Peace Corps: P is for Patience - C is for Challenging

So I'm back in civilization for at least a few days. We are having a counterpart meeting in Chipata this week, meeting with our Department of Fisheries counterparts to discuss our programs and how we are going to accomplish our projects. Its good to see my PCV friends again. Its so strange, but when you reach the Peace Corps house it feels so good to see other white people who speak your own language. Its like this mini America stuck in the middle of Africa!

Don't get me wrong, I love village life, but its really challenging. I'm still having problems with getting my roof completed, a kitchen made, a fence to keep out the man who comes and stalks me every other night at 3am etc. Thats a long story. I believe he means no harm, but its getting old. Being white and a woman in my village is tough sometimes. The men are convinced that I should be marrying them. However I've made some really good friends. This past week was a little bit of an eye opener though...I never realized that poligomy was such a problem in my area. Its definitely a tribal thing. I feel bad for the women, because they have no say in it whatsoever. Since almost all the women rely on there husbands for financial support they can't leave them because they have 5 to 10 children to take care of. It makes me really sad and upset sometimes.

I also attended one of the craziest ceremonies I've ever seen this past week. Its called Ziwanda - where these people, apparently "possessed" by evil spirts dance and sing and do very bizarre things. Its a little graphic for this blog. If you want to know details I'll email them to you. However I was really skeptical before watching the ceremony and I was really freaked out afterwards. My family didn't want me to attend for fear of the evil spirits overtaking my body. I assured them that those spirits were afraid of white people.

I've already started many projects. I've helped a women's group harvest two fish ponds, I've started a youth girls group to help give them empowerment and self confidence and teaching them the importance of staying in school and getting their education. Its going to be a neat group. Next week I'm meeting someone to start a boys youth group as well. I've also been evaluating several potential fish farmers and I'll be starting a women's group with the Chief's wife at some point. So even though I have a lot of time at night to be alone and think too much about life, I'm fairly busy and active during the day. I even have started getting up early every morning to run to the river in back.....its only about 4k but its a start, right?

The day to day things are getting easier, however cooking is still a challenge....but I've mastered making pancakes and "jungle oats" about twenty different ways. With limited food and resources you can get quite creative with your cooking. Its fun and passes the time.

So i found out i'm about 7k from a lodge that has a swimming pool and I met up with Jeff, Christi and Eric for a swim on Sunday. It was great. That morning I was standing at a ceremony watching people possessed with spirits and two hours later I'm swimming at a pool and eating really good food. Peace Corps is so strange like that. Christi came back to the village with me and spent the night which was really nice. I think everyone in the village was really confused seeing another white person. But we got free transport into town yesterday with a man that was bringing his maize to town to sell. It took about 1.5 hrs to walk to the tarmak in the sweltering heat (over 100 degrees) and then we sat on the side of the road until someone came by. Thats how we travel in PC....its fairly safe and you just hope for the best. I've ridden my bike to town but its fairly taxing and I had too much stuff to bring this time.

Overall this experience continues to be challenging, humbling, frustrating and mostly just really cool! I have inservice training in Lusake in November just before Thanksgiving, so I will get to see all my friends from all over Zambia. I'm really excited about that. Well I'm heading back to the PC house to watch a few movies, make some delicious food and just relax for the rest of the day. Rough, I know. Its funny how my friends at home are just about to get up and go to their jobs. Hmmmm....I don't miss that one bit. Africa's not so bad after all. I do miss everyone at home though.