I am so close to finishing training and swearing in, but yet so far from the end of this journey.
Where to begin...
I guess trainging. training is almost over. I am in Solwezi now with internet, after finishing my 3rd and final site visit where I got a chance to live alone in the village I will spend the next 2 years of my life in, but more on that later. Tomorrow we return to Chipembi to start are final 2 weeks of training. I have to pass my final language exam, as well as take my technical training test, but I am not worried about either. Two Land Cruisers have flipped over in 2 weeks. Only once was it full of trainees, and, thank God, all are alive and well. I am anxious to gtfo of there and get to site.
3rd site visit was amazing. It is a very long car ride to get to my district and site. One day we spend on the road from Lusaka to Solwezi, spend the night, and then the following day head out further west. When I showed up, no one really was expecting me to be there, so for the first hour I was entertained by a local drunk. There is alot of drinking that goes on here in Zambia. Culturally is it only acceptable for the men, but it is very prevalent due to the lack of work. Too many people are out of work...
Finally my counterpart, Edward Ngundu and my headman Mr. Kapupa came with my house key. I was home at last. I was able to unpack some things, and sweep the hut. I found my cat, Honkers, and discovered she has 5 baby kittens. They have all been claimed already by other Volunteers, and one for the provincial house. They are really cute, and it helps keep me less lonely at night when they are there meowing and crying for mom. I didn't really do much my first day, but walk around and see the fish ponds, and also refuse drunken request after drunken request from people that see the white guy as a free ticket to anything they want.
One man, wanted me to send him to Tanzania to continue school, so that he could then go and take car of his mother who "is crying, she's crying right now for me..." Constantly saying "God is great and God loves all, and shares." Christianity is all well and good, but anyone could lead these people to believe anything so long as it was in the name of Jesus. I went to my Catholic church on Sunday, and the "priest" was (I didn't know at the time) one of my fish farmers. He was dressed in a Green Bay Packer's Jersey with a cross around his neck. The mass was quite entertaining because customs here in Zambia say that all the women sit on the left side, and all the men sit on the right. I tried to "break the gender roles" like they want us to do, and I sat with the women. BIG mistake. there was a young girl about 14 (age to begin thinking about marriage here in Zambia) and she sat right next to me. she kept sitting very close, and every time I would inch over she would inch with me... Then all the other women kept handing me their babies to hold and play with, and this sucks because I am not the biggest fan children here in Zambia. PVCs who play with the kids and spend time with them, are known to be chronically ill throughout their service. They cough, and are really dirty.
>>Side Note: This is also one of the things I really admire though. American mothers are overly protective of their children. 99% of them, and if any mother wishes to contest that, please come visit, because what you consider not being overly protective, you have no idea. Here kids are allowed to be kids. they play in very dangerous places, they drink and eat out of and off of very dirty dishes, they run around all the time bare foot, kids 10 years old swinging axes.... It is awesome.<<
So anyways mass went on with alot of singing, with drums and guitar like instruments. But only scripture was read, there was no Eucharistic part of the mass, because like I said the "priest" is actually more just like a leader of the readings.
Also on Sunday I had my first meeting with my co-op. We started by introductions, me introducing myself and my family back home in Lunda. It took a while but I explained what I used to do, what I went to school for, who my brothers and sisters are, where they live, what they do, and how old. Also all about my parents and about Manie. Then it was on to business. The previous volunteer Adam has put together a very capable group of fish farmers. They have many ponds and are highly organized. He also started a project that was awarded a grant, but to see that through to completion is up to me. The farmers are concerned about getting a hammer mill to begin producing fish feed. It is a really good project but it requires bank accounts, lots of invoices, and logistics to transport and build everything. The last part of the meeting was bitching about how I do not want to be annoyed by drunken men wanting cigarettes or whatever else this miracle worker can do for them. It was a serious discussion, and the conclusion to the meeting was that I will build a very large fence around my house, AND that anyone who would like to have words with me, must first go to my Headman (my closest neighbor and the boss of the entire village) and ask permission to see Mr. Bryanie. Only if he deems them of a clear mind and with important enough business, then they may come ask for me.
So, that said Monday I went to visit the school and the clinic. I met all the teachers and discussed the possibilities of building a library in Kanzala. I also met the local doctor who is a very bright young kid. The trouble with age in Zambia is that is it very hard to tell how old someone is. It is nothing like in the Western world. Literally a man might look 30, but is actually 21, or he looks 25, but is actually 40. There are kids, adults (no matter what age they look about the same), and then the very old... Spent the rest of the day reading, cooking, doing laundry, and contemplating where I wanted my fence to be built.
Today, the final day, I decided to stake out where I wanted my fence to be, but instead I put to work an army of young kids and we went hiking into the bush to cut down trees. We dropped 25 perfect trees; straight, strong, and thick. Then I had them dig 25 really deep holes, and put the posts in. A project that was really simple and only suppose to take 10 mins, turned into a huge project that would have taken me 2 days on my own, but instead it was finished in 2.5 hours. Now that I am gone, I have left it in the hands of my headman and the co-op to cut the bamboo and grass, and to thatch the actual fence all the way around. It is going to look really good, because my Chota (cooking shelter) is very big and round, and has a beautiful new thatched roof. the fence intersects it perfectly through the middle, so I have a semi circle "castle" like thing sticking out of my Fortress America. I can't wait to return and see how it came out.
Lastly the RAINS!!!! Holy holy holy RAIN. I had my first real storm, because it is the beginning of the rainy season, and it POURED. I think I have seen it rain that hard maybe 2 or 3 times in my entire life. and the lightening was out of this world. for 5 hours straight huge loud claps of thunder would shake the area. I would look our my front door into pitch black, and every 1-2 seconds a flash would temporarily light up the entire area! I felt like I was in a movie about Vietnam, waiting for some viet cong to come creeping out of the banana trees towards my hut. I am really looking forward to the rains to come.
OK well, I don't have my camera, I left it in Carlsie's backpack in Lusaka, so I once again can not post any pictures. But, when I do there might be just a few on here, but most of them will be in the form of albums on my facebook page. It is easier to upload lots of pics there. Love you all and hope this suffices for a little while!
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