Mwopeleni Mukwai! (Are you enjoying?)

I'm currently at the provincial house to spend Christmas. It's a little overwhelming and intense to step out of the bush that you've been living in for a few months and walk past a gate and into a house that's pretty much a miniature U.S. of A. However, it is nice to have running (hot) water for showers, toilets with seats, and a kitchen with appliances... especially when they work. Not to mention that it's always fun to spend hours playing board games, watching movies, and having dance parties well into the wee hours of the morning. Speaking of which, in the past 48 hours we've started a Settlers of Catan league and have been on a Mighty Ducks marathon. By the way, Settlers of Cattan is an absolutely phenomenal board game... why have I not known about this game? It has seriously changed my life.

It feels as if it was just the other day that I was sworn in as a volunteer and since then the days have flowed into the weeks and the weeks into months. I've been at my site for some three months now and I am slowly falling into the rhythm of life in the village and am beginning to appreciate living a life without all the bells and whistles of modern living. There's something about living a life where your water is drawn from a river, your food and bathing water is heated from an open fire, and your life is dictated by the change in the seasons. Each day has been a learning opportunity as I slowly learn the culture and customs of life in Zambia.

a day in the life.

I live on a compound with an amazing family who have taken me under their wing and have really taken care of me. Each morning I wake up between 5:30 and 6:30am only to find that my whole family have already gone to the fields to do farming. In Zambia it's probably safe to say that 80% of the population are subsistence farmers for if you don't farm you starve. It's hard to wrap your head around the fact that in the village people really do live on less than 5000 Kwacha a day, the equivalent of 1 US Dollar. That said, that's about the price of a beer in town just 40km away. It truly is an eye opening experience to find yourself in a culture where people are financially poor but they're lives are rich in so many ways.

The culture is so family orientated that trying to explain the idea of homelessness can prove to be all but impossible - for every aunt and uncle is a mother and father, every niece and nephew a daughter and son. I've been living with my family for some three months now and I'm still learning how everyone is related. I've since all but given up and have conceded to accept that everyone is related.

I often find myself hanging out in the village center where there's not only a basic school (up to grade 9) but also a market where I spend my days hanging out and chatting with the ladies selling tomatoes, onions, caterpillars, and the like. Before the rains I was spending most of my afternoons playing on the village football (soccer) team. However, it's the rainy season now and and schools out and my soccer ball has met it's end. It is during this time that people are out cultivating and working the land. It's amazing the beating the African bush will do to your soccer ball that you bought from Walmart.

Witch craft.

There's this guy, let's call him Bob. Bob is young in his early twenties and is married with two kids, a boy and a girl. I've played football with Bob and he is a phenomenal player and is great at playing in the midfield. Good ball control and never holds onto the ball for too long.

Anywho, Bob finds me and tells me that he has wants to build a fish pond and wants me to come see his home and farm. So we ride our bikes to visit his home. I arrive at his home shortly and find that he has a pretty small hut with a an even smaller hut to the side. However, something is a little amiss. There I am amazed to find that he not only has solar panels on his small hut but he's even got satellite dish adjacent to the smaller hut that's just about the same size as the smaller hut. This is about the time that I make this face: 0_o. So I think to myself that he's doing pretty well for himself. It turns out that the smaller hut is his "office" equipped with a TV and all. Yes, Bob watches satellite TV in the middle of the African bush that's run off car batteries that are charged by solar panels.

We sit for a little and then he proceeds to take me to see his maize/corn field. We walk down a small path behind the house and come to a clearing in the bush. There I find that Bob and his family have one hectare of maize that's all cultivated by hand a very impressive feat.

It is only the next day that when talking with my Zambian brother that I learn that Bob is actually very wealthy and has contemplated buying a canter truck but was discouraged by his brother. It appears that reason he hasn't bought a canter truck or expanded his home is that he's afraid that the village will accuse him of witch craft. It turns out that jealousy can be very powerful in the village and it can be very very difficult for an honest, hard working young person to become very successful.

I have since come realize that development in Africa is going to be a little more complicated than I thought.


Below you'll find some photos of the last few months. I apologize for the quality of the photos. I've had to sacrifice the quality just so that I can upload the pictures.

No longer a trainee but a Volunteer

Slash and burn


My brother Philip. What? You can't tell?

My younger brother Stanley.

Hitch hiking in Zambia.

I believe we're sitting on a bunch of wood.

Fish pond.

This guy was wearing an UCLA wind breaker. He had no clue what UCLA was.

It's a boat.

Throwing kids.

That's a really tall waterfall.

All kinds of awesome?

The theme for thanksgiving was "classy." Nailed it!

0_o

I believe this was taken around 2:30am the night before Turkey Day. We cooked through the night to meet the 7am deadline when the dessert crew came in.

Peace Corps Zambia: Northern Province

Christmas at the house. I believe this captures it all.

I accidently the internet.

It's hard to believe that it's almost Christmas already and the first time I'm going to be updating my blog... in months! Actually, this is pretty much the first time in about 3 months that I've really been able to get to a computer and get on the internet reliably. Man, do I miss the internets. In my defense, I attempted to update my blog during Thanksgiving when all the volunteers from the Northern Province gathered for our twice annual meeting and thanksgiving celebration (with Turkey and all it's fixings!). However, it was also during that time that we had about 33 people living under one roof for 4 days with most of the day and night being without power and water. As you can imagine life got very... interesting. Oh, did I mention that there's only 2 toilets? Ahh... TIA.


vlog2: This is from my home stay in Lusaka about 4 months ago.




vlog3. This is my permanent site taken about a week ago.

patience and flexibility

If there is one thing that I have learned in Peace Corps it is that one needs to have plenty of "patience and flexibility." Throw expectations out the door and learn to love being in the here and the now.

I am currently in Kasama at the Northern Provincial House which is essentially our base camp and headquarters in the Northern Province. Think of the provincial house as both a hostel as well as an office and in everyway a co-op. There is an actual office, there are bunk beds, individal storage lockers, full kitchen, as well as bike shop. It is also at the house that we get together with those in our province (some 32 people) and speak english and enjoy the wonders of electricity, running water, a full kitchen to bake cookies, and share a cold beer.

Turns out there was a change in plans and I was not able to get posted to my site today - we just had way too much stuff. It's amazing just how much stuff one has to buy for life in the village and not to mention the fact that "posting" is pretty much the only time a Land Cruiser will be going directly to your site. One must realize that I live 3km off the tarmac so stocking up on the big items is a must. I did splurge on a dutch oven as well as a wok... you know, for all the fried rice that I'll be making.

I know that getting the details on being a Peace Corps volunteer can be extremely daunting and frustrating. From what I can tell each Peace Corps volunteer gets a different experience, an experiencee all their own. You are pretty much on your own and it is what you do with your time that makes your experience. That said, the structure of Peace Corps provides you with the framework to do what NGOs call "capacity building" - to help people help themselves. Yes, I work for The Man.

Now that training is over and and I'm armed with a crash course in language, culture, and technical skills I will begin to make the transition to becoming a volunteer. For the next 3 months I will be in what Peace COrps calls "community entry" where all I am expected to do is live, or should I say learn to live in the village. It is during this time that I will have the opportunity to truly emerse myself in the culture and to become a part of the very communtiy that I will be living and working in. Much of my work is as much about making connections as it is about development.

I can only guess at when the next opportunity I will have to post will be. Until then, my thoughts go out to all my friends and family back in the states. I know that I may have not kept in contact and have been rather MIA with many of you, but be assured that that has not my intention but rather the opposite. I am well and have you in my thoughts often. Please feel free to write, e-mail, or even facebook.

photos:

Hitching in the bed of a truck.

Rural Aquaculture Program (RAP) 2010

What do you do on a 12 hour Land Cruiser ride up country? This.

On top of Chishimba Falls, some 30 minutes from our Provincial House in Northern Province.

At the base of the the falls. Gotta love a waterproof camera.

Tough Life.

Just add water.

Babs

Being somebody.

w. Makowski: "players gonna play....?

Posting

9.28.10
1:45AM Local Time, Zambia

As I write this it is the eve before posting. Tomorrow I will begin the next chapter of my life as I get posted to my permanent site for the next two years. It's hard to believe that nine weeks of training has come and gone and now I'm no longer a Peace Corps Trainee, but a Peace Corps Volunteer. How does one prepare for the journey that I'm about to embark on, for the village life, for the life where the simplest tasks will have to be relearned? I struggle with my thoughts and emotions of what an impact this experience will be on me. I do, however, revel in the fact that a new life awaits me - a life where mistakes will be made and lessons will be learned.

/ [] Schedule of events []

THU 23/9: Moved out of homestay

FRI 24/9: Sworn in as volunteer

SAT 25/9: Travelled 12 hours upcountry the Northern Province from Lusaka

SUN 26/9: Rest day spent at chishamba falls some 30 minutes from the Northern Provincial house.

MON 27/9: Shopping for life in the village (yes, everything!)

TUE 28/9: Posting to permanent site (2 hr journey via land cruiser

//

I'll do my best to best describe the life that I will live. What I do know is as follows:


- I teach people how to keep fish for food security and income generation - that's the gist
- I have no electricity or running water
- I poop in a hole
- I fetch water from a river in 20 litre gerry cans.
- I live in a brick hut with a thatch roof.
- There is malaria.
- My project will on average be within a 20km radius of where I live.
- I have to travel 38km if I want ice or a nice cold coke/beer
- A Trek mountain bike will be my main source of transportation.
- I teach people how to keep fish for food security and income generation.

If you are following this blog and have any questions for me, please feel free to post a comment and I'll do my best to respond to all those questions and give you the opportunity to dictate the direction that this blog will embark on.

video log 1

Here's my first vLog. I'll try to create more of these as I begin to figure our my technological limitations... you know, the whole no electricity and internets thing. Also be sure to be on the look out for my gear reviews.

p.s. Thanks Henry for the suggestions/inspiration.

vlog 1.

end post.

T.I.A

I hitched into Lusaka last week to post the blog that follows. However, it turns out that the internet cafe was closed due to "lack of internet." Whatever that means, the internets is never down! The following post was written around 10 days ago. Following the blog you'll find a photo series.

/begin post

We have only just returned from second site visit where, if we were lucky, we had the chance to stay a few days. My site is wonderful and I cannot wait to be placed. I am only 3 km off the great north road (yes, there is only one paved road that goes North in Zambia to Tanzania) and only 38 km to the nearest internet connection and I'm just about as far to the nearest volunteer. The final stretch is upon us. It won't be long before we are sworn in as volunteers and we'll no longer be trainees. That said, the journey is only about to begin. Come 24 Semptember, we'll have spent 9 weeks of training, 6 1/2 days per week. Suffice it to say, I am tired... and am anxiously awaiting placement to my permanent site. I am ready for training to be over.

As I begin to reflect on my experience thus far, I have to say that I am glad that I am here in Zambia. Zambia is definitely not the most glamorous of African countries. The transportation is pretty much non existent and what transportation they do have is absolutely aweful. The food is not exsactly the most exciting (but I like it - then again I'm not very picky). Personal space is a foreign concept along with our concept of time. It turns out that waiting in Zambia is in itself its very own activity.

However, if there is one thing that I am certain of it is that the people are just absolutely phenomenal. Zambians are good people, plain and simple. I am constantly in awe of their generosity, genuine good nature, and overall sense of humor. I have been welcomed with open arms time and again. I look forward to the next few months where my time will be spent in community integration where I can truly begin to better understand this culture.

/end post


photos: My life so far


A Zambian wedding. I'm convinced that everyone is born with rhythm.



My counterpart/host dad for my new village of Masamba in the Mbala district (where I'll be living for the next 2 years).



A stones throw from my new home in Masamba. I'll take another once we get the first rain and the slash and burn is done.



Zambians for some reason love to walk in the middle of the road. This is on the great North Road with plenty of truckers driving recklessly...and sometimes drunk.


This is my home for the next two years. Rather quaint and cozy...



This is my host dad, John-Well Silwamba (sic?)

This is my hut. My room during Homestay in Chishiko Village, Chongwe (40km from Lusaka).

My Zambian life in 2 photos...

This is how we roll. A land cruiser with ten people and 3 mountain bikes on top. By the way, this is about 6am of a 13 hour drive...


This is me at my site for the next two years. Rough life i tell you. BTW, the EXPED Scout Hammock is a great travel hammock, just my 2 cents.

On the road...

It's hard to believe that I've already been in country for a month - or is it more? or less? - i'm not really sure anymore. That said, there's something about time here that i can't quite wrap my mind around. It was just the other day that we were in Atlanta for staging and yet i often find myself counting the minutes that feel like hours.

There's plenty of stories to tell of the last month but I would be here all day writing about it. I'll do my best to paint a picture of my experience here. Zambia is known for being "the real Africa" and Peace Corps Zambia in every way embraces that philosophy. They say that if you're looking for the "real" Peace Corps experience - Zambia is the place to go. You hear stories of PC volunteers across the world with electricity, running water, toilet seats, and even internet not to mention beautiful beach front property. Well, you get none of that here in Zambia. We have candles, long treks to the water hole, we poop in holes, and we share living spaces with mice. However, we do get a mean mountain bike and my phone has internet...

I'm currently at the Provincial House in Kasama, the Northern Province of Zambia waiting to be transported by Land Cruiser to a current volunteers house where my days will be filled with learning Mambwe (one of 73 bantu languages...another post in itself) and seeing first hand how I will be trying to apply all the technical knowledge of fish farming that I've obviously mastered in the past 4 weeks along with the mambwe i've also mastered. I'll be posted about 38km from Mbala which itself is about 40km from Lake Tangynika. I should mention that Kasama is about a 12 hour Land Cruiser drive on good roads from Lusaka (the Capitol).

My time here is about up and should stop hogging the only computer in the house. Training is pretty hectic as PC tries to adequately prepare us for life in the village. Until I swear in as a volunteer (I'm currently a trainee) and I figure out how to live my new life (about 3 months from now) I have a sneaky suspicion that this blog will be quiet for some time.

kacili akasanya (translate: the day is still young...i think)

It's 3 am...

and I think i'm finally done packing.

" When you go on a big trip with a group of people, you feel a bond with them that lasts for months or even years. The bond is especially strong if it's a dangerous sort of trip, like canoeing in white water or hiking into a particularly sketchy and remote piece of wilderness. I think that bond forms because the people in the group know they're doing something new and perhaps uncomfortable, and they associate their fellow participants with that great rush that comes from being brave, from going all the way out."

- Steven Rinella, The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine

To my friends: thanks for the rush!

7 days...

In exactly one week I'll be boarding a plane to begin my next adventure. I will be joining the Peace Corps to serve 27 months in Zambia as a Rural Fish Culture Extension Agent. If there's anything i've learned in the last year of my application (yes, really) it is that PC is all about acronyms and fancy titles. I have no idea what i'll be doing. I think it's got something to do with raising fish... and no, i do not know anything about fish. I may have caught a fish once, i'm not sure. Anywho, i'm not going to sit here and bore you about my application process and how i was supposed to go to the Pacific Islands and blah blah blah. However, being flexible is definitely key and as patient as i am, there were plenty of times that i just wanted to punch someone in the face.

Now that i'm one week away the question is: Am i ready? I'm going to go with no, I am definitely not ready. That said, I do have a plan. The plan is to go all Maverick style and fly by the seat of my pants.

If there is anything you need to know about me, it is that i love, absolutely love (borderline obssessed with) gadgets and gear. Let's just say, I think i'm ready to take on the apocalypse and/or be on the next mtv hobo cribs. Perhaps I'll get around to posting pictures and stuff, but i'm really busy.

So, what do you do with yourself when you're one week away from catching a flight or two to the middle of nowhere, Africa? It's a tough life i tell ya. I've been balancing watching movies (every night), practicing my sewing skills, peace corps journal stalking, hanging out at costco, and hanging out in child's pose as Shaun T's INSANITY plays in the background.

Alas, I'm off to LA and for a few days and will check back in when i've run out of movies to watch.