MULI SHANI? (How Are you?)
Hello all!
I am finally sitting down at a computer! It is Sunday and we are on a day trip to Lusaka. The past two and a half weeks I have been staying in Kebeleka Village. I live with a host family that consists of: My host Mom Ba Regina, she is a 40 year old widow who knows some English and has one son who is 19 years old, Francis. Also on our compound is Regina's Mother, Grandmother, Sister, 2 Neices, 2 Cousins, 1 Uncle, and a mess of other young children (So there are 20 people total and 8 houses!) There are chickens and goats everywhere! I am woken early every motning (usually between 4-4:30am) by the Rooster! I bike every day to and from training. The bike rides are long and tiring but I am getting use to them and I now know the bush paths to and from the training center to my home! I really enjoy biking on my own, especially if I can listen to my ipod! Next to the Temptations, Justin Timberlake is trully the best biking music!
I have a cell phone with interenet! So please email me, and if you have phone cards or plans call and text because I would love to hear from you. Saturdays and Sundays are the best time to call. Keep in mind I am 6hrs ahead. My number is 011-26-097-666-5946. All my incoming calls and texts are free but for me to call you is nearly impossible... checking email/facebook from my phone is pretty inexpensive though!
So far training is going pretty well. Monday-Saturday I have Language, Medical, and Technical sessions. The Medical sessions are about Malaria, AIDS, Rabies, Diarrohea, etc. Tech sessions have to do with the RED Program specifically (Rurual Education Development.) For Language I am learning Bemba! Bemba is one of the most widely used languages in Zambia. It is spoken in Centeral, Northern and Luapula Provinces. (No REDs are going to Luapula- which means I will be places in Northern or Central.) Overall the sessions are alot of sitting and listening...but I had my first Bemba exam this past Friday and I got a 4.5/5! So I guess the sessions and studying have paid off!
Food-wise my stomach is still adjusting... there is not much variety. I eat A LOT OF MAZE!!! in alot of forms....boiled maze, roasted maze, and tons of nshima!! (its like a thicker grits- the staple food here, heavy and pretty flavorless) Veggie wise I eat pumpkin leaves, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, sweet potato leaves, and beans ...all which are cooked heavily in oil and salt (hence the stomach issues!) Eggs and Peanuts are my main source of protein... I am eager to get to my placement where I can start cooking on my own!
Hello all!
I am finally sitting down at a computer! It is Sunday and we are on a day trip to Lusaka. The past two and a half weeks I have been staying in Kebeleka Village. I live with a host family that consists of: My host Mom Ba Regina, she is a 40 year old widow who knows some English and has one son who is 19 years old, Francis. Also on our compound is Regina's Mother, Grandmother, Sister, 2 Neices, 2 Cousins, 1 Uncle, and a mess of other young children (So there are 20 people total and 8 houses!) There are chickens and goats everywhere! I am woken early every motning (usually between 4-4:30am) by the Rooster! I bike every day to and from training. The bike rides are long and tiring but I am getting use to them and I now know the bush paths to and from the training center to my home! I really enjoy biking on my own, especially if I can listen to my ipod! Next to the Temptations, Justin Timberlake is trully the best biking music!
I have a cell phone with interenet! So please email me, and if you have phone cards or plans call and text because I would love to hear from you. Saturdays and Sundays are the best time to call. Keep in mind I am 6hrs ahead. My number is 011-26-097-666-5946. All my incoming calls and texts are free but for me to call you is nearly impossible... checking email/facebook from my phone is pretty inexpensive though!
So far training is going pretty well. Monday-Saturday I have Language, Medical, and Technical sessions. The Medical sessions are about Malaria, AIDS, Rabies, Diarrohea, etc. Tech sessions have to do with the RED Program specifically (Rurual Education Development.) For Language I am learning Bemba! Bemba is one of the most widely used languages in Zambia. It is spoken in Centeral, Northern and Luapula Provinces. (No REDs are going to Luapula- which means I will be places in Northern or Central.) Overall the sessions are alot of sitting and listening...but I had my first Bemba exam this past Friday and I got a 4.5/5! So I guess the sessions and studying have paid off!
Food-wise my stomach is still adjusting... there is not much variety. I eat A LOT OF MAZE!!! in alot of forms....boiled maze, roasted maze, and tons of nshima!! (its like a thicker grits- the staple food here, heavy and pretty flavorless) Veggie wise I eat pumpkin leaves, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, sweet potato leaves, and beans ...all which are cooked heavily in oil and salt (hence the stomach issues!) Eggs and Peanuts are my main source of protein... I am eager to get to my placement where I can start cooking on my own!
A mayo (means woman/mother) makinh nshima in Southern Province- My first site Visit!
As of this coming Thursday I will have been in Zambia for an entire month! As far away as home feels, I do not feel like I've been here that long. I hope training continues to fly and I will soon be at least semi-fluent in Bemba and will be swearing-in as a volunteer! 6 more weeks!
If you have thought about writing me a letter and havent please do! The mail is sporadic but much anticipated and appreciated!! If you think that you may want to send me things remember smalled padded-envelope style packages are better than boxes. Here are somethings that may be useful to send me...
*Drink mixes!! (ice tea, lemonade, emergen-c, koolaid, propel, packets of anything really!)- Filtered and cholrinated water isn't that tasty...
*Magazines or News Papers (or even just clipped articles)- I have no clue what is going on in the world or the US!
*Flip flops (Size 9) - I have a couple pairs but I wear them daily... don't know how long they will last!
*Candy
*FOREVER STAMPS!!- I did not bring any US Postage and there are Volunteers that are at the end of setrvice who have offered to bring mail back with them to send. Mail is more likely get there this way!
*Photos of you!
*Books
Love you and miss you all. If you are bored or are just thinking of me please email me! I check it every day and its the easiest/ least expensive way for us to be in contact!
I will update again once I have more to say and access to a computer again! If you have questions about what I am doing or about Zambia in general let me know so that I can answer them here!
Shalenipo! (Stay well)
As of this coming Thursday I will have been in Zambia for an entire month! As far away as home feels, I do not feel like I've been here that long. I hope training continues to fly and I will soon be at least semi-fluent in Bemba and will be swearing-in as a volunteer! 6 more weeks!
If you have thought about writing me a letter and havent please do! The mail is sporadic but much anticipated and appreciated!! If you think that you may want to send me things remember smalled padded-envelope style packages are better than boxes. Here are somethings that may be useful to send me...
*Drink mixes!! (ice tea, lemonade, emergen-c, koolaid, propel, packets of anything really!)- Filtered and cholrinated water isn't that tasty...
*Magazines or News Papers (or even just clipped articles)- I have no clue what is going on in the world or the US!
*Flip flops (Size 9) - I have a couple pairs but I wear them daily... don't know how long they will last!
*Candy
*FOREVER STAMPS!!- I did not bring any US Postage and there are Volunteers that are at the end of setrvice who have offered to bring mail back with them to send. Mail is more likely get there this way!
*Photos of you!
*Books
Love you and miss you all. If you are bored or are just thinking of me please email me! I check it every day and its the easiest/ least expensive way for us to be in contact!
I will update again once I have more to say and access to a computer again! If you have questions about what I am doing or about Zambia in general let me know so that I can answer them here!
Shalenipo! (Stay well)
miss you malka!!! stay well
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