Catch Me If You Can: September 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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....?

Monday, September 27, 2010

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.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

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.