Hellooo America...
I hear that there its Christmas? Covered in a foot of snow (or more?) Well this side of the world its rainy season, and for me the holiday season means a whole lot of lounging around, with all the schools closed and a trip to Malawi planned for the very near future...
Here is what I have been up to over this break from work:
Two Thursday's ago Laura and I made a trip down to Ndola (in the Copperbelt) for our Bemba teacher's (from training) wedding! We decided to hitch hike down there in two-days to save some money and the trip was a bit more difficult then it should have been... I won't go into details but I will say we spent the night sleeping in a big rig while our Swahili-speaking drivers dismantled the broken down vehicle on the side of the road til the wee-hours of the morning... Sounds pretty sketchy but it was actually quite okay! Those guys were really great! In any case we made it there safely by Friday afternoon. We hung out with Ba Leonard's family and attended the Church ceremony, Kitchen party (kind of like a bridal shower), and reception decked out in our citenge suits and paired with a bottle of wine :o) Good times were had and were followed by two hours of gawking at the Shop Rite the following day... I forgot what supermarkets with options look like... so many cheeses!!
Got back to Kasama last Monday to find all my missing family members (in the village) had returned home the same day (My Batata and cousin from the farm and my other cousin from school!) So we were all reunited! I spent the week starting a compost, attending a "Disciplinary Committee" meeting at the school to make some new school rules, planting maize, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes (i have some butternut squash growing too!!), getting my roof fixed (no more leaks!), citengefying my house, drinking katubi with my neighbors (traditional millet beer that you have to heat and drink from a straw) and of course celebrating Chanukkah (and Christmas/Birthdays...my Zam Fam loves cake!)
On Friday (last night of chanukkah) I went to the Peace Corps house where many of the volunteers had gathered before all heading out for Christmas vacation...so we celebrated by making latkes (potao pancakes) and apple sauce from scratch! yummmm. My first take at Chanukkah cooking on minus my fellow Jews was a success- and the goys all enjoyed :o)
Sunday I went to Church for the first time with my sister Edna. It was a nice service despite a crazy woman who decided to sit next to us and whisper weird things the entire time (she was a member of my positive living group and remembered me...) Afterward we went by the school to see Mr. Bupe and when waiting had a heart-to-heart about love-lost... first time I've talked to anyone about my break-up with Jorge and felt that they actually understood how I feel. I guess things like heartbreak are universal no matter what the culture. My family here is great. Alot of volunteers are given (assigned) families, but I wasn't...and I'm grateful to have made one here that truly feels like home. I spent the evening with them per usual eating supper and chatting... I gave them their Christmas gifts (all the cake ingredients so they can have it again on X-mas day!) and said goodbye to everyone for the next two weeks.
This morning I reached Lusaka after a looong drive down on the night -bus. I'm hyped up on cappuccino and waiting for everything to open so I can go shopping and then meet up with my friends coming from the North West! We leave for Eastern tomorrow then on from there to Malawi! Beaches, ferry rides, and good friends seem like a decent trade in for being stuck in the snow. Hope the holidays find you all well, happy and healthy! Thinking of you and wishing you a Happy 2010! Can't believe I've been here already for almost 1 year!!
Quote(s) of the week:
On biking back into the village, after returning from Ndola some kid yelled "Musungu China!" (meaning white Chinese person?!- my work permit persona is following me...)
Some 12 year old boys that are usually super obnoxious came to my door and were trying to get my attention... so I said "Finshi mulefwaya?" (what do you want) and they presented me with a flower and said "Christmas!" I laughed and asked "Christmas?" they said "New Years."
I was playing with some small ewais (children) in my insaka (outdoor kitchen) and they were chanting "Christmunch!" "No no, its Christmas, ChristMAS!" "Chistmunch, ChristMUNCH!"
Here's a snap from my first-aid workshop from November...
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