...That being said I had my first feelings of homesickness since coming to Zambia on Rosh Hashanah a few weeks ago. Of course I've been missing everyone and places and things in America, but on Rosh Hashanah, when the phone was passed around and I talked with all my family on the phone, I really just wanted to be there. I wanted to sit around the table with everyone, stuffed full of challah and kugel and take a walk to Wooster Pond to cast-away my sins. I'm pretty sure this is the first Rosh Hashanah I have ever missed with my family and I still at least one more to miss in the future.
The 2nd feeling of homesickness came this week when I got sick with diarrhea Wednesday from some bad water and stayed in bed for two days. Its hard to be in the village when you don't feel well... my friends, family, and neighbors all kept coming to check up on me, and although it was sweet, its impossible to get any rest when there is always someone at the door wanting to know what you've eaten and what medicine you are taking...and so on. I had no appetite and wanted to just curl up and hide, so I made an exit Friday morning to the Peace Corps house where our wonderful Medical Officer instructed me over the phone on how to medicate myself... instead I made/ate banana bread and watched the entire "Lost" Season 5.
By Saturday I was feeling a bit better so I hopped on my bike and rode to Mungwi to help Laura put plastic up in the roof of her house. Unfortunately I wasn't as well as I thought and had to stop a few times on the way there (30k bike ride) to puke and shit :o/ Sunday I was actually feeling alive again so I helped Laura and then we spent the day chasing ewais, watching Ubulanda (a boy with down-syndrome in her village) laugh himself into a stupor, visiting the market and school, and baking a cake!
Monday morning I biked back to Kasama to make a meeting at 8am that was canceled cause the prez is in town...
So, now I am working on some lesson plans for my computer class and still organizing logistics for my first-aid workshop (it will happen- I am determined to make it happen!!!) and waiting around for the Perma-culture Counterpart workshop to start (begins tomorrow) and hoping to stay sane with all thats piling up and the added stress of homesickness, and real sickness...
If I can just get through October! I need this month to fly by.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"It's as if you were men!" - Laura's Sister in the village (in response to the work we had done hanging plastic in her roof)
By the Way... Here's My Wonderful Family!
From Top Left: My Aunt Margaret, My Nieces Chewe (12) and Catherine (9), Me and My Sister Edna, and my Batata (father.)
It looks like you have a wonderful Zambian family to fill the void from your TBS family, Ellyn. No doubt you'll miss them when you return home. I love hearing about your travels and wish a belated sweet and Happy New Year.
ReplyDelete-- JeriAnn