Quinte Native -- &$M ZrA/b rays Return i Belle villians aren't the only ones awaiting" the first snows of a new winter. So is Elisabeth Huff, Only the attitudes are dif- ferent. The natives are resigned, Elisabeth is excited. She can afford to like it. If the first flakes fall soon enough it'll be the first snow- fall she's seen in her 22 years. And then, in three weeks, she's be home -- basking in the highlands of Central Africa. Already, she has a fair ap- preciation of the contrasting climates. Yesterday's miser- able dampness she found cold and uninviting. There's also her father to tell her what it's like. Brock Huff is the reason Elisabeth is in Belleville, A native of West Lake in Prince Edward County, Mr. Huff is paying a flying return trip to his native landscape for the first time in 23 years. Flying visits are very much a part of his life -- only from the other side of the fence. As manager of the Zam- bia's Lusaka international airport -- one of the world's newest and most sophisticated -- his life's work is tied to other people's schedules. It's an important jo<b which -- combined with cli- mate -- adds to the attracti've- neas of life in Zambia, one of the world's younger na- •tioms. Mr. Huff left Canada after being demobilized from the airforce in 1945. He returned to the United Kingdom -- hopeful of work in aviation. Immigration to newer coun- tries was much the talk of Eu- rope at the time, •Mr. Huff joined the rush to what was then British colon- ial Southern Rhodesia in 1948, About five years later he entered government service and his sought-after civil av- iation career. When Northern and South- ern Rhodesia federated he went north and took a port- ing at what was then Biila- wayo. When the federation sundered, he stayed on and continued his career as Nor- thern Rhodesia became Zam- bia, Distance -- and expense -- have prevented him making a homecoming earlier. On this trip he brought Elisa- beth, leaving his wife ajid 12- year-old son Peter. After all that time the changes are apparent. West Lake is a tremendous contrast to what he remem- bers of his earliest years. "Now it's really got a holi- day-resort atmoisphere," he says. But the most strking dif- ference is environmental. The pace of life in Canada is that much faster than Zam- bia. "I felt a bit strange the first few days here," confess- es Mr. Huff. "We live a slow- er pace in Zambia. We don't have the rat race as much there. Here, it seems to big, so built up and so well estab- lished," But Zambia is also building -- and Lusaka international is geared for growth. "It's one of the most mod- ern airports in the world as far as equipment goes," says its manager proudly. "And it's built for the future -- for what is expected in the next 10 years/' Neither is he out of immed- iate touch with Canada. There are 1<) Canadians working on the airport staff under exter- nal aid program. During his vacation he is staying with a brother, F. R. Huff of Lee Avenue. When he'll return to Canada again is indefinite. However, he's got at least one reason for re- turning -- his British wife .whom he married before de- parting England for Africa. "She's never been to Canada/* admits Mr, Huff, "and she wants to see it -- of course."