jThis is my life. Sometimes I have to repeat that to myself when it just doesn't seem possible. So right now I'm in Solwezi trying to run a couple of errands - attempted to skype with Heather for her birthday yesterday before the internet went out. It's crazy how just seeing the other person makes such a difference. Got to see her and Matthew for a minute or so before the internet when out. Happy Birthday sis :)
I've been out at my site now for three weeks. Here are some updates of things that have occurred/thought processes.
* When I first arrived after we unpacked all of my things, the cruiser pulled away, my family greeted me and then left me... it all got a lot more real. I was like that for probably a good half hour as I pretended to concentrate on unpacking. And then I turned on some familiar tunes and life was good again. Funny how that works.
* That night as I was taking my first bucket bath as a new home owner I had an attack by impashi ants. It happened slowly - at first I noticed a fair number of ants on the tree that's part of my bafa (showering area) and then there were ants dropping into my bucket of water... and that's when I realized I should probably be done showering and get the heck out. Which I promptly did and after dressing in my hut returned to the scene. They were covering now the entire bathing shelter and moving towards the hut. Not really the welcoming party I was hoping for. I went to my family's house and told Michael one of the men in the Kumwana family that I share my compound with. He came over took one look at the situation and then ran off to his house and returned with rubber strips to burn. Other men from the family came over and we had a little burning party trying to keep the ants away from the hut. We burned the rubber and then started burning dried grasses for probably a good hour before the invasion was evaded and we retired to make dinner and then I passed out.
* The next day I went to the new mine opening with Roy my cousin. Roy is a supervisor with the Lumwana mines and they just opened a new mine officially. It was a long day of waiting around for people to arrive and then many long speeches. But it was excited because it was my first whole day out at site and I was taking it all in. I got within 2 meters of the President of Zambia - Rupiah Banda- I took a fair number of pictures of the event and working to send it home so my parents can hopefully upload some of the pictures.
* There haven't been that many other big events. I've been working at the government school that is closest to my hut - Lumwana East Basic School. Getting to know the teachers, students, and observing lessons. Last Friday I went to sports practice and was taught by the girls how to play netball and afterwards I taught them how to play some football which was hilarious. Even though they grow up surrounded by boys and men that LOVE football the girls seem to have always been busy with other things - probably cooking and cleaning at their houses. But so the girls didn't understand the idea of getting their bodies in front of the ball or have any aim when they kicked the ball. But we're working on it and in a couple of weeks there is going to be a tournament that the mine is organizing where a boys football team, girls football team, girls netball team, and co-ed volleyball team from our school competes with different schools in the mining area each weekend. That's the theory at least - we'll see what comes of it. I LOVED playing with the girls though; I had forgotten how much I loved and missed playing soccer and it also felt like part of the school. Great day.
* Oh and after the first week that I was out at site I decided it would be a great idea to see if I could bike the 70 km to Mutanda Falls from my site to meet up with April. I started off later than I wanted just before 9 am and it took be a total of 6 hours, almost two of which were spent taking a break and also exploring Manyema the other town on the way about 30 km from my house. All in all typing it up it doesn't sound bad but in actuality after the first half of the ride my legs started burning and the zambian hills started getting to me. I had to stop more often and kept hoping the next turn I would find out I was closer than I was. But hours later I made it!!! I have NEVER been so happy to see the junction by the falls as much as I was when I pedaled up. I reached a tree by the school right at the junction and just laid there for a good five minutes. Zambians passing by me talking about me in English or Kaonde trying to figure out what the strange muzungu was doing laying in the dirt. Pulled myself together and made it down to the falls thankfully it was all downhill off the tarmac pulled up and met up with April and some South African miners that she had made friends with while she waited. We had an amazing brai that night and enjoyed ice cold beverages. Means so much more when you've biked that far. Needless to say on Sunday when I headed home I caught I ride with a mining vehicle instead of attempting the bike back. Need to work up to things before the next long ride.
* On Saturday this weekend I went to a traditional ceremony at my chief's palace. It was a ceremony where Cheif Mukumbi tastes munkoyo. It's a big event that everyone comes out to even though his palace is 25 km down a dirt road off the tarmac. When I arrived there around 9 am I couldn't help but be reminded of tailgating days at Michigan. The air was cool like September fall days and in the ceremony area shade had been created by taking dried grasses and making a roof and the ground was also covered in dried grasses for the sitting areas without chairs. Combination of American tailgates meet a stationary hay ride meets traditional Zambian ceremony. Quite the combination of things. The tailgating idea fit because of the smell of meat being cooked over a grill and the fact that fermented munkoyo is an alcoholic drink and people were also pounding packets (packages of cheap alcohol). All in all it made for an interesting day we waited around for the ceremony to start for 4 hours and then when it started they carried the chief in and the tasting of munkoyo was done, traditional dancing, presentation of presents, and long long speeches. The event ended finally around 17 and then we found a ride home, I made some quick food, packed for coming into Solwezi, and passed out in my bug net bubble.
I think this is most of the memorable moments from the last couple of weeks. I will try to journal more for the next blog entry. Love you all and hope everyone is doing good stateside :)
