Z-Fest in Z-Town

‘Z-Fest’ or ‘Zebilla Festival’ was the long awaited ‘Parrrrrrtaaay’ which was originally due to happen on Bonfire night but got postponed for reasons I can’t actually remember.  ‘Z-Town’ refers to ‘Zebilla Town’ where 5 fellow vols, fondly known as Zebillians after the town they reside in, work.  Zebilla is an hour tro or moto ride away hence the party becoming a Festival as it would also involve an old fashioned ‘sleepover’ and lots of tunes.

It’s not the greatest road to Zebilla, I certainly won’t ever complain about a pothole in the UK again.  You haven’t SEEN a pothole until you have ‘done’ the Zebilla road.  A few of my fellow Bolgans (AKA vols from Bolga) chose to make the journey in a convoy by moto.  Great road trip and I can safely say that dodging pot holes is in fact quite a good game… although I am not so sure I would be feeling the same way had I have come off.

Z-Town is a small village really, quite remote and rural and full of traditional round mud huts with only a scattering of the more modern concrete block compounds myself and my fellow vols live in, in Bolga.  There is however still a difference between these more rural compounds and the Bolga ones.  I have another vol friend who lives in Bongo - another rural idyll…. These rural concrete block compounds have no walled garden area…. Just walk straight out into a public area, which means everyone can walk straight under your windows or by your front door and you can’t ‘hide’ as I admit I have sometimes found myself doing when not quite up to greeting for the 50 millionth time that day. The areas that allow access to the rooms are open or semi open which means moving from one room to the next involves no privacy whatsoever at all.  Bottom line; everyone knows when you go to the loo and you can never walk around your house naked.

We arrived in Z-Town intact and in good time, enough time to help with the last minute preparations, shower and put on our party dresses.  It was held at ‘Friends Garden’ a ‘Spot’ or bar, just a short walk from where we were staying.  The atmosphere was perfect which my 8 cedi Christmas lights clearly enhanced! (Brought from the back of a dusty ‘we sell anything and everything’ shop in Bolga – great find!) Ali had organised Madame Sophia, a friend of hers, to cook for us all and we had downloaded a whole load of Christmas and cheesy tunes just for the occasion; the tune download was not so successful but it didn’t dampen the atmosphere one bit. 

There was even a bit of ‘dancin’’ (to be said in a northern accent) just for Ali.  The evening ended at the spot around 1pm with Ali dressing herself up as a Christmas tree (not sure how safe a combination electric lights and sparklers were, but she looked good!) and a spontaneous burst of Christmas carols sung in harmony no less!

We got back with some help due to some broken shoes...

and continued to chat, drink and snack and talked about all things Christmasy, just because it wasn’t.  In order to get us right into the Christmas spirit Helen read us all out loud ‘the night before Christmas’.  Not certain if that is normally what happens when a bunch of primary school teachers get together but it’s what happened in Z -Town… Probably shouldn’t have admitted to it – What happens in Z-Town stays in Z-Town and all that…. Anyway, finally fell asleep just after the muslin prayers started… and woke 4 hours later where Ali and I turned into one crack breakfast team and fed 10 or so before heading back to Bolga on the motos.  Fab weekend all round.