This country. I tell you, I’m starting to lose my patience now. There’s never a dull moment, and I reckon other Zimbos are on the verge of losing their rag too.

Take this whole cash thing, for example. Spend all this money organising a currency change-over, and decided to do it over the fucking holidays? Are you kidding me? How many families are going to be apart because bank employees, security personel, catering people and all the other related and ancillary staff are working on Gono’s pet project?

The only good change I’ve noticed around here, since I returned from the Falls, is the reappearance of stuff on the shelves. Granted not all’s back to normal in the shops, but there’s loads of stuff back that wasn’t there before – mari yako chete.

This fucking country, I tell you. Our Zimbabwe.

…fuck!

What could be worse? A new artist comes along, with a refreshingly unique sound, and their debut album rocks. They win a load of awards (Grammys included) and everything is lovely, life is all sunshine and roses and their shit don’t stink.

Then the second album comes out, and the follow-up sounds like a completely different artist.

I’m looking at you, John Legend, Alicia Keys and Norah Jones.

Don’t be shocked that I singled out the piano-playing children here, cos that’s what I’ve been listening to for the past coupla weeks. And right now, I’m sampling Alicia’s new album As I Am, and I can’t say I’m really disappointed. But I’m pissed.

Besides the clear and obvious hip-hopfication we noticed from her previous album, it’s all getting a little … butch for my taste. My initial attraction to Alicia’s music was a certain innocence, a vulnerability that was just, you know, I’m here to make music and I’m loving it.

I guess every artist grows, but the fact that her music is being infused with more and more electronic influences and rougher beats just kills the essence of what I believe Miss Keys should be. Oh, and the Lauryn-Hillesque “uh” and “yeah” and “that’s right” grunting on Superwoman don’t help either.

It’s not bad. It’s just not the Alicia Keys I fell in love with. She’s gone, and the world is a lesser place for it.

Now that I’m home, I can’t help but notice that a lot of the shine has worn off Harare. In fact, it neither looks nor feels like the city I left two months ago.

For one thing, the people look tired. There is a kinda hangdog lethargy about everyone, like they’re been beaten down by power-cuts, water-cuts, shortages and so forth. They don’t have shortages in Vic Falls, but it could be on an entirely different planet for all the evidence.

On a happier note, Kariba was awesome, the company was excellent and I saw the biggest fucking ephelant I have ever seen. And I, swam free in the middle of Lake Kariba and even went tubing.* Photos are coming soon.

Right, now to find rice.

* Tubing is where you get pulled behind a speed-boat on an inflatable tube. Scary.