Hellooooo my dear readers!
I beg your pardon for not updating sooner. It comes with the territory of only having internet once a month. But I promise that I will try to update as much as possible when I can.
On April 13th, my intake and I got sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers. After whirlwind shopping in Lusaka we were all shipped out to our proviences the following day. The 6 of us who were sent to Luapula Provience spent a few days in Mansa doing additional shoping in the market and then were taken district by district to our sites. That means in just two days I will have been at my site for 2 MONTHS! It seems absolutly crazy that time has passed by so fast. In only one month I will have completed Community Entry, where you are not allowed to leave your district except for immigration or Proviencial Meetings.
So that is what I'm doing in Mansa. In about an hour we will be heading down to a hotel where all the PCVS in Luapula and staff from Lusaka will be meeting to dicuss Peace Corps like things.
So what you might ask is my daily life like in my village? How am I doing living without electricty, running water, or internet?
Well, in answer to the last question, just fine. Its amazing what you can adapt to.
My days typically begin around 5:30 or 6 when I get up. I make my bed and sweep my three room hut. Afterwards, I make a fire. If I'm planning on taking a bath (bucket and a cup) in the morning that day I'll making one using charcoal and fire-starter. If I'm planning at teaching at the school that day I'll make one using methalated spirits in an old tuna can so I can boil some water.
I eat my breakfast on my front stoop where I take in the sunrise (my door faces east) and listen to the BBC Worldservice. My little shortwave radio is my connection to the world outside my village. If you know me well, you know how important keeping up with world events is for me. Though, I couldn't tell you what's happening in Zambia, because for some reason ZNBC, the national station, doesn't get picked up on my radio.
During Community Entry, Peace Corps wants us to learn as much as possible about our school and community. They dont want us teaching full time until the next term which starts in September. So If its Monday- Wednesday you'll find me at the school teaching either 6 grade or 8 grade English. Thursday-Sunday I'll do some chores and then go out and do work in the community. This mostly consists of walking around my neighborhood and chatting with people. Really this means that I'm talking in really broken Bemba (I'm working on learning it but its defintily tricky) and making hand gestures. I'm sure it looks like some ridiculous charades game. Right now is brick making season. So there is a ton for me to see and help with. I also attend meetings. Including one group who wants to start beekeeping. Sarah, the beekeeper? You'll just have to stay tuned.
I've made some really great friends with the female teachers. So most of the time I find myself eating lunch or dinner with one of them. After dinner, I do some reading but I'm always almost in my bed with my mosquito net tucked in by 8pm.
Anyway. I must go get ready for the meeting. Tukamona mukwai.
