A Day in the Life...eer...Three Days in the Life

So I figure you must be wondering what my daily life is like. The truth is every day is so different. So I am going to give you a glimpse into my Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of last week.

Friday Morning   Woke up about 5:15, feelin' lazy, so I sent an iwe to get my water. As I am currently out of cookies this proved to be a bit more challenging than normal. But still, the job got done, and not by me. Got ready, SWEPT, and went off to the clinic. My actual work at the clinic wasn't too exciting today. I was just coping information from the patient's visits into the registry. Though, since I'm a virgo, I found this really enjoyable. I can tell you, though, this morning, the clinic tested about 25 people for malaria and only two were found negative.

Saturday Morning Gilbert, my counterpart in the village, came over at about 8 and dug a rubbish pit and made a bunch of ridge for beans. He did all this in about 1 1/2 hours. All by himself. I find this crazy. It would have taken me all day. While he was doing this I was cleaning and painting my house. I had it in my mind that I was going to help him. Then, after seeing him working, I realized that he knew I would only be getting in the way. But I was finally able to burn my trash, first time since I had moved in. As my trash was burning I was sitting outside, washing my sheets, guarding my burning trash from the curiosity of the iwes. They like to get in there and see what I'm throwing away. Then I took a nice bucket bath.

Sunday Morning I filmed the church service. This was my second attempt. My camera battery died halfway through the service. I am worried that they are going to ask me to film again. Another two times. I don't mind, but I do have to stand up in front of the church,  and its a bit distracting. But the choir sounds beautiful and I enjoy listening to them sing.

Friday Afternoon Sewed some of a curtain made out of chitenge. Chitenge is a 2m cloth that all the women wear and I chased some iwes out of my yard. Then I took my new bike for a spin. I really love my new bike. Found a new network spot...hopefully I can find it again. After I got home Moreen came over. I love Moreen. She is in 5th grade and is absolutely hilarious. She brought some girls over who were hoping to use my nail polish to paint their nails, but, conveniently I was planning a health talk and had an excuse to say no. But they stayed, and Moreen told them all about me. She told them what I liked to eat, to wear, to do, just about everything. She even got up and reinacted some of the times that we spent together. But everything she said was true, so how could I mind. I just laughed and nodded my head in agreement at everything she said.  I met another neighbor. She is 17 and just graduated 12th grade. She speaks a little English and I speak a little Bemba so we had a good time. I showed her some photographs of America.

Saturday Afternoon Chased some iwes out of my yard. I've been doing that all day. I started working on a really neat puzzle today. I'm planning on hanging it up after I'm done...maybe I'll put it together one more time first. I think it will be a cool addition to my hut and a fun activity. The same girls came over to paint their nails that came over yesterday. I made popcorn and they painted their nails. Today I also started to teach myself how to crochet.

Sunday Afternoon After church I was really wanting some time alone, but that didn't happen. I had visitors all day. And it was pretty enjoyable. There was a lot of sitting silently watching the trees sway in the wind. Probably what I would be doing anyway. And I also ate a lot of mangoes.

Friday Night I read some notes that my friends wrote about me before I left. It made me feel really happy and good about myself. Then I read my book and went to sleep.

Saturday Night I drank some tea and danced to the sounds of my neighbor's drumming next door. Then I read and went to sleep. I wanted to work on my puzzle,  but its too difficult by candlelight.

Sunday Night I was invited over to my neighbor's house to eat nshima and veggie relish. I had a really great time over there. My neighbors are great people. They don't speak english, but maybe a few words. Though we can always communicate pretty well. The kids told their mom everything we did that day. Again I laughed and nodded in agreement.

If you are thinking of sending me a Christmas present I would be very much appreciative! I know that sending packages are expensive so if you would like to send money to my mom (PO Box 4772 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740) she will know what to do with it. And if you would like to send me a package just message me and I can give you some ideas!

Top 10 Moments with my Iwes (children)

Since coming to the village I feel like I have become a mother of about 15 children. And as much as I complain about them. I really do love these kids. Here's why...

10. Refusing to leave and running around my compound trying to get me to chase them...much like a dog does.

9. Coming over at all hours of the day. Starting at about 6:30 in the morning.

8. Climbing my mango trees to find mangoes.

7. Coming over just to wash my dishes or fetch my water.

6. Falling asleep on my lap.

5. me fruits and caterpillars to eat.

4. Teaching me Bemba.

3. Teaching me how to spin the pits of fruit like a top.

2. Dance parties!!

1. Wearing bands from condoms on their heads and on their wrists.

Home Sweet Home

I just spent my first week and a half in the village. And even though I just got here its already hard to explain my new life. It seems like I only got here yesterday, but at the same time it seems like I've been here forever. I'm still trying to get my bearings a bit and find my way around. I've met my neighbors and they are a really great family. I really enjoy going over to their house...even though I don't understand half of what's being said.

I love my new house. It is pretty big. It consists of one large room then three small rooms off to the side. Each room is big enough to fit a small bed, and that's about all. So one room is my bedroom, one for storage, and one will be a yoga/meditation room. This time my house has a tin roof. I love the sound of rain on a tin roof. But a tin roof can act like an oven so it makes it kind of hot. I miss the comfortable temperature of my thatch roof. My house needs a few repairs, but it gives me something to do, and I am having fun fixing it up. My yard has five mango trees and an orange tree. Yum! The mangoes will be ready in December and I can't wait! I have a pretty private spot, though there is a path going through my yard, it is mainly only used by a few neighbors. I am on the outskirts of the village and I have a beautiful view from my yard.

Language is tough, but I'm getting there...slowly but surely. I have lessons just about every day; so if I don't study even one day I feel like I'm so behind! Even though I've only had lessons for about a week I am getting a pretty big Bemba vocabulary.

My community is great. On the 24th it was Zambia's Independence day. I went to the school celebration. It was a lot of fun! The kids performed skits, recited poems, and did traditional song and dance. Most of what was said was in Bemba so I could only pick out a few words and had to have help with the translation.

Looking forward to some letters!

Movin' to the village. Gonna eat a lot of nshima

I have been back in Zambia for a little over a week now and the time has finally come! Moving day is finally here! Tomorrow morning I'll get up, enjoy one more shower, eat some breakfast and hop in the cruiser headed toward Misengo village. Its in the Northern Province of Zambia...very close to Chishimba falls. I can't wait to see my new home and meet my community. This first month will be interesting. I'll have a Peace Corps language instructor in the village with me, teaching Bemba. So we'll see how it goes,. Language isn't my strong point, but I'm pretty motivated. I have a whole community that I want to meet and interact with and the Bemba will be essential to this.  

I've spent most of my time since I've been back in Lusaka, the capitol. Its been fun and a good adjustment from American to Zambian life.  It has many of the luxuries of America, but in a distinctly Zambian way. But the long trip up to Northern Province gave me just a glimpse back into village life. I never grew tired of looking at the thatched huts along the road, of the women washing clothes, and selling tomatoes along the roadside. I am ready to go back to the village. To live the "slow and simple" life. Which surprisingly isn't as simple as it seems. 

 

'Cause I'm Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Two days to go then I'm on my way again...back to Zambia. Back to a life of bugs, boredom, and bucket bathing. Goodbye America, I will miss your washing machines and your potable drinking water. This is my second try at Peace Corps Zambia. Last year I spent six months there until I was unexpectedly sent back to America. Lesson learned about the dangers of traffic. So I've spent the last seven months healing up and now I'm ready to go back. Seriously, I'm ready... my bags are packed and everything... This time I'll have a new village in a different province so, I'll have to learn a new language. I'm going to the Northern Province and don't know anything about my new site, but I'm excited to find out. I'll still be working as a CHIP (Community Health Improvement Project) volunteer but until I spend some time in my village I won't know exactly what I'll be working on but it will be related to health in some form or fashion. I'm excited. America you've given me some good times this summer; but the time has come to go to Zambia, and see where my life takes me.