ahhhh yes...Back from the Bush

So...Christi, Rachel, Dave and I just got back from our second site visit. Can I say I've had the best two weeks ever! Central province is so cool and so beautiful. Zach (current PCV) ROCKS! He whipped us into shape by having us mountain bike 24/7. We climbed a small mountain...with 360 degree views of Central province. I got a little scared, but with the help of my fellow PCT's, I mustered up the courage to complete the climb. We each paired up and stayed with host families. Christi and I stayed together with a family that lived in the middle of no where! We had to bike 40 minutes each way. We mastered Circ De Soleil...bathing...long story. Zach had so many cool things planned for us. Many visits with farmers, staking ponds and even dancing with the school children. Oh and I got singled out to dance with the MC in front of everyone. It was a little awkward but fun since Zambian dancing is quite different from our type of dancing in America. Lets say its a bit more provocative. Then last Saturday night Zach's family held a village party...complete with Rooster, Wild Boar and lots of tea wine. It was fantastic...and again more dancing. We spent many nights around a bonfire and we all got along surprisingly well. Well the food situation got bit hairy at times, but we made it through. It was great because it really confirmed the fact that I want to be here and that I love it here.

Last Sunday we didn't have much to do, so Rachel, Jen and I decided to walk to the boma (Serenje). Zach warned us that is was far, but hey...how far could it really be. Well long story short it took 3.5 hrs to get there in the sweltering heat....we ate like we've never had food before and then caught a super sketchy ride (from Congolese men) back to the turn-off and enjoyed another three hour walk. Needless to say we got back in the dark...limping from blisters on our feet, Rachel bleeding and Jen vomiting. Ahhhh yes...good times. It was quite the way to spend a relaxing Sunday. Then we headed back to the PCVL house for another great night with the current PCV's in Central and a little cricket. These guys know how to cook! Friday night was spent at this super cute lodge in Mikushi...where I got my first HOT shower in two months. I can't even beging to tell you how amazing it was....oh and the steak dinner with real mashed potatoes...pure heaven. Its all about the small pleasures here in Zambia.

Transport back was super easy....we hiked over the mountain...was on the road for about 5 minutes when a minibus picked us up and drove us to Kapiri...where we had lunch and happened to catch the big bus to Kitwe. Couldn't have been easier. Tomorrow its back to the grind with two more weeks of training. I'm looking forward to seeing my host family...I miss them.

Trying to Ration the Passion

but its so hard with the few luxuries we do get. I buy a chocolate bar in Kitwe and its gone before we get back to Mwekera. Trying to ration the passion with the Kwacha is not easy either. We are getting 8,500 kwach a day (about $2 USD).

Today's "transport" into Kitwe was quite an adventure. Christi, myself, Uncle Kit and Jerms were scared for our lives and laughing all at the same time. The Zambus was all over the place and honking non-stop at who knows what. Anyone that wants a ride at anytime will get picked up no matter what...even if you about flip the minibus while pulling off the side of the road.

So I got my site assignment for the next two years. I'll be going to Kapata Moyo, about 10k from Chipata in Eastern Province. I'm so stoked. I get to hike a 1000 meter "hill" to get into my provincal capital and to the PCVL house.

We have a great group going to Eastern. Tomorrow the Nyanja's head to Central Province to Serenje for our second site visit for the next two weeks with four of our bemba friends. Then its back to the ranch for the final two weeks of training. Time fly's when you don't ever have to worry about keeping track of it. We've only been in country for about five weeks and I feel like I've known some of my fellow PCT's forever. We just took our second language exam. I don't think I did quite as well as the first time, buy hey, I'm learning....I think. Nyanja is actually a really cool language despite what some of Bemba's might say.

We continue to learn a lot about Zambian culture which is so different from our own in America. I find living in another culture so fascinating. My brothers and sisters in my homestay are so cute and great. I really do adore them. Its hard to believe that I'll be done with training in about one months time. Scary! I'll be posting some photos once we get placed at site. I'm trying to ration the passion with my internet time. See you in three weeks! Wish me luck getting back by transport, hitch-hiking or all the above in two weeks!

Makin my Crib

So its the Saturday after the 4th of July. We had a great time celebrating Merica's independence in Zambia. It was filled with a Cultural day of eating catepillars (which taste like you'd think) and impala which was absolutely fantastic...some vball action along with a huge bonfire at the Miombo club. Training is going good, I've gotten sick a few times, but hey, thats part of the experience. Last Saturday night we all went to the Disco which was just like being back in Chicago at a club. Good times, lots of dancing, singing, etc. Sunday a bunch of us spent the day at Mwekera falls. Its a really beautiful place about a 45 minute walk through the woods from the training center. I walked back with one of my fellow Nyanja friends, Dave....it was so amazing...the sun was setting over the trees, so peaceful and nice. This week was fun with the 4th and Thursday's are "lets learn about all the horrible diseases we can catch while in Zambia" day. This week's topics included Rabies and Schisto! Fun stuff. I'm fairly certain I'll be catching something while here in my two years. Friday we finally got to jump in our ponds and build our "Cribs". Compost cribs that is. Luckily my pond is not infested with leaches like some of my fellow trainees. However I got to slog around in some chicken shit, goat shit, cow shit etc that help create a "bloom" in my pond. It smelled great and so did I when it was over. Tonights back to Mwekera for some weekend fun. Things are going good and we get our site assignments next week. Then we'll be sent out into the bush for two weeks on another site visit. I'll be visiting Zach in Central province. Oh another random comment: my rat situation in my bedroom has been taken care of...the rat and I had a little chat and I won. He won't be coming back anytime soon. I can't wait to go to Eastern province but I don't want to say good-bye to some of my fellow trainees....we are having quite the blast...especially Christi, myself and Uncle Kit. Nothing really else to report...I should have one more post before we head out into the bush once again. Take care and I miss you all at home and in Chi-town.

Doing it for Merica

Happy early 4th of July! Okay, sorry I haven't had a chance update this since I've left. Wow, it will be one month this Tueday...crazy, time flies. Well I need to start by saying that Zambia rocks. PC is going really well. We had some great adventures traveling to Africa. The flight was ridiculously long. We had some good food and drink though. We lost two people enroute to Zambia, one in JFK, New York and one in Jo-burg. Long story, but they made it and everyone is together again. Once we arrived in Lusaka, Zambia we spent two nights in Eureka campground where wildlife roamed all around. Zebras, giraffes, water buffalo. It was really cool. I also took my last real shower there...it was a sad moment. Not really. From Eureka they sent us straight out into the bush for four days. That was quite a trip. We stayed with John (current PCV) in Northwestern province. He showed us a great time, we even got to try the goat they killed for our first Zambian meal. We also got to help harvest our first fish pond...by jumping in the mud and grabbing the fish with our hands. Haven't tried that one before. Then they moved us to our training site in Mwekera just outside of Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province. So I'll be apart of the Nyanja tribe. I'll be stationed in Eastern Province close to Chipata. My language is coming along nicely, I think. Muli Bwanji to all my friends in Chi-town and Ohio! Tech training is cool. We got to dig our first pond yesterday. It was a really muddy time, but fun. Overall I love it here. Zambia is beautiful and the people are really great. My host family is great. I even have a 23 year old sister. There are nine of us in my home. We have a Nyanja dance party almost every night. I also feel like a celebrity here, last night on my way home, I had about 8 kids following me screaming, Ba Julie, Muli Bwanji!!! I have no idea how they all know me. They are so cute. Oh and back to the bathing situation...I'm lovin my splash baths by candle light in the latrine every night. Sounds crazy, but its quite normal now...I wouldn't have said that a month ago. Well I just finished my third week of training. In two weeks we go on our second site visit out in the bush for two weeks. I'm finally adjusting to the 24hr clock, kilometers, and kwacha (Zambia currency). Tonight we're heading to the disco in Kitwe with all our trainers, Club Exodus II...it should be a great time. Well thanks to everyone for all their emails, write letters, please! Hopefully I'll be updating this again shortly. Tidzianana!