My wireless won’t hook up.
This is a familiar problem in an unfamiliar time and place. It’s something I came to expect in college, huddled in one of the campus’ brightly-colored common rooms, fighting over 2,000 other students for valuable airspace before the onset of exams (half of us trying to do actual last-minute work, the rest simply refreshing facebook for the gazillionth time in a rush of desperate escapism), and it’s a familiar sort of general technologically-induced frustration I learned to cope with at an early age, huddled around a massive beige desktop in a closet-turned-computer-room and begging the antiquated AOL phone line to open up and let me in. Despite the impressive and constant leaps and bounds of technological progress, we all still seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get the stuff to actually work in the first place.
But this is a frustration I have been mostly liberated from these last 8 months. These days my biggest technological concerns involve finding enough dry wood (and it is raining nearly every day now) to light my woodstove and keeping my glass-coke-bottle-candle-holders from being knocked over by the cat. When I visited the Peace Corps Provincial House in Serenje in June, my first time there since being dropped off in front of a mudhut at the end of April, my fellow volunteers and I made a big joke of fawning over the oven and jumping in surprise at the brightening of a light bulb. Carrying nothing but a camera, ipod, flashlight, cell phone, and portable solar panel with me into the bush, I have been living relatively tech-free…by American standards, at least.
Don’t think this means I’ve been free from technical frustrations-- the cell phone, bought my first day in Lusaka, did not successfully connect to the internet like it was supposed to until nearly two months and thousands of failed attempts later (and unproductive phone calls to the Zambian network administrators), and while my ipod has been my saving grace, all the earphones I brought have broken, and I am currently reduced to holding a too-small plug at the right angle in the too-large socket so I can hear out of the left side of my last set of partially-working earphones that aren’t intended for an ipod at all-- but mostly my goal of freeing myself from my technological addiction has been successful.
Now, however, circumstances have changed. When my father and stepmother departed from Serenje in September, they left me a portable DVD player and very small, almost-no-memory e-series computer. And to make matters more bizarrely American, the provincial house finally (after a typical 6 month delay-- typical of Zambia, technological development in general, and technological development in Zambia) got a wireless internet satellite dish installed this week.
It couldn’t have arrived a moment too soon; this week is provincials, a Peace Corps general meeting that takes place twice per year. This is one of Central Province’s few opportunities to all be together at the same time, and it is also an opportunity to meet a fresh intake of new volunteers (“new” being relative-- they arrived in July and were posted in their villages in September). So, of course, being the 21st century Americans we are, we celebrated our newfound social opportunities by immediately staking out outlets and plugging in our computers. Oh the joys of wireless internet-- for a minute, sitting in a grungy room surrounded by unwashed 20-somethings and the sound of clacking keys, I felt like I was back in college. Then the power flickered off for 15 minutes and I remembered exactly where I was.
But while other people seem to have managed, despite the intermittent flickering of network power, to make some semblance of an internet connection, I am having some difficulty. One minute the little doo-hickey will say it’s working, and then the thingamajig won’t load and the whatsit says it can’t find the server. I suppose it’s partially due to the number of people trying to connect at once-- the line must be very busy right now-- and partially due to me not knowing this computer very well yet-- I did just get it two months ago, and haven’t had very many chances to use it since I don’t have electricity.
So I’m basically sitting at the dining room table fiddling around with my new computer-- turns out I have skype, which could be great if I can get enough internet connection to set it up and a strong enough connection to actually use it. Also, this computer has spider solitaire, which may be the only advantage of getting a PC instead of a Mac. I have a few more pictures from my safari trip, which I’ll post here eventually, though that means posting will take an eon. They’re very pretty-- South Luangwa is a beautiful place, beautiful animals, beautiful trees, beautiful skies. The sky everywhere in Zambia is amazing, actually, and if the moon is more than ¼ full it illuminates the entire landscape with silver light.
The week so far has been interesting-- in addition to the traditional meetings, we’ve also had a small appropriate technology workshop, where we’ve been finding creative (and cheap) ways to encourage health, fuel efficiency, and food security. We built a stove, the smoke from which feeds a meat smoker, and learned to make charcoal from corn cobs, which is a good idea because Zambians use a lot of corn to make nshima, their favorite staple food. But I think the real excitement will be Thanksgiving dinner-- we have two live turkeys, going to slaughter and cook them ourselves, good times. Peace Corps is hard core. We unfortunately could not find a pumpkin-- they’re out of season-- but I will be spending a good deal of quality time cutting apples for pies tonight!
Not much more to report-- I’m going to attempt a Zambian x-mas card this year, so if you think you’re entitled to one make sure I have your address right. One more good thing about Zambia: not too many x-mas carols on the radio starting this Friday. Not that I’ll notice, since my radio doesn’t get reception at my site…
UPDATE: Figured it out, I had accidentally mistyped the password when signing in, which begs the question of why the network claimed I had signed in correctly…anyway, good news, now I can post this!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
What I've Been Up To Lately
Happy Zambian Independence Day!
Well, actually, the day itself was October 24, about 2 weeks ago, but unfortunately I was sick last week and wasn’t able to write about it until today. I celebrated my host nation’s 46th year of independence with a little trip to Northern Province.
In fact, I ended up seeing a little bit more of Northern Province than expected-- my friend Allison and I were traveling together, got a nice ride in a Tanzanian freight truck, but no one told us that we had to turn at Mpika to get to Kasama so we ended up going several hours in the wrong direction on a bumpy road full of car-sized potholes. Oops. We were eventually redirected by a lovely lady selling bananas at a police security checkpoint, and we managed to get a ride with a nice group coming from Tanzania…until they hit a pothole and busted two tires. Oops. Luckily we got another hitch relatively quickly, and this guy was going all the way to Kasama! Well, that was his original plan…until he got a call from a work colleague and discovered he was needed in Mpika for the night. By this time Allison and I were worried as well as exhausted and stressed-- was this guy going to abandon us in a strange city in Africa at night, just two little white girls? Nope-- he spent an hour in Mpika with us trying to get us a hitch (it was nighttime and most of the cars had left the area by this point) and then, when no alternative ride was forthcoming, he sighed, got back in his car, and drove us to Kasama. Because sometimes people really do come through for each other. Thank you Mr. Nice Guy, wherever you are.
The trip turned out to be worth the Ride Through Hell. The Peace Corps office in Northern Province is a cool place-- they have a bright yellow-orange kitchen, which I love, but apparently they’re planning to paint it a different color, which is too bad-- and it was great to see my Northern Peace Corps buddies again! We took a trip to Chishimba Falls-- there were more than 20 of us, don’t know how we all fit into that little bus but we managed it. The falls were absolutely beautiful, and I got right down on the rocks at the bottom of it-- really cool. It was nice to go swimming since it’s been so hot here, and the view was great.
From there we took a bus up north to Lang Tanganyika, which I believe is the longest and deepest lake in Africa, or something. We took a boat to a beach resort where we set up camp-- it was really beautiful, and the lake looked like a real ocean. I guess Zambia isn’t as landlocked as I thought it was. I may have to rethink the title of this blog. Here’s the link: http://www.isangabay.com/ anybody jealous? It was fun camping out on a beach. We took a really invigorating hike to Kalambo Falls, the second-tallest waterfall in Africa. It was quite a trek but I was surprised at my own endurance level-- Zambia has been good for me, I guess. And we’re entering mango season. Nothing like eating mangoes on the beach!
Got safely back to site with only a minor case of food poisoning. Ick. It was a great little vacation-- I loved seeing more of Zambia, it’s so beautiful and awesome here!
Last week on Tuesday it rained for the first time since April-- I’ve never gone so long without rain before, it was strange. It was a really great storm-- I’m sure I’ll get sick of rain quickly, but for now I’m enjoying it. It’s also nice because since the rains started it’s cooled off a little-- I can now actually leave my hut in the middle of the day, which is great. Unfortunately this also means all the wildlife is waking up-- the other night a tarantula waltzed in to my hut! Yikes! Rainy season here I come!
Well, actually, the day itself was October 24, about 2 weeks ago, but unfortunately I was sick last week and wasn’t able to write about it until today. I celebrated my host nation’s 46th year of independence with a little trip to Northern Province.
In fact, I ended up seeing a little bit more of Northern Province than expected-- my friend Allison and I were traveling together, got a nice ride in a Tanzanian freight truck, but no one told us that we had to turn at Mpika to get to Kasama so we ended up going several hours in the wrong direction on a bumpy road full of car-sized potholes. Oops. We were eventually redirected by a lovely lady selling bananas at a police security checkpoint, and we managed to get a ride with a nice group coming from Tanzania…until they hit a pothole and busted two tires. Oops. Luckily we got another hitch relatively quickly, and this guy was going all the way to Kasama! Well, that was his original plan…until he got a call from a work colleague and discovered he was needed in Mpika for the night. By this time Allison and I were worried as well as exhausted and stressed-- was this guy going to abandon us in a strange city in Africa at night, just two little white girls? Nope-- he spent an hour in Mpika with us trying to get us a hitch (it was nighttime and most of the cars had left the area by this point) and then, when no alternative ride was forthcoming, he sighed, got back in his car, and drove us to Kasama. Because sometimes people really do come through for each other. Thank you Mr. Nice Guy, wherever you are.
The trip turned out to be worth the Ride Through Hell. The Peace Corps office in Northern Province is a cool place-- they have a bright yellow-orange kitchen, which I love, but apparently they’re planning to paint it a different color, which is too bad-- and it was great to see my Northern Peace Corps buddies again! We took a trip to Chishimba Falls-- there were more than 20 of us, don’t know how we all fit into that little bus but we managed it. The falls were absolutely beautiful, and I got right down on the rocks at the bottom of it-- really cool. It was nice to go swimming since it’s been so hot here, and the view was great.
From there we took a bus up north to Lang Tanganyika, which I believe is the longest and deepest lake in Africa, or something. We took a boat to a beach resort where we set up camp-- it was really beautiful, and the lake looked like a real ocean. I guess Zambia isn’t as landlocked as I thought it was. I may have to rethink the title of this blog. Here’s the link: http://www.isangabay.com/ anybody jealous? It was fun camping out on a beach. We took a really invigorating hike to Kalambo Falls, the second-tallest waterfall in Africa. It was quite a trek but I was surprised at my own endurance level-- Zambia has been good for me, I guess. And we’re entering mango season. Nothing like eating mangoes on the beach!
Got safely back to site with only a minor case of food poisoning. Ick. It was a great little vacation-- I loved seeing more of Zambia, it’s so beautiful and awesome here!
Last week on Tuesday it rained for the first time since April-- I’ve never gone so long without rain before, it was strange. It was a really great storm-- I’m sure I’ll get sick of rain quickly, but for now I’m enjoying it. It’s also nice because since the rains started it’s cooled off a little-- I can now actually leave my hut in the middle of the day, which is great. Unfortunately this also means all the wildlife is waking up-- the other night a tarantula waltzed in to my hut! Yikes! Rainy season here I come!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
My First Zambian Vacation
It’s always a bizarre experience to leave your village. First of all, in my case, the process begins with a grueling 2-3 hour bike ride through sand and over rivers and up mountains, so by the time I arrive in the relatively urban town of Serenje I am tired, dirty, and sweaty in addition to the culture shock of re-encountering electricity and indoor plumbing. In Serenje, which is the location of the Peace Corps Provincial Office in addition to being the market where I do all my grocery shopping, I find a very different world from the quiet peace of my village. Many more people speak much more English (and quite a few don’t speak much Bemba, having moved to Serenje from one of the other tribal regions of the country), it is possible to buy things like cornflakes, green beans, and cheese (and refrigerate it) whereas in the village you’re limited to oil and sugar (and occasionally bananas), and your bathroom experience involves sitting instead of squatting. But stranger than all of this is the experience of leaving Serenje for a larger city like Lusaka or a vacation resort like South Luangwa, especially when you are going there to meet family visiting from America.
It is 5 hours direct from Serenje to Lusaka, but of course the journey is made much longer by traffic, rest stops, government checkpoints, and the overall fluidic pace of public transportation. I left Serenje at 7:30am and walked to the Serenje Junction at the Great North Road, where for only $12USD I was able to pay for a ride on a little blue bus from point A to point B. Unfortunately it took some time to get started, and then we made several stops in the major towns on the way south, including a bus change in Kabwe (which actually involved several bus changes-- the drivers couldn’t decide who was going to Lusaka and who wasn’t, I guess-- so I arrived in Lusaka a little after 4pm, after 8+ hours on a bus. I spent most of the time writing letters and watching the purple-blossomed Jacaranda trees, which have just come in to bloom.
The hotel was so luxurious it didn’t seem to know it was located in a “developing“ country-- the food was excellent, the beds were pristine and comfortable, the shower always had hot water and the toilet flushed with minimal fuss, all the staff were friendly and helpful, and there were real live miniature crocodiles in the pond by the restaurant, no joke. 4 of them and a little baby one, all sunning themselves like statues and moving only to go for a swim. My father was more interested in the vibrant yellow weavers in the process of building their nests in the tall grass, but either way it was quite a show at breakfast. It felt a bit ridiculous to be here after being in my village-- this sharp an economic imbalance within one country is almost painfully ludicrous, though unfortunately not at all uncommon. The good news is a place like this, and the tourist industry in general, creates jobs for Zambians and helps the economy of the entire country. So you can have a great vacation and donate money to a country that needs it at the same time (though I doubt that will fly on your tax forms). I personally must have looked a right fool saying things like “wow, placemats and cloth napkins, that’s so cute” and “look Dad, the water faucet works, isn’t that awesome?” I guess Zambia has made me easy to please, which must be a good thing.
Dad, Laurie, and I spent two full days in Lusaka. On Sunday we went to the Arcades Shopping Center where the weekly Sunday market was in full swing, selling overpriced but often lovely crafts to tourists. Again, it’s hard to feel bad about spending money when it goes directly to support a Zambian craftsman/woman and his/her family. I bought lots of stuff, mostly gifts for Dad and Laurie to carry home for me, but also a lovely stone-carved leopard for myself. Since I had just been in Lusaka in August for IST, I didn’t go crazy buying stuff as I normally would have-- in August I bought a stone open-mouthed hippo, a red tie-dye dress, and a patchwork purse for myself (the last was from a woman who calls me her daughter because she lives in Chongwe where I had my training back in March. Apparently that’s all it takes to be adopted in this country). In addition to the stuff I bought in Lusaka I also got a bunch of gifts Dad and Laurie brought me from various relatives, including books, games, stationary, wind-up flashlights (my old one got stolen back in July-- oops), bathing suits, DVDs and a player, and a very small laptop. It was a bit like Christmas.
But the best Christmas gift of all came on Monday, and you can’t put a price on it (well, the company we rented the car from did, but that’s a different thing). The three of us drove east to Chongwe, about 45 minutes outside of Lusaka, and visited my host family from training. I had not heard from them in months and had been trying to contact them to plan a visit, and right at noon on Monday they called me and told me to bring my family over! It was great to be back in my red-earthed home, to see my Bamaayo and Bataata and sisters (who all ran to hug me) and brothers, my old one-room hut which is now housing another Peace Corps Volunteer from the new intake, and then it was bizarre to turn around and see Dad and Laurie standing there with me. Worlds merging. They had their first taste of nshima, the cornmeal-based staple food of Zambia, and got to see their first Zambian village. I tried for the first of many times to teach them some Bemba, but without much luck-- Dad was just getting the hang of “good morning” on his last day here. Luckily my Chongwe family speaks mostly Nyanja anyway, so we were all in the same boat.
Here is a picture of me, my American father, and my Zambian mother. Thanks for the laptop so I can upload pictures, Mom!
The majority of our vacation was spent in South Luangwa National Park in a place called Flatdogs (another word for crocodiles). We went on 8 4-hour safari drives-- perhaps more than was necessary since we were exhausted by the end, but I don’t know which ride I would take back as they were all fantastic. Flatdogs itself was lovely, with great people and beautiful chalets and tents and a pool and a restaurant with great food (and not just by my standards-- the parents approved as well, especially during dessert) and a place you could sit and watch hippos lounge in the water. We were so close to the park boundary we had night guards to make sure no animals caused trouble in camp (well actually it would be the people who caused the trouble, but they probably wouldn’t be considered the guilty party), and one day I was woken from a midday nap (it was too hot to do anything midday, so our drives were in the mornings and evenings) by a bunch of baboons and monkeys patrolling the grounds outside my window. Elephants, giraffes, and hippos were also known to wander through, and one herd of elephants spent the afternoon at the restaurant when their baby decided that would be a good time and place for a nap. Talk about non-interference parenting.
Our tour guide, a Zambian man named Malama, was also fantastic, informative and knowledgeable and unbelievably adept at finding animals-- in the evenings we went on night drives (which I think are only allowed in Zambian parks) and he could spot a crocodile hidden in the grass several meters away while driving on treacherous roads. We got within 15 ft. of a pack of napping lions, spent an entire evening hunting for leopards (picture safari of course, not armed safari), saw another lion climb a tree and nearly witnessed a stand-off between some lions and hyenas over a dead buffalo (it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as in The Lion King), got very close to several giraffes and zebras, spent 20 minutes waiting for a huge herd of buffalo to cross the road, and got so into the bird watching (and it isn’t even peak bird season yet) that Dad eventually caved and bought a Southern Africa Bird Book. We were joined on most of our drives by a lovely couple from California, and the five of us had great fun playing the best version of “I Spy” possible-- the constant, informal, exciting, rewarding, entertaining, educational kind. On our last morning we had a walking tour-- it’s actually easier to walk in the park than in my village because there are fewer tree roots and the hippos clear very good paths-- and we got very close to some birds, zebras, and ant lions (they build ant traps like craters in the sand). But far and away the best part about the safari was the elephants. I love elephants, love to spot them emerging from the brush, to sit and watch them eat or sleep or bathe or walk, to take pictures of them or just look at them. The worst thing is an angry elephant charging-- more destructive than just about anything, and elephants actually cause multiple deaths per year-- but an elephant at peace is more peaceful than any other animal except perhaps a giraffe. I may have to go on safari again just for the elephants.
Traveling from South Luangwa to Serenje and then to my village was a long, stressful, painful process. My becoming very nauseous on the small plane from South Luangwa to Lusaka didn’t help matters, and I very nearly lost my cool before we finally checked in at the Hotel Zen-- well, actually, it was a hotel in Kabwe called Tuskers, but it was very relaxing so I‘m renaming it. We proceeded to Serenje on Monday and visited my favorite lunch spot, the town market, and a few small stores. It was interesting to see these places-- the parts of Africa I know best-- through the eyes of newcomers. Things that never fazed me, like live goats or chickens tied to the back rack of a one-gear bicycle or bags of charcoal and piles upon piles of tomatoes being sold by brightly dressed women on the side of the road, were of great interest to them. We drove to my village (only got lost twice-- the car route is different from the bike route so I haven’t been on it much) but I didn’t really feel like I had returned home at all because I was seeing old familiar things for the first time. Even my own Bemba language skills and ability to banter with my neighbors seemed less like a familiar routine and more like a successful attempt to impress my guests.
My village family generously provided my parents with beer (which I had to pay for) and a live chicken-- which they somehow expected could be killed, dressed, cooked, and eaten on the road to Lusaka. Instead my grandmother cooked it with nshima for them. She also prepared a warm Zambian bucket bath for them (and for me-- yay!). We walked around, visited a few people, rested during the heat of the day, saw the school and the place where I go to get cell phone reception, and witnessed a great deal of bush burning-- it is much better for the environment (and safer) to do annual burning/land clearing early in the year, like in May/June, but to protect the July-harvested crops (and provide new fresh leaves to increase caterpillar growth for the caterpillar-harvesting season in October-November) most people here let their forests burn in September. It is beautiful during and devastating after, a black charred landscape full of dead leaves on blackened trees, though pink and purple flowers grow out of the ashes almost instantly. Though I would like them to see my village in greener seasons, I think they really enjoyed their stay.
Unfortunately they were only able to stay two nights and one day in my village before I helped them navigate the rental car back to Serenje. They left me here at the Central Province Peace Corps House/Office in Serenje and proceeded down the Great North Road to Lusaka. From there they will travel to Livingstone and Victoria Falls and then home. I will be here, slowly preparing myself to hop on my bike and return to my village, readjust to life there and become accustomed again to the pace of life and lack of electricity. It’s always a bizarre experience to return to your village
It is 5 hours direct from Serenje to Lusaka, but of course the journey is made much longer by traffic, rest stops, government checkpoints, and the overall fluidic pace of public transportation. I left Serenje at 7:30am and walked to the Serenje Junction at the Great North Road, where for only $12USD I was able to pay for a ride on a little blue bus from point A to point B. Unfortunately it took some time to get started, and then we made several stops in the major towns on the way south, including a bus change in Kabwe (which actually involved several bus changes-- the drivers couldn’t decide who was going to Lusaka and who wasn’t, I guess-- so I arrived in Lusaka a little after 4pm, after 8+ hours on a bus. I spent most of the time writing letters and watching the purple-blossomed Jacaranda trees, which have just come in to bloom.
Lusaka is not by any means the tourist capital of Zambia. In fact, before this trip I didn’t know there were hotels in Lusaka outside the $20USD price range. The city is as loud and dirty as any other modern city, though it has a markedly large number of roundabouts, and its main draw to me is the shopping center complete with fast food, a grocery store, and a movie theater. The people are relatively friendly, and when they put an arm around your shoulder 9 times out of 10 they are actually not going for your purse (though I kept my hand on mine anyway, just in case). I felt overwhelmed by the noise and activity but didn’t feel out of my element until I arrived at the hotel my father and stepmother had reserved just after sunset. At this point I had been traveling the entire day and had biked from my village the day before, so I was dirty and sweaty and gross, and walking into this hotel was like entering a completely different universe. It was like a quiet oasis from the bustle of the city, but nothing like the quiet of my village. This was the quiet of cleanliness and organized luxury. Desperate to fit in, I pasted on the biggest, most Zambian smile I could muster, checked in while throwing around a couple of Bemba terms to distract from my rugged village appearance, and rushed upstairs where I spent over an hour in the shower-- most of that time was spent scrubbing just my feet. Turns out they aren’t as tan as I thought they were. When Dad and Laurie finally arrived, I was about as clean as I had been when I left them 7 months ago, or at least the cleanest I’d been since February.
The hotel was so luxurious it didn’t seem to know it was located in a “developing“ country-- the food was excellent, the beds were pristine and comfortable, the shower always had hot water and the toilet flushed with minimal fuss, all the staff were friendly and helpful, and there were real live miniature crocodiles in the pond by the restaurant, no joke. 4 of them and a little baby one, all sunning themselves like statues and moving only to go for a swim. My father was more interested in the vibrant yellow weavers in the process of building their nests in the tall grass, but either way it was quite a show at breakfast. It felt a bit ridiculous to be here after being in my village-- this sharp an economic imbalance within one country is almost painfully ludicrous, though unfortunately not at all uncommon. The good news is a place like this, and the tourist industry in general, creates jobs for Zambians and helps the economy of the entire country. So you can have a great vacation and donate money to a country that needs it at the same time (though I doubt that will fly on your tax forms). I personally must have looked a right fool saying things like “wow, placemats and cloth napkins, that’s so cute” and “look Dad, the water faucet works, isn’t that awesome?” I guess Zambia has made me easy to please, which must be a good thing.
Dad, Laurie, and I spent two full days in Lusaka. On Sunday we went to the Arcades Shopping Center where the weekly Sunday market was in full swing, selling overpriced but often lovely crafts to tourists. Again, it’s hard to feel bad about spending money when it goes directly to support a Zambian craftsman/woman and his/her family. I bought lots of stuff, mostly gifts for Dad and Laurie to carry home for me, but also a lovely stone-carved leopard for myself. Since I had just been in Lusaka in August for IST, I didn’t go crazy buying stuff as I normally would have-- in August I bought a stone open-mouthed hippo, a red tie-dye dress, and a patchwork purse for myself (the last was from a woman who calls me her daughter because she lives in Chongwe where I had my training back in March. Apparently that’s all it takes to be adopted in this country). In addition to the stuff I bought in Lusaka I also got a bunch of gifts Dad and Laurie brought me from various relatives, including books, games, stationary, wind-up flashlights (my old one got stolen back in July-- oops), bathing suits, DVDs and a player, and a very small laptop. It was a bit like Christmas.
But the best Christmas gift of all came on Monday, and you can’t put a price on it (well, the company we rented the car from did, but that’s a different thing). The three of us drove east to Chongwe, about 45 minutes outside of Lusaka, and visited my host family from training. I had not heard from them in months and had been trying to contact them to plan a visit, and right at noon on Monday they called me and told me to bring my family over! It was great to be back in my red-earthed home, to see my Bamaayo and Bataata and sisters (who all ran to hug me) and brothers, my old one-room hut which is now housing another Peace Corps Volunteer from the new intake, and then it was bizarre to turn around and see Dad and Laurie standing there with me. Worlds merging. They had their first taste of nshima, the cornmeal-based staple food of Zambia, and got to see their first Zambian village. I tried for the first of many times to teach them some Bemba, but without much luck-- Dad was just getting the hang of “good morning” on his last day here. Luckily my Chongwe family speaks mostly Nyanja anyway, so we were all in the same boat.
Here is a picture of me, my American father, and my Zambian mother. Thanks for the laptop so I can upload pictures, Mom!The majority of our vacation was spent in South Luangwa National Park in a place called Flatdogs (another word for crocodiles). We went on 8 4-hour safari drives-- perhaps more than was necessary since we were exhausted by the end, but I don’t know which ride I would take back as they were all fantastic. Flatdogs itself was lovely, with great people and beautiful chalets and tents and a pool and a restaurant with great food (and not just by my standards-- the parents approved as well, especially during dessert) and a place you could sit and watch hippos lounge in the water. We were so close to the park boundary we had night guards to make sure no animals caused trouble in camp (well actually it would be the people who caused the trouble, but they probably wouldn’t be considered the guilty party), and one day I was woken from a midday nap (it was too hot to do anything midday, so our drives were in the mornings and evenings) by a bunch of baboons and monkeys patrolling the grounds outside my window. Elephants, giraffes, and hippos were also known to wander through, and one herd of elephants spent the afternoon at the restaurant when their baby decided that would be a good time and place for a nap. Talk about non-interference parenting.
Our tour guide, a Zambian man named Malama, was also fantastic, informative and knowledgeable and unbelievably adept at finding animals-- in the evenings we went on night drives (which I think are only allowed in Zambian parks) and he could spot a crocodile hidden in the grass several meters away while driving on treacherous roads. We got within 15 ft. of a pack of napping lions, spent an entire evening hunting for leopards (picture safari of course, not armed safari), saw another lion climb a tree and nearly witnessed a stand-off between some lions and hyenas over a dead buffalo (it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as in The Lion King), got very close to several giraffes and zebras, spent 20 minutes waiting for a huge herd of buffalo to cross the road, and got so into the bird watching (and it isn’t even peak bird season yet) that Dad eventually caved and bought a Southern Africa Bird Book. We were joined on most of our drives by a lovely couple from California, and the five of us had great fun playing the best version of “I Spy” possible-- the constant, informal, exciting, rewarding, entertaining, educational kind. On our last morning we had a walking tour-- it’s actually easier to walk in the park than in my village because there are fewer tree roots and the hippos clear very good paths-- and we got very close to some birds, zebras, and ant lions (they build ant traps like craters in the sand). But far and away the best part about the safari was the elephants. I love elephants, love to spot them emerging from the brush, to sit and watch them eat or sleep or bathe or walk, to take pictures of them or just look at them. The worst thing is an angry elephant charging-- more destructive than just about anything, and elephants actually cause multiple deaths per year-- but an elephant at peace is more peaceful than any other animal except perhaps a giraffe. I may have to go on safari again just for the elephants.
Traveling from South Luangwa to Serenje and then to my village was a long, stressful, painful process. My becoming very nauseous on the small plane from South Luangwa to Lusaka didn’t help matters, and I very nearly lost my cool before we finally checked in at the Hotel Zen-- well, actually, it was a hotel in Kabwe called Tuskers, but it was very relaxing so I‘m renaming it. We proceeded to Serenje on Monday and visited my favorite lunch spot, the town market, and a few small stores. It was interesting to see these places-- the parts of Africa I know best-- through the eyes of newcomers. Things that never fazed me, like live goats or chickens tied to the back rack of a one-gear bicycle or bags of charcoal and piles upon piles of tomatoes being sold by brightly dressed women on the side of the road, were of great interest to them. We drove to my village (only got lost twice-- the car route is different from the bike route so I haven’t been on it much) but I didn’t really feel like I had returned home at all because I was seeing old familiar things for the first time. Even my own Bemba language skills and ability to banter with my neighbors seemed less like a familiar routine and more like a successful attempt to impress my guests.
My village family generously provided my parents with beer (which I had to pay for) and a live chicken-- which they somehow expected could be killed, dressed, cooked, and eaten on the road to Lusaka. Instead my grandmother cooked it with nshima for them. She also prepared a warm Zambian bucket bath for them (and for me-- yay!). We walked around, visited a few people, rested during the heat of the day, saw the school and the place where I go to get cell phone reception, and witnessed a great deal of bush burning-- it is much better for the environment (and safer) to do annual burning/land clearing early in the year, like in May/June, but to protect the July-harvested crops (and provide new fresh leaves to increase caterpillar growth for the caterpillar-harvesting season in October-November) most people here let their forests burn in September. It is beautiful during and devastating after, a black charred landscape full of dead leaves on blackened trees, though pink and purple flowers grow out of the ashes almost instantly. Though I would like them to see my village in greener seasons, I think they really enjoyed their stay.
Unfortunately they were only able to stay two nights and one day in my village before I helped them navigate the rental car back to Serenje. They left me here at the Central Province Peace Corps House/Office in Serenje and proceeded down the Great North Road to Lusaka. From there they will travel to Livingstone and Victoria Falls and then home. I will be here, slowly preparing myself to hop on my bike and return to my village, readjust to life there and become accustomed again to the pace of life and lack of electricity. It’s always a bizarre experience to return to your village
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Six Months In
Last night I had a dream. I was sitting on my home-sewn-cushioned couch in my little red-brick mudhut, listening to the wind shift the black plastic lining of my thatched roof, when suddenly a big white Peace Corps cruiser pulls up, tells me to pack up my shit because my site has been deemed "innappropriate" and I have been reassigned. The cruiser drops me off in front of a concrete mansion, tin roof, polished cement floors, electricity, running water, and an indoor kitchen with a stove and refrigerator. The soil around my house is perfect, deep and black with plenty of water, and I already have a massive, well-tended garden in my backyard. All my neighbors have kitchen gardens, and not five minutes away is a wide, flat, well-paved road lined by large shops and houses. A few of my Peace Corps friends are there, working in the state-of-the-art, well-attended school or the fully-stocked clinic. My neighbors speak perfect English and know all there is to know about farming, beekeeping, animal husbandry, fish farming, and agroforestry. Everything looks perfect, and by the end of it all my dream-self is in tears.
Two weeks ago I left my village for a two-week In-Service Training Workshop in Lusaka, and I'll admit I was thrilled to get away for awhile. I spent time with American friends, ate out almost every night, saw my first movie in 6 months (Inception-- wow, now that's a movie. Unbelieveable), ate chocolate cake and drank cold beer. In spite of these luxuries I found that I missed my simple village life. Though I love my village 98% of the time, at the beginning of August the stress got so bad that I seriously considered going home for the first time since I arrived in February. For a brief period I wasn't sure I'd be able to bring myself to go back at all. After two weeks of getting as close to a taste of home as I could without leaving the country, I was not only relieved to return to Serenje but relieved to find that I was relieved. It feels good to once again have confidence in myself and what I am doing-- taking two weeks to recharge in Lusaka was, it turns out, exactly what I needed. I woke up from the above nightmare this morning with a renewed sense that I am, for now at least, exactly where I am supposed to be.
It isn't easy to live in a place and situation so different from the one I am used to. When I was sick at the end of July (and yes, I have lost a lot of weight, thank you) I couldn't even find the energy to feed myself because I didn't have the strength to fetch water or light my brazier, and when I needed to call the Peace Corps Medical Officer I practically had to crawl to cell phone service (I have found a second place in my village where I can access the network-- now I get to choose between walking half an hour to cross a huge river and climb a tiny hill or walking 15 minutes (and chatting with the neighbors for 10) to cross a small river and climb a very tall and steep hill). Luckily I had neighbors to help me cook, clean, etc.-- but even that lack of self-sufficiency is unfamiliar. (I am fully healed, btw-- have to be more careful what I eat!) For me, just surviving is a challenge most days.
At the same time, I can't help but be grateful to the US government for providing me with an opportunity to live so far outside my comfort zone. Life shouldn't always be easy. In the last three months I have learned to light a charcoal brazier, start a fire (ok, that one still gives me trouble, but I have had some successes!), wash laundry and dishes by hand, ask for directions in a foreign language, kill household pests (ding dong the rat is dead), and ride a bike. I taught a Zambian woman to bake a cake, learned from a Zambian woman how to crochet, worked with a farmer to build a beehive, and helped a teacher hold an HIV-education workshop at a school. This certainly isn't the most fun adventure I could be on, but I definitely think its the most interesting.
My two-week Lusaka workshop marked the end of my community entry period. From now on I'm expected to not just observe but participate in the world around me. I have learned more about beekeeping, animal husbandry, tree propogation, and gardening, and am returning to my village today with blisters on my hands, dirt on my clothes, and lots of ideas in my head. It's time for me to get to work. I think I'm ready.
Two weeks ago I left my village for a two-week In-Service Training Workshop in Lusaka, and I'll admit I was thrilled to get away for awhile. I spent time with American friends, ate out almost every night, saw my first movie in 6 months (Inception-- wow, now that's a movie. Unbelieveable), ate chocolate cake and drank cold beer. In spite of these luxuries I found that I missed my simple village life. Though I love my village 98% of the time, at the beginning of August the stress got so bad that I seriously considered going home for the first time since I arrived in February. For a brief period I wasn't sure I'd be able to bring myself to go back at all. After two weeks of getting as close to a taste of home as I could without leaving the country, I was not only relieved to return to Serenje but relieved to find that I was relieved. It feels good to once again have confidence in myself and what I am doing-- taking two weeks to recharge in Lusaka was, it turns out, exactly what I needed. I woke up from the above nightmare this morning with a renewed sense that I am, for now at least, exactly where I am supposed to be.
It isn't easy to live in a place and situation so different from the one I am used to. When I was sick at the end of July (and yes, I have lost a lot of weight, thank you) I couldn't even find the energy to feed myself because I didn't have the strength to fetch water or light my brazier, and when I needed to call the Peace Corps Medical Officer I practically had to crawl to cell phone service (I have found a second place in my village where I can access the network-- now I get to choose between walking half an hour to cross a huge river and climb a tiny hill or walking 15 minutes (and chatting with the neighbors for 10) to cross a small river and climb a very tall and steep hill). Luckily I had neighbors to help me cook, clean, etc.-- but even that lack of self-sufficiency is unfamiliar. (I am fully healed, btw-- have to be more careful what I eat!) For me, just surviving is a challenge most days.
At the same time, I can't help but be grateful to the US government for providing me with an opportunity to live so far outside my comfort zone. Life shouldn't always be easy. In the last three months I have learned to light a charcoal brazier, start a fire (ok, that one still gives me trouble, but I have had some successes!), wash laundry and dishes by hand, ask for directions in a foreign language, kill household pests (ding dong the rat is dead), and ride a bike. I taught a Zambian woman to bake a cake, learned from a Zambian woman how to crochet, worked with a farmer to build a beehive, and helped a teacher hold an HIV-education workshop at a school. This certainly isn't the most fun adventure I could be on, but I definitely think its the most interesting.
My two-week Lusaka workshop marked the end of my community entry period. From now on I'm expected to not just observe but participate in the world around me. I have learned more about beekeeping, animal husbandry, tree propogation, and gardening, and am returning to my village today with blisters on my hands, dirt on my clothes, and lots of ideas in my head. It's time for me to get to work. I think I'm ready.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated...
Dear Everyone,
I am sorry to have neglected you so long. I have not had access to a computer since the end of April-- so much has happened since then! I was officially sworn-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the 23rd; I wore a Zambian-made dress suit, white and brown with drums and drummers on it, and I gave a small speech in Bemba. It was sad saying good-bye to my host family, they have been so good to me, but I was also excited to embark on this next adventure. From there it was several days of intense shopping-- I've never bought so much in such a short period, not even while I was packing to come here! It was a real whirlwind experience, but I arrived safely in my village the last Tuesday in April.
Since then I have had various small adventures, like learning to light a charcoal brazier, or biking 20k to meet the chief (who was not at home, so I biked another 20k back...), or trying to cook banana bread on a brazier (should have greased the pot...whoops...), or tearing apart my mattress (with a butcher's knife...oh boy) to make it fit the bed (my predecessor tore apart the bed to make it fit the bedroom). Last week was my village's annual agricultural show, there were about 6 stands each displaying various crops (and various varieties of maize), except for the student stall, where the school HIV coordinator and I put out some HIV-education pamphlets. There was much drinking and dancing and merrymaking-- it was a great party! And it's banana season, so I stocked up. Yum.
I don't have cell phone service at my site-- I have to walk 1/2 an hour and cross an intimidating bridge over a roaring river to get it-- and the Boma (marketplace) is a 2-hour bike ride away, so I am quite isolated here. I like it, though-- it is very peaceful. Each night I sit with my neighbors around their fire and practice talking to them in Bemba. I have visited many people and farms and am getting to know my community very well. So far things are going great.
I am sorry this post is rather short-- internet is as expensive as it is rare here-- but I'd be happy to send you more details of my life here in Zambia! You can write me at my new Serenje address:
Elise Simons/PCV
PO Box 850010
Serenje, Zambia
Signing off for now-- Mushale bwino! (Remain well!)
I am sorry to have neglected you so long. I have not had access to a computer since the end of April-- so much has happened since then! I was officially sworn-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the 23rd; I wore a Zambian-made dress suit, white and brown with drums and drummers on it, and I gave a small speech in Bemba. It was sad saying good-bye to my host family, they have been so good to me, but I was also excited to embark on this next adventure. From there it was several days of intense shopping-- I've never bought so much in such a short period, not even while I was packing to come here! It was a real whirlwind experience, but I arrived safely in my village the last Tuesday in April.
Since then I have had various small adventures, like learning to light a charcoal brazier, or biking 20k to meet the chief (who was not at home, so I biked another 20k back...), or trying to cook banana bread on a brazier (should have greased the pot...whoops...), or tearing apart my mattress (with a butcher's knife...oh boy) to make it fit the bed (my predecessor tore apart the bed to make it fit the bedroom). Last week was my village's annual agricultural show, there were about 6 stands each displaying various crops (and various varieties of maize), except for the student stall, where the school HIV coordinator and I put out some HIV-education pamphlets. There was much drinking and dancing and merrymaking-- it was a great party! And it's banana season, so I stocked up. Yum.
I don't have cell phone service at my site-- I have to walk 1/2 an hour and cross an intimidating bridge over a roaring river to get it-- and the Boma (marketplace) is a 2-hour bike ride away, so I am quite isolated here. I like it, though-- it is very peaceful. Each night I sit with my neighbors around their fire and practice talking to them in Bemba. I have visited many people and farms and am getting to know my community very well. So far things are going great.
I am sorry this post is rather short-- internet is as expensive as it is rare here-- but I'd be happy to send you more details of my life here in Zambia! You can write me at my new Serenje address:
Elise Simons/PCV
PO Box 850010
Serenje, Zambia
Signing off for now-- Mushale bwino! (Remain well!)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Site Visit!
Hello everyone! I am writing you from an internet cafe in a brightly-colored restaurant in an urban shopping center in Lusaka. I came here today to buy enough food to survive the week in Central Province, where I will be visiting the site that I will call my home for the next two years. I am very, very excited! I will be in a village 20k from the Boma (town center), and apparently I will have a challenging bike ride because it's a hilly area. But that's all right, I haven't fallen off my bike lately (knock on wood) so I'm sure I'll be fine. I have just finished week 5 of my 9-week pre-service training period. Yesterday I had my second Bemba oral language test, and I didn't do too shabby on it (though I didn't do as well as the first one-- they're getting harder!). I really enjoy Bemba and am learning fast; I am also learning a lot about agroforestry, conservation farming, and environmental education, and I can't wait to get to my site and figure out what projects I will be working on. I am getting really excited to move in to my mud hut and start my life here, but I am also sad that pre-service training is going by so fast; I will really miss my fellow trainees, some of whom are going to the far reaches of the country and I will only see them a couple of times a year, and I am sad to leave my sweet little one-room house in the village with my host family. I have told my host mother I will visit her when I am a volunteer; I just hope I am given the opportunity to keep that promise.
I have had some requests to post pictures online for all of you; I hope to be able to share my experience with you visually soon, but right now it's not an option. I have internet access but would need a bigger, faster server to post pictures. But I am taking lots of pictures, so hopefully someday soon I will be able to post them!
I'm almost out of time here so I'm going to sign off. Wish me luck on my site visit! Thanks for all your support and encouragement and nice comments, they mean a lot to me!
I have had some requests to post pictures online for all of you; I hope to be able to share my experience with you visually soon, but right now it's not an option. I have internet access but would need a bigger, faster server to post pictures. But I am taking lots of pictures, so hopefully someday soon I will be able to post them!
I'm almost out of time here so I'm going to sign off. Wish me luck on my site visit! Thanks for all your support and encouragement and nice comments, they mean a lot to me!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Hello everyone! Mwashabukeni mukwai! I can't talk long, I am at an internet cafe and there is a long line of people waiting to take my spot. Just wanted you all to know that I'm alive! I've been spending my 9-week pre-service training period in a small village outside Lusaka-- I have my own one-room mud hut with a thatched roof, my own pit latrine, and my own bathing shelter. My host mother and my language trainer are both teaching me to speak Bemba, one of the 7 or so languages spoken in Zambia. It's hard work but I think I'm getting the hang of it! I finally got my phone hooked up with internet access today (so y'all can send e-mails if you want), and I went grocery shopping (and bought cookies and nutella and chocolate, the essentials of life), so I feel a little closer to home today, though to be honest I've really been enjoying the quiet life of a rural Zambian. I can see loads more stars at night (when it stops raining) including Orion, who is resting on his side down here in the southern hemisphere. I ride my bike to and from training every day, and fall off every other day (but luckily it's rude to show much leg in public in Zambia, so covering up the bruises isn't much of a problem). I really like Zambia, and my fellow trainees are awesome-- we have a lot of fun together. This experience is intense and life-changing already, and I've barely gotten started. Let the adventure begin!
Hope to write you all again soon!
Hope to write you all again soon!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Contact
In 24 hours (yikes!), assuming everything goes according to plan, I will have already checked into my hotel in Philadelphia and will probably be out and about, meeting other PC volunteers who are in my group (there are 53 of us. We'll all be at the same staging event, on the same looooooong flight, and in the same 9-week(ish) training class). I'm very excited to meet everyone in person (I've met a few online already-- ah, the miracle of the internet).
Yesterday I said good-bye to my mother, my stepfather, my cat, and my dog before boarding the bus from Portland, ME to Boston, MA (a bus I have taken many, many, many times before, so it was a familiar and comforting ride) with my rolling suitcase, frame backpack, and rolling carry-on suitcase (final weights: 44 lbs, 28 lbs, and 22 lbs. Score!). It was a bit emotional, but I felt better by the time I arrived in Boston-- there's nothing like 2 hours on a bus to calm your nerves. I'm glad I got those good-byes and the packing out of the way yesterday so I could have today to relax, prepare, and make absolutely certain that I have everything I need (passport, wallet, and Peace Corps paperwork-- everything else I can buy when I get there, though I'd rather just remember to bring it in the first place, obviously).
Today I had a brunch at my grandparents' house with my father, stepmother, aunt, uncle, and cousin. We had a great time, and not just because the food was awesome (which it was). Everyone had lots of questions, lots of suggestions, and lots of hugs. The big question that I was asked (and I've been getting this question a lot) was how regularly I'd be able to keep in touch with friends and family from Zambia, so I've decided to put that information here. Here are the ways in which you can reach me (or I can reach you) while I am in Zambia:
1) Snail Mail. Or as I like to call it, the Pony Express. This is a nice old-fashioned way to keep in touch, and I'd love to be your pen pal. However, keep in mind that the mail service in Africa is not as reliable as it is in the US. Mail often gets lost (especially if it's bulky or looks like it might contain valuables). Be sure to number your letters so I'll know if I've missed one you sent, and I'll do the same. Don't panic if you don't get a letter from me for awhile (Mom--this sentence is for you). It happens. Mail gets lost, mail sits in rooms for awhile before finally getting mailed, and mail might not get written at all for a time if I'm really busy with something (that last thing probably won't happen too often). I'm not dead and I'm not ignoring you. I promise.
My address in Lusaka during pre-service training (the next 2-3 months) will be:
Elise Simons/PCT
Peace Corps
P.O. Box 50707
Lusaka, Zambia
You should also write Air Mail and Par Avion on the envelope. Keep in mind that packages are even more likely to be misplaced than letters; think before you send.
2) E-mail. My computer access-- in fact, my access to any electricity at all-- will be extremely limited. I'm actually looking forward to learning to live without a laptop glued to my knees-- it could be a nice change in my day-to-day habits. There are internet cafes in Lusaka (where I will be during pre-service training), but I will only have limited access to e-mail. While I'm in the African bush I will have opportunities to visit a Peace Corps Station where there will be computers, probably about once a month. So feel free to send e-mails, just not urgent ones.
3) Cell Phone. I plan to buy a (cheap) cell phone when I arrive in Zambia. Phone calls between Zambia and the US are not cheap, not all of Zambia has reliable phone service, and I won't be able to take calls during pre-service training while I'm in class (8-5 on weekdays, plus keep in mind that I'll be 6-7 hours ahead of most of you), but the cell phone will still be a viable form of communication most of the time-- especially texting (I can think of only 3 people who may not have texting capabilities-- you can ask Laurie to send the texts for you). I'll send you all my new cell phone # once I have it.
Depending on what type of cell phone I get, I may be able to use it to send e-mails, so I may be online more often than expected. However, we should all expect that I won't be able to stay in touch all that reliably-- that way it will be a pleasant surprise if I am!
If you have any more questions about the Peace Corps, you should check out the book So You Want to Join the Peace Corps: What to Know Before You Go by Dillon Banerjee. It's likely to answer most of your questions. There are also plenty of books written by Peace Corps Volunteers-- I've read three of them so far. Try the travel section of most bookstores.
This will probably be the last time I write to you from the United States for quite some time; next time I post here, I'll be able to tell you all from experience a little bit about what Zambia is really like. Wish me luck!
Yesterday I said good-bye to my mother, my stepfather, my cat, and my dog before boarding the bus from Portland, ME to Boston, MA (a bus I have taken many, many, many times before, so it was a familiar and comforting ride) with my rolling suitcase, frame backpack, and rolling carry-on suitcase (final weights: 44 lbs, 28 lbs, and 22 lbs. Score!). It was a bit emotional, but I felt better by the time I arrived in Boston-- there's nothing like 2 hours on a bus to calm your nerves. I'm glad I got those good-byes and the packing out of the way yesterday so I could have today to relax, prepare, and make absolutely certain that I have everything I need (passport, wallet, and Peace Corps paperwork-- everything else I can buy when I get there, though I'd rather just remember to bring it in the first place, obviously).
Today I had a brunch at my grandparents' house with my father, stepmother, aunt, uncle, and cousin. We had a great time, and not just because the food was awesome (which it was). Everyone had lots of questions, lots of suggestions, and lots of hugs. The big question that I was asked (and I've been getting this question a lot) was how regularly I'd be able to keep in touch with friends and family from Zambia, so I've decided to put that information here. Here are the ways in which you can reach me (or I can reach you) while I am in Zambia:
1) Snail Mail. Or as I like to call it, the Pony Express. This is a nice old-fashioned way to keep in touch, and I'd love to be your pen pal. However, keep in mind that the mail service in Africa is not as reliable as it is in the US. Mail often gets lost (especially if it's bulky or looks like it might contain valuables). Be sure to number your letters so I'll know if I've missed one you sent, and I'll do the same. Don't panic if you don't get a letter from me for awhile (Mom--this sentence is for you). It happens. Mail gets lost, mail sits in rooms for awhile before finally getting mailed, and mail might not get written at all for a time if I'm really busy with something (that last thing probably won't happen too often). I'm not dead and I'm not ignoring you. I promise.
My address in Lusaka during pre-service training (the next 2-3 months) will be:
Elise Simons/PCT
Peace Corps
P.O. Box 50707
Lusaka, Zambia
You should also write Air Mail and Par Avion on the envelope. Keep in mind that packages are even more likely to be misplaced than letters; think before you send.
2) E-mail. My computer access-- in fact, my access to any electricity at all-- will be extremely limited. I'm actually looking forward to learning to live without a laptop glued to my knees-- it could be a nice change in my day-to-day habits. There are internet cafes in Lusaka (where I will be during pre-service training), but I will only have limited access to e-mail. While I'm in the African bush I will have opportunities to visit a Peace Corps Station where there will be computers, probably about once a month. So feel free to send e-mails, just not urgent ones.
3) Cell Phone. I plan to buy a (cheap) cell phone when I arrive in Zambia. Phone calls between Zambia and the US are not cheap, not all of Zambia has reliable phone service, and I won't be able to take calls during pre-service training while I'm in class (8-5 on weekdays, plus keep in mind that I'll be 6-7 hours ahead of most of you), but the cell phone will still be a viable form of communication most of the time-- especially texting (I can think of only 3 people who may not have texting capabilities-- you can ask Laurie to send the texts for you). I'll send you all my new cell phone # once I have it.
Depending on what type of cell phone I get, I may be able to use it to send e-mails, so I may be online more often than expected. However, we should all expect that I won't be able to stay in touch all that reliably-- that way it will be a pleasant surprise if I am!
If you have any more questions about the Peace Corps, you should check out the book So You Want to Join the Peace Corps: What to Know Before You Go by Dillon Banerjee. It's likely to answer most of your questions. There are also plenty of books written by Peace Corps Volunteers-- I've read three of them so far. Try the travel section of most bookstores.
This will probably be the last time I write to you from the United States for quite some time; next time I post here, I'll be able to tell you all from experience a little bit about what Zambia is really like. Wish me luck!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Zambia LIFE
Yesterday I received a call from the Peace Corps Headquarters in Zambia. I had been expecting this call for a couple of weeks-- several people I've met on Facebook who are going to Zambia in the same group as me have mentioned getting calls-- but as the Day of Departure loomed nearer and nearer I gradually stopped anticipating the call and started focusing on other things, like fitting two years' worth of stuff into 107" and 80 lbs (plus a carry-on). I had thought of a a bunch of questions I could ask when they called, but I starting guessing at the answers so I could move on to the next thing, so by the time they called I didn't have anymore questions that I still needed to ask. Our conversation, while friendly, was short and a little awkward because a) the time it took for words to travel over the line meant a lot more pausing and waiting and accidentally talking over each other, b) as I said, I didn't have any questions left, so there wasn't much to talk about, and c) it was only nine in the morning, so I wasn't really mentally prepared to receive a phone call from anyone.
That said, it was really nice to receive a call from Zambia-- it made the whole thing feel a little more real, like I'm not just buying camping gear and getting my passport photos taken for kicks, because something is actually going to happen, I'm actually going to go somewhere. The concept of knowing there were people on the other end of the line waiting to meet me was really the greatest highlight of the experience. Here's what else I gleaned from the conversation:
1) bring sweaters/warm clothes, because it's cold there. I actually already knew this-- it says so in the Welcome Book that the Peace Corps e-mailed to me. Zambia is tropical, located just below the Democratic Republic of Congo, but it's relatively far away from the equator and on a plateau (hence the name of this blog), so during the dry season/winter (our summer, May to October) it can get down to the 50s during the day and the 30s at night. This is good news because I'm going to have to bring a couple of warm things (gloves, leg warmers, fleece jacket, sweater) just to survive the 2 days in Philadelphia, so this way the stuff I bring for the brief Staging period won't go to waste for the two years in Zambia. Right now it's summer in Zambia, a.k.a. the rainy season, and it is currently 72 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. It is also nighttime; during the day the temperature can get up to 80-90.
I've done some preemptive research on Zambia-- I've learned its location (landlocked, just south of the Democratic of Congo and north of Zimbabwe), its tourist attractions (Zambia shares the largest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls, with it's neighbor Zimbabwe; it is also full of national parks used for safaris), and its health. What I know now is nothing compared to how much I'll know about Zambia in a month's time. It's so strange to think how different my life will be then.
2) bring a headlamp. I found a headlamp in my mother's desk a few days ago, and I sort of wish I wasn't bringing it because it's one of only two things I'm bringing that runs on batteries (the other thing is my travel alarm clock), and my battery charger is bulky, heavy, and annoying. All the other electronics I am bringing (flashlight, ipod, shortwave radio) are wind-up, solar-powered, or can plug in to my solar charger. Even my camera charges via USB port and can therefore be "plugged into the sun."
FYI, if you want to buy a camera that charges via USB, buy Kodak. I bought a small Fuji camera on Sunday because the sales clerk told me it was USB-chargeable; it wasn't. I took it back, and the Best Buy people very kindly exchanged it for a red Kodak (I was thrilled; red is a much cooler color than black) that I had admired back on Sunday before choosing the Fuji. According to Best Buy, Kodak is the only company that makes cameras that use only 1 cord for both charging and uploading images (it comes with an adapter plug so you can also charge it in the wall like any other camera if that's your preference).
3) They speak English in Zambia. Ok, this one I already knew, I was just looking for an excuse to bring it up. Some of you may remember that I studied French for awhile during my senior year of college. When I was first nominated to the Peace Corps, the plan was to send me to a French-speaking African country (there were no spaces open in English-speaking ones), and in September of last year I was invited to French-speaking Guinea. Unfortunately that didn't work out, and I ended up being invited to Zambia, formerly the British territory of Northern Rhodesia. So the bad news is that I wasted a good deal of time and money attempting to learn French (and mostly failing) for no reason; the good news is, I will be going to an English-speaking country so I can focus all my language-learning skills on learning a local Zambian language (there are several, but I will be studying either Bemba, Nyanja, or Kaonde).
After staging, which is next week in Philadelphia and will basically involve 48 hours of paperwork, immunization shots, and intense bonding with my fellow volunteers, I have a long trip to Lusaka (we leave the hotel by bus at 2am next Wednesday morning, then take a plane from New York to South Africa to Zambia), followed by two months of pre-service training. During this time I will be staying with a host family in Lusaka. My first two months in Zambia will go roughly something like this: each day I will wake up with my host family in Lusaka and commute by bike to Peace Corps Headquarters. There I will have training from 8am until 5pm-- language training in the mornings, and technical training in the evenings.
My "technical training," in addition to covering survival training (how to purify water, etc.) and a cultural education, will be focused on forestry, agriculture, and environmental education. I am going to be part of Zambia's LIFE program (Linking Income, Food, and Environment), which means I'll be working in a rural community to promote both profit and sustainable agriculture through environmental education. Though Zambia's cities, like Lusaka, are highly globalized and modernized, I will probably be spending the majority of the next two years in a mud hut in a rural community. To be perfectly honest, I am looking forward to living off-grid, using very little electricity or resources. I may change my mind very quickly once I arrive, but for now I am excited.
Excited and crazy-busy. Just when I think I've done everything I need to do, I remember a piece of paper I forgot to fill out or realize that I've packed an object in the wrong bag. And just when I was thinking I was almost done, I get an e-mail this morning telling me I need more passport photos for documentation in Zambia (my adventures in passport photo-hunting are numerous-- I had some trouble tracking down a place for my Guinea passport, then again in London for my Zambia visa, then the Peace Corps lost my application so I had to search London (at Christmas when everything was closed) for the right store (and most passport stations in England make 1.5" passports, and I needed a 2"er) until I finally found one tucked away in a corner somewhere). I wish I had gotten that e-mail a week ago when I had a little more time to spare.
But like I said, this is the Peace Corps. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
That said, it was really nice to receive a call from Zambia-- it made the whole thing feel a little more real, like I'm not just buying camping gear and getting my passport photos taken for kicks, because something is actually going to happen, I'm actually going to go somewhere. The concept of knowing there were people on the other end of the line waiting to meet me was really the greatest highlight of the experience. Here's what else I gleaned from the conversation:
1) bring sweaters/warm clothes, because it's cold there. I actually already knew this-- it says so in the Welcome Book that the Peace Corps e-mailed to me. Zambia is tropical, located just below the Democratic Republic of Congo, but it's relatively far away from the equator and on a plateau (hence the name of this blog), so during the dry season/winter (our summer, May to October) it can get down to the 50s during the day and the 30s at night. This is good news because I'm going to have to bring a couple of warm things (gloves, leg warmers, fleece jacket, sweater) just to survive the 2 days in Philadelphia, so this way the stuff I bring for the brief Staging period won't go to waste for the two years in Zambia. Right now it's summer in Zambia, a.k.a. the rainy season, and it is currently 72 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. It is also nighttime; during the day the temperature can get up to 80-90.
I've done some preemptive research on Zambia-- I've learned its location (landlocked, just south of the Democratic of Congo and north of Zimbabwe), its tourist attractions (Zambia shares the largest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls, with it's neighbor Zimbabwe; it is also full of national parks used for safaris), and its health. What I know now is nothing compared to how much I'll know about Zambia in a month's time. It's so strange to think how different my life will be then.
2) bring a headlamp. I found a headlamp in my mother's desk a few days ago, and I sort of wish I wasn't bringing it because it's one of only two things I'm bringing that runs on batteries (the other thing is my travel alarm clock), and my battery charger is bulky, heavy, and annoying. All the other electronics I am bringing (flashlight, ipod, shortwave radio) are wind-up, solar-powered, or can plug in to my solar charger. Even my camera charges via USB port and can therefore be "plugged into the sun."
FYI, if you want to buy a camera that charges via USB, buy Kodak. I bought a small Fuji camera on Sunday because the sales clerk told me it was USB-chargeable; it wasn't. I took it back, and the Best Buy people very kindly exchanged it for a red Kodak (I was thrilled; red is a much cooler color than black) that I had admired back on Sunday before choosing the Fuji. According to Best Buy, Kodak is the only company that makes cameras that use only 1 cord for both charging and uploading images (it comes with an adapter plug so you can also charge it in the wall like any other camera if that's your preference).
3) They speak English in Zambia. Ok, this one I already knew, I was just looking for an excuse to bring it up. Some of you may remember that I studied French for awhile during my senior year of college. When I was first nominated to the Peace Corps, the plan was to send me to a French-speaking African country (there were no spaces open in English-speaking ones), and in September of last year I was invited to French-speaking Guinea. Unfortunately that didn't work out, and I ended up being invited to Zambia, formerly the British territory of Northern Rhodesia. So the bad news is that I wasted a good deal of time and money attempting to learn French (and mostly failing) for no reason; the good news is, I will be going to an English-speaking country so I can focus all my language-learning skills on learning a local Zambian language (there are several, but I will be studying either Bemba, Nyanja, or Kaonde).
After staging, which is next week in Philadelphia and will basically involve 48 hours of paperwork, immunization shots, and intense bonding with my fellow volunteers, I have a long trip to Lusaka (we leave the hotel by bus at 2am next Wednesday morning, then take a plane from New York to South Africa to Zambia), followed by two months of pre-service training. During this time I will be staying with a host family in Lusaka. My first two months in Zambia will go roughly something like this: each day I will wake up with my host family in Lusaka and commute by bike to Peace Corps Headquarters. There I will have training from 8am until 5pm-- language training in the mornings, and technical training in the evenings.
My "technical training," in addition to covering survival training (how to purify water, etc.) and a cultural education, will be focused on forestry, agriculture, and environmental education. I am going to be part of Zambia's LIFE program (Linking Income, Food, and Environment), which means I'll be working in a rural community to promote both profit and sustainable agriculture through environmental education. Though Zambia's cities, like Lusaka, are highly globalized and modernized, I will probably be spending the majority of the next two years in a mud hut in a rural community. To be perfectly honest, I am looking forward to living off-grid, using very little electricity or resources. I may change my mind very quickly once I arrive, but for now I am excited.
Excited and crazy-busy. Just when I think I've done everything I need to do, I remember a piece of paper I forgot to fill out or realize that I've packed an object in the wrong bag. And just when I was thinking I was almost done, I get an e-mail this morning telling me I need more passport photos for documentation in Zambia (my adventures in passport photo-hunting are numerous-- I had some trouble tracking down a place for my Guinea passport, then again in London for my Zambia visa, then the Peace Corps lost my application so I had to search London (at Christmas when everything was closed) for the right store (and most passport stations in England make 1.5" passports, and I needed a 2"er) until I finally found one tucked away in a corner somewhere). I wish I had gotten that e-mail a week ago when I had a little more time to spare.
But like I said, this is the Peace Corps. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Getting Ready
So we are now down to ten days until I leave for Philadelphia; in two weeks I will be on Zambian soil. It's hard to believe. I don't feel nervous or anxious, but I know that I probably am: last night I had a dream that I was trying to get to Logan Airport, but the public transit system was down and I had to walk through Ted Williams Tunnel (super dangerous-- kids, don't try this at home) only to find when I arrived at check-in that I had bought a ticket for the wrong flight and completely forgotten all my luggage...so, yeah, I'd say my subconscious is having some issues.
But mostly I'm just excited for this huge adventure coming my way. Most of my time has been devoted to packing and paperwork. I've requested immunization records from both my primary care physician and my school clinic-- while I'm in Philly I am going to receive a bunch of immunizations, including most likely a yellow fever shot and my first dose of malaria pills, but with the immunization lists I can make sure I don't receive more shots than I need. As it is I'm going to be suffering the side-effects of several vaccinations during the long plane ride to South Africa and then the shorter plane ride to Zambia, not to mention the jetlag. Good to start this trip off with a bang.
Other paperwork includes: medical and tax POA forms, insurance forms, passport/visa forms (the Peace Corps distributes special passports to volunteers, which expire at the end of service), student loan deferment forms, and staging forms. Not only will I be on a different continent for two years, but I'll most likely be spending most of those two years in a hut in the African bush without electricity, so it's important to get a lot of stuff straightened now when it's more convenient.
So far the packing process has involved discount shoe shopping, internet shopping for tents and electronics, hanging out in the LL Bean Factory Store (their camping section really is the coolest thing ever), digging through closets for lost items, "borrowing" stuff from my parents, stocking up on toiletries, snacks, journals, books, and stamps, arranging all the luggage in the house by size, weight, and durability, and laying everything I own out in neat rows on the bed and floor, as well as a fashion show of nearly every article of clothing I own (except the winter clothes, I don't think I'll be needing those). In addition to this I am packing up the stuff I won't be bringing to put into storage in my Mom's basement-- no need to have all my college stuff sitting unused in my room for two years like some sort of bizarre shrine. I just finished unpacking most of this stuff after bringing it home from college; now it's all going back into boxes again.
We are permitted a total of 80 lbs of checked luggage spread over 2 bags, plus a carry-on. The two checked bags each have to be less than 60" total dimensions; 107" total is the limit. I always like to pack as light as possible, and I keep reminding myself that I can buy just about anything I need in Zambia in the very globalized and well-stocked capitol city, Lusaka. I'm sure I'll bring a couple of things I don't need and forget a couple of things I do, so I guess as long as I go into this expecting to get this packing business a little bit wrong on the first try I won't mind so much when it actually happens.
Here are just a few of the things I am bringing:
--A wind-up flashlight and wind-up torch which I bought in the UK
--A wind-up/solar-powered shortwave radio
--A solar charger; Solio makes one that is apparently compatible with Zambian cell phones (I'll be buying a cell phone when I get there)
--A digital camera. I'm taking an old one my mom gave me, but I can't find the software that goes with it, so I may have to buy one of those memory-card-reading jumpdrives so that I can upload my pictures and show you all
--A deck of cards and some travel games of checkers and chess
--An ipod
--A small photo album with pictures of friends/family and my hometown
--Several blank journals and a couple of pens
--LL Bean Hiking Boots-- it's very warm in Zambia, but it's also very rainy there this time of year, so some good waterproof mudboots seem like a good idea (don't worry, I'm bringing sandals too)
--A tent and sleeping bag; I wasn't going to bring these, but the Peace Corps recommended them, and I figure they'll provide a good excuse for me to go camping
--Gifts for my host family: I'm bringing them some hard maple candies, but I'm still on the lookout for a nice book about Maine that I can give them
Anyone have any suggestions on what books I should bring? I have lots of ideas, and I won't bring too many since there are libraries at the Peace Corps outposts in each region of the country, but I'd like to bring a couple books to keep me busy-- any suggestions are welcome!
I'm working on a much larger post going into detail about Zambia and what I'll be doing there, so stay tuned!
But mostly I'm just excited for this huge adventure coming my way. Most of my time has been devoted to packing and paperwork. I've requested immunization records from both my primary care physician and my school clinic-- while I'm in Philly I am going to receive a bunch of immunizations, including most likely a yellow fever shot and my first dose of malaria pills, but with the immunization lists I can make sure I don't receive more shots than I need. As it is I'm going to be suffering the side-effects of several vaccinations during the long plane ride to South Africa and then the shorter plane ride to Zambia, not to mention the jetlag. Good to start this trip off with a bang.
Other paperwork includes: medical and tax POA forms, insurance forms, passport/visa forms (the Peace Corps distributes special passports to volunteers, which expire at the end of service), student loan deferment forms, and staging forms. Not only will I be on a different continent for two years, but I'll most likely be spending most of those two years in a hut in the African bush without electricity, so it's important to get a lot of stuff straightened now when it's more convenient.
So far the packing process has involved discount shoe shopping, internet shopping for tents and electronics, hanging out in the LL Bean Factory Store (their camping section really is the coolest thing ever), digging through closets for lost items, "borrowing" stuff from my parents, stocking up on toiletries, snacks, journals, books, and stamps, arranging all the luggage in the house by size, weight, and durability, and laying everything I own out in neat rows on the bed and floor, as well as a fashion show of nearly every article of clothing I own (except the winter clothes, I don't think I'll be needing those). In addition to this I am packing up the stuff I won't be bringing to put into storage in my Mom's basement-- no need to have all my college stuff sitting unused in my room for two years like some sort of bizarre shrine. I just finished unpacking most of this stuff after bringing it home from college; now it's all going back into boxes again.
We are permitted a total of 80 lbs of checked luggage spread over 2 bags, plus a carry-on. The two checked bags each have to be less than 60" total dimensions; 107" total is the limit. I always like to pack as light as possible, and I keep reminding myself that I can buy just about anything I need in Zambia in the very globalized and well-stocked capitol city, Lusaka. I'm sure I'll bring a couple of things I don't need and forget a couple of things I do, so I guess as long as I go into this expecting to get this packing business a little bit wrong on the first try I won't mind so much when it actually happens.
Here are just a few of the things I am bringing:
--A wind-up flashlight and wind-up torch which I bought in the UK
--A wind-up/solar-powered shortwave radio
--A solar charger; Solio makes one that is apparently compatible with Zambian cell phones (I'll be buying a cell phone when I get there)
--A digital camera. I'm taking an old one my mom gave me, but I can't find the software that goes with it, so I may have to buy one of those memory-card-reading jumpdrives so that I can upload my pictures and show you all
--A deck of cards and some travel games of checkers and chess
--An ipod
--A small photo album with pictures of friends/family and my hometown
--Several blank journals and a couple of pens
--LL Bean Hiking Boots-- it's very warm in Zambia, but it's also very rainy there this time of year, so some good waterproof mudboots seem like a good idea (don't worry, I'm bringing sandals too)
--A tent and sleeping bag; I wasn't going to bring these, but the Peace Corps recommended them, and I figure they'll provide a good excuse for me to go camping
--Gifts for my host family: I'm bringing them some hard maple candies, but I'm still on the lookout for a nice book about Maine that I can give them
Anyone have any suggestions on what books I should bring? I have lots of ideas, and I won't bring too many since there are libraries at the Peace Corps outposts in each region of the country, but I'd like to bring a couple books to keep me busy-- any suggestions are welcome!
I'm working on a much larger post going into detail about Zambia and what I'll be doing there, so stay tuned!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Adventure Begins
Today is the first of February, 2010. A year ago today, I was logging in to my account on the Peace Corps website, checking anxiously to see if my recently-mailed medical evaluation had been approved (it hadn't, and wouldn't be until April). I had no idea at the time that I would be stepping on a plane bound for Philadelphia in 380 days, or that I would be departing from there for Zambia in 382. I had no idea that I would be going to an English-speaking country (I had just started an intense night course in French, having been nominated for placement in French West Africa), or that I would be spending Christmas with my cousin in London (my initial tentative departure date was set for September, so I was expecting to spend Christmas far away from cold, snow, and family), or that I would sleep in my own bed at home at all during 2010.
But this is the way of the Peace Corps; more than a sense of adventure, cultural sensitivity, or the right pair of shoes, the most important quality of a successful Peace Corps Volunteer is flexibility, followed closely by patience. There is no greater preparation for the stressful and frustrating twists and turns of the real world than the zen-inducing Peace Corps experience (if you can pee in a ditch for two years, you can do anything), and there is no greater preparation for the Peace Corps experience than the Peace Corps application process. At times it feels as though the folks in Washington turn the application process into an arduous task on purpose, and why shouldn't they? What better way to ensure that only the most committed volunteers arrive on foreign soil? What better way to minimize as much as possible the number of volunteers who, homesick and lonely and ill and depressed, decide to go home before the experience has ever even started? The Peace Corps demands commitment and loyalty from the very beginning, so there is never any doubt what you are getting yourself in for; those who wish to serve must be willing to stand and wait.
I started my Peace Corps application in October of 2008. I was nominated on November 5th, 2008, for a forestry project in sub-Saharan Africa. My dental evaluation was approved in late February, and my medical evaluation, after months and months of research, tests, blood samples, vaccinations, medical records requests, doctor's appointments, and bills, was approved in April. I was invited to Guinea in September, then dropped from that assignment due to "tensions and conflicts in the country" just before Halloween. I was re-invited to Zambia on December 3rd, 13 months after my initial nomination, and two weeks ago I finally began packing (again). During the past 15 months I also graduated from Smith College, went to Rome with my mother, took a solar power course online, visited my Dad's family on Cape Cod, dropped the online solar power course, re-learned to ride a bike, visited my two roommates in Indianapolis and Philadelphia, visited my friends at college (twice), read The Poisonwood Bible, crashed my bike into a bush, and spent the holidays in London with my cousins.
It has been a long year of waiting, preparing, and finding ways to occupy my time. I am proud and excited to be finished with this "waiting and hoping" stage. In fifteen days, I go.
Whether you're someone I know and love or someone who is thinking about the Peace Corps and just wants to lurk on current volunteers' blogs for awhile before making a decision, welcome! I promise to do my best not to bore you, and to provide as frequent updates as possible (traveling to places without electricity may make it difficult at times).
But this is the way of the Peace Corps; more than a sense of adventure, cultural sensitivity, or the right pair of shoes, the most important quality of a successful Peace Corps Volunteer is flexibility, followed closely by patience. There is no greater preparation for the stressful and frustrating twists and turns of the real world than the zen-inducing Peace Corps experience (if you can pee in a ditch for two years, you can do anything), and there is no greater preparation for the Peace Corps experience than the Peace Corps application process. At times it feels as though the folks in Washington turn the application process into an arduous task on purpose, and why shouldn't they? What better way to ensure that only the most committed volunteers arrive on foreign soil? What better way to minimize as much as possible the number of volunteers who, homesick and lonely and ill and depressed, decide to go home before the experience has ever even started? The Peace Corps demands commitment and loyalty from the very beginning, so there is never any doubt what you are getting yourself in for; those who wish to serve must be willing to stand and wait.
I started my Peace Corps application in October of 2008. I was nominated on November 5th, 2008, for a forestry project in sub-Saharan Africa. My dental evaluation was approved in late February, and my medical evaluation, after months and months of research, tests, blood samples, vaccinations, medical records requests, doctor's appointments, and bills, was approved in April. I was invited to Guinea in September, then dropped from that assignment due to "tensions and conflicts in the country" just before Halloween. I was re-invited to Zambia on December 3rd, 13 months after my initial nomination, and two weeks ago I finally began packing (again). During the past 15 months I also graduated from Smith College, went to Rome with my mother, took a solar power course online, visited my Dad's family on Cape Cod, dropped the online solar power course, re-learned to ride a bike, visited my two roommates in Indianapolis and Philadelphia, visited my friends at college (twice), read The Poisonwood Bible, crashed my bike into a bush, and spent the holidays in London with my cousins.
It has been a long year of waiting, preparing, and finding ways to occupy my time. I am proud and excited to be finished with this "waiting and hoping" stage. In fifteen days, I go.
Whether you're someone I know and love or someone who is thinking about the Peace Corps and just wants to lurk on current volunteers' blogs for awhile before making a decision, welcome! I promise to do my best not to bore you, and to provide as frequent updates as possible (traveling to places without electricity may make it difficult at times).
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