Roberto

George da Soulchild reports on one of Zambia’s singing sensations – Roberto.

Local disc-jockey cum musician Robert Banda aka Roberto’s music appeal seems to be taking an international route as his latest single ‘Love You More’, set with a Nigerian-influenced tone continues to gain recognition locally and beyond borders. Roberto launched his singing career after his brother Ozzy in the early 2000s with songs such as Operator, Akasuba, These Words and Save our love.

Speaking prior to his performance at the Pulse Nightclub in Lusaka last Saturday, Roberto said he is focusing on the international platform to put Zambian music on the map. “I think music in Zambia has reached a level where we can take it outside and personally, I have been working hard to achieve that. You are aware that I belong to an African duo called UZ47 which features Uganda’s Tonix. For me this is a good experience and I have told myself that if I have to do music now, I should not just focus on Zambia but go beyond and that’s how ‘Love you more’ came about,” he says. “The whole purpose is to promote an international appeal in the region and outside the continent.”

He adds that he is almost ready with his latest project which he claims has done well in promos so far. Love You More has really impressed me and I am happy it is doing well on the local charts across the radio stations and in other countries. People are loving it and it gives me hope they will enjoy the album,” says Roberto who has apart from collaborating with artistes such as Manus, Willy Ginx, Ozzy and Slap Dee has also shown his production strength through the Brothahood Music label where he produced Love You More.

By press time the song was at number one at Breeze FM in Chipata and has remained unbeaten on the QFM Heavy Rotation. It is also on the countdown on Namibia’s Base FM, Uganda’s Kira station as well as Ghana’s YFM. Its video also continues to perform well. And his performance at the Pulse was lively despite recording a lower attendance than usual, and it was ‘Love You More’ that drew repeated requests at a show that was also supported by several upcoming artistes.

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Africa, entertainment, Lusaka, music, radioshow, Zambia

Dutch Invasion!

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!

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accommodation, activities, Africa, Chanters, charities, copperbelt, entertainment, facebook, guests, livingstone, music, radioshow, tourism, Twitter, victoriafalls, wildlife

Floating Skies Safaris

Floating Skies Safaris is an incorporated private, limited Zambian company, based in Livingstone, Zambia, the home of the mighty Victoria Falls. Kennedy Chaile, pictured above, is an enterprising and hard working young Zambian who established and manages Floating Skies. We shall soon feature him on our Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient so we can learn more about Floating Skies. For now, visit their website or friend Kennedy on Facebook!

The company’s guides are local Zambians who accompany visitors on their trips and have full knowledge and real life experience of the people, culture, customs and the flora and fauna of this beautiful land of Zambia.

Some of the unusual tours they offer include:

African Foods Cooking Tour Musokotwane
African Village Day Tour
Livingstone Town Historical Walk
Livingstone Jewish Historical Tour
Maramba African Market Tour
Simonga African Village

For more details please go to the link above.

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activities, Africa, entrepreneurship, guests, livingstone, tourism, victoriafalls, Zambia

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