The Joost Vranken Experience!

Joost Vranken

Meet Joost Vranken (above) from Ghent in Belgium, and guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz. The Experience is the weekly radio show we sponsor on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show airs every Sunday evening live from 20.30 – 21.30 hrs.

Joost told listeners that he was in Zambia on holiday and was spending a week or so in Livingstone at Chanters Lodge. He was comfortable at the lodge describing the operation as quiet, homely and friendly. He’s an administrator back in Ghent working for De Lijn, a big Belgian transport company. Joost went on to tell us that he had first come to Zambia in 1991 as a history teacher at Kawambwa Boys Technical Secondary School. In those days national service was still compulsory in Belgium but he was able to come to Zambia to work, as an option to serving in the military.

On completion of his national service he had taught for a number of years at Nkrumah Teachers Training College in Kabwe. He holds a degree in African History and Languages from Ghent University in Belgium. He set up a business in Zambia but left to return to his home country in 2007. Asked about the difference between Zambia and Belgium he said ‘the people, the space and the light’. He clearly misses Zambia!

The music on the show was nice featuring tracks from Lost Frequencies (a Belgian artist), Calvin Harris, Chvrches, Demi Levato, Jay Rox, Big Sean ft Jhene Aiko, T-Sean ft JK and Sean Paul. There were a lot of Seans in there! Music wise Joost is into jazz and stars like Van Morrison.

Joost said he and the friend with whom he had travelled had very much enjoyed the white water rafting on the Zambezi during their stay but not the climb out of the gorge. His friend had bungee jumped while he looked on in shock and horror!

On the sports scene he is into squash and was very much involved in the administration of the sport in Zambia when he was based in Kabwe, even accompanying the national under 21 team to the All Africa Games in Botswana. He supports his local team in Ghent in the Belgian league and in England Arsenal. We were happy about that!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years time, our guest said it was a big question but that he would like to be healthy, happy and if possible involved with business in Zambia. In this regard he talked of Zambian honey. ‘A Zambian honey?’ I wondered (Joost is single). “No” the reply “the Zambian honey industry”. “Ah!” I said.

0

Ben Tshin

Meet Ben Tshin (above) from Toronto, Canada and Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz, our weekly radio show airing at 20.30 hrs for an hour every Sunday night on Zambezi 94.1 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station.

Ben told listeners that he hailed from Toronto, Canada though his roots are in Indonesia. He works for World Vision Canada, he told listeners that World Vision Canada is the nation’s leading agency dedicated to improving the lives and futures of the world’s most vulnerable children. They have over 50 years of experience and are dedicated to providing real and lasting change to over 100 million people in World Vision supported communities. Ben was in Zambia to check on some of their projects in Southern Province and had decided to take a weekend off to visit Livingstone. In the course of his job he had visited many African countries including South Sudan and Uganda. World vision are also involved with health and food security issues.

The music on the show was great. We opened with Carly Rae Jepsen’s latest hit back to back with a new single from Alesso. Milli Jam and Jay dropped numbers from K’Milliann and Ozzy representing Zambia, as well as international stars Clean Bandit and Natalie la Rose. Our pick of the week was a new track from Ciara and we closed with Cheyenne from Jason Derulo. Ben said his musical tastes were largely Canadian but his favourite all time band is U2 – he was excited to have tickets for one of their Canadian concerts later in the year.

Ben told us that he had studied System Design at University in Waterloo, Canada. He has been married for two years, his wife Julia is a doctor. He is a fan of ice hockey and supports Manchester United. We reminded him of their last three results – all losses! While in Livingstone Ben was staying at Chanters Lodge and had been impressed with the mighty Victoria Falls. The afternoon of the show Ben had done a half day’s white water rafting which he described as ‘extraordinarily exciting’! He said had enjoyed the food at Chanters Lodge which made us happy!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing ten years’ from now, Ben said ideally he would like to be retired but that might be a tall order. Alternatively he would still like to be involved with World Vision and travelling widely through Africa and the rest of the world.

0