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Hi Guys

So round 4. Its been a while and I apologize. Its been a very different few weeks to the ones previous and I have had to wait to tell you what's the didlio.

First just to get you up to date, I am no longer at Kapishya in the Northern Province. I arrived in Lusaka the capital on Friday last week after having a rollercoaster ride at the lodge. I will tell you all in a bit but it was like an episode of Dallas when Bobby Ewing came back from the dead after a year…………..crazy and unbelievable!

So KAPISHYA, I could not tell you all before but I have been working with maddest people ever. As I have mentioned before Mark Harvey is a great man, intelligent, talented, and amazing orator and stretched to the limit with the strains of having a team he cannot rely on but oh my god…..what a temper. I won't give you every story but this one paints a picture. Mark employed a member of staff who was going through a 3 year court case (which I later found out was for pedophilia and incest afterhe raped his 13 year old step daughter………..why would you hire someone like that I don't know and with kids at the lodge!!). Anyway this member of staff was based at buffalo camp 5 hours away and was known to be a flight risk because he was due at court the following morning. Of course the staff did nothing about it and the guy stole the only car at the site leaving 2 guests and 15 staff stranded 3 hours drive from the nearest camp. Word gets back, 3 hours after the event to Mark that the car had been taken. Well previously that day Mark and found out after all his engines died in one day that the guy who stole the car had bought 200 litres of diesel from a garage then gone to the Somalian's and sold it to them for a combination of water, paraffin, dirt and fish heads (well not fish heads but it was that bad). Of course this broke every peace of machinery that Mark had. Mark gets the call over the radio and all hell breaks loose. Mark is on a war path and its obvious this guys going to get a beating………no Mark gets his gun and starts of in an intercept course to meet thisguy and kill him. When was the last time you had to chase down your boss and convince him that the gun is a bad idea…….Jesus even that puts Mourad Massouz the owner of Sketch I worked with to shame. He said he would stab me in the back with a knife when I was not looking because I put some cushions in the wrong place. TIA baby, no other place on the planet like it.A guy stole some money from Mark in Lusaka and in the end Mark tried to put a contract out on the guy wanting to pay to have his legs broken. You can see why I had to wait to leave before writing this, I like my legs. Its been really really tough (It gets worse) but god its been entertaining, I know I could make a soap opera out of what goes on there…….family feuds, disowned children, alcoholism, guns, beatings, racism and just old fashion colonialism

You may laugh but I have not mentioned his wife. Where do I start? You know when someone's personality and soul shines through them to express itself through their body and face. What kind of personality does it take to have a stoop, a slight drag of the left foot ,a front and back belly, hunched shoulders, limp thin greasy hair and a permanent frown from always looking down and not looking at you in the face when you talk. Yes you got it I is the wicked witch of the west…..Marks wife. I wish I had the red shoes to click my way out of being near the most insipid, disheveled, negative, miserable, cantankerous and plain nasty piece of work. Mell has systematically been bringing Mark to breaking point. The 'director' of the company sits on her computer all day long playing games and buying polyester sparkly polar necks and valor shinny mini skirts on e bay (I could almost make out Africa if I joined the dots on her cellulite on the backs of her legs…..andits not pleasant seeing someone's second ass on a 40 year old because the skirts are so short). I could just get over the colonial way of working with people…..it is officially racist but its part of a history in the country that almost needs to be as democracy does not work outside the big cities but Mell…..well…..'them, us' 'you zambians' you get the point. All I heard for 6 weeks was 'get my coke lite' .AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

You guys know me, I never loose my temper. Well Mell pushed me so far that when I snapped Mark hadto come out of the room and tell me to calm down and keep cool…..i said that Mark was lucky I did not have his temper as if I did I would have got his gun by now. Sorry Mum.!!

Anyway. After realizing that Kapishya is not a long term option and also after looking at the accounts that Mark could not afford me or lets be honest should have never asked me or any other manager out I decide to take the higher ground and give my notice as I had learnt that Mark was someone that would send me packing with no notice….or money. We broker an agreement that I get 2 months worth of work done in 2 weeks and we all leave happy. Good….no. Mell wants to play power games and threatens me when Mark is away that they are sending me to Lusaka in 2 days with no money and that I had not done enough work. That's what set me on my big blow out as it was the opposite of what was agreed with Mark. So Mark walks into Armageddon from me as I am going to defend myself and the fact I am about to be homeless and moneyless. Well after backward and forwards it works out that Mell was playing me (and Mark if we are honest) so enough is enough. Hence here I am in Lusaka. Agreements were made for me to fix some of Marks problems in Lusaka but he did not even make provisions for accommodation assuming that I could stay at a friends.

So on to the next chapter ( I don't want to character assassinate these guys anymore as its negging me out just thinking about what I went through). So this chapter is off to a great start. I pre-empted my leaving by getting in contact with Mwaba a friend I met on my first day in Lusaka. She was so positive about my arrival and knew that there would be plenty of work for me in Lusaka (funny actually as she told me i would last 4 weeks as Mark was a maniac, I just laughed it off but 6 weeks later here I am). Straight away she set me up with a small boutique hotel owner and we showed interest in each other which has since turned into a consultancy role advising on food and beverage aspects of the business. Its and amazing hotel, the most modern and sexy in Zambia ( www.tribehotels.co.zm ) trust me to pick out somewhere like that.

I have been a guest at Mwaba's and the invitation seems to be extended so I am in a great position. It was incredible lucky to meet Mwaba so randomly on the first day (or serendipity). She is an incredible accomplished business woman and has created a social investment business working with government and private sector in developing social reinvestment but through profitable private business. She is the most connected person I have met….we are talking audience with the president a few days ago and every politician and government official a friend or member of family. The point of this story is that I have also been asked to consult on massive events created by Mwaba as she is aware of my background at home. My first one potentially in 4 weeks is to host the President of south Africa for a questions and answers dinner for ambassadors of industry in Zambia, 500 in total………….oh s***, I do get myself in these positions. Irrelevant if that becomes something great or falters at the first hurdle the potential if you have the right drive and entrepreneurial spirit is unlimited. I met the owner of the equivalent of Frank Knight the estate agents here, again a friend of Mwaba's and we hit it off instantly. He was a senior engineer at Nasa, Yale graduate who followed his wife here for a better job offer and with some determination and brains ( I know I am missing on that aspect) created the agency and brokered the biggest retail land deal in Zambian history and is on the verge of developing an evenlarger project. This frightening intelligent, charismatic 46 year old assured me that if I wanted the possibilities were endless here and has decided that we should be friends and he is going to create a role for me. After knock back after knock back in the UK and any entrepreneurial spirit I had been dampened by not being able to raise funds to do my own business and a saturated recruitment ,market making it nearly impossible to get a job, being in an environment where no one says no is intoxicating. You have to take some things with a pinch of salt as this a very unreliable country but through Mwaba and my new friends I am without a double meeting the cream of the crop. I did not come here for career and it may stay that way but at least I know i have the chance to have a stab at it and that's exciting.

I had my fist day off in 6 weeks over the weekend and oh god did I let my hair down. Life and soul…..the old Marcus back and it felt great. This whole trip was a chance to gain stock, slow down and think about getting my s*** together as I near 40 (a tear just fell onto the key board….thats depressing) . I cant say that I am getting my s*** together but its been good for my soul and I am making amazing friends on the way. I do not miss the UK at all but obviously miss you guys but true friends will always be there as is family. Africa is an exciting and beautiful place and Zambians are amazingly generous and gregarious people. This country is not what you first think it is. Fear and worry in an un-known land are your first thoughts but all unfounded, do not hesitate if you get chance to come to Africa or even better Zambia where you have a friend, it has a beat that you cant help tapping your foot to and it felt before I left the UK that it the country had lost its rhythm.

So Ciao my biatches…..as always, love you to bits and All my thoughts and support for Rian, Kate and the family in this difficult time xxxxxxxx