Justin's in the USA

Hey everyone,

This will be the last entry to this particular blog. I would like to thank anyone who has had the patience and fortitude to follow along with all of my audacious rambling over the past 2 years. It was an incredible period of personal growth for me, and I hope that upon reading these entries this growth is apparent to those whose opinion I value. Many people have asked me, upon my return, whether I consider my service a success. I have tried my best to develop an elevator speech; here it is...

My service was a personal success in many ways. Most importantly, I found a family all the way across the World. I will forever be a Kasonde, as a Hostetter, and am extremely grateful for all that the Kasondes did to welcome me into their world. Without their patience, understanding, and constant guidance I would not have been as happy these past few years, and would certainly not have experienced such significant growth and cultural understanding. I also feel that I have helped their family, and as a member of it, taught them about my American family, culture, and values. Also, I have helped Ba Kasonde reach a new level of intensive fish farming, which will hopefully allow him to be a successful businessman in Kasama. More importantly, I found the father figure that was missing in my life, and I will always remember Ba Kasonde, his hard work and patience, and strive to be more like him every day.

Outside of my Zambian family, my service had varying success. I learned the language well, and became quite integrated into the Bemba culture. I will never forget the rides in the back of flatbed trucks, discussing anything from food to politics in IciBemba with the relentlessly kind and interested people of Zambia. I also gained a greater understanding of international politics, the role that Western nations play in this complicated and political scheme, and the great beauty of the people and nature that Zambia holds.

Less successful was my endeavor to teach rural farmers how to live in the bush. It must be noted here that the goal of Peace Corps is in some ways fundamentally pompous and hypocritical. What does a kid raised in the suburban United States know about living in Africa? It was ignorant for me to assume I could teach Zambians how to live in their own country, and some of the farmers who I encouraged to fish farm will surely have given up by now. Also, for anyone to come from the United States, the most egregiously wasteful nation on earth, to teach others to 'live sustainably' is in many ways offensive and outrageous. That being said, I do not question that my presence positively impacted those with whom I lived, mostly because of my genuine interest in learning the ways of Zambian culture. Any Volunteers who have a genuine interest in living abroad, and exchanging cultures in the most universal language of all (laughter) are doing well for the World. Unfortunately, not all Peace Corps Volunteers I met along the way were so interested. Everyone has his or her own motives, and it’s not for me to judge.

When asked about Peace Corps, I explain that it is an overwhelming success for those who recognize and utilize its most important purpose: to promote growth, understanding, peace, and friendship among all cultures in the World. With that established, the Peace Corps will always be tainted by the arrogance of the culture from which it was founded. So long as the United States presumes its way of life to be superior, and has the audacity to convince the rest of the World to change their ways in accordance with our desires, it will not be only the Peace Corps that is unable to create a universal understanding. If I learned anything from my experience abroad, it’s this:

"We could go a long way to preserving mother nature, the lives of those she sustains, and even our own individual sanities, by analyzing and changing our way of life, rather than encouraging other cultures to change theirs." (patent pending...)

Thank you all for reading this blog. Thank you US taxpayer for providing me such a wonderful, eye-opening experience. Thank you Zambia for welcoming me, and teaching me what it is to live humbly. I will forever be thankful.

The Brother's Trip

Its been a hectic few months of hosting friends and family in the ‘jungles’ of Africa. Bill and Todd came at the beginning of June, in the midst of the World Cup frenzy and the final stretch of my service. It was crazy to greet them as they emerged from customs, two years flew by, but we reunited as if no time had passed. In the car on the way to our accommodation, I gave them a crash course in Zambian survival – a bit of local language, some quick notes about the culture, and a short list of things they should not do, under any circumstances.

They arrived about 8 PM in the evening, and we planned to take a safari starting at 3 the next morning. Despite their long journey, Todd and Bill lived up to the Hostetter/Barnum name, and we went out on the town for a some beers in Lusaka. We returned from the casino less wealthy but much the wiser, having caught up on some of the changes which had occurred in the past 2 years. When we returned to our place at about 2 AM, Todd and I decided there was nothing for it, and stayed up over a few pulls of Vodka and talked.

We left for our Safari at about 4 AM. A friend of mine named Ebrahim who lives in Lusaka was kind enough to put us up, and he and his cousin each provided a Toyota Land Cruiser and basically guided us for the whole trip. It was incredible. The ride to Kafue, which is about 4 hours from Lusaka, was a sobering one. As the two surprised greenies would quickly admit, its way colder in Zambia than one might expect. Todd was enjoying the fresh air, and the break from civilization so much, I had to coax him off of the safari seat and against the back of the cab, for fear he would freeze to death.

We spent two days and three nights in Kafue National Park, and it was an incredible experience. We got to see Cheetahs organizing a hunt as the sun set on the Zambian dambo, Lions feeding on a kill with newborn cubs, and even hippos and elephants on the river. We took two river boat rides, which involved fishing, relaxing, and an encounter with a bull elephant that left us within feet of his massive trunk and jagged tusks.

After the safari, we headed immediately to Kasama so they could see the other side of the African Bush – my village. They immensely enjoyed Chibo, and got to ride into the village on bicycle and experience first-hand what my life has been like for the past 2 years. It was really a unique trip, and will allow them to relate with me in a way not possible for those who have not been to Zambia, and are therefore rendered less able to relate to its beautiful culture.

After my site, we went to Victoria Falls. We got to see the ‘Smoke that thunders’, and since I’ve been there a few times now, I was able to show them around a bit. We even timed our trip so that we were able to see the lunar rainbow which occurs during the full moon. From a distance the rainbow was quite impressive – a bit like a normal rainbow, except in grayscale. However, after talking with some other visitors, we learned that we had to journey further into the mist of the falls to really experience the phenomenon.

We didn’t have rain jackets or even warm clothes, and as previously mentioned it was cold… But, in true Polar Bear tradition, we took off our layers, and ran into the mist with our T-shirts. The climax of the lunar rainbow is at a bridge in a cloud of midst, just opposite the middle of the falls. The force of the water cascading over the precipice was incredible, and as we approached the bridge, we were already getting wet.

At that point, there was nothing to lose, so we trekked on. As we reached the bridge, the lunar rainbow became clear in all its magnificence. It was complete. From as far as the eye could see it ran from the river on both sides, and peaked just over the railing encompassing the bridge like a halo. It was the most complete rainbow I’ve ever seen in my life, and a wonder to behold. We each handled the brilliance of the moment in a different way… yelling and jumping like excited children on Christmas. Todd and I decided we had to cross the bridge, and jogged across the misty overpass. Upon reaching the other side, we were still in awe of the rainbow, the falls, its power, and our wonderful fortunes from having reached this place and moment in our lives.

We decided to turn back, and as we did, the Falls was waiting… The wind shifted imperceptively, and suddenly we were in the middle of a full-out downpour. I have been in some crazy storms in Zambia, when the sky unfolds and hold nothing back… but this was a different level of saturation entirely. It was like being hit full-on with a fire hose. We ran back across the bridge, whose foot path had suddenly become a river of water rushing at our feet. As we all escaped the mist, completely soaked, there was a contagious sense of euphoria among us. It was more than water that we soaked up on that bridge, in front of one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the World.

It was a wonderful trip, and I found myself feeling – as I inevitably do here in Zambia – lucky to be alive, to have such opportunities, and to have such close relationships with my family and friends. I couldn’t have asked more from their visit, or the experience I’ve had here and the ways in which this culture has shaped my existence and changed my perspectives. For Todd and Bill it was only a snapshot of what I’ve been through. However, its experiences like the ones we shared, and moments like the one I’ve just described, that give meaning to everything we have and will encounter in our lives.

Brood Stock

Since the last blog, I have been working at site, trying to keep myself busy and tie up the loose ends in my projects, since my contract will be ending in September. It has definitely been the hardest month of my service: adjusting to everyday life without Claire, my best friend and confidant, and also trying to come to terms with the end of this wonderful experience. It is difficult because in many ways, I feel like the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of my service are not fulfilled. But, I take solice in the fact that most of those goals were either unrealistic or inappropriate, and this was due mostly to my lack of cultural understanding at the time they were set. As always, its better to look at the positive side of what has been accomplished. In this instance: I've gained a much broader perspective, learned to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the Bemba culture, met beautiful people, and learned about myself and my culture in a global context.

However, there are still some goals that I have been striving to meet. The most important one: provide my host father, Ba Kasonde, with breeding fish (Brood stock). We were able to accomplish this last week, with the help of my Department of Fisheries agent, who brought the fish to our farm. The first step was at the Government research station, where we sexed the fish in a 3:1 female to male ratio, to ensure proper reproduction rates. The next was organizing the transport, and ensuring the fish were properly conditioned for the journey. Luckily, I was able to coordinate the fish transport with a visit from Watson and Jeff, two of my buddies from DU. They came to the village and got to experience a little of what Zambian life is like, and Watson even got to kill his first chicken.

When I picked them up in Lusaka, we went out on the town for a few drinks and visited some of the night clubs that PCVs frequent in the "big city". The next day, we awoke after about 1 hour of sleep to hitch to Kasama. Our luck wasn't that great (maybe I had worn out all my hitching luck with Claire) and it took us almost 20 hours to reach Kasama. Needless to say, it was a tiresome and hectic day, but I must say the two of them handled it like old pros. They also got to check out the local waterfall, and witness one of the coolest events I've seen in the bush. At about 22 hours, my host brother came over to borrow my headlamp. They had a bushbaby trapped in the treetops, and were hunting it. I had to check it out. I could hardly see the animal they were describing, but when it moved, I saw the leaves shimmer in the moonlight. I was caught up in the excitement of the hunt, but Jeff and Watson decided running through a snake-infested bush in the middle of the night wasn't their idea of fun.

We chased the bushbaby for about an hour, as it danced from tree-top to tree-top, pausing to balance as its weight swayed the tiny branches. I think this delay after every jump was the only thing that let us keep up. One of my family members, Ba Mwelwa, is a deadly shot with a 'catapult' - a homemade slingshot made of branches and rubber. He kept firing at the frightened animal with rocks, sometimes hitting it, but mostly just scaring it into another dash atop the trees. After chasing it in circles from the grond level for another 20 minutes, we lost the small primate. We were almost sure it was somewhere in the tree-tops directly above us, but somehow we lost track of it.

We waited... It seemed like an eternity. Just listening. Then, suddenly, the bushbaby sprung back into action, leaping to a new tree. This time, Mwelwa had his sites set - he knew he couldn't miss again. He hit the animal in the side, but it didn't stagger, or even move. However, after a momentary pause, the animal decided it had taken enough abuse, and it scampered down the trunk to the ground. A mad chase ensued, as the four of us sprinted through the thick underbrush trying to catch this small animal. Finally, we pinned it in a thicket, and Mwelwa deftly clubbed it on the head.

Once they caught it, and the thrill of the hunt was over, I found myself pittying the small animal, which looks like a fluffy, grayish-white lemur. I called Watson and Jeff over to see our catch - all the while wishing there was some kind of catch-and-release hunting. I knew better: this is Zambia, and my family needed the meat. Jeff and Watson were stunned that my family could kill such a cute animal, and were protesting a bit as Mwelwa slit its throat. I tried to explain to them that cuteness is irrelevant in the face of hunger, that the people had been hunting these bush babies for hundreds of years, that our way of life is multitudes more damaging to flora and fauna than my family's... I don't think they fully understood - after all, how could they? I can't really even grip that reality, and I've been living in and among it for almost two years.

There will be more on all of those issues in a future post. For now, I'll end this blog emphasizing what a great visit I had with them, and what in-depth discussions we enjoyed about culture, lifestyles, and the consequences that living conditions exert on surrounding environments. I am happy they got to see what life is like here, and that they watched Ba Kasonde and I accomplish what will hopefully become one of the most important tasks he must overcome in order to become a more successful, profitable fish farmer.

The brood fish will remain in the pond in which we stocked them, and in the hot season (september or october) they will begin breeding. We will use the propogated fingerlings to stock all of his surrounding fish ponds, all of which will be used for fish production. The supply of quality stock is one of the biggest issues facing fish farmers in Zambia, and hopefully this step will allow Ba Kasonde to provide himself and the surrounding farmers with healthy fish that have good growth potential. Maybe (just maybe) in the future, enough fish will allow the bush babies to peacefully exist in their treetop homes... But for that to work, we would all have to live more sustainably.

The Lucky Ones

Hello Everybody,

A quick update… Since the last time I wrote, I was in the village for a little, but traveling a lot and spending as much time as possible with Claire before she finished her service. We have now parted ways; I am heading back to the village, while she will take the “long way” home, all over northern Africa and Europe (rough life, right…?). Here are some of the wonderful adventures we shared in the past 3 weeks:

We started in Lusaka, where we hitched to Livingstone (home of Victoria Falls). From Victoria Falls, we hitch hiked in 3 successive rides to the border of Namibia. From there, we were passed on the road by an older white woman, driving an EMPTY 15-seater Safari transport van. I have done my share of hitch-hiking in Zambia, and have a very calm and relaxed attitude about traveling on some else’s time. However, it is always frustrating seeing someone in an empty vehicle pass going the direction you are trying to go. In this instance, the woman gave us a look that said “I’m sorry”, which of course meant nothing at the time. After she passed, we hustled to the Namibian immigration office to get our passports stamped. Low and behold, we ran into this woman in the parking lot.

Now of course, I had to say something. I know many of you who know me best think it might have been smart-assed, but I’ve learned a little bit in the past few years. So I started with ‘hello’ and a characteristic Hostetter smile (ear to ear, thanks Mom!). The woman softened up, and agreed to give Claire and I a ride, as it just so happened she was also heading to Windhoek (about 1500 KM away). So, this 65-year-old woman, a white Namibian with a thick German accent, glorious mullet, and a mouth that would make a sailor cringe, took us onboard.

The wonderful part of our luck is that she was a freelance safari and tour guide. So, while she gave us a free ride, she gave us the low-down on all the flora, fauna, and wildlife we passed along the. She was even so kind as to open her window every 10 minutes while she smoked a cigarette, having recently rolled it on the steering wheel while maintaining control with her Forearms. I guess that’s Namibia’s alternative to doing your mascara in the rear-view on the way to work. She understood we were on a limited budget, so she stopped with us at a waterfall and the three of us camped out that night (Claire and me in the tent, She in the truck). She even ate pasta with us around the fire, and told us stories of ridiculous tourists and the outrageously ignorant questions they ask (don’t laugh, its been me, and it will probably be you someday – if it hasn’t already!).

One of the best moments of the trip was watching the sunset with Claire in my arms over the Okavango River, on the tent platform we camped that night (about 10 feet off the ground, just high enough to have a picturesque view un-obscured by the trees). You would think this moment might have lost its romance, but our Tour Guide seemed to now just when to find something else to do, or somewhere else to be. We really came to enjoy her company, as she told us about the many adventures she has had in 30 years of guiding in Namibia. What respect I have for a woman who can keep at that kind of work at 65! Hope I look that good in 40 years…

From Windhoek, Claire and I rented a car (thanks Papa Albrecht!), and drove to Swakopmund. This town, claimed to be “more German than towns in Germany”, was not as cultured as it might sound. Despite its location, nestled on the Atlantic Ocean, there was no fresh seafood to be found. The architecture was German, and the language had German’s customary, angry feel, but the effect ended there. Unfortunately, the local Namibian flavor of the culture was drowned out by the chilly wind off the ocean, and the guys selling curious who followed us into the Grocery Store desperately trying to sell us “dagga” which we clearly stated we did not want.

From there, we drove to Sossusvlei, one of the most desirable tourist destinations in Namibia. Here, I am short of words to describe what we saw. The park consists of sheer desert (about 200 KM on either side). But when we reached the dunes, we found out what all the hype was about. We climbed a dune about 400 feet (vertically) from the road. At the top, we watched the sunset as it threw colors across the dunes, changing in tone seemingly every second. In the morning, we managed to hitch to the last driving point on the dunes (called Sossusvlei, 4x4 needed). We arrived there before anyone else, at about 5:30 AM. Before the sun rose, we saw lots of Oryx and Springbok, just enjoying the dew on the plants that was soon to be evaporated by the sun. As we watched the sunrise over the dunes, taking pictures and trying to capture the moment, it dawned on me (no pun intended) that the real beauty of the moment was just being there, with Claire, and watching the colors change on the sand. We put the cameras away, and watched the sun rise on one of our last days together in Namibia.

From there, we hitched to Cape Town. At the hitching point, the first person to offer us a ride was a kindly white gentleman with stained teeth, a buzz cut, and a pair of shorts so far up his thighs that people watching a Lakers game in 1974 would have taken notice.. He was driving a semi – unreliable, slow, and painful transport, and only headed about 200 KM up the road. But he stopped, not for the family waiting ahead of us, or the elderly African woman with a head wrap and all she owned strapped to her back, for me. To pretend this was not a racial issue would be too American – in South Africa and Namibia there isn’t much doubt. But, I pestered this gentleman into giving the elderly woman a ride, since she had been waiting longer than us, had things to do, and was heading near to his destination. He tried several tactics to put me off, but enough persistence and blunt wording left him no choice but to give her a ride, or take a seat in my history book next to Strom Thurman…

I think that Karma caught up to us after that, because a Van came along and gave Claire, Myself, and the family ahead of us all a free ride to Cape Town. In Cape Town, we found a beautiful, large, ‘actual’ city, with Skyscrapers and everything! I know that probably sounds uninteresting, but live in Zambia for 2 years and then we’ll talk. There, Claire and I enjoyed our last few days together (for now). We went to the local museum, ate fancy meals and pretended to be ‘grown-ups’, and climbed table mountain (a beautiful cliff standing less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean). It was truly a beautiful trip, shared with a wonderful person.

Marching On

Greetings everyone!

So, since my last blog I've been really enjoying my time in the village, and taking advantage of time spent with Claire until she finishes her service in April. She and I have really grown close, and its great to hang out with someone who is able to relate so exceptionally with the people of Zambia. She has helped me improve my Bemba a lot - enough that I now realize how often people are talking about the 'Misungu'. Luckily, most of the remarks are made about superficial things, and are not negative or insulting... The best part is the look on the faces of people when I respond in Bemba and let them know I understand what they are saying. Being with her has definitely changed my service. We are received very differently traveling together rather than separately. Of course, her and my Zambian families responded in disbelief when we broke the news that we weren't planning to get married. The culture is just so different, and its difficult for many here to grasp a relationship which will end in any way other than marriage - its just unheard of, especially in the village.

As far as work, things are moving a bit slowly since its the heart of rainy season now. This is the last month of real rains, so I'll definitely be ready for that to finish. Getting soaked and having work canceled at least once a week is wearing thin. The biggest pond of Ba Kasonde has been completely fixed, and now most of the farmer groups I work with are implementing more intensive management of their fish ponds, which I see as a success in terms of my service. However, the major issue of inbreeding has come to light. Much like any other animal (cows, pigs, etc.), new stock must be introduced to prevent the gene-pool becoming inbred. Such inbreeding can lead to reduced reproduction and stunted growth. I am just now learning what a serious problem this is for rural fish farmers. It is very difficult for them to travel to the government research station to get fresh stock, and even more difficult and unrealistic for farmers to then transport fingerlings successfully using bicycles for the long distances back to their farms. Unfortunately, funding limitations within the Department of Fisheries limits the Government's ability to use trucks to transport these fingerlings, and the heat and jostling the fingerlings receive on bike transport (most farmers' only remaining option) causes very high mortality (for the fingerlings of course).

If I have learned anything in my service, its that problems have to be solved bit-by-bit, on a local level. I can't help all the fish farmers in Zambia, let alone Northern Province, or even Kasama. Its a realization I've come to slowly - I mean at first I think all Peace Corps Volunteers get posted expecting to save the World. Of course, simple logic could have told me that smarter people than me have tried for years to solve the problems facing countries like Zambia and not succeeded, but it took more than a year of experience for this truth to really hit home. So, I have become satisfied with small scale goals and solutions...

The first, and main goal for the remaining six months of my service, is to get Ba Kasonde (My host father) new stock. This could be accomplished by buying them from the government research station, but at 300 Kwatcha per fingerling, it would cost approximately 3 million kwatcha (700 USD) to fill all of the ponds. Given the loss of fingerlings and costs incurred repairing the broken fish pond, this option is unrealistic. A recent harvest made evident first-hand the problems inbreeding can cause, as none of the fish in Ba Kasonde's fish ponds were bigger than about 4 inches, meaning we can't even use the adult fish as breeders to make new stock - so that option is out also. Therefore, the solution is to go to Chambeshi River and catch large Mpende (Tilapia Rendali) to bring back to a specially prepared breeding pond. Without getting too specific about breeding techniques, the basic idea is to place 50% males and 50% females into one fish pond, and allow them to breed. Immediately upon creating fry (small fingerlings), we will remove the babies and place them in an uninhabited fish pond to grow. Since the parents then no longer have to worry about caring for the fingerlings, they will begin to reproduce again. In this way, we will be able to sequentially stock each fish pond, after first completely emptying each of its current inbred stock.

If this system is successful, I hope to also encourage the other farmer groups who are raising fish at a relatively large scale to adopt a similar strategy. Mostly, my focus will be on Ba Kasonde. Since there will be at least one more volunteer replacing my site, I just need to get the ball rolling and make sure my post is replaced by someone knowledgeable about fish genetics and reproduction (something which I'm in the process of teaching myself through literature).

I feel that regardless of everything else in my service, I owe it to the Kasonde family, who has welcomed me and given me a home in a country where I knew no one, to make sure their fish farming efforts are successful.

All my best to everyone in the states, and feel free to email me if you want to connect, or want more specific details about the fish breeding programs. I find it fascinating, my I realize that most people reading this probably don't share my absurd obsession with fish, so I tried to keep it pretty basic.

Shalenipo,

- Justin

2010

Bon Dia!

Sorry I didn’t connect with anyone on Xmas and New Years – I took a trip to Mozambique and I didn’t get a different Sim Card. I went on the trip with my girlfriend Claire and 4 of our friends, as well as 2 other Peace Corps volunteers who quickly became part of the family. Traveling with 7 people can be overwhelming, especially with no reservations or real plans outlined. However, things went remarkably well, and everyone had a great experience. It was an amazing time – the second Xmas with no snow, but sitting on the beach at the Indian Ocean really eased the blow. The trip was a blast, we spent 4 nights in a beach house in Xai Xai (pronounced Chai Chai), a stone’s throw from the ocean. We grilled Lobster caught fresh that day, along with prawns, fish, and even a shark. It was an awesome experience and great rest from the somewhat straining travel from Lusaka to Mozambique.

From there we headed to Tofu, a small beach town in the middle of Mozambique. We celebrated new years in style, listening to a local regae band on the beach, with COLD beer… Quite a luxury! The place we stayed was a cool backpackers’ place with tons of tents packed in like Woodstock. There was a really cool ‘backpackers’ scene, but Claire and I made sure to find the local party after the concert and try our hand at Portuguese. Quite a cultural way to kick off 2010. Overall it was an incredible time, and a sweet opportunity to interact with the vivrant, colorful culture and people of Mozambique.

Now its back to work in the village for a few weeks, before I return to Lusaka to assist in training for Volunteers who just finished their first 3 months at site. Crazy to think I’m an ‘older’ Volunteer now!

I hope everyone had a great festive season! While I didn’t have a tree with gifts underneath it, I definitely missed the company of my family and friends and not the material objects! Wishing you all happy and fulfilling familial relations for the holidays.

Boas Festas,

- J

PS – I’ve gotten some emails wondering if my phone is still working. Now that I’m back in Zambia, it should work pretty much all the time. 260 967 443 671. Thanks for your persistence everyone!

A Quarter Century

Hey there,

So its been a while since I last posted, and a lot has happened. My best friend Brett came out to Zambia to visit at the beginning of September. It was quite a whirlwind trip. After picking him up in Lusaka, we took a nightbus straight to Livingstone (the place of Victoria Falls). We stayed there for 4 days, partying and getting plenty of adrenaline rushing. We had the most intense day of whitewater rafting I've ever had (class 4 and 5). The day began by jumping off a rock into the river, and then swimming the first rapid of the day, in order to reach the awaiting raft. It then progressed to flipping in a class five rapid, swimming it, and then almost flipping another 2 times in the same day. We even managed to turn the raft completely on its edge, and drop everyone (including the guide) except for Brett and Myself from the boat. It was pretty cool to watch the video as Brett and I clung on the boat, while the rest of the crew was quite literally ejected. Even Brett admitted it was the most intense day of rafting he's ever had, and considering his experience as a raft guide in Colorado, I think that speaks pretty highly of the experience.

We also go to swim the "Devil's Pool" which is a 'pool' at the edge of Victoria Falls. What it really entails is a place at the edge of the 300 foot precipice which is very deep. The current was still cascading over the falls (about 4 inches of water) but because the rocks at the edge are very deep and run straight down, your body catches there and you are able to literally look over the edge of the falls. It was quite a rush. You can check out pictures on google, or just wait till I post our pictures on the Internet (might be a while). Brett also took the chance to bungi jump and do the gorge swing, but my money was a bit tight for that (Volunteer salaries only allow for so much vacationing).

We also went on a 2 day safari, during which we saw all of the game we could have hoped (elephants, hippos. buffalo, antilope, etc.) We even got to see the major predators (a lioness, a leopard, a jackal, and crocs). All-in-all, we were incredibly lucky. From there, we headed to my site for a few days, where Brett got to see some the fish ponds that I've been helping with first hand. He talked with me about how his company is making wells of similar size using Cranes, and the construction process takes one day. I explained that the pond we were viewing would take about 5 or 6 months for an average farmer to complete...

After that we camped at a local waterfall, which was a crazy experience. We managed to find a spot where we could literally climb behind the waterfall, and just watch as the water rushed past our faces and scattered into the rocks. While Brett didn't get as much time at my site as I would have liked, it proved an eye-opening experience for him (I hope) to see how different life on this side of the world really is. Its exciting that he came, because He will understand this experience, and its affects on me in the future, better than anyone who hasn't seen this place first-hand.

To complete his Zambian journey, he boarded a nightbus to return to Lusaka. In true Zam-Transport style, his bus arrived 5 hours late. It then proceeded to break down, and fail to reach his destination in time for him to make his flight. He was forced to reschedule his flights, but managed to handle it all, and is now back at work. I, on the other hand, continued living the dream...

For my Birthday (25) we went to a place called 'Wonder Gorge'. This is a big birthday for me, because it means I have lower car insurance! Pretty ironic, considering I haven't driven in 18 months and am probably less safe of a driver than any time in recent memory. Wonder Gorge is like the Zambian Grand Canyon. It is, however, not nearly as accessible...
We hitch-hiked for a full day to get to a lodge within striking distance. The next day, we awoke to find the canter truck which was prepared to take us 120 KM off the road (all rutted out, dirt paths) to the Wonder Gorge. Unfortunately, the truck got lost along the way, and we didn't arrive until just before sunset. After setting up our tent, and briefly enjoying the sunset, we realized that the forest fire we had seen on the opposite hillside had spread very close to us. As the truck had left, and we were 120 KM from the road, which is another 200 KM from anywhere, we had no choice. The 25 of us got whatever green leaves and sticks we could find, and spent most of the night beating back the flames as they engulfed the grasses near our camp, threatening to burn all of our tents.

The next day (my Bday) we climbed down to the Gorge. The climb was easily the most intense hiking I've ever done. There was no path, and it was the equivalent of a black diamond (Colorado style) in steepness the whole way. We probably descended about 1500 vertical feet, and we definitely wouldn't have thought to try it if we hadn't know other Volunteers who had accomplished the feat previously... About half the volunteers who tried it turned back, because scooting on their butts down a slate rock precipice didn't seem enticing to them.

I had my fly rod and vest, and therefore was determined. Not to mention, we were hiking among a forest fire in 100 degree weather. At that point, I NEEDED to swim. We arrived after about 2 hours, and were overjoyed to swim. Then, we used a natural vine as a rope swing, and just enjoyed hanging out by the river for a few hours. I fly fished for about 2 hours, and managed to catch a native fish (I still haven't identified the species yet). It was cool to manage that, considering I'm using Colorado flies and the ecology here is completely different. Also, most rivers in Zambia have been depleted of most fish, so this river was a unique experience (mostly because it was so damn hard to get to).

The hike back up proved tricky, since the forest fire had singed all the grass and covered the path we used on the descent. Luckily, we scaled back up, and arrived before the sunset. Unfortunately, the intensity of the trip wasn't ready to recede. We were attacked by a swarm of bees, which was feasting on the water we brought for sustenance. After we managed to chase off the bees, a forest fire began on the other side of the hill from where we were camping. 3 of us spent much of the remainder of the night making a fire-break using controlled burning techniques to ensure we were safe...

The next day we waited till 16 for a driver who was supposed to come at 10 AM. We had no food, and ran out of water mid-day... Luckily the ride back to the lodge was smooth, and we all enjoyed a much-needed shower and night's sleep. Now, I'm back in Kasama and headed to site as soon as I finish this blog. It will be nice to relax for a while at home and get back to work. Till next time...

All my best

- Justin

A Long Time Coming

Hey everybody,

Thanks to everyone who has been emailing me, pressuring me to get back to the blog... Things have been incredibly busy here, which is a great thing. However, the longer I stay here, the harder it becomes for me to describe life in the village and all of my everday activities. Its like the unique, outlandish things that happen here in Zambia have flip-flopped, and are now normal (for me), while everyday American things like HealthCare concerns seem more ridiculous and strange than ever. Guess I'm adjusted...

Things have been going exceptionally well, I really couldn't ask for a better project, site, host family, or PC Volunteer neighbors. The fish farming projects have been accelerating quickly, I now have 5 groups I meet with, and another prospective group which will hopefully start up soon. Today I taught a group their first fish farming lesson, all in Bemba. Its a pretty gratifying feeling, I hope they understood my 2nd-grade language skills. Good thing I'm not teaching rocket science (or 2nd grade math, for that matter)..

Last week I went to Lusaka for a week to help train the new fisheries (RAP) volunteers. It was pretty wild to think that I'm halfway through my service, and that I've been here for more than a year. Also, it was unusual to be the 'senior' volunteer in the situation. I did my best to answer all the questions tossed my way about practically applying the learning the trainees are receiving, and also tried to bring as much positive energy to the group as possible. Luckily, things are great here so that wasn't too difficult - saying things like "I can't believe we get paid to do this (Okay, not much, I know)" and being completely honest makes it really easy to bring a positive perspective as a trainer. Also, the work I've been doing is so rewarding that I didn't need to embellish in that area either. The new group was very enthusiastic and talented, and as I think about the influence that then-current volunteers had on me as a trainee, I hope that I stayed upbeat in my responses, while bringing some of the real-world village problems to the forefront. Really though, who wouldn't love this?! I get paid to mountain bike through lush forests in Africa, and then play in the mud all day (I know many of you are thinking, 'I wouldn't love it'. But hey, thats how I feel about deskjobs)

I promise to have pics posted as soon as I find an acceptable Internet connection, and also I have a blog entry about a community school in the area that is progressing nicely. All of this is time-dependant of course. I've been at site a lot, but also doing lots of traveling for PC work and other assignments. Next week, 4 trainees will come to my site to stay for a week and see what fish farming in the village is all about. I hope they have a good time, and I can help give them a quick view of what their life will be like in the next 2 years. At least we'll be busy, so they'll get an accurate depiction of what my life as a volunteer is like. The great thing about this experience really is that everyone makes it his/her own. If you want to sit in your hut and do nothing all day, you probably could. But then, what would be the point... I never have been one to sit around idly.

Brett comes the week after the trainees leave, so that will be incredible. I think this whole experience is really gonna blow his mind, just as it did mine. He will just have less time and a less suitable platform for adjustment. I probably won't post until after he leaves, but I will try my best to get some time for another post soon. Thanks again for reading, hope its proved interesting so far... after all, there's still another year left! Good thing, Im not ready to leave..

All my Best. I miss you all back home - thanks again for the emails and phone calls!

- Justin

New Phone

Hey all,

Hope things are well. Quick note: I got a new phone service which works all the time at my site. If you can part with a few bucks for a phone card, call me anytime (preferably not in the middle of the night here tho).

260-967-443671

All my best

- J

The Dynamic Duo

Admittedly we make a strange team...

I am the 6'2", young Misungu with ridiculously long, puffy hair and a multicolored beard. In stark contrast, my Bataata stands about 5'8", is 67-years-old, dark in complexion (even by Zambian standards), with a cleanly shaven head and face. I laugh just thinking of the impression we must present: I arrive in shorts, a T-shirt, Chacos, and the only bicycle helmet in the village (along with the only bicycle that has not only gears, but brakes as well!). Ba Kasonde arrives in his foam, black, Stetsson (No, i didn't type-o, haha) Cowboy hat and full-length, red and blue, cotton sweat suit (despite the weather being over 80 degrees every day)... all completed with the always fasionably sound neon pink, rubber bath flip-flops.

Yet despite our aloof appearance, he and I are successfully encouraging fish farming in the communities surrounding Chibo. Lessons are held 4 days a week, each presented to a different village, with a different fish farming organization. Mostly, I sit to the side and try not to attract to much attention (harder than you might think, being the only white guy around)... Meanwhile, Ba Kasonde teaches in Bemba. While this description may make me sound lazy or uneager to do my job, its actually accomplishing one of the main goals of Peace Corps: I'm eliminating the need for my job, or another Volunteer in the area -hopefully. So, Ba Kasonde is teaching community fish farming groups about aquaculture while I add color commentary, in Bemba, to the lessons. Because of the language limitations, I'm probably about as effective as John Madden (ironic after all the bad-mouthing of him I've done) - "Mubike Amenshi mucishiba, elyo Mulefwaya ukubika isaabi mucishiba", which translated Madden-style equates to "You see, what we want to do here, is add fish INTO the fish pond... but only AFTER adding Water".

While I'm ridiculously lucky to have so much interest from the surrounding communities (keeping me busy teaching, demarcating, digging, harvesting, and paying farmer visits), I'm even more lucky to live with such a selfless family. Even my host mother/brothers are involved with voluntarily helping the community - following Ba Kasonde's lead.

In a way, so am I... While he calls me his 'boss', only somewhat sarcastically, he is helping people in a way only a true leader can - by example. In that regard, we've almost fully repaired his damaged pond, and have only been delayed because we are so busy helping others' Fish Farming interests. With Ba Kasonde's help, we'll be able to leave the community with self-sustaining Fish Farming groups with all the necessary knowledge to perpetuate themselves (hopefully).

According to Lao TzuA "a leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him....But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did it ourselves".

Maybe these villagers will remember the Misungu who lived here, played guitar, and ate Nshima (a true test of Zambian integration). But hopefully, they will remember the man the sweatsuit and foam Cowboy hat for even longer, as they harvest fish and grow fat.

Safari

Hey Everyone,

So after my last two posts about work in Zambia, my Mom and Aunt Pan came to visit. So... We took 14 days of vacation, including lots of days of Safari and a visit to Victoria Falls. The Safaris were incredible - seeing lots of wildlife VERY close. We got to see Leopards feeding, Lions and cubs drinking, Elephants grazing, and many other scenes unique to African Gameparks including Wild Dogs. For pictures, talk to either Sherry or Pan - they have all the pictures I took as well as some of their own, and the internet speed to upload them. Maybe one of the technologically savy people reading this can even give phone instructions to my Mom about how to load the pictures onto Facebook or some other photo website for easy viewing.

The Safari days were very relaxing. Most involved waking before 6 am, a mid-day nap, and 4 meals a day. We were mostly in tented camps (not rustic as they sound, but quite luxurious). I never thought that "camping" would be an upgrade in lifestyle, but considering how I live in the village it was quite an improvement. Camps with flush toilets, spring-coiled beds, plusch pillows, and 3-course meals were the norm. We even got some free upgrades to Lodges in a few cases. While I really enjoyed the company of Mom and Pan, I struggled, especially at first, adjusting to the luxurious (and I hesitate to say, wasteful) lifestyle to which I am no longer accustomed. The pretentiousness of our fellow guests at some of the lodges was also difficult to handle at times, but after a few nights I was able to cope a bit and (hopefully) not let any exasperation show.

It was a wonderful experience, and one I'll never forget. Nor would I have been able to afford such luxuries without help, so thanks to Mom and Pan for being wonderful company and dragging me along. However, the trip also encouraged me to continue my future vacations in a more low-key, culturally integrated way. I encourage anyone who travels abroad, and can manage to live a lifestyle which is a bit uncomfortable and uncertain at times, to: Stay at motels run by locals, eat local food, learn local customs, and learn a bit of local language (you'd be shocked how your reception changes when you know how to say 'hello'). Anyways, I would never change the wonderful trip I've just experienced, however I will be traveling without an itinerary for the rest of my time here in Africa.

Okay, enough rambling... Some quick trip highlights:
- Eating dinner when a 2000 Pound Bull Elephant strolled 10 meters away through camp
- Following a Lioness to her den, where we viewed her weeks old cubs playing and exploring the area outside the den
- Watching a Leopard climb a tree and munch on some Impala, teasing the Hyenas below
- Teaching our guide Jakes to play Spades (unfortunately the Women edged out in a closely-contested grudge match)
- The collusion of my Zambian and American Families

The last part of the journey involved 3 days in my village with Mom and Pan. My favorite part -the families really got along well. I think it enable the two of them to see Africa in a much different light than most who just safari and don't really experience the culture. Also, it will enable them to understand the work I'm doing and the perspective I'm gaining in a 1st-hand way thats just not possible without seeing this beautiful, troubled country. After some wonderful cultural exchange, including a puff-adder encounter, cooking chicken and pig, and making Nshima (see pictures) everyone involved was left with a better understanding of World cultures.

All in all, the trip was wonderful, and I'm excited to get back to the village and continue working. The fish pond has almost been repaired, and pictures will be coming when that is complete (the work has gone rapidly by Zambian standards). All my best to those at home, and for more about the trip talk with Pan or Mom.

- Justin

Bemba

“How are you! How are you!”

That’s about the limit of my English conversations with most women and children throughout my stay here in Zambia. In case you were wondering: no, I didn’t make a type error in the title. The exclamation points indicate the lack of inflection or questioning involved with the statement made by children as I pass by on my bike. It is more of a demand than a question, beckoning the ‘Misungu’ to respond. Since “I am fine, How are you?” (in that exact sequence) is the only understood response, the communication obviously leaves something to be desired. Thus, my quest to speak IciBemba (the local language) began.

Progressing marginally in my conversational Bemba, I’ve found it very rewarding but also extremely frustrating. As anyone who has learned another language will agree, speaking a foreign tongue gives incredible insight into a culture, and also allows one to connect on an entirely different level. However, the point of this blog entry is not to give an inspiring story about how my minimal progress in learning Bemba has helped me relate to local friends, or to teach fish farming (although it has done both). Instead, it’s to point out an interesting distinction between the culture of the Zambian people with whom I’ve shared the past 9 months, and the American culture of the family and friends who enriched my life prior to that.

During my journey into IciBemba, one of the first verbs I learned was ‘ukulefwaya’ which means ‘to want’. For instance, if I was seeking some water from a neighbor after a long bike ride, I would say ‘Ndefwaya amenshi yakunwa’ which means (translated directly, in sequence) ‘I am wanting water for drinking’. As you might imagine, the weather here gets extremely hot, and people travel extreme distances by foot or bicycle. Despite these hardships, I have learned in recent months that there is no way in Bemba to tell my neighbor ‘I need water for drinking’. That is: there is no verb distinction in this language for the difference between ‘to want’ and ‘to need’.

Maybe an important step to take now is to differentiate between a ‘want’ and a ‘need’ in our own language. This distinction is actually very difficult to make, but for the purposes of brevity we’ll say that a ‘need’ is something required by a person in order for survival, and a ‘want’ is anything else desired by a person which is not required for survival. In this regard, we could consider air a ‘need’, while a new car would be a ‘want’. This obviously leaves room for some gray areas – such as primary education. Also, it can be argued that the adaptation of some modern cultures has increased the number of ‘needs’ required for daily survival in comparison with more primitive cultures. However, these technicalities are beside the point.

The lack of differentiation between a ‘want’ and a ‘need’ in IciBemba hints at the incredible resiliency and optimism of this culture, an insight which could only be gained through learning the language. It is also hard to miss the irony that this ambiguity represents: A culture in which poverty presents an overwhelming amount of daily, physical need, whose language contains no word to express these needs. For instance – the need for clean drinking water, food with nutrients for starving and malnourished children, shelter from sweltering heat and relentless rains, medication for life-threatening diseases, and even the need for a basic education.

In stark contrast to this ambiguity of the IciBemba language is that of modern English, since our tongue has a clear distinction with the use of two separate words: ‘want’, and ‘need’ (although, as mentioned above, the connotations and even denotations of these words can be debated). The further irony is this: America is a place in which ‘need’ (by the definition established above) rears its ugly head less than in almost any human civilization – not just in the world today, but in any time in human history. Unfortunately, this lack of need has created complacency within our society, and today the word ‘need’ and the word ‘want’ are often used interchangeably. For instance – I found that while still living in America, after I broke my hockey stick while taking a slapshot, I complained to my teammates that I ‘needed’ a new hockey stick. I hope we can all agree that I misused this word, and that new sports equipment represented only a ‘want’ in my life.

The point of all of this (my apologies if it was long-winded) is to suggest that every one of us, in our daily lives, takes for granted the ‘needs’ which we no longer consider, since for most or all of our lives, they have been all but guaranteed. After living in a society where daily food consumption, the availability of medicine, etc. are daily problems, I have become painfully aware of how I, and most of those who are closest to me (including those reading this blog), use the words for ‘want’ and ‘need’ interchangeably. While this may seem like a very small issue, it gives insight into our culture – just as IciBemba’s lack of differentiation gives insight into theirs. So, next time you are watching a commercial on television, and the relentless media pressure of our culture convinces you that you ‘need’ to purchase some new technology, or the next time you find yourself thinking that you ‘need’ to purchase an item while shopping – please think twice. Despite the outstanding education which our great Country has helped to provide, we still often confuse our “Ws” and “Ns”.

Accomplishments and Setbacks

Mwaipoleni Mwakwi (Hello),

Hope all is well for everyone in the states. I’ve had about a solid month of the village life, and I’ve really started making some headway in the community. Fish Farming is going well, and I’ve gotten 3 Fish Farming groups together, each of whom I am teaching once per week. I am also teaching Fish Farming at a local Government School one day per week – which puts me at 4 days each week of teaching. I am very lucky to have such interest in the community – most volunteers struggle to keep busy and find work, so I am definitely blessed. The remaining days in the week are kept full by making pond site visits to individual farmers within the groups, and the secondary projects I’ll describe below. Also, my relationship with my Bemba family is very good, so I’m grateful for that as well.

I’m also trying to set up a school correspondence program between a school in the states and the school in Musa at which I’m teaching. Basically it will involve letters sent back and forth between students describing their lives, educations, etc. I am even going to try to get some pictures sent from America, and take some pictures of the school here with my digital camera. The juxtaposition of these two cultures is definitely hard to grasp even through letters, but with the pictures this correspondence should at least raise awareness among the American students about how lucky they are to have quality educators and facilities. The schools here lack power, running water, and often proper educators.

The other project I’ve been working with was inherited from another Volunteer. She just left for America, and she had been doing some great work with the Basic School in my community (Chibo). Basically, as a community school they receive no funding except what comes from the parents of the community – which is often nothing. Also, the teachers aren’t even getting paid currently. In order to solve this, Sarah (the outgoing volunteer) created a chicken coupe project, in which the school rears chicks and then sells them for meat. It is actually quite profitable as long as chick mortality rates remain low. For my part, being business oriented, I have been focusing on finding a sustainable market for the chickens. We had a major breakthrough this weekend with a philanthropic entrepreneur in Kasama who is willing to help finance an expansion of the chicken coupe project and be a consistent customer. We will basically be contracted by him to sell 200 chickens each month. This is a promising development, and while I was the one to meet this gentleman and line up the business transactions, the Chairman of the project (also my host brother) has established a relationship with the entrepreneur, so that they can continue their association after I depart, and hopefully soon without any correspondence from myself (Sustainability).

We have recently had a major setback in the fish farming project however. My host father and model farmer, one who is helping spread fish farming in the area, had a serious problem on Wednesday. He has 7 ponds, but one of them consists of about half of his fish – its basically a lake, 50 meters by 50 meters. I was working on the chicken coupe project when we got word from a worker on the farm that the biggest pond had ‘broken’. We hustled down to find a huge chasm on the southwest corner – a river of water rushing through. Dumbfounded, I just stood in shock for about 10 seconds. As I gathered myself I ordered the worker to get the fish net, to stop the fish from escaping into the dambo (field) beyond the fishpond. Once the net was in place, all we could really do was watch mother nature’s destructive forces at work. The pond was over my head in many places, which means that millions of gallons of water were pouring into the dambo. It took more than 2 hours for all the water to finish emptying, and we stood helplessly watching.

We rescued what fish we could – the ones swept by the current into the Dambo. We were lucky on 2 points: the crack in the pond (about 2 meters wide) forced the water into another pond, and then the overflow rushed into the dambo – the fish are afraid of running water and therefore most remained in the second pond; and no one was at the pond when the wall burst – the force of the water would have meant almost certain death.

My host father was in shock. He was asking his lord how such destruction could happen, and was speaking very bleakly and sounded extremely downtrodden – almost hopeless. I tried to keep a positive attitude and make productive actions – hiding (or attempting to) my own similar feelings. Once the pond had angrily thrown itself into the Dambo, he calmed in the aftermath. Still, his reaction was appropriate considering this pond holds about half of his fish stock. The best analogy I can make to America is this: imagine if you owned a business, and it lost half of its value overnight! Fish farming is his business and livelihood, so this was just short of catastrophic for him - almost for me also. If he had given up hope on fish farming, all of the momentum we’ve been gaining in the community and basically my entire Peace Corps program would have been in jeopardy.

Luckily, the positive and resilient attitude that first impressed me about this culture held true again. My host father is now back at work, and his attitude is incredibly optimistic. The next day we headed to the government offices to get what help we could, and we started repairing the ponds yesterday. His positive attitude and relentlessness is a blessing in a country in which many are just looking for handouts.

There is a lot of work ahead – this is my first real challenge in Peace Corps service (other than adjustment). More than for myself of the community, I hope I can come through for my host father. It was like watching his dreams, plans, and aspirations flood over the dambo and disappear. I find myself eager to help my best friend in Zambia - a 67-year-old Fish Farmer whom I’ve known less than 6 months. Only PC could have given me such an opportunity to challenge my life perspective. We have no choice but to complete this work and keep moving. In the words of my host father, “This has happened and there is nothing we can do besides keep trying”.

All my best, and I promise pictures as soon as possible.

- Hos

Tanzanian Vacation

Hey Everybody,

Hope all is well in the States. Things here have been really exciting lately. I just returned from a 10 day trip to Tanzania, which included visits to Dar es Salaam and the Island of Zanzibar. We took the train from Kasama, which took about 2 days of being jostled and crammed. However, the train runs through some very scenic parts of Zambia and Tanzania, and even a game park towards the end of the ride. It was very interesting to see other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa outside of Zambia. The development and standard of living (including houses, roads, transport, etc.) were considerably improved as we moved away from Zambia and into mainland Tanzania. After traveling a bit it has become evident that Zambia is probably the most ‘bush’ (least developed) country that Peace Corps sends volunteers. This is exactly what I signed on for, and I wouldn’t change it. However, it was interesting to gain some perspective about the development neighboring countries and see how much easier life for PC Volunteers elsewhere is in comparison to Zambian volunteers.

After arriving in Dar, we traveled to the beach for a few days, and then went to the Island of Zanzibar for a music festival. The festival was incredible – lots of local African music with a really cool vibe and an interesting scene. The city of Stonetown (where the festival is held) is very beautiful. It is an incredible mix of Muslim and Indigenous Tanzania culture, which blend peacefully – resulting in a very interesting atmosphere with some outstanding architecture (I’ll post pictures later). Some of my favorite moments in the trip were just wandering around the city, getting lost and just observing people.

After the festival we headed to the secluded beaches of Northern Zanzibar – one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen. I was told the clear, blue-green waters with white, sandy beaches were similar to those of the Caribbean. Regardless, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. The scene there was much more relaxed, but we still managed to party a little.

On the train home, we saw Elephants, Zebras, Monkeys, and lots of Gazelles while traveling through the game park. We even saw a herd of Wildebeests attacked by 3 Lions! It was a very exciting thing to see, and also extremely unlikely, since the train was moving about 40 MPH throughout the whole park. It was a great end to a perfect trip.

Now that I’m back in Kasama, I’m really looking forward to getting back in the Village for a few months of solid work. The rains are about to subside, and that means that the cold season is about to start. This is an ideal time to dig fish ponds and motivate the community of Chibo.

The adjustment back to village life is always a little bit difficult – mostly because of the lack of satisfying social interaction. Traveling and meeting lots and lots of new people is something I really enjoy. It will take a few days of decompression before I am once again used to the slow pace of the village life. However, I’m looking forward to spending time with my Zambian family, and really getting some headway on my Peace Corps objectives.

I hope everyone is coping with the Recession in America. If things get too bad – you all have a place to stay in Zambia, where you can live for about $.50 a day! Haha.
My best to everyone, and please write/email if you get a chance. I love hearing from everyone since you are all in my thoughts.

- Hos

February Rains

Hey everybody,

Hope the failing economy isn't affecting you too negatively back home. Apparently things are really sliding, and the effects are noticeable now. I wish you all the best with everything, and you are all in my thoughts. I guess, to put a positive spin on things from the bottom side of the world, I chose a wonderful time to put off getting a real job and travel to Africa. While things here are not much better with regards to economic times and employment (in fact they are drastically worse), life here is going well.

I spent about 2 weeks in Lusaka, the provincial capital, doing some training with the other Peace Corps Volunteers that came into country at the same time as me (in total there was about 30 of us). The training consisted of instruction in secondary projects we can start in our villages - including HIV/AIDS trainings, teaching, sustainable farming techniques, etc. The idea is that we will take our community analysis skills to our communities, and give the villagers the tools and knowledge to analyze their own problems, and help them find sustainable solutions for these problems. I learned a lot during this time of training, and I've come to realize that the best way to accomplish positive change within my community is just to enable others to do things for themselves. This has been a bit difficult at first, as I am a bit of a control freak and could make faster headway doing things myself. However, the idea is that while this process is a bit slower, once I return to America my village will remain with the tools which enable them to analyze and solve their own problems, thus it will be 'sustainable' as they won't need another PC volunteer.

The second part of the training involved a 'counterpart' (community partner) from each of our respective villages. I brought my host father, and for 2 days of very full training the group analyzed the skills and techniques which should be used to bring positive change to our communities. Overall it was a very rewarding experience, and upon returning to my Village my counterpart has been very excited to begin working on projects to improve village life. My role in my village has changed a bit now from a lecturer and leader to a facilitator. Its a fine line, but basically when I make meetings now I ask questions to encourage the villagers to find solutions, rather than offer the solutions myself. Again this can be a bit frustrating, but we are making some headway and have identified several projects which may improve life for those in Chibo. As with anything in Zambia, these projects will take a long time, so we aren't rushing into anything.

While in Lusaka myself and 2 other RAP volunteers got to participate in the planning of a fish pond at a local wildlife conservatory. This was a great experience, for more than one reason. We got to watch lions and cheetahs feed, which was definately impressive. We also managed a sweet experiement that brought me back to the early 1990's and one of my favorite cartoon films - Riki Tiki Tavi. We were planning the site location for the demonstration pond at the conservatory with another volunteer when we found a baby spitting cobra slithering across our path. After watching the cobra stand on its midsection and spread its hood, we managed to catch the snake with a stick and force it into a bucket. At that point, we carried it to the Mongoose exhibit, and released the snake inside. Watching a Mongoose hunt down and kill the snake was very amusing - albeit a bit unfair for the spitting cobra. Still, once you actually see a poisonous snake face-to-face, the whole simpathy, animal rights sentiment really flies out the window (at least for me). Plus, my justification is that the workers at the park would have just killed it anyways - this seemed like a more dignified death (I'll admit that term is a bit oxymoronic). We are hoping to return to the conservatory within the next few months to begin construction of the demonstration fish pond and arrange for its management and stocking.

In one week I'll be headed to Zanzibar - an Island off the coast of Tanzania - for another vacation. There is a music festival which will be extremely unique and exciting, and hanging out on the beach will be a nice break. While the timing of this vacation isn't perfect because it breaks my momentum in my community a bit, the music festival is only once per year and I really want to attend. Upon returning, I'll be teaching fish farming to 8th and 9th graders 1 day a week, and also doing HIV/Aids training with these students, in addition to the fish farming trainings and programs in which I'm already participating. All in all, life in Chibo is going very well and I'm managing to stay very busy. When I'm not working with fish farmers, I'm usually playing guitar or reading. Time in a Zambian village has definately given me a new respect for 'downtime' and the appreciation of television and mindless entertainment.

On that note, myself and 9 other volunteers managed to pull an all-nighter last night to watch the Superbowl. The game, as you probably all know, was very exciting. While i'd like to have seen less Referee involvement, it was definately a nice slice of home to watch some good old 'American Football'.

All my best to everyone back home, I hope I can speak with you all soon

- Hos

Lusaka

Hey all,

Im in Lusaka for a bit of In Service Training. While here I got to use an internet connection faster than 28.8 K! It blew my mind. Anyways, I posted some pictures on Facebook so check them out. If you're not part of facebook, you can still check out the pictures by following the URL below:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080110&l=77e04&id=20202223

All my Best

- Hos

Vacation!

Hey there,

Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season. Christmas went really well here. I went to another Volunteer's site with about 14 other Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and just hung out, celebrated, and had some local beer. Things were really fun, we camped, ate, and played a lot of cards. We even did a secret santa and exchanged gifts, which had to be homemade. I recieved a painted rock, and gave a homemade banjo. The gifts were more or less useless haha, but it was a really cool experience to be with friends when I was otherwise so far from home on the holidays. Also, it was a great retreat from the often overly materialistic Xmas celebrations in the States. I think sometimes we loose site of whats really important - spending time with family and friends (thats why thanksgiving will always be the best holiday). But despite the aforementioned down-to-earth, Peace Corps sentiment, a HUGE thank you to those who sent presents for my birthday and Xmas - after all, I'm still American at heart and the gifts from home were really comforting.

After Xmas I traveled with some other PCVs to Malawi for the New Years. It was, I can safely say, the best New Year's Eve I've ever had. The trip was very exciting - we saw a 300 foot waterfall, some baboons in the bush, and even traveled through the beautiful Tanzanian city of Mbeya on our way to Malawi. Customs were relatively easy, and the people I was traveling with were enjoyable and laid back. It was a bit interesting traveling with only women (5 and me), and I learned a lot about the female perspective. However, I was a bit more "outgoing" than the rest of the group, and found myself doing my own thing a lot of the time while in Malawi. This worked out very well, as I met a bunch of travelers from Britain, South Africa, Canada, and elsewhere. It was very interesting talking to travelers from all over the world, and I made some good temporary friends. Its easy to get really excited hearing about what others are doing on their adventures, and they return the sentiment when I relay my stories about the Peace Corps. Several of them made comments about how is was good to see Americans traveling abroad - apparently we have a reputation for staying within the North American bubble (US, Canada, Mexico).

We stayed in a lodge with Electricity, AND running water - both of which were a bit shocking. The lodge was in the town of Nkata Bay, right on Lake Malawi, which is a massive lake that spans all of Malawi from the North to South (see a map). It was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. On New Years we partied in the town of Nhkata Bay and I ended up returning to our hotel and watching the sun rise over the lake with some friends I had made since arriving. It was truely a wonderful holiday. I even got to try some Fly Cake - if you have ever seen Planet Earth, there is an episode that shows massive flies hatching over Lake Malawi. I'll post pictures later, but it basically looks like a huge black cloud hanging over the water. Anyways, locals catch and eat these flies after pounding them into cake and frying them. It was an interesting treat - a bit like beef jerky.

While in Malawi, we even got to snorkel and kayak. My last night there I took a canoe challenge with a friend I met from Canada, where we had to ride a local canoe, with our legs inside the entire time, around a boyuo and back. The reward was a free meal and nights' stay. It is MUCH harder than it sounds - Only 6 couples have ever made the row successfully, so there is a place in Nkata Bay folklore if you are successful. It sounded easy to her and me, so at about 10 PM after a few beers, we decided to give it a shot. While we didn't succeed, I think we may have set a name for ourselves in the record book as the most unsuccessful group to ever try the event. Haha, we couldn't even get a stroke in before the canoe tipped. It was embarrasing, humiliating, and incredibly funny and enjoyable all at the same time.

I just arrived home yesterday evening, and am a bit exhausted (public transport isn't exactly reliable in southern Africa). However, its good to be home where people speak a language I can somewhat understand (Bemba), and I'm excited to get back to site to hang out with my family and play guitar. I hope everyones' holidays went as well as mine, and that you are all doing well in America.

- Justin

Happy Holidays

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

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

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