My Arrival in "the Real Africa"

I arrived in Zambia on February 25th with 52 other Peace Corps trainees from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Everyone has been great so far. We are one big family. Right now I am staying with a host family in the rural village of Chishiko, near the town of Chongwe. My host family is lovely and my bamaama (host mother) is a great cook, which makes things so much easier for me. We don't have any running water, lights, or electricity. Think African Bush! But, that's not the most difficult part. The hardest part is adapting to a new culture. Right now my bamaama cooks for me, washes my clothes and prepares a "bucket bath" for me each day. My host family is Tongan, since I am learning the Tonga language. I will be heading to the Southern Province after our official "swear-in" ceremony on April 25th. I don't know whether I will be in the village or the boma (town) because it has not been decided yet. Either way there is no guarantee that I will have any cell towers in the area. But, most of the volunteers that are already in the area do have cell and internet service from their cell phone. There are also a lot of NGO's in Southern, which is one of the reasons I chose that area. It just seems like they will have more resources. I firmly believe in finding and using the resources you have at your disposal.

I apologize for not updating my blog more often. We are extremely busy with language and technical training. We have classes Monday - Saturday from 8.00 am to 17.00 pm, so it's very hectic. On Sunday we are supposed to rest, but of course we find things to do. Fortunately our trainers brought us into Lusaka so we could shop and use the internet today. I'm not really doing anything exciting. Learning the language has been difficult, but I'm confident that over time and with practice I will be communicating effectively and efficiently very soon. I even passed my first language assessment. I'm super psyched!!! The biggest challenge for me has been having to ride my bike through my village. I'm staying in a rural village and the "roads" have gradual inclines and declines that I can't really see, but can feel as I ride. The good news is that I should be getting in shape in no time at all.

I just finished reading "Brothers and Sisters" by the late Bebe Moore Campbell and it was a good book. I enjoyed reading about how we see each other and how we see ourselves in terms of race in America. If anyone has any reading material they want to send to me, I'm open to it. By all accounts there will be lots of down time to read books and do other projects. So, feel free to offer suggestions.

I left my camera usb cord at home so I can't download any pictures just yet. I'm thinking that when I feel my SD card up, I'll just send it home for Melanie (my sister) to load onto the internet for me. We will see how it works out. Well, I love and miss you all. Please write or email me soon. I'd love to hear from you!!!!!!

Kim