August Family Adventures!!!

My chalkboard countdown started... mmm... probably 70 days out - slightly premature but heck excitement does that to a person. So finally the countdown dropped to the single digits and it was time to leave the village for solwezi, and then on down to Lusaka to pick up the parentals!!!

I made friends with a taxi driver, Wilfred, and so we arrive at the airport an hour early.. turns out to be WAY early - more like 3 hrs when you add in customs and baggage claim. Not an efficient process here in Zambia. Acquired my parents and then took them on an adventure right off the bat! Another volunteer had recommended Pioneer Lodge as a great place to stay... which it was; but a fair bit off the beaten track as well. So Wilfred in his two wheel drive vehicle takes us down this dirt track that just looks shady as all heck at midnight... and just when I was beginning to wonder if I was just leading them down a bad two way track leading to pure wilderness when we arrived.

We spent the next day in Lusaka visiting the Sunday Market for souvenirs, enjoying a lovely lunch, and stocking up on groceries before heading to the village. Monday we drove village side with our great driver Choonya. It was also my birthday so we enjoyed some brunch on the road and when we got to solwezi introduced my mom to Indian food (which she was trying for the first time - crazy).

This first bit of the blog is picture-less because we recorded life on my mom's camera....

Highlights of the village
* Dad had great fun with the children. He was quite excited when he asked the kids if they knew four square and they responded yes. Little did he know, but quickly did he find out, that none of his question was understood because the little ones have very limited english.
* Girls Club: Mom brought a sewing box arts and craft project using mint boxes, fun foam flowers, magnets, and sewing supplies. The girls loved it. Reminded me of my girl scout days when my mom led our troop.
* Teacher Dinner: That evening we attended a traditional zambian dinner at the school. They hooked up the classroom with a couple light bulbs and sound system using a borrowed generator. Mom and Dad tasted nshima for the first time, enjoyed some fried chicken, and vegetables. At the end of the evening we were gifted a whole deep fried chicken and a nice chitenge (colorful fabric) for my parents to make their own Zambia outfits when they return to America.
* Village Party: The girls pretty much made the Zambian meal after I was deemed incompetent at mostly every task, even my cabbage cutting was critiqued. So thank you girls! We had nshima, chicken, beans, cabbage, and rape (green vegetable). The whole family came over from the compound I live on so we had at least 40 people. Following dinner I introduced the kids to s'mores and got them all on sugar highs followed by some zam-dancing. I even got my host grandmother to dance as well as my mom and dad. A definite yet exhausting success of a village party.
* We visited Mwinilunga, about 2 1/2 hrs from my village to the west. We stayed at a nice lodge right on the Lunga River. Dad made friends with some crocs at night with their noises and in the early morning hours when he attempted to become crocodile breakfast. On that trip we also visited some falls along the way, the Nyambwezu Falls by the proposed site for a hydroelectric dam. Although bit of a hitch that you have to walk over this village made bridge of small logs. Needless to say mom was not a fan and opted out after the bumpy ride of about an hour to get them. The rest of us carried on and enjoyed a picnic lunch by the falls. In Mwinilunga also brought the parents to the market. The market in a main town is full of different vegetables, fish, chitenge, clothes from the congo, maize, etc...

Post village James met up with us and we headed back to Solwezi for the evening before heading off early the next morning for Lusaka and REUNITED WITH THE SISTERS AND MATTHEW!! And then the whole family was back together. A bit tired but all in the same place. Heck who would have ever thought the whole Moehle family would be together in Africa? Not I said the fly.

Victoria Falls.
The next day we headed off early for Victoria Falls. James became our driver so we could all cram into a 7 person vehicle. It was tight but we had plenty of left over pizza, a stop at a tire store following a blown tire in the first couple of hours.

  Family REUNION + a wonder of the world

 Found a Dietitian!!!

And the next day hit up Botswana! And went on my first safari!!!! This is what we saw:

Herd of Elephants

       Somebody's hungry!

     Contagious Yawn... just worked

      splits time!

      LION KING

  The whole crew

And the adventures didn't stop there. Onto Kilimanjaro!!!

    There it is off in the distance, looks doable...

                                                     

We hiked and hiked, and barely got closer. Day 5?... 

 but the O2 started to disappear. 

The whole gang: sisters, matthew, james, me, and sam & jodie (geos from the camp)

 

  Sister Time & Michigan Representing 

Summit!!! Mission Accomplished. 

Although all I wanted to do was get back down to where I could breathe... and warm up my hands. 

 SO MUCH EXCITEMENT!!!! 

 Love being below cloud level where life is easy.

Sunrise at the Summit.

Top of the World... well Africa anyhow

Summarizes the trip. Sleep, Eat, Hike, Eat, Hike, Sleep...repeat

Popcorn, tea, tent party

We made it. From the village, to Vic Falls, Lion Encounters, and the Top of Africa. 

Over and Out

     "How do you get HIV?" An important question when you live in a country with one of the highest HIV rates in the world. It's one of the basic questions I ask when teaching about HIV/AIDS. This particular time I was teaching a one day Girls Workshop at my farthest school, Nyansowe. We covered the basics: how you can get HIV, what HIV does to your immune system complete with a lions and elephants game demonstrating how HIV makes your immune system weaker and then the lions can get the baby elephant), and ended with some common myths and misconceptions about HIV. At the end we opened for questions. I thought I had heard most the misconceptions. Here are a couple examples: you can get HIV by sleeping in the same bed, sharing a toothbrush, holding hangs, kissing, etc... But one of the young girls raised her hand and asked "Is it true you can get HIV from eating fritters?". I have learned not to be shocked by the things I experience in this country but this question still dug through that layer. I looked around the classroom and realized so many of them were waiting for the verdict - fritters safe or infected with HIV. Someone previously had passed through their village and passed along the wrong information telling them fritters could have HIV if the person making them had HIV. But dang. I find it hard to understand having such a lack to information that you cannot even figure out how to keep yourself from deadly diseases like HIV or malaria. At times I have "what the heck am I doing here" moments. Now when I get to that point it's often the fritter question girl that I think about.
         "Could you ever live here?" Put yourself standing in the main room in my hut surrounded by children from the Mine International School. Children from all over the world - Australia, New Zealand, England, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. One of the teachers had just asked this question to the kids standing in my hut. I got one very enthusiastic yes, one yes maybe and the rest no's, especially when they realized I had no lights meaning no electricity and therefore no television. But really can't blame them not sure what my response would have been at their age back in my under 10 years. My adventurous side probably would have jumped at the opportunity but do think at that age I was still quite rooted at home. The International School children were  visiting my hut on the way to Nyansowe, the school I mentioned in my first story up there). In a previous blog post I talked about the reading program that I do out at that school in conjunction with the Mine Women's Charity Tedekala (spelling). So last Tuesday the International School kids and their teachers ran the show.
        They read a story out of one of those giant books we used to have in elementary school during story time that are blown up it must be 5 to 10 times their regular size. The book was perfect "We Are All Alike, We Are All Different". I already mentioned the nationalities of the children from the International School but during class they introduced themselves and where they were from. Then the book reading began read by one of the mine teachers and then translated into Kaonde for the village kids. We were teaching grade 3 and grade 4s this morning. General book summary we are all people and similar in many ways but we all have different backgrounds, interests, and lifestyles. Then the International children taught them Chinese ropes, Hokey Dokey (apparently not Hokey Pokey in New Zealand), and some games with tennis balls. It brought cultural exchange to a new level from my previous pen-paling experiences. It also brought me to the realization that Zambia has to a large degree become my 'norm'. I'm used the the quiet classroom where children listen when you tell them 'voices out', used to children sitting and listening and copying from the board, and used to them never asking questions even when you really try to pry them out of them. The affluent International kids were full of questions, way more energy, shorter attention spans, and understood my English. Culture shock t-minus 9 months here I come!
        I wrote up this blog post in my hut and now typing it up a couple days later. I PICK UP MY PARENTS TONIGHT!!!!!!!!! I've had a countdown going since well way too long ago. That's right my chalkboard countdown is now down to 0 DAYS!!! for the parents. 8 days for Heather, Laura, and Matthew, and 14 for Kilimanjaro!!!! Oh and 2 days and I turn quarter of a century!! Getting old. Well it's an exciting month!!! On that note. Over and Out.

Chipolopolo TIME!!!

The Zambian Futball team played Ghana last week in a World Cup Qualifying Match. We WON 1-0! The game also marked the opening of the new stadium in Ndola. It was built by the Chinese. Being inside the stadium felt just like watching a game anywhere in the world. Brought me back to my Michigan college days. Stadium was sold out with the capacity of 40,000 people. A bunch of peace corps came out for the big day. 

Outside the stadium before the game dressed in our Chipolopolo garb and facepaint

Me and Audge

Inside the stadium! 

Katie, Kinzie, and Deanna

And on that note tired and off to relax pre-bed.

Catch-ya later! 

Vaca Pictures Round Two

Alright-o

Here's the rest of the vaca pics. Continuing with Zanzibar adventures.

Outdoor Market Seafood Smorgaisborg

Tried prawns, some types of fish, bit of lobster with my favorites being the fry bread, banana nutella crepes, and sugar cane juice. 

The sugar cane juicing machine. Lovely invention.

Found giant bananas while we were exploring the market in Stonetown

Low tide on the east side of Zanzibar

Coconut milk and flesh are a delicious treat while wandering the shops in Stonetown

After our Zanzibar relaxation we had to journey back to Zambia. Tired of the train we took public buses for the most part in Tanzania. We stopped along the way to break up the many hours spent on buses. This is a crater lake outside of Mbeya, Tanzania. We caught a minibus out of town and then a local guided us up to the crater lake. It was a good 2-3 hr hike in and 2 hr hike out with all the downhills. Enjoyed a picnic lunch up top. Unfortunately the descent to the lake was a sheer cliff so couldn't stick your toes in. 

Crater in the background. Hung the camera from a tree and had some fun with the timer. Finally got one with mostly everything in it..

It was an easy hike for the first hour or so, starting on a dirt road, narrowing to a path and eventually turning to mostly a climb. This is the way back down. 

Back in Zambia we headed up to Northern Province to visit Lake Tanganyika. Spent two days down that side and on our way out of Mbala we visited Kalombo Falls. It was a rugged track that took 2 hrs by taxi to get to but was well worth it when we arrived. There's different vantage points for viewing the falls, this being the farthest, the closest being right at the top! At 235 meters it's the 2nd highest waterfall in Africa fun fact.

On that note that's the end of my vacation pictures. After our journey to Northern Province we worked our way back to Solwezi to return to village and work life. 

Hope this gives you all a bit more insight on what I'm experiencing over here. Next step will be to add some village pictures. 

Vaca Pictures Round 1

Alright this post I'm going to try a picture share. Cross your fingers with me that the internet holds up.

In April I went on my first African vaca. We took the train from Kapiri in Central Province to Dar Es Salaam. The track and train were built and donated by the Chinese a while back. And now the train is in fair disrepair and prone to break downs at least 50% of the time. Always an adventure traveling overland in Africa.

Good ole home sweet home for 3 1/2 days

Great fresh air intake location complete with scenic views. Great way to travel for a day or two...

Hanging out in the back of the train after a tracks walk. 

One of the front cars derailed leaving us stranded for 18 hrs while we waited for our rescuers 

(you can see them in the distance approaching) 

Took us the better part of 4 days of train travel then a short ferry ride and there you have it folks Stone Town!! Great little historic town. View of the port on our walk into town.

 Old Fort of Zanzibar 

Sitting on the beach celebrating our arrival to Zanzibar with a beer. 

Have a couple more pics to add but think the blog maxed out with number of pictures. Will try to another round... see what we see. 

Short and Sweet

Alive and well! Well have failed that New Years Resolution of a post a month. In my defense the months have been flying by so scarcely my fault when you speed up time :) Typing this in a word doc as the internet is out at this time. Pretty sure the last time I posted was back in February when I had been in Zambia for a year. Crazy it's now June and now have 11 months left (with April not counting so much as we're out of our village most of that time with paperwork and other cos, close of service, things) So potentially effective months remaining at 10 months. Makes me feel like jumping up and getting to work. Feel like I've been productive but have so many things left that I wanted to do before I left. See how far I get on those agenda points.

So what have I been up to this past bit? Friends and family have been asking. Been told several times that my blog misses me. Suppose you know it's bad when an inadamit object starts to miss you, particularly one that was created with the purpose of keeping home folk in the know. Well I'll get into all the details of things next week when I sit down with a cup of coffee and this blog. But as for now thought I'd throw you a little tidbit before I'm on my way.

The Zambia-Ghana game is tomorrow in Ndola (Copperbelt Province about 4-5 hrs east of Solwezi). It's the stadium's big opening; it's chinese built and HUGE. Seats 50,000 and apparently is completely sold out! I see it everytime we have to come and go to Lusaka so really excited to actually be going inside. They even apparently have concession stands, crossing my fingers for a hot pretzel... perhaps even with some nacho cheese? Would be lovely. But I'll settle for any type of concession. Really excited to see Zambia play especially after their big African Cup win. Watched that game play out on a television at a neighbor's house in the village. People went crazy jumping and dancing. Can only imagine what it will be like tomorrow!
Must be heading out now - off to Ndola for the weekend! Will update more on the game and also life in general this coming weekend. We have our provincial meetings at the house so I'll be in back in the village the beginning of the week and then back into town for the meetings and will tuck away some blogging time. Sorry I know I have been negligent.

Love and miss you all. Hope you are all enjoying summer for me. It is freezing cold over here in the mornings/eves but still good ole hot africa during the day.

Over and out.

A Year In Review

     Well trying to follow my resolution to blog once a month so here we are again. February 3rd or 4th was the official mark of living in Zambia for a year. The bigger benchmark will come end of April when I've been in the village for a year, the halfway point of my service. It's crazy how time passes.

     The month of March is full of programs.The new education volunteers are down in training right now. They're where I was a year ago. Next week I head down to Lusaka to help with the training. I'll be there for some exciting parts: when they find out where they'll be living the next two years, Supervisors workshop, and when they prepare for site visit to their village. From training I'll head to Central Province where there's the National meeting for Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). I'm excited to hear about how the other provinces have done their camps and generally just love girl empowerment programs. Then I'll head back to my village where a couple of days later the four new Kaonde volunteers will come to visit for 5 days. So that's what my life for the next month or so looks like... 

     But according to the title of this blog post I should be reviewing some of the past year... So here are some tidbits from here and there: 

* Mwinilunga Visit: I live in Solwezi district of Northwest. About 200 km down the road to the west is Mwinilunga District. I've lived in the village for nine months and figured it was about time that I explore a bit more. I caught the big bus (think greyhound, take it down a couple of levels, and add 20 more people than legal capacity and there you have it) out to Mwinilunga on a Thursday afternoon. Met up with Deanna, one of the other education volunteers from my intake. We met up with some other volunteers and just caught up over a couple of beverages. The next morning we started off early walking to the Trade Center for a meeting with the Director about holding the next Camp GLOW on his campus. The training center was farther than planned... and then we got soaked in a rainstorm during our walk, and arrived later than planned soaked. The location and facility is amazing and too good to pass  by, so pending any issues we have our location for our camp in December! Then we walked more, through thick mud, pushing one bike with us. (We needed to pick up another bike from another volunteers house.. but 20 + km later all we managed to do that day was crash that his house after eating a little feast (didn't really plan food provisions during our adventure). The next morning after 12 wonderful hours of sleep (yes we were asleep by 7 pm...) then we started the biking part of our venture. We biked from around Mwinilunga town to the source of the Zambezi. The road's unpaved and often washes out during rainy season making it impassable. So it's actually better to travel by bike... but still tough going, not to mention the bike I was borrowing only had the gears 2-4 to 2-6... the rest you had to manually change and brakes that rubbed like crazy. It all added to the value of the adventure. We got to the source, which is really anti-climatic. They have a nice center/museum area with information about the Zambezi river, a really nice board walk that is slowly rotting and sinking into the swamp, and then the source itself was a little muddy puddle. But when you think about the fact that this is the origin of Victoria Falls it's absolutely amazing. Having seen Victoria Falls in August, the thundering of water pouring over the falls and then jump forward to this muddy little puddle - CRAZY. Then we started off again - my legs were dead, I was getting annoyed with this bike that seemed bent on moving only at a sludge pace. But luck was on our side and a truck passed by right when we joined the road again and we got a ride for 25 km.. Leaving only 30 km or so to Mwinilunga Boma (town). Would not have made it back to town that day if not for that truck ride. Total we biked 75 km (Deanna had just gotten a bike odometer). We had one of the best cold showers ever and an amazing plate of fries and eggs. The next morning I headed back on the bus, spent from the trip, but worth all the effort seeing Mwinilunga and Ikelenge Districts and experiencing the even greener side of Northwest Province.
* Girls Club: We started our girls club beginning of January and things have been going really great! We've covered different topics such as HIV/AIDS, assertiveness, goals/dreams, and have recently been working on preparing two songs to present at Women's Day on March 8th. The girls clubs from Luamvundu (my school) and Lumwana East (my closest school where Audra leads the club) will sing "If you wanna be somebody" together and then each club will sing a song with just their school for the celebration of Women's Day. This week we're going to sew chitenge pads, using the skills the teacher's were taught during the camp. I got 40 washcloths for the final step of the pads today in the market. Girls when they are on their period often do not attend school or other events as they do not have any way of keeping themselves clean or maintaining themselves during their period. This means girls after puberty miss can miss up to a week of school every month.
* Reading Hour: This term working in partnership with Robyn, the wife of a miner at Lumwana East, we have been traveling to Nyansowe, my farthest school that is 15 + km away and on a washed away dirt road in the bush, to do a reading program with the grades 1-4. The main focus is simply to encourage a culture of reading, teaching the youngest pupils that reading can be fun and an interesting way to learn about different things.
* Penpals: I am mailing 58 letters written by the Grade 8's at Lumwana East to Mr. Babich's Grade 5 class in my hometown Northville, Michigan (note the grade difference because of English literacy levels in the village). My pupils have been really excited to have penpals in America and despite the struggle with writing letters and their English levels it is a program they love.
* General village life: Recently in the evenings I've taken to wandering. (Don't worry parents by evenings I mean wandering around 17-18 or so.) When James is in town I meet up with him and we wander by the river, around the market, or down a trail we found. Otherwise I visit Grace at the market, wander by the school, or just here and there. It's my final evening exercise to make sure I'm good and tired for bed and it's nice to meet and greet everyone as they travel home after a day's work. Most of my days are spent at schools: Lumwana East, Luamvundu, or Nyansowe mainly. But when I'm not at school or working on the program I've been working with the children in my family with their English language skills. We hang out in general, but they also come over for coloring pages or reading books from my basket. They also enjoy the occasions when I break out chalk and they use the board I painted with chalkboard paint. It's absolutely precious to watch the older children (age 8 and older) teaching the younger children the alphabet, words in english, and how to count. Love them.
Think that this is where I will draw this blog post to a close. It's getting late here and need to pack up before heading back to the village tomorrow. Hope that all is well with everyone and remember I love to hear from you how life is going and what you're up to in America.
Love,
~Andrea