14 days until departure

Two weeks today I will be flying to Zambia, I can’t believe it has come round so quickly!

Bits and bobs which I have ordered online such as a mosquito net and sleeping bag inner have been arriving and the spare bed is becoming the collection point for everything I want to take.

I am getting excited about the trip, but nervous too, mainly because of what I will see and how to relay that to those I speak to when I return.

Chatting to a friend today who had a similar experience while in Tibet was extremely comforting. I have been thinking that I’m going to struggle explaining what I witness in Zambia to those who have not experienced the country like I have, but it’s good to know I have friends outside those who are going on the trip, who will have some idea of my thoughts, feelings and reactions.

Being unable to properly relay my experience may sound strange for someone who works in communications, and maybe it won’t be as hard as I am expecting (who knows until I have been through it), but we have been told this maybe a consiquence of culture shock and may take time to recover from. Whatever it may be, I will do my best to inspire others to raise money, or at least consider WaterAid when they think of charitable organisations to support.

Although I had barely heard of Zambia before I was chosen to take part in this trip, I am beginning to come across a fair number of other people who have been to the country, either to do something similar to what I am doing, go there to do aid work for six months or visit as a tourist. Again, this is a sort of comfort to me as my nervous excitement continues to build!

Anyway, before I jump into one long stream of consciousness and use this blog to work through my nerves I will leave you be, until next time...

Taste of Zambia - Tongabazi Chicken Curry

Since I was invited to apply to go to Zambia with WaterAid, I have been researching the country to get an idea of the people and culture, some of that researched I’ve posted on this blog, others I haven’t...yet...

Part of that research took me in the direction of food (a subject that’s never too far from my mind), so over the next few days I thought I’d share some typical Zambian dishes I have come across.

(South East Water colleagues, you may get the opportunity to try these for yourself in a couple of weeks!)

Tongabazi Chicken Curry

This is a classic chicken curry with butternut squash and sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes

4 large chicken pieces

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced

2 tomatoes, blanched, skinned and diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp grated ginger

5 cardamom seeds, crushed

2 onions, finely chopped

Vegetable oil for frying

1 tsp curry powder

450ml chicken stock

2 salks lemongrass, bruised

2 small red chillies, finely chopped

300ml yoghurt

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Method: 

• Add the sweet potatoes to boiling water and boil for 10 mins then cut into thin slices
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry in the vegetable oil until golden brown then remove the chicken from the frying pan and place on the side
• Fry the on ions until golden brown then add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cardamom and curry power and cook for a few minutes.
• Return the chicken to the frying pan and add the stock and lemongrass.
• Cover and simmer for 10 minutes

• Meanwhile fry the sweet potato and butter in a separate pan over a medium heat until they are crisp on the outside then add to chicken pan
• Add chillies to the chicken pan and cook for a further two minutes before sturring in the yoghurt and heating through (do not allow to boil).

Recipe taken from www.celtnet.org.uk

Training continues

Training for the Paddock Wood Half Marathon on the 1^st April 2012 is going ok, I could (and probably should) be doing far more, but as I discovered last year, training takes up a lot of time and right now I don’t have too much of that to spare!

Nonetheless, I am still running several times a week, this morning I got up nice and early and hit the Canterbury streets at 5.45am to do a pre-work five mile run!

Yes, I (and the many other runners I pass at that time in the morning) may be crazy, but it really is the best time for me to pound the streets if I can be prized away from the warm comfy duvet.

Not only does it set me up for the day, but the people I pass are friendly, whether it’s those getting the early trains to London, street cleaners, milkmen, fellow runners, dog walkers or stockroom staff having a cheeky break, many say “morning” as I pass. Give it another hour or so and the cloud of the daily grind will have got to them and they will remain silent with their eyes fixed on their route ahead or the job in hand.

Agreed, as it’s dark it’s probably not the safest time to go out, but I’ve been doing this on and off for over a year now and compared to running in the evening I feel safer as there is far less traffic and it’s always the same faces I see.

Ok, I’m not advocating this time of day to run for everyone, every town/city is different and you should assess your local conditions before heading out.

Although I’m still two minutes off my personal best for this route of 45 minutes (I am not a fast runner, and never will be) my old injuries are starting to rear their ugly heads, most notably my leg.

On New Year’s Day 2011 I was on a training run for the Bath Half Marathon when I tore a muscle in my calf. It was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced and made driving, let alone walking, almost impossible. Thankfully, after three months of weekly visits to a sports injury clinic I was repaired enough to get round the course on race day with a bit of a limp.

But today a niggle came back, something I’m going to have to watch very carefully over the coming months.

Shattered after running the Bath Half Marathon on the 6th March 2011

I’m already running 6.5 miles at weekends, but this Sunday I aim to up it to about 7 and begin increasing the length of my runs every two weeks. Ideally I want to get to the position where I’m running the full 13.1 miles in training. I know I don’t need to, but in order to believe I can do it on race day, I need to do it in training (yes, I know it’s all in my mind).

As you know, I’m putting myself through all of this to raise money for WaterAid, the charity I’m heading to Zambia with in less than three weeks time!

If you would like to sponsor me for the Paddock Wood Half Marathon click here.

To find out more about WaterAid or why I'm going to Zambia read my other blog posts and/or click here.

Other blogs

Time is ticking by extremely quickly and the number of blogs being created by my fellow travellers is increasing.

Below are  a number of other blogs should you want to read them. Others, I’m sure, will be added over time:

www.paulswateraidtrip.blogspot.com

www.peter-harris.blogspot.com

www.sallyinzambiawithwateraid.blogspot.com

www.wateraidandmeinzambia.blogspot.com

The group

There is just three weeks to go until we depart for Zambia, time is going by extremely quickly!

Here is the group of people I will be embarking on this amazing trip with:

Diana Freeman
Grant Smith
Helen Cheeseman
Jody Knight
Paul Davidson
Peter Harris
Susanna Golics
Sally Gronow
Kevin Buck
Damon Edwards
Matthew Armitage

Running for water

To give something back to WaterAid for the amazing opportunity to visit Zambia next month I have decided to enter the Paddock Wood Half Marathon in Kent to help raise much needed funds.

By the time the run takes place on the 1st April 2012, I  will have returned from this life changing visit, most likely  spurred on to raise even more funds.

Yes, I have undertaken running challenges in the past, most notably The Bath Half Marathon (again for WaterAid), in March 2011. However, the difference is I had been training for The Bath Half for almost a year to build up to that 13.1 mile distance, my training for the Paddock Wood Half Marathon in three and a half months time is starting from virtual scratch, after not having seriously run since taking part in The Bath Half!

Fortunately, getting back to the five mile distance wasn’t as hard as I was expecting, after a couple of two to three mile runs recently I managed to build up in about two weeks to that distance, however, I am now seriously struggling with 6.5 miles!

I did my old 6.5 mile run along the Crab and Winkle Way between Canterbury and Whitstable this weekend, a year ago I found it easy, ‘a stroll in the park’ I would have said at the time. On Sunday, it was one of the hardest runs training runs I have ever done, and yes (I am ashamed to admit), I had to resort walking a short distance at one point before picking up my pace again.

Fingers crossed my stamina will improve quickly as I aim to complete a 13.1 mile run or two before taking part in the half marathon.

I shall keep this blog updated with news on my training, and also random things I see on my run.

I’m sure many runners will agree, that while training there is the tendency to see some bizarre sights, and probably the most bizarre I have seen greeted me on Sunday. Please bear in mind, I am running along a gravel, and quite often, muddy track with a number of steep hills which winds around Blean Woods. The normal attire for a setting like this is waterproof jackets, sturdy footwear and warm trousers (especially at the moment), not stiletto style shoes, nude sheer tights, a short skirt and small coat. The lady was tottering along, looking rather misplaced and uncomfortable. I am sure there was a reason for this faux pas, but it did temporarily take my mind off my fatigue.

If you would like to sponsor me for the Paddock Wood Half Marathon, or, off the back of what you’ve read about WaterAid you would like to donate to the charity, please click here.

Further information can be found at: www.wateraid.org

Pre-trip briefing

I have returned from the WaterAid pre-trip briefing day slightly nervous of the tasks ahead. Not just the trip and all the inevitable challenges that will bring, but also the challenge of spreading the word about the amazing work that charity does on my return. Maybe I am setting my own personal targets too high with all the ideas and possibilities buzzing around my mind, but only time will tell.
 

I have now met my 15 other companions who range from WaterAid employees to those also involved in the water industry. We are all equally as apprehensive about the trip, a trip that will surely bond us all together forever through this unique experience.

Having seen video footage from the country itself and film from previous trips, I am in no doubt this is going to be one of the hardest weeks of my life emotionally, but I will be stronger for it.

Below is a video explaining WaterAid's work in Zambia:

One big thing I have taken from today is the work WaterAid does in developing countries really does make a difference. Having supported the charity in a number of ways for a couple of years now I have always known it, but my eyes to the charity’s work have been opened even further now.

A statement I heard from a Supporter who previously went on one of these trips will stay with me forever:

Before WaterAid people in these communities just existed, after WaterAid they are now living.

I think that singular statement says everything you need to know about this amazing charity.

www.wateraid.org