Hey everyone,
Hope things are going well across the way. Here in Zambia, things are progressing nicely, albeit slowly- as they have a tendency to do. My host family's cat had kittens about a month ago, so soon I'll be able to keep one as a pet, and a more efficient rat assassin than myself - much to the chagrin of the rats, who are still laughing at me (really, they make laughing sounds, taunting me). Anyways, the kitten is really small now but I've been playing with it - it’s mostly black with gray stripes and a white nose and feet. Its name is Mbwili (leopard in Bemba).
It is now all-out rainy season, meaning thunderstorms hit us at least once per day. It is kinda nice, because its cooler now and the storms are really beautiful. Unfortunately, my roof leaks in about 5 different places, and so it can be a hassle to keep my things dry. However, I consider myself lucky because there are enough dry spots to keep my things, and there are no leaks over my bed.
My work in fish farming has been really rewarding lately, which is nice because it had slowed due to the rains. Last Wednesday and Thursday I taught lessons about fish management to 6 and 14 people, respectively. It was very encouraging, especially because I could tell that most of the farmers were legitimately interested in learning. Also, they complimented my teaching, which sounds insignificant, but it’s the first recognition I've gotten from the community for my work, so it was a satisfying event (its all about the little things). Unfortunately, my Bemba has not progressed as well as hoped, but luckily most people speak English, and my host father is an awesome translator and also helps me facilitate. The goal is to get him teaching the classes within the next year - that way when I'm gone, the community will still be able to learn. For now, I've adjusted to being called an 'expert' at something I learned in a 9-week crash course, and am finding the experience really rewarding. I even managed to teach the farmers a bit about nutrition by comparing fish to humans, explaining that we both need balanced diets, etc.
Interesting story... I was having a scrumptious lunch of fried caterpillars and Nshima (google it if you don't know what it is), just enjoying the sunshine. Suddenly, my host brother started frantically screaming and pointing. I first assumed it was a Chicken Hawk swooping to take a chick, which causes daily or weekly commotion. Instead, I see a snake slithering across the sand about 100 yards away. Instead of doing what I expect and would have done myself (run away), the family picked up hoes, and 4 of them surrounded this snake. It was like a scene from the Crocodile Hunter, except instead of trying to catch and torment this snake; they just assaulted it with their hoes. Man, my rat killing was amateur enough without this synchronized, efficient slaughtering for comparison, haha. So, after killing this snake, they bring it over (well, let me clarify - its not dead, just almost severed to the point it can wriggle and jerk, but not really slide) and set it like 10 feet from me. So, this snake (maybe 4 feet long, but only the width of a dollar coin) is trying its hardest to wiggle towards me, and it looks pissed. It is failing, but its disconcerting all the same, and my appetite was already a bit shy because of the Caterpillars. Then I come to find out that this snake is a Green Mamba (again, google it). Anyways, the realization that this thing was extremely poisonous and right next to me was unsettling, to say the least. That was the end of that lunch - another meal in Zambia...
But despite a few snake sightings and a leaky roof, life here is going well. I am adjusting, getting into the groove of teaching people something I know only a little about, and really enjoying the company of my host family. I will be taking a vacation to Malawi at the end of the month, so my next blog will involve the details of that adventure. Till then, my best from the Dark Continent...
- Hos
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Happy Holidays
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
MNF!
Hey everyone,
So a lot has happened since my last post. Obama was elected, I finished my first fish pond, and completed my first fingerling transport. Also, I taught my first fish farming class, and killed my first rat!
I am working with a cooperative about 18 KM from my house. I have ridden there the past two thursdays, and worked with them to dig a 'modern' fish pond. Basically, the traditional ones are just 2m deep holes in the ground, and they involve very little management, but also don't encourage proper growth or nutrition for the fish. So, the first step in improving fish farming here is to dig 'modern' ponds (ones which have slopes of about 30 degrees all the way to the bottom). These slopes provide places for fish to lay eggs, and allow the water to vary in temperature so that the fish can escape extreme heat or cold.
The first thursday was a bit discouraging. As simple as the concept of slope seems, it was very difficult to convey this to the fish farming group (I tried in Bemba, and through a translator). Plus, modern ponds are very difficult to build (labor-intensive). So, while this group of 10 men and 6 women, all working hoes and shovels, would have finished a traditional pond in just one day, after the first day they weren't even halfway done.
The following thursday proved very rewarding. After a bit more arguing (they still didn't understand slope) I grabbed a shovel and dug a small section of the pond correctly. Then I explained that the whole pond should look like this section. The coop was impressed that I was willing to dig - apparently most volunteers like to just watch - and finally they understood. The project was almost finished when a thunderstorm rolled in. The women ran to the trees for shelter, and the men were starting to follow. The storm wasn't directly over us, so while it was raining there were no worries about lightning. So I kept digging, since I knew once the project was stalled, it may be months before its completion. The group saw this, and instead of taking shelter, came back out and helped me finish the job. The group is very hardworking, and I just hope that they can have success with this pond so it can be used as an example of Fish Farming for the surrounding community. The pond was completed after just 2 days of work, and it is 20M by 15M in size (I'll post pictures as soon as I can).
My first fingerling (baby fish) transport went very well. The cost of transport was exorbitant, and the two farmers I was supplying obviously couldn't afford it. So I managed to coordinate my boss' site visit with the fingerling transport. Thus, we managed to deliver 5,200 fingerlings successfully and at no cost to the farmers (thanks for that one, tax payers). The transport is really stressful on the fish, and we were lucky to have an oxygen tank to feed the fish with O2 while they were transported in 60-gallon drums to the ponds. The fish are now happy and growing in the farmers' ponds, getting ready to be eaten in about 6 months.
The first class was interesting. Students here are not encouraged to participate - the learning is more about memorization and lecture. Of course, these were always the classes we dreaded in school in America, and I'm not looking to become one of those teachers. So instead, I tried to encourage the students to participate by bribing them (kind of). I brought in a can of Tuna, which I explained was fish. I explained to the students that the more they learned in the class, the more fish they would get to eat. Then I gave tuna on a cracker to any student who volunteered an answer for the entire class (credit to Mom for that idea). This was still more difficult than it might seem; most students didn't want to answer, even very simple questions about the benefits of fish farming. Once the can of tuna was finished, I explained that while one fish (the can of tuna) couldn't feed many people, and didn't last long, fish farmers could provide their family with enough fish to eat for a lifetime. I know, a bit cliche - the whole give a man a fish... proverb, but I hope the class understood the analogy. While I felt a bit disappointed about the lack of participation, the class appluaded at the conclusion, and the teacher assisting with translation told me that the class had enjoyed the lesson. The students are going for testing now, so I won't get to teach again until January. Maybe then I'll get to gauge how successful this first attempt was.
The first rat killing was quite a laughable experience. I came home from dinner with the family to find a rat scurry across my floor into the corner behind a cement bag. Since I knew it was trapped, I took time to change my headlamp batteries for better lighting, and sharpen a spear out of a stick, with a plan to stab it. I'll be honest, the rats are still a bit unnerving, and I got up some courage and stabbed it with the spear. Of course, I missed with what must have seemed like a slow-motion strike to the quick little rodent. So, I freaked out as he ran across my toes to the book shelf across the room. It took about 15 minutes of poking and proding the books with my spear to scare him out of the bookshelf, across the room again. I was, of course, unsuccessful with my stabs once again. At this point, the rat had a chance to run out the open door, but thought better of it and ran back behind the cement bag. I couldn't believe how stubborn this rat was; but little did he know, I'm pretty damn stubborn myself, haha.
Accepting that I was too slow with the spear, I grabbed a broom in my other hand. I was now double-fisting deadly weapons, it was like a scene from the Gladiator, except that I'm just not that smooth or coordinated. After several more failed attempts yielding both the spear and broom, I managed to break the broom handle in half with a missed swing, and the rat escaped to the bookcase once again. This time, as I finally managed to scare him out, I went with a double-windmill approach. I missed again (of course) on my windmill with the half-broom in my right hand, and I landed the spear about 2 inches in front of him with my left, stopping him in his tracks. As I followed through on the windmill with the halfbroom, I was able to hit him squarely with the broom head. That was it for the little guy, and I raised my weapons in triumph.
What followed was 30 minutes of cleaning up strewn books and magazines, and glueing back together the family's broom handle, which had been shattered in battle. If this hasn't proved at all funny, I should clarify... When they say 'rat' in Zambia, what it really means is a field mouse, haha. Anyways, hopefully I will become a more efficient rat assassin in the future, but I sure slept soundly that night... no disturbances from furry little rodents.
Life in Zambia is going pretty smoothly, and I'm making adjustments as necessary. Rainy season is about to begin, when it rains everyday until about March... so that should be fun. Hope you are all doing well in America.
- J
So a lot has happened since my last post. Obama was elected, I finished my first fish pond, and completed my first fingerling transport. Also, I taught my first fish farming class, and killed my first rat!
I am working with a cooperative about 18 KM from my house. I have ridden there the past two thursdays, and worked with them to dig a 'modern' fish pond. Basically, the traditional ones are just 2m deep holes in the ground, and they involve very little management, but also don't encourage proper growth or nutrition for the fish. So, the first step in improving fish farming here is to dig 'modern' ponds (ones which have slopes of about 30 degrees all the way to the bottom). These slopes provide places for fish to lay eggs, and allow the water to vary in temperature so that the fish can escape extreme heat or cold.
The first thursday was a bit discouraging. As simple as the concept of slope seems, it was very difficult to convey this to the fish farming group (I tried in Bemba, and through a translator). Plus, modern ponds are very difficult to build (labor-intensive). So, while this group of 10 men and 6 women, all working hoes and shovels, would have finished a traditional pond in just one day, after the first day they weren't even halfway done.
The following thursday proved very rewarding. After a bit more arguing (they still didn't understand slope) I grabbed a shovel and dug a small section of the pond correctly. Then I explained that the whole pond should look like this section. The coop was impressed that I was willing to dig - apparently most volunteers like to just watch - and finally they understood. The project was almost finished when a thunderstorm rolled in. The women ran to the trees for shelter, and the men were starting to follow. The storm wasn't directly over us, so while it was raining there were no worries about lightning. So I kept digging, since I knew once the project was stalled, it may be months before its completion. The group saw this, and instead of taking shelter, came back out and helped me finish the job. The group is very hardworking, and I just hope that they can have success with this pond so it can be used as an example of Fish Farming for the surrounding community. The pond was completed after just 2 days of work, and it is 20M by 15M in size (I'll post pictures as soon as I can).
My first fingerling (baby fish) transport went very well. The cost of transport was exorbitant, and the two farmers I was supplying obviously couldn't afford it. So I managed to coordinate my boss' site visit with the fingerling transport. Thus, we managed to deliver 5,200 fingerlings successfully and at no cost to the farmers (thanks for that one, tax payers). The transport is really stressful on the fish, and we were lucky to have an oxygen tank to feed the fish with O2 while they were transported in 60-gallon drums to the ponds. The fish are now happy and growing in the farmers' ponds, getting ready to be eaten in about 6 months.
The first class was interesting. Students here are not encouraged to participate - the learning is more about memorization and lecture. Of course, these were always the classes we dreaded in school in America, and I'm not looking to become one of those teachers. So instead, I tried to encourage the students to participate by bribing them (kind of). I brought in a can of Tuna, which I explained was fish. I explained to the students that the more they learned in the class, the more fish they would get to eat. Then I gave tuna on a cracker to any student who volunteered an answer for the entire class (credit to Mom for that idea). This was still more difficult than it might seem; most students didn't want to answer, even very simple questions about the benefits of fish farming. Once the can of tuna was finished, I explained that while one fish (the can of tuna) couldn't feed many people, and didn't last long, fish farmers could provide their family with enough fish to eat for a lifetime. I know, a bit cliche - the whole give a man a fish... proverb, but I hope the class understood the analogy. While I felt a bit disappointed about the lack of participation, the class appluaded at the conclusion, and the teacher assisting with translation told me that the class had enjoyed the lesson. The students are going for testing now, so I won't get to teach again until January. Maybe then I'll get to gauge how successful this first attempt was.
The first rat killing was quite a laughable experience. I came home from dinner with the family to find a rat scurry across my floor into the corner behind a cement bag. Since I knew it was trapped, I took time to change my headlamp batteries for better lighting, and sharpen a spear out of a stick, with a plan to stab it. I'll be honest, the rats are still a bit unnerving, and I got up some courage and stabbed it with the spear. Of course, I missed with what must have seemed like a slow-motion strike to the quick little rodent. So, I freaked out as he ran across my toes to the book shelf across the room. It took about 15 minutes of poking and proding the books with my spear to scare him out of the bookshelf, across the room again. I was, of course, unsuccessful with my stabs once again. At this point, the rat had a chance to run out the open door, but thought better of it and ran back behind the cement bag. I couldn't believe how stubborn this rat was; but little did he know, I'm pretty damn stubborn myself, haha.
Accepting that I was too slow with the spear, I grabbed a broom in my other hand. I was now double-fisting deadly weapons, it was like a scene from the Gladiator, except that I'm just not that smooth or coordinated. After several more failed attempts yielding both the spear and broom, I managed to break the broom handle in half with a missed swing, and the rat escaped to the bookcase once again. This time, as I finally managed to scare him out, I went with a double-windmill approach. I missed again (of course) on my windmill with the half-broom in my right hand, and I landed the spear about 2 inches in front of him with my left, stopping him in his tracks. As I followed through on the windmill with the halfbroom, I was able to hit him squarely with the broom head. That was it for the little guy, and I raised my weapons in triumph.
What followed was 30 minutes of cleaning up strewn books and magazines, and glueing back together the family's broom handle, which had been shattered in battle. If this hasn't proved at all funny, I should clarify... When they say 'rat' in Zambia, what it really means is a field mouse, haha. Anyways, hopefully I will become a more efficient rat assassin in the future, but I sure slept soundly that night... no disturbances from furry little rodents.
Life in Zambia is going pretty smoothly, and I'm making adjustments as necessary. Rainy season is about to begin, when it rains everyday until about March... so that should be fun. Hope you are all doing well in America.
- J
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween
Hey everyone,
Hope all is well in the states. I got an opportunity to drop another blog really quickly, as I had some business to take care of in Kasama. My host father (Bataata in Bemba) is arranging to have some fingerlings (baby fish) delivered to his ponds. I had to talk with the Department of Fisheries agents about the details. It looks like things will be moving next week. This week, we have been busy preparing the ponds for the new fish. This involved leveling dyke walls, cleaning grasses in and out of the ponds to ward off predators (frogs and lizards) and finally, harvesting the ponds.
My first harvest went very well. We just run huge nets through the ponds (the ones we harvested were only about 20m X 10m) and keep the big fish, while returning the smaller ones. This meant we got to sell some of the fish, and have a feast of fish for dinner the past couple of nights. Harvesting is quite fun, although is muddy, dirty work - as the ponds have been fertilized using manure for 6 months. But hey, I did come to Africa to "get my hands dirty" after all.
Other than that, things are progressing nicely. Its starting to thunderstorm everyday, as we are entering rainy season. This means it will probably rain every day for the next six months, which, like the rest of life in Zambia, will take a bit of getting used to. The Zambian elections were yesterday, and while we have yet to learn the winner, things here are normal: very calm without disturbances to daily life. I have been following the US elections as closely as I can. People here in Zambia are more informed about US politics than most Americans I know, and they are ALL rooting for Obama. After all, who can blame them?
Last week was spent working with fish farmers, my Bataata, and doing home improvements. One such improvement involved the construction of a fuel-efficient stove which is custom-fit to the pots I have at my house. This will save fuel, which means I can use less wood for cooking. This is great because Zambia is the most deforsted country in the world. Also, it helped me move my MacGyver status up another notch. Zambia is sure teaching me a lot.
I hope you are all doing well, and I keep you all in my thoughts often. Thanks to all those who have written emails or commented on the blog - its great to hear about how things are going on the opposite side of the world.
- Hos
Hope all is well in the states. I got an opportunity to drop another blog really quickly, as I had some business to take care of in Kasama. My host father (Bataata in Bemba) is arranging to have some fingerlings (baby fish) delivered to his ponds. I had to talk with the Department of Fisheries agents about the details. It looks like things will be moving next week. This week, we have been busy preparing the ponds for the new fish. This involved leveling dyke walls, cleaning grasses in and out of the ponds to ward off predators (frogs and lizards) and finally, harvesting the ponds.
My first harvest went very well. We just run huge nets through the ponds (the ones we harvested were only about 20m X 10m) and keep the big fish, while returning the smaller ones. This meant we got to sell some of the fish, and have a feast of fish for dinner the past couple of nights. Harvesting is quite fun, although is muddy, dirty work - as the ponds have been fertilized using manure for 6 months. But hey, I did come to Africa to "get my hands dirty" after all.
Other than that, things are progressing nicely. Its starting to thunderstorm everyday, as we are entering rainy season. This means it will probably rain every day for the next six months, which, like the rest of life in Zambia, will take a bit of getting used to. The Zambian elections were yesterday, and while we have yet to learn the winner, things here are normal: very calm without disturbances to daily life. I have been following the US elections as closely as I can. People here in Zambia are more informed about US politics than most Americans I know, and they are ALL rooting for Obama. After all, who can blame them?
Last week was spent working with fish farmers, my Bataata, and doing home improvements. One such improvement involved the construction of a fuel-efficient stove which is custom-fit to the pots I have at my house. This will save fuel, which means I can use less wood for cooking. This is great because Zambia is the most deforsted country in the world. Also, it helped me move my MacGyver status up another notch. Zambia is sure teaching me a lot.
I hope you are all doing well, and I keep you all in my thoughts often. Thanks to all those who have written emails or commented on the blog - its great to hear about how things are going on the opposite side of the world.
- Hos
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Settling In
Hey all,
So I have just come back to Kasama to renew my work permit after 3 weeks in my village. Things are going as well as I could have possibly expected. I am staying on a compound with a family consisting of a Grandmother and Grandfather (the grandfather is named Ba Kasonde, and he is my main counterpart), and their nine children (3 of whom have their own residences) and nine grandchildren. I have my own house which is set by itself on the compound. It has proved to be a perfect balance of family involvement and privacy.
While I am not supposed to do any real 'work' in the first three months of my service, I have found it hard not to get started. I hit the ground running in this village, as they have been waiting for the arrival of a volunteer for about 2 years. There is a huge interest in fish farming, and I have already met more than 30 farmers interested in modifying or starting fish ponds. Also, I have been visiting the local school with some frequency, and the head teacher has invited me to teach a fish farming class to his 8th grade students starting next week.
My days have been very busy, consisting of a lot of biking for farmer visits, and a lot of home improvement work (walkway from the house to the bathing shelter, fixing shutters, organizing, etc.). I have also been digging a garden for myself, which needs to be completed before the rains start (any day now, they will last for six months). The family has been taking great care of me, and I have become pretty close with Ba Kasonde, as he and I have been working a lot together - he is like my personal tour guide, taking me to all the fish farmers he knows. I think I have made a pretty good impression on him because I'm willing to pick up a hoe with the villagers and work hard in digging ponds, cultivating, etc.
The first few days were a bit hard, mostly because I was eating meals by myself and just trying to get settled in, while adapting to being woken up by Rats and Bats in my house every night. After the first three nights however, the family bought a goat to celebrate my arrival, and after killing it we had a huge dinner. This involved some interesting parts of goat anatomy which I previously thought unedible, but it was great to fit in with the family and feel like I was making some progress in my integration. Since then, I have eaten every meal with them, and Ba Kasonde and I discuss lots of things, from fish farming to politics (as you may or may not know, Zambia is having an election at the end of this month).
The most interesting thing to happen so far involved the family's not-so-reliable Datsun Pick-up truck. We headed to town, and the car broke down about 5 times on the way in. Luckily, Ba Kasonde's son John is a mechanic, and he was able to make quick fixes so that we reached our destination. After arriving, we dropped of some supplies and had a quick dinner (bread and butter). By now it was about 21 hours (9 PM), and we had to wait another half hour for a friend to run to the store to get some fuel for the ride home. We started home, and about 20 minutes in, the car broke down again. This time we weren't so lucky, and it took about 2.5 hours of repairs to get it running again. We made it another 10 KM, so that we were a long way from anywhere, before running out of our original fuel stock. Luckily, we had gotten the extra fuel, so we just had to refill. Unfortunately, the gentleman who got us fuel somehow managed to buy Diesel instead of Petrol. So, there we were, 5 miles from any/everything, at about midnight.
We didn't have much of a plan, since none of them had enough money to even buy petrol. Luckily, I had some cash, which I gave to Ba Kasonde. So, he and a companion hiked to the nearest town for fuel, while two of us waited with the truck. They returned about 01:30, and after a few more small breakdowns, we were nearing home about 3 aM. Unfortunately, the fuel ran out once again somewhere on the dirt road near the family's compound. At this point, they said the house was 'just around the corner' but they were very worried about my safety and patience (apparently they have some impression that Americans are soft - maybe this stereotype is justified). Anyways, they suggested Ba Kasonde sleep with the car, and we deal with it in the morning. However, knowing how hard it is to get sleep in the cab of a truck, I suggested we just push the car home. Well, with the flow of the night, I wasn't surprised when 'just around the corner' turned into about a mile. Anyways, we reached the compound with the truck at about 04:30 in the morning, all of us exhausted. While it seemed that everything which could have gone wrong did, it was still a positive experience because I got to bond with the family, and prove to them that not all Americans are easily frustrated and afraid to get their hands dirty.
Since then, I have been having a blast just getting lost on bike trails around the village, visiting farmers, and advising just a bit. My birthday went really well - thanks to all who remembered and call/wrote/emailed! I had three PC Volunteers from surrounding villages come visit, and I slaughtered my first chicken in celebration. Killing your meals definately makes you appreciate the food on your plate, and think twice about wasting leftovers. For now, I'll be headed back to the village for another three weeks. I'll return to Kasama on November 18th, when the re-run of the Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns MNF game will be shown at a local bar (with our advanced request and promise to purchase some beer from the bar, of course). I will try to write again then.
I think about you all often, and hope things are going as well as possible in America, considering the financial crisis and economic problems of late. Just keep in mind, as bad as things get, if people here can surive on less than $1 a day, you'll figure something out!
All my best,
- J
So I have just come back to Kasama to renew my work permit after 3 weeks in my village. Things are going as well as I could have possibly expected. I am staying on a compound with a family consisting of a Grandmother and Grandfather (the grandfather is named Ba Kasonde, and he is my main counterpart), and their nine children (3 of whom have their own residences) and nine grandchildren. I have my own house which is set by itself on the compound. It has proved to be a perfect balance of family involvement and privacy.
While I am not supposed to do any real 'work' in the first three months of my service, I have found it hard not to get started. I hit the ground running in this village, as they have been waiting for the arrival of a volunteer for about 2 years. There is a huge interest in fish farming, and I have already met more than 30 farmers interested in modifying or starting fish ponds. Also, I have been visiting the local school with some frequency, and the head teacher has invited me to teach a fish farming class to his 8th grade students starting next week.
My days have been very busy, consisting of a lot of biking for farmer visits, and a lot of home improvement work (walkway from the house to the bathing shelter, fixing shutters, organizing, etc.). I have also been digging a garden for myself, which needs to be completed before the rains start (any day now, they will last for six months). The family has been taking great care of me, and I have become pretty close with Ba Kasonde, as he and I have been working a lot together - he is like my personal tour guide, taking me to all the fish farmers he knows. I think I have made a pretty good impression on him because I'm willing to pick up a hoe with the villagers and work hard in digging ponds, cultivating, etc.
The first few days were a bit hard, mostly because I was eating meals by myself and just trying to get settled in, while adapting to being woken up by Rats and Bats in my house every night. After the first three nights however, the family bought a goat to celebrate my arrival, and after killing it we had a huge dinner. This involved some interesting parts of goat anatomy which I previously thought unedible, but it was great to fit in with the family and feel like I was making some progress in my integration. Since then, I have eaten every meal with them, and Ba Kasonde and I discuss lots of things, from fish farming to politics (as you may or may not know, Zambia is having an election at the end of this month).
The most interesting thing to happen so far involved the family's not-so-reliable Datsun Pick-up truck. We headed to town, and the car broke down about 5 times on the way in. Luckily, Ba Kasonde's son John is a mechanic, and he was able to make quick fixes so that we reached our destination. After arriving, we dropped of some supplies and had a quick dinner (bread and butter). By now it was about 21 hours (9 PM), and we had to wait another half hour for a friend to run to the store to get some fuel for the ride home. We started home, and about 20 minutes in, the car broke down again. This time we weren't so lucky, and it took about 2.5 hours of repairs to get it running again. We made it another 10 KM, so that we were a long way from anywhere, before running out of our original fuel stock. Luckily, we had gotten the extra fuel, so we just had to refill. Unfortunately, the gentleman who got us fuel somehow managed to buy Diesel instead of Petrol. So, there we were, 5 miles from any/everything, at about midnight.
We didn't have much of a plan, since none of them had enough money to even buy petrol. Luckily, I had some cash, which I gave to Ba Kasonde. So, he and a companion hiked to the nearest town for fuel, while two of us waited with the truck. They returned about 01:30, and after a few more small breakdowns, we were nearing home about 3 aM. Unfortunately, the fuel ran out once again somewhere on the dirt road near the family's compound. At this point, they said the house was 'just around the corner' but they were very worried about my safety and patience (apparently they have some impression that Americans are soft - maybe this stereotype is justified). Anyways, they suggested Ba Kasonde sleep with the car, and we deal with it in the morning. However, knowing how hard it is to get sleep in the cab of a truck, I suggested we just push the car home. Well, with the flow of the night, I wasn't surprised when 'just around the corner' turned into about a mile. Anyways, we reached the compound with the truck at about 04:30 in the morning, all of us exhausted. While it seemed that everything which could have gone wrong did, it was still a positive experience because I got to bond with the family, and prove to them that not all Americans are easily frustrated and afraid to get their hands dirty.
Since then, I have been having a blast just getting lost on bike trails around the village, visiting farmers, and advising just a bit. My birthday went really well - thanks to all who remembered and call/wrote/emailed! I had three PC Volunteers from surrounding villages come visit, and I slaughtered my first chicken in celebration. Killing your meals definately makes you appreciate the food on your plate, and think twice about wasting leftovers. For now, I'll be headed back to the village for another three weeks. I'll return to Kasama on November 18th, when the re-run of the Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns MNF game will be shown at a local bar (with our advanced request and promise to purchase some beer from the bar, of course). I will try to write again then.
I think about you all often, and hope things are going as well as possible in America, considering the financial crisis and economic problems of late. Just keep in mind, as bad as things get, if people here can surive on less than $1 a day, you'll figure something out!
All my best,
- J
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Its Official
Hey everyone,
Sorry about the mix-up with blog addresses. Uber.com went out of business due to the recent financial crisis in the US (which was news to me). I hope all of you are coping well, and I wish you the best during what sounds like hard times in the states. It is a pretty unfortunate situation, because all of the blog postings/pictures from anyone who was an Uber.com member have been lost. I didn't even get enough notice from them to copy and paste things to this blog. Oh well... Anyways, this is the new blog address. As for pictures, there have been a lot of requests - I will try to get them up, but the internet here is too slow to load them. It will probably be about 3 months (the next time I'm in Lusaka) until I get them loaded.
Things here are going well. Just think - if you had all invested your US Dollars by converting them into Zambia Kwatcha, you would have made a lot of money. Pretty ironic. I just swore in on Friday, so now I am officially a Volunteer. It was an interesting ceremony, with some US Embassadors, all of the PC Staff here in Zambia, our teachers, trainers, etc. Usually more Zambian Government officials attend, but with the death of the late President Mwanawasa, the goverment is very busy with the current elections for the new President, which will occur in late October. After the ceremony, the whole group had some drinks together and went out on the town in Lusaka, which was an excellent time. It was really fun getting to know everyone, and I feel I have made some really good friends in these short 2 months. Saying goodbye was, as always, not fun. However, after saying goodbye to all of you for such a long time, things like this have become more ruitine and easier to handle.
I am now in Kasama, and I will be posted on Wednesday. I will be in my site for at least one month without leaving or using the internet, so during that time I won't be posting and won't be able to return emails. This is sure to be an exciting time, but also probably the most difficult part of my 2 years of service (I am told). I'm sure to face some loneliness and hard times in the village, but right now I've very optimistic about my time there, and am excited to finally get started on what I came here to do - help people. While I don't have internet access in the village, I will have cell phone coverage at various times, so feel free to call me if you have the interest/money. My number is still the same: 011-260-979-443-671.
I will keep you all in my thoughts and wish you all the best.
- J
Sorry about the mix-up with blog addresses. Uber.com went out of business due to the recent financial crisis in the US (which was news to me). I hope all of you are coping well, and I wish you the best during what sounds like hard times in the states. It is a pretty unfortunate situation, because all of the blog postings/pictures from anyone who was an Uber.com member have been lost. I didn't even get enough notice from them to copy and paste things to this blog. Oh well... Anyways, this is the new blog address. As for pictures, there have been a lot of requests - I will try to get them up, but the internet here is too slow to load them. It will probably be about 3 months (the next time I'm in Lusaka) until I get them loaded.
Things here are going well. Just think - if you had all invested your US Dollars by converting them into Zambia Kwatcha, you would have made a lot of money. Pretty ironic. I just swore in on Friday, so now I am officially a Volunteer. It was an interesting ceremony, with some US Embassadors, all of the PC Staff here in Zambia, our teachers, trainers, etc. Usually more Zambian Government officials attend, but with the death of the late President Mwanawasa, the goverment is very busy with the current elections for the new President, which will occur in late October. After the ceremony, the whole group had some drinks together and went out on the town in Lusaka, which was an excellent time. It was really fun getting to know everyone, and I feel I have made some really good friends in these short 2 months. Saying goodbye was, as always, not fun. However, after saying goodbye to all of you for such a long time, things like this have become more ruitine and easier to handle.
I am now in Kasama, and I will be posted on Wednesday. I will be in my site for at least one month without leaving or using the internet, so during that time I won't be posting and won't be able to return emails. This is sure to be an exciting time, but also probably the most difficult part of my 2 years of service (I am told). I'm sure to face some loneliness and hard times in the village, but right now I've very optimistic about my time there, and am excited to finally get started on what I came here to do - help people. While I don't have internet access in the village, I will have cell phone coverage at various times, so feel free to call me if you have the interest/money. My number is still the same: 011-260-979-443-671.
I will keep you all in my thoughts and wish you all the best.
- J
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