Astute readers might pick up on my b/w kick. Here are three shots of downtown Lusaka. First at the central bus station Kulima Tower. Amidst the street hustle and shouts of vendors, peddlers, and thieves, these men sit, waiting. Maybe they're on the look out for a heavy load they can wheel to make a few bucks, or maybe they're just meditating on life in the city. Either way, I didn't stay long enough to find out.


You'd never notice it sandwiched between two shoe stores; you could pass it by without a second glance, but if you want to find it, New Start is right there. New Start is a volunteer counseling and testing center in the heart of Lusaka. Last week I came here with two of my best friends, Peter and Izek, so we could all get tested for HIV. To get tested is free but you have to come on your own accord so a lot of people neglect it. I don't know for sure, but I think people there were surprised to see a white person coming to get tested. That doesn't happen too often. The actually test was a pinprick, a trickle of blood, and then not more than a five minute wait for the results. My counselor handed me a folder with my identification number on it. My heart was beating hard. I opened it to find the results I expected. I was HIV negative. So were Peter and Izek. I asked the counselor if she thought the number of people coming to get tested was increasing. She was positive it was. I hope so.


My own private Guggenheim, down a back alley in Lusaka. I love the spiral walkway which is almost anachronistic in it's placement. You would never know it was there, but right on the main street in town, Cairo Road, a dim passage opens up to this courtyard. There's a man bending over cleaning the defunct fountain. You can see a sign in the right hand corner for a fast food joint me and my friend Pete ate at.