MEET JERRY JUNIOR!!!!!

If you have followed this blog, you have come to know the guys in the metal shop.  Mabine, Gift and Charles.

 

 As we make preparations to leave Zambia, I am finding it is a whirlwind of emotions.  Every time I go in to the shop, I look at “the guys” in a different way.  I will readily admit that I’m really going to miss them.  It has grown in to a special bond in my life…unlike any other connection I have had with other people.  When I look back, I feel bad for how hard I have been on them at times.  But in the end, we have come out with a very special friendship.  They invited me to come visit them in their homes quite a while ago.  Today, I finally took the time to do so.  When I got back, I wondered why they wanted me to see where they lived.  They are tiny, tiny brick buildings, two small rooms with a tin roof overhead.  As soon as the sun comes out, it is an oven inside.  They don’t complain about it.

Today was a holiday.  I went to work until about 3 o’clock and then took my motorcycle over to their compound.  I found out later that they spent their entire day off waiting for me to arrive.  It ended up involving friends, family members and even a landlord.  I was touched that they wanted to share what little they had.  At one house, I was offered a soda and some biscuits.  I know that this was a huge sacrifice for them and accepted it with a combination of gratitude and guilt.

A couple of weeks ago, Gift told me that his wife was due to have a child soon and if it was a boy, they planned to call it Jerry.  I must admit to an embarrasing level of vanity with my wishes for a boy.  Last Monday, March 5th Gift and his wife

 HAD A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeessssss....JERRY!

When I was at Gift’s house today, he informed me that he can not officially receive that name until I give him a gift.  I can’t give it to Gift or his wife….I have to give it directly to Jerry (Junior).  He also asked if I could take his wife and baby to the clinic on Tuesday morning.  It is all very confusing, but I can just add it on to the rest of the confusion over the past two years.

I’m smiling INSIDE

Over the past month, I have been working with Grace to get a grant for bicycles for the guys.  Their walk to work takes about an hour (hour twenty for Gift)….that’s each way!  We WERE able to secure the grant and I am so happy that we were also able to get the bikes before I left.  They’re used, but very nice ones (for Zambia)  The guys are very proud of them, as others notice how nice their bikes are and their commute has been cut down to 20 minutes each way.  That’s eight more hours a week of free time.  But one caveat is that we now expect them to use this new mobility to go out and find their own orders for the shop.  A final piece toward the goal of sustainability.

Next week is FILLED with dinners, lunches and gatherings all in preparation to say good bye to a number of good friends.  I’m looking forward to having this time together and dreading the goodbyes.

The magnitude of this past couple of years is really starting to sink in.  It’s funny that I couldn’t “really” feel it until I start to prepare to leave it.  I wish I could feel these things more…..as they are taking place.

Hmmmm

On the other side of all of this, I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family in Seattle and then on back home to the Methow.  See y’all soon!

Jerry

Africa Cup of Nations – - – ZAMBIA!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Zambia! The Chipolopolo rise from the ashes of Gabon to be crowned champions of Africa Cup of Nations 2012: Zambia Upset Ivory Coast After Thrilling…

(Chipolopolo is the name of the Zambian National team…Grace told me it means “bullet…a BIG bullet!”

This was absolutely HUGE in Zambia.  After qualifying for the African Cup of Nations (football/soccer), Zambia wasn’t really expected to go all that far.  They made it through the qualifying rounds of the tournament and in to the semifinal.  A few games ago we played Sudan, and were really outplayed, but squeeked out a win.  That was nice, but then we had to play Ghana, one of the tournament favorites.  Again, we were outplayed, but managed a 1-0 win to make it to the finals and Ivory Coast…the pre tournament favorite.  All of the announcers were picking Ivory Coast, but were very “sweet” as to Zambia’s accomplishment up to this point.  It was a great game.  This time Zambia did NOT get outplayed.  It was a nail biter for the whole 90 minutes of regulation and ended in a 0 – 0 tie.  Next, a 30 minute tie breaker game (two fifteen minute halfs).  Again, no score.  So, it goes to a shoot out against the goal keepers.  Five shots for each team, most goals wins.  Both teams made all five shots.  Now, sudden death.  The teams use whoever hasn’t had a shot yet.  First team to make when the other team misses, wins.  Ivory Coast MISSED their seventh try!  Everybody went nuts…..until….Zambia also missed.  Then Ivory Coast missed their eighth try.  Zambia drilled it and won the cup.

I looked at MSNBC News today, and the story didn’t even merit a headline.  Yes, a former olympic swimmer proposing on the medal stand was a big story, but not this huge story that has overwhelmed the continent of Africa.  We went to bed at 2 AM and the streets were still going totally nuts….All over.  Today, at every intersection people would break out in honking, yelling, blowing those crazy horns.  Cars were dressed with the Zambian colors and flags flying from all over the place.

At lunch today, I was asking myself “So these sports victories…are they really all that productive?  Is it a positive thing, overall, to boast your superiority over another?  Is this joy people are feeling based on anything that can be looked at in a positive way?  It certainly is fun, but is it really all that healthy?”

In this case, my answer is YES.  Many people in Africa feel like they are a lesser people.  Most idolize America, yet it seems like an impossible dream to experience.  They know that many parts of the world are more “developed”, and it just isn’t happening here.  Today, Zambians are very proud of their country.  They have watched their team rise to the top of the African continent and they have taken the ride with them.  Today, Zambians are not feeling like a downtrodden, forgotten people.  I can’t help but think that a little part of this feeling will stay with them.  Actually, it is an essential step in changing from an AID focused economy to a productive, investment worthy, job creating society.

I have been living in this “downtrodden” environment without really realizing the weight of it….until today.

PLEASE LET A PIECE OF IT LAST IN ZAMBIA!!!

On another very sad note, let me share another part of life, probably throughout Africa.  One of our assistant housemothers was watching the game at the village last night.  In the excitement of the win, she collapsed and was unconcious.  Her pulse was very weak, and they put her in to a car and went to the hospital.  I don’t mean to disrespect this situation, but I want to share how this is handled here.  Upon LEAVING for the hospital, you need to get a bunch of people together to go with you.  I would not have known that they (hospital staff) not only don’t greet you at the entrance, they won’t even assist with bringing the patient in from the parking lot.  You have to go in there, ask for a stretcher and they have to search all over to find one.  You then bring it out to the car (in the parking lot), load the patient yourself and bring her in to the doctor.  A doctor finally came over and soon after pronounced that she had not survived.  So, now it is YOUR responsibility to take the body, in the stretcher, to the police station…which is nearby.  At the police station, they said that a doctor had not signed a death certificate and they would need to go find a doctor to do so.  So, the doctor had to come over to the police station, check the body and sign the certificate.  So now, the body has to be taken (by the same people that brought her in and still on the same stretcher) to the morgue.  They put the body in a storage locker, give you a tag number and send you on your way.

In another incident, some very good friends of ours lost an unborn baby who was 8 months along.  Ilene and I went to support them through this, but when the time came to take care of the body, a nurse asked me if we had transport.  I said that I had driven here.  She said “Oh good, we will let you take the body then”.  We ended up putting the baby, wrapped in a blanket, in the back seat of our car and drove off to a cash machine so that we could pay for the burial in a couple of hours.

What I am getting at, is that in the West, we address these things with such sensitivity and care.  Let me say that “It is a luxury”.  In an environment where so many people die and there is so little money, there just isn’t room for the care and compassion that we are accustomed to.  In fact, it is a very cold and numbing experience.

I can’t say that it is very easy to adjust to.

Hmmmm, that’s about it out Zambia way.  The good, the bad and the ugly….where’s Clint Eastwood?

Ilene and I will be arriving in Seattle on the sixth of April and can’t wait to see family and friends.  We had to bag the trip to Lake Tanganyika and the chimps, as it is in the heart of the wettest season.  So it is off to Cape Town (mid March), then a stop over in London, a quick overnight to Paris, back to London and then home.  The last of the “worldly travels for a while” and hopefully a nice transfer back in to Americana.

See you soon!!

Jerry

Go, no don’t go….mixed emotions

Hours in a day seem to accelerate as the time to depart Zambia gets closer.  For the past four months, I have been getting more and more excited to return home.  I do miss my friends and family.  I long for the beautiful surroundings of the Methow Valley.  I long for clean water without crocodiles or bilharzia in it.  I want a shower (have been bathing out of a bucket for the past two years).  I will appreciate quality products, which just aren’t available here.  And oh, to drink water out of a tap.  Cool, clean, unfiltered, unboiled water.  I am tired of litter….everywhere!!!!!!

I miss…..

Dependable cars.  Kitchen utensils that aren’t broken.  Stop signs that get replaced when they get taken out (or stolen).  Being able to go for a walk at night.  Not living behind compound walls.  Not needing a guard to keep me safe at night.  Four seasons.  Being around productive people with varied interests.  My quiet peaceful neighborhood.  Streets without huge potholes.  Being able to understand conversations around me.  Cultural events, art, sports.  The NFL playoffs.  My cat (although he got eaten by a cougar a couple of weeks before I left for here)  Having access to my bank account.  Sea kayaking.  Skiing.  Flyfishing.  Mountain biking.  My African drumming group.  Travel without having to worry about malaria.  The drive up the Twisp River.  The Twisp Saturday Market.

Oh, I’ll stop there

But, as I get closer to leaving, I realize that a number of things have crept in to my heart around here as well.  I haven’t had the opportunity to work with a group of colleagues in over 30 years.  I will miss saying good morning to them as I walk through the village every day.  And the overall energy of this village.  It’s a school, a living area, a metal shop, an administration building, a wood shop….I have grown accustomed to having all of this in my life.  The metal shop was not even a thought before I arrived.  It is going to be difficult not being “The Big Cheese” and turning it over in a more thorough way.  I’m going to really miss the guys in the shop.  I know that I have said it before, but they have been a very meaningful part of my life….one of the most important connections that I have been able to experience in my life.  They work hard, they don’t complain, they show up on time, when they work late – they never even mention it.  They are making enough money to where they asked me if I would help them open up a bank account (as opposed to asking for a loan, as it used to be).  It fills me up to have helped them get to this point.

And Grace.

The Pestalozzi alumni woman that will be running the metal shop when I leave.  She is a very special young woman.  Both of her parents “passed” a long time ago.  She is fun, funny and bright.  I have tried to share what little I know about running a small business and the day is coming soon where the past 6 months will be put to a test.  I am well aware that I won’t ever be her father, but at times, our relationship seems to border on that type of a interaction.  I can only hope that we will be in contact for a long time to come.

And the kids.  This evening, I was set to go home and saw the young boys that just came to the village, down playing soccer at the field.  I brought the camera down there  and took these photos.  They are just precious kids.  I have been so lucky to be surrounded by such energy for the past couple of years.  And I will really miss it.

When you can’t go home….it seems that the pull becomes greater and greater to do so.  But when the time comes that you CAN go home, I am finding that other aspects gain more importance than I may have realized.

Oh, and here is the latest on the shop…we will be moving in soon.  We just got a grant from a group called “Friends of Africa”, that will help us finish it out with work benches, work tables, a forge and other finishing touches.  Thanks FoA!

I have decided to stay a little longer, until the middle of March, as there is just too much going at present.

And oh, Christmas break, can you say

ZANZIBAR!!!!

a shot from our balcony

Ahhh, I can’t upload any more photos for some reason.  More photos on my facebook page if you care to take a look.  But, if you get a chance to go to Zanzibar….GO.  It is wonderful

Been watching the weather in Seattle the past week.  Hang in there homies!!

Jerry

The Metal Shop

It is very exciting that the new metal shop will be completed before I leave Zambia.  This little project seems to be picking up steam and my goal now is to leave it in a state that Grace, Maybine, Charles and Gift will carry on in a self sufficient manner.  It has been a lot of work, but we are also getting wonderful support from the folks at Pestalozzi.  We are able to show that it is a viable business and they are doing a great deal to make it happen.

So, we broke ground a while back

Breaking Ground!!

foundation work and then a slab

slab and corner bricks

Keep going guys….we need walls!

ahhhh, Dats the ticket!!

Now, I don’t mean to be a pain….but, do you remember the conversation we had about “high ceilings”?

They say the plaster and roof will be done by next week.

Very exciting….we will be moving in shortly after the new year.

Ilene and I are headed to Zanzibar over the Christmas holiday.  We take a two hour bus ride up north, to Kapiri Moshi and then jump on an OLD, unreliable train for two days through northeastern Zambia and in to Tanzania to Dar Es Sallam (sp).  From there we board a boat for a two hour ride to the island of Zanzibar.

We’re staying in a pretty low key spot, under palm trees, with a few feet of white sand beach to the Indian Ocean.  Can’t wait for the break from a VERY hectic last two months.

Happy Holidays to all.  After experiencing a very serious car accident within our family this past month, I am especially wishing you good health and warmth amongst you, your families and friends.

Cheers,

Jerry

I forgot a title….how about “My days are numbered!”

The dial has surely been turned up a notch here at Pestalozzi.  I have been able to see this coming for quite some time, but the metal shop is in “full speed ahead” mode.  As I will be leaving early in 2012, there is so much to coordinate and a lot of work to do in the shop.  We are currently making 48 beds, with a ladder up to them.  Underneath, we are building 48 desks and chairs, as a small study area for the more senior students that will be moving in to this area.  We are starting two large “Rocket Stoves” (eco friendly, wood burning stove) and a braii (barbeque) pit.  We also are extending a roof over this area.  Then for the new kitchen, we are building 24 more benches.  This is all taking place as we work on other smaller outside jobs that filter in.

So, I am very happy that the village is utilizing the resources that we offer in the metal shop.  The guys are really doing nice work and put out a great deal of effort…..and NEVER complain.  It is really one of the best experiences of my life to be able to share with them.

I am also training one of the Pestalozzi alums as a project manager for the metal shop.  SHE is also putting out a very good effort and is a joy to work with.  She is currently in charge of 4 projects that we have going, and is proving to have good attention to details.  Again, she is a wonderful young woman and I feel so fortunate that our paths have crossed.

On top of all of this, Pestalozzi UK has recently committed to a new shop building, as the current one will be a kitchen next January 1.  I have been very busy coming up with a design/site location, working with the architect, corresponding with the people investing in the project, working with the builder…..and then…… trying to get a business going that is worthy of all of this effort.  And at the same time that I try to build the business up, I have to prepare to leave it and assure that it is sustainable.

The foundation of the new metal shop

The last few months are going to be a real whirlwind.   But it’s FUN and surely a challenge.

Of course there are plenty of difficulties.  But it seems the busier things get, the less comsuming the difficulties become.

I will very much miss the interactions with people from all over the world.  For instance, last Saturday, Ilene and I went running with a couple of Dutch VSO volunteers and then sat around our apartment for a couple of hours, drinking tea and sharing stories from back home.  Then it was off to Julius and Sarah’s house for a birthday lunch.  They are good friends, from Uganda and we always have fun conversations.  They want us to come to their wedding in a couple of years.  They promise to make us a traditional costume for the ceremony.  Julius informed me that he would like a cow for a wedding present.  I really can’t wait to deliver on this one.  I envision shopping around some small village for a good cow, negotiating a price and herding it to Julius’ house…probably with a couple of little boys to help out.

Julius, Sarah and "the Muzungu"

Then on Sunday, a lunch at a very nice farm owned by one of our board members.  The guests were almost exclusively white Zambians that have lived here for fifty years, at least.  They lived here when Zambia was Northern Rhodesia, in the Colonial era.  They also lived through Independence, a change of government and the country name change to Zambia.  The stories they tell of the old days and also of surrounding countries and their own struggle for independence are nothing short of fascinating.  These folks won’t be around a whole lot longer and I feel so fortunate to be able to share in their stories.

I find that I have grown very used to this exposure to folks from all over the world.  I think it is one of the things that I will miss the most when I leave.

Ah, that’s about all that is on my mind for this evening.  I do miss the beautiful Pacific Northwest and my home in the Methow Valley and family and friends.  But on my prior posting, I was reminded to “take in” all of these adventures, as I will be home soon enough – and I have “sat” with that.  I have no doubt, I will be home for a while and will long for these opportunities once more.

It has been noticeably hotter than last year’s hot season….but rain is on the way!

Cheers,

Jerry

Kafue National Park

It has been presidential election week for Zambia.  VSO filled us with all kinds of information and preparations were made for anticipated and associated violence.

Ilene and I addressed all this news by deciding to “get out of town”.  (Oh my, what a surprise!)

So, it was off to Kafue National Park for all of last week.  It was a very remote lodge with a beautiful camping area – our own private insaka (open hut – for shade), another private shower/toilet/sink area (with all the wood heated hot water we could ever want to use) and right on the Kafue River.  It’s a great place called Kaingu Lodge.  It involved three hours of paved road (if we wouldn’t have missed the turnoff that is), one and a quarter hours of pretty good dirt road and then about an hour and a half (again, that is if we would not have missed the turn off, down in to a steep creek bed) (40 k’s)  of very tight single track, with moderate sand ruts and trees immediately on the side of the road to keep the driver quite “puckered” for the entire length of the travel.

We were VERY concerned for the last couple of hours, as tse-tse flys began to accompany us.  It got so bad, that if we rolled down the window, they just poured in!  And, they are really aggressive biters.  I had visions of sleeping the car and getting the hell out of there the next morning.

As it turns out, they are attracted to anything moving and when you add the methane from the exhaust, they find cars to be amongst the height of their passions.  At the lodge, they have you park for five minutes before entering the premises.  The flies go away!  While there, for four days, they were no problem at all – what a relief.

So we got that information and then were shown our camp site.  Oh how fortunes can turn (for the worse or for the better) in just a few minutes time.

A "Sweet Campsite" in the bush

We went on a river trip that was really beautiful.  There are hundreds of fingers in the river in this stretch and all of it running through a massive boulder field.

They navigate the river with small outboards and as we left I was wondering how they do this without hitting the rocks.  Answer…..

They don’t!  The first rocks that the engine hit, I just cringed…..an absolute “no-no” back home.  Here, you just get used to it (kind of)

We saw vultures circling at one point and our guide (an animal tracker), just couldn’t resist going to find out what was going on.  We found the remains of a carcass and started to follow drag marks, when he stopped and said “we will have to go back to the boat…this is too dangerous without a weapon.”

AS SOON as we got back to the lodge, our guide grabbed the other guide (who is also a tracker), a large rifle and jumped right back in to the boat.  I learned later, that he knew, as soon as we saw it, that this was a very fresh leopard kill and that the leopard would not quickly abandon his “booty”.

They followed the trail for a couple hundred meters and saw a thicket ahead.  With hand gestures, they communicated that the carcass, and in all likelihood the leopard, would be there.  They took off their shoes and slowly proceeded.  Just prior to the thicket, they came to a dry streambed and THERE…THREE METERS AWAY was the leopard.  It eventually wandered off and they were able to follow it for a short way.  In the thicket they did find the carcass, hidden from the vultures and nearby, a tree with all kinds of animal residue in it’s branches.  This was definitely a preferred dining spot for this very large leopard.  They commonly take their kills up in to the trees to get them away from hyenas.  Once a hyena gets wiff of one of these kills (which doesn’t take long in this hot African sun), the leopard can expect a visitor early in the evening, when the hyena wakes up.  And although the leopard commonly kills (and drags up a tree) animals that are one and a half to two times it’s size, it doesn’t ever mess with a hyena.

So, these guides come back to camp, all bubbly and call for Echbert (who runs the lodge) to jump in the boat…they are going to show him a leopard!  He has worked at the lodge for four years and has never seen one yet.  They came over to our site and also invited Ilene and I to come join them.

Echbert (camera) has never seen a leopard. The slump continues!

It was very exciting, following the guide in complete silence (although I just couldn’t walk as quietly as he could) through the bush of Africa.  Sun beating down on us, hot breeze  in our face, sweat drying from our skin before we get a chance to be cooled from it.  Creeping intently by a bush, along the dry streambed, over a burned out grassland, around a rock.

INTENSITY - is it in these bushes?

We didn’t find the leopard.  They were apologizing, but I had just had a most wonderful experience.  The rawness and intensity of the trek will last much longer than the spotting of the leopard would have.  We went back to the carcass and they explained that they knew right when they saw it that the remains were from a leopard kill.  The leopard immediately removes the intestine (which is what the vultures were feeding on) and then drags the prey to another site and eventually up a tree.  When the guide also grabbed, disected and smelled the fecal matter from the intestine, he knew that this kill had happened very recently…within a couple of hours.  They pointed out the puncture marks in the throat of the Kudu – which are from the teeth of the leopard and typical of how they kill their prey.

As with all of nature, this place can be just beautiful on one hand, and unbelievably cruel on the other.

Sata is Zambia’s new president.

There WAS some upheaval in Lusaka, but when they announced the results at midnight on Thursday night, THE WHOLE TOWN WOKE UP FOR A PARTY.  Unfortunately, we weren’t here to witness it.  I guess it was just nuts.  Honking, shouting, dancing going on all night.  When we came in to town on Friday afternoon……….Lusaka was “asleep”.  We were worried about rioting little hoodlums, destroying property and maybe attacking some “muzungus” just for the heck of it.  There was no one around.  We drove right in to town.  No traffic, no shops open, a few people still shouting, honking and doing little “jigs” in the street, but Lusaka is a pretty happy place right now.

So, the former president is living in the presidential palace on Thursday evening.  They announce the election results at midnight.  At one o’clock the next afternoon, they have the inaugeration (sp) and the new president sleeps in the presidential palace THAT NIGHT! (Friday)  I guess the first ladies don’t spend much time talking about the style of champagne glasses and whether the carpets match the end tables in the sitting room…..let alone essential administrative issues that would affect the transfer of the government to a new leader.

It’s the start of  the “hot season” and will go until the rains come in November.

Oh, there is a local (cheap) beer called Shake Shake.  It is packaged in cartons and the locals swear by it.  I was under the impression that it was brewed locally, but on the way home we saw that it comes from TREES!

A Shake Shake Tree.....I wasn't kidding about this one!

Fall in the Methow……. what a wonderful time of the year!

Hello to everyone back home!

1 in 7

There is a guy that I met when I first arrived here named Tennes.  We bought over a hundred desks and chairs that were handmade by him in his funky little woodworking yard, in an area called Kalingalinga.  I really liked him after the first minute that I knew him.  A good business person, very personable, great smile, can remember a measurement from two months ago….just a really good guy.  Recently, I have had a job with him, where he was supplying some boards for benches that the metal shop is making for the village.  At one point, we received a bunch of “bad” quality boards, so I went and met with him to see how we could resolve it.  He didn’t look good at the time and told me he wasn’t feeling well.  Well, things dragged out and the boards issue wasn’t getting resolved.  I went to talk with him again and he wasn’t around, but sent me a text that he had to use all of my money on medicines and that he was really sorry.  I experienced two responses.  1) how serious is this illness?  Is it now life threatening and, 2) you have all the money plus the rejected boards and there is no one else to resolve this with.  I wish I could say my only concern was for his well being, but I struggled with both aspects of the situation.

The statistics vary, but let’s just settle for 1 in 7 people between 18 and 45 years of age are infected with HIV.  You are driving along, turn the corner, there’s seven people walking along the street….one is probably infected.  My apartment building, 8 units, 16 adults…..2 are probably infected.  My street, 15 apartment buildings….30 people infected.  A walk thru the mall, say 2000 people, 285 infected.  It’s staggering and it is a constant source for aid funding, education, grief, corruption, drain on medical resources and on and on.

But today, it was not one in seven…..

It was one of my friends

Tennes died

He leaves behind a wife and four children…one a little girl that he named after a former VSO volunteer.  Her name is Jeanette – she is only a few months old.

I am very saddened by this, but let me end on a “somewhat” lighter note…..unless you are the subjects of this story.  Jeanette recently returned to Africa, and after a stop by our village, she went up to Tanzania to do some research for some studies that she is undertaking at Stanford.  I will try to copy one of her facebook posts….it’s a true story!!

Latest tales from the village – big town meeting happening next door to resolve a conflict between 2 of the church choirs. The small choir wants the big choir’s organist to play with them. The big choir says no. Small choir has suggested that they will chop the organist to pieces with a panga (aka machete) if the big choir refuses. I think the organist might be feeling a little nervous right now. Yep, time to get outta this village.

And finally, a few photos from our boy’s football tournament a couple of weeks ago.  I stopped by the village for something and said, “hey, if anyone wants to go to the boys football match, jump in the Hilux”  I should have made it “by invitation only”.  TWENTY kids jumped in to the truck….how are you going to kick anyone out?

Who wants to go for a ride?

 

The starting lineup

 

Zambia version of "Hotwheels"

 

The playing conditions. Our kids just got "boots" (cleats). The used to play barefoot, or in sneakers

 

Oh, and one LAST (I mean really last this time) little bit.  Ilene is currently in the northern part of Zambia, right along the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on a selection trip of new students for next year.  They are at a refugee camp, interviewing kids, testing them academically (I better have spelled that right!) and doing home visits.  From the short texts that I have received from her, it ain’t no vacation beach in Hawaii, but I bet it will be a very amazing experience none the less.  I am quite jealous and happy for her.

Her longtime friend, Janet, is coming to visit for a couple of weeks on Friday.  We are very excited for this and Ilene is downright “Giddy”

 

 

 

happy birthday :(

I am just returning from a dinner with Mathews….do you remember, he is the kid a bunch of you sponsored last year with his school.  You all were so generous, that there was enough to help me out in covering his school costs again this year.  Well, he just came up to my house this evening to let me know he was “bored”.  He has never done this before, so I invited him in and asked him to sit down.  He immediately got to the krux of his “boredom”…. it was his eighteenth birthday and nobody was doing ANYTHING for him.  I’m sure he was feeling very bad.  I asked if his dad was having a special dinner or anything and he said “No, nothing”.  I told him to go put a shirt on and we would go out to dinner.  I took him to an Indian restaurant and was shocked that he had NEVER been to a restaurant before.  Didn’t know what to do with a napkin….asked if there were cars on the main street throughout the evening, walked in to what, in the states, we would call a somewhat dumpy restaurant and said “Wow, this place is beautiful!  I also learned that not only was his dad not doing anything special for his birthday, he was doing NOTHING AT ALL.  I mean not even planning on feeding him!  He had dinner last night, no breakfast today, no lunch, he would have no dinner, no breakfast tomorrow, no lunch and then probably a dinner.  He typically gets ONE meal a day….and not always that.

Ah, this is hard to take sometimes.  It really ruined the dinner for me – but I think that Mathews was happy to be getting a meal.

Last week, one of the guys in the shop came to me wanting a loan.  I really get tired of getting hit up for money, so I called them all over to the marker board in the shop and prepared to give them a “little lesson” on saving money.  I asked them “How much do you make a month?”

“400,000 kwacha!”

“How much on rent?”

“250″

“How much on a bag of mealie meal?”

“65….if they don’t have any guests”

“Do you have electricity?”

“Yes, 50,000 a month”

“Do you have to buy relishes for your nshima (mealie meal)?”

“Yes, around 100,000 a month”

Are you following my LESSON on savings????  We have covered a T I N Y, one room shack in the compound, the very basics for food (ground corn with some cooked veggies), limited use of electricity and we are already 65,000 kwacha in the hole.  We haven’t even started to address basic body care, household supplies and uniforms so that their kids can go to school.  At this point in my “lesson”, two of the guys eyes were starting to water up.  These are good, hard working, honest young men that are trying to provide for their family and when faced with the reality of their situation,

they too can not hold back the tears.

I just ache for these people.  I thought I would/could get more callous as I lived around this longer, but it just isn’t happening.

It’s very sad…..and overwhelming

We have made a goal TO DOUBLE THEIR INCOME.  We did it last month and it is what is driving me every day now.  I know I can’t save all of Zambia, or all of Africa….but hopefully these three great young men can afford to send their kids to school.

i hope

I “lost” a prior blog where I was reflecting on a conversation that I was having with one of the alumni women.  We were travelling on a bus to Malawi and I was asking her about village life.  She told me that she lives in one of these one room huts with her family when she goes home.  I asked about sleeping, and she said that everyone just puts a mat (not padded, just a reed mat) on the floor and goes to sleep, with just a blanket…no pillow or anything.

At that time, there was a dog next to the bus and I asked if people ever eat the dogs.  She was disgusted and said “Oh no Uncle Jerry”.  I asked about rats.  She lit up and said, “Oh yes, rats are delicious!”  You can even see kids selling them on sticks along side the road at times.  Skewer them, burn the fur off and you’re ready to go.

Yuck

Having problems downloading photos lately.

One last story.  I took 18 of our alumni women to Malawi for an African Reunion with other Pestalozzi alumni from that region.  Going, we left at 4 am (pick up at 3 am) and arrived in Mzuzu, Malawi at 9 pm.  Coming home, we left at 3:30 am and arrived back in Lusaka at 2:30 am the next day – after some problems with a WAY underpowered and jam packed bus!

I am DONE with bus travel in this country

The Gang and our bus that we got to know TOO well

Botswana/Namibia

Ilene and I left for another little adventure this past month.  As I had mentioned earlier, we set off south and west for a few weeks.  The first stop was Livingstone, which is always a pleasure.  We have a great little backpacker’s lodge to stay at.  Great camping on their lawn and all kinds of ammenities…plus it is a very pretty setting. 

Then across the river to Botswana.  This was really interesting.  A pretty funky ferry, but what really got our attention was the landing from the Botswana side to Zambia.  These guys came from everywhere, in dugout canoes, and started unloading all kinds of stuff (tv’s, cases of beer, stereos, tires, etc) off of the ferry and into their canoes.   I asked a local what was going on.  He just said “smugglers”, in a nonchalant tone.  With the immigration office within a distance I could throw a rock, from the ”scene of the crime”, this just didn’t seem possible.  I guess I was a little slow to catch on to the larger picture (AND QUITE A BIT OF BACK SCRATCHIN’) that was going on.

bootleggers…but aren’t they supposed to work under the cover of darkness??

A woman likes her colors!!

 

And then on to Chobe Park.  What a plethora of animals.  We camped outside of the park one night and then went on an overnight on a safari.  It was a real treat.

 

 

first sign as you enter the park region

 

 

water buffalo

 

Kudu

 

Red Sable

 

 

African sunset in Chobe National Park

 

 

 

hey Ilene….seen any LIONS!!!!

 

 

intensity

 

croc stalking lizard

 

elephant eye

 

...and my favorite "Elephant Love". It really is quite touching

 

From Chobe, we headed south right through the Kalahari Desert,  to a city called Maun.  It is a stopping place to visit the Okavango Delta.  Unfortunately, where we wanted to go was washed out and they said that we would have to go on a safari to see the park, as our car could not make it.  It would be very expensive, so we had to pass and proceed on to Windhoeck, the capital city.  This is a very interesting city….very hilly.  It seems like every home has a view and pleasant architecture.  But this is not where we were interested in spending our time, so it was on to the Dunes area.  The largest sand dunes in the world.  We woke at 4:30 one morning, so that we could be at the park gate when it opened at 5 AM, and at one of the dunes to climb, before it got light.  The intention was to watch the sunrise from the top of the dune, which we were able to do.  It was a very beautiful, enchanting morning.

 

 

 

Sunrise in the Namib Desert

 

the view from our campsite

 

And from the dunes region, we travelled by a GREAT bakery, in the middle of nowhere and on to Swakopmund.  This had the most barren stretch of desert that I can imagine.  In the picture below, this scene went on for HOURS! 

 

Where's the road?

 

 

and finally, the Atlantic Ocean. First up...fish and chips!

This area was in the midst of more rain than they had seen in a long time….perhaps since EVER recorded!  In one region we heard that they had had more rain in the past three months than they had had in the past FIFTEEN YEARS COMBINED.  And we did get dumped on one evening/morning/afternoon.  Must say that our REI tent didn’t leak a drop through it all too. From here we went inland a bit (as the coast is just sand to ocean and not all that interesting) and headed north.  We saw ancient rock art at the White Lady site and drove on up to an area called Palmwag.  It was interesting, but a lot of dirt road driving.  It was here that we also started paying the price of trying to make our tires go a bit further than they were ready to offer.  After three “incidents” (a flat, a puncture and a blow out), we finally bought a set of new tires all the way around, when we got to an area with a tire store. We eventually made it to Etosha National Park.  Camped outside the park in a hell of a thunder and lightning storm and the next morning drove in to the park.  It was a real let down.  There has been so much rain that the animals are nowhere near the “reliable” water hole sighting areas.  They can get water anywhere at present.  We were going to camp in the park (outrageous fees), but decided to bag it, as the day was not going all that well.  At lunch time, we decided to drive all the way through to the east entrance. Well, what a difference a half of a day makes.  The east end was LOADED with wildlife.  We had a wonderful time.  With Ilene driving, we decided to be “pirates” and go through a blocked off (closed) area.  We knew the reason some roads were closed was because of the muddy conditions, but we decided to go as far as we could.  It ended up being a great decision…but close to catastrophic, as Ilene had to negotiate a substantial mudhole at the very far end of the road.  It was an  enchanting afternoon/evening. 

Ostrich

 

Big Bruiser

 

Kudu

 

setting sun on a giraffe

 

 

 

a day that started off rough, but ended in..... glory

 

 

From here, we got so entranced with the adventure, that we really had no plans for where we were going to stay that night.  We left the park way after dark and there was nowhere to camp.  Not a great situation, but we just started driving and eventually found a place to crash for the night.  One of the two nights that we didn’t spend in the tent for the three week period. 

 

The next day we headed for the Caprivi Strip, and again, were turned away, due to our intended destination being flooded out.  This became a common theme as we were in northern Namibia.  Whoda’ thunk????  And then on to the border crossing in to Zambia and over to Livingstone again.  We decided to go out to the falls, to see the water at high level.  Basically all you see is a cloud of, well, water….but it is impressive.

 

at the top of the falls

 

And then back to Lusaka the next day.

 

It was an interesting trip, glad we did it, but would be hesitant to do that much driving again.  Please let me know if all of these pictures make it combersome to view the blog.  I took the time to make them all smaller files, but I’m not sure if it is enough.

 

Happy Spring to all of you in the Northern Hemisphere!

 

Coming HOME!!!! (close)

Well, living this life seems ripe for so many opportunities.  Some good (beautiful, touching, fun, funny….), some bad (cruel, inefficient, unfair….).   A week from last Tuesday, I got a call from VSO-Zambia  (the volunteer organization I am in Africa with) asking if I could escort a fellow volunteer back to the U.S.  He needed to go quickly and they (being Zambians) could not get a VISA that fast.  Of course I agreed to do it, but then the pot got a bit sweeter as they offered to fly me home to Seattle for a week before I had to return.

WHEN DO I LEAVE?????

Well, they wanted me to leave the next morning.  No problemo!   In that short time, I had lined a pick-up at Sea Tac to stay with my sister, plans were under way to crash a good buddies birthday party, by surprise, etc.

We did have some problems, however.  I won’t go in to another persons affairs in this blog, but suffice it to say, we had a bit of difficulty getting on the plane in Lusaka and when we got off in Johannisburg, things really went south.  It ended with a cancellation of our connection flight to Atlanta and an ambulance ride to the hospital.  So, last week was spent taking a taxi back and forth to the hospital, while maintaining constant communications with CUSO-VSO (Canada), VSO (UK), VSO (Zambia), insurance company (Joburg) and insurance (VSO-UK).   I was the only representative in Joburg and a lot of people had a lot of questions and plans to make. 

We got through the week, the volunteer seems to be comfortable and I flew back to Lusaka last Wednesday.  I do wish for his recovery and eventual return to his family in the states.  Wish I had good news to report, but once I left the scene, I have been given no more information.  I am hoping that he is on a plane today.

On a personal note, I am left with a couple of challenges.  First, after such an intense week and leaving it unresolved, I would like to know that he is home, with his family, rather in Joburg….so far from everyone and everything that he is comfortable with. 

Also, I am struggling with the change of events.  In Buddhism, I have studied the perils of “attachment”.  I will readily admit that I became quickly and thoroughly attached to the idea of going home to family and friends for a quick visit.  It’s funny, a few days earlier, it wasn’t even a thought.  After it became a thought and then a reality and then NOT a reality, I was very disappointed.

Ilene and I are off to Botswana and Namibia in a week.  It will be a three week journey by car.  Can’t wait to see lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes, etc, in Chobe National Park, then to the beautiful Okavango Delta, further south along the edge of the Kalahari Desert, to the sand dunes of Namibia (the largest in the world).  Then out to the coast of Namibia and up to Etosha National Park in northern Namibia.  I don’t know how we will get home from there, but I’m sure there is a way. 

Please keep your fingers crossed for our 1996 Rav4, with miles and miles (make that kilometers and  kilometers) of travel in it’s near future.  If you don’t hear from us, please send water to somewhere in the Kalihari!!!

We had a field day last Friday, where I work.  I will leave with a few photos of that event.

I tried to scare them with my "sports uniform", but it didn't work....the Red Team got last place for the day

Tug of War

Broken Rope!!! who's the winner?

Yellow Team wins!

Cheers

Jerry

Another Blog

Another volunteer turned me on to this blog of (I believe) someone she knows.  They decided it would be a good idea to travel by car through a pretty remote area of the DRC.  It is a very long blog, but chock full of adventure travel…I mean REAL adventure travel.  Few will want to read all of it, but some of you “knuckle draggers”, like myself will thoroughly enjoy it.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/democratic-republic-congo-lubumbashi-kinshasa-53285-3

One year anniversary

A fresh load of new volunteers just arrived this past weekend.  As usual, a whole bunch from the UK, quite a few from the Netherlands, a couple of Ugandans and one from the states.  But what came clearly to mind was that, this was ME almost a year ago, to the day. 

You learn a lot in a year here.  I wish I could report on my great strides made with regard to patience, but that is almost a daily challenge for me.  It has been a blessing to live so close to the way people really live here….although I come nowhere near living their financial hardship and struggle for day to day existence.  It hasn’t been an easy year and I do miss many things about my life back in the states, but I do have great satisfaction with regard to “getting out of the comfort zone” and living, feeling, seeing, smelling, hearing how other people spend their conscious time on this planet….and especially the people that didn’t get such a fortunate draw , when it came time to enter this life.

Crime

is on my mind this evening.  Two of our female volunteers were walking back to the village from a local shopping center and got mugged about 100 meters from our village, in the middle of the afternoon.   It happens a lot around here.  A week and a half ago, one of our board member’s gaurds got shot in the shoulder.  A few days before that, someone broke in to our village, went straight to the office and stole our computers and printers.  Before that a volunteer had his Dundle? taken from his pack at the bus terminal.  He caught the guy, and a bunch of people beat the hell out of the theif.  Another volunteer was slowed in a roundabout, someone came up to the car, reached in the driver’s window and unlocked the rear door, opened it and took his pack with phone, camera, wallet, passport, work permit.  In Mozambique, our friends had their attention diverted while someone took binoculars and other items from the dashboard.  While camping, the people next to us had someone go thru their tent and took their packs……I will stop there, but the list can go on and on and on.

After our girls got mugged today, I felt like…..I don’t know…..I guess I feel like I really don’t want to live in a country where there are so many people that view me as a target.  It is really a let down, to commit a couple of years of your life to this and have so many people look at you as “something” to take advantage of. 

Perhaps their response would be “Now you know how it feels”

Oh, let’s end on a lighter note!

I just love the guys in the metalwork shop.  One evening this past week, I drew the steps to make an ornamental grill (security)  door.

The Plan

I went in, in the morning, and told them to build THAT.

Two days later, here is what they had done:

Almost done

They were very proud of it and it just FILLED ME UP to have them feel that way about their work.  It will be on the back entrance to the shop, and they will make two double doors for the front in the near future.

So meet the guys

Mabine

 

Gift

 

Charles

 

At work in the shop

 

Being that my sister emailed only to make sure I was still alive, I figured it was probably time for another post. 

Happy New Year! (for me anyway)

Jerry

MOZAMBIQUE…..WE MADE IT!!!!!

I was just reading the last post and fondly remembering the quesiness in my stomach as we took off out of Lusaka in a 1996 used car that we had owned just a couple of days….. headed for Mozambique!!!  Many would call it a foolhardy thing to do – and after having done it, I would have no rebuttal   

BUT

we got away with it this time.

After two weeks of downpour showers in Zambia, we took off for Mozambique on December 9, wondering WHY we were choosing to do this trip at this time of the year.  Everything is wet, with flooding after every shower….I must say that we packed our small backpack tent in to the car with a great deal of trepidation and off we went for our first stop in Chipata (Zambia, but on the Malawi border).  Here we stayed with our Brit friends, Alan and Frances, who were also leaving on the same trip, but in their car. 

Alan is here as an accompanying partner (husband) of Frances, who is working with local farmers in the Eastern Province.  Alan became friends with a leader in a small village near Chipata and over time got a brainstorm idea that HE could build them a school.  A short term volunteer from the UK, who arrived with our group, returned home and managed to fund raise enough money to get the project under way.

Now realize that these local kids were going to school under a completely open air “insaka”, about ten feet in diameter.  There are MANY more kids that want to go to school, but just not the resources to accommodate them.  Alan drew up some plans for a much larger facility and after visiting the chief for approval (and giving him an offering of a GOAT), received permission to go ahead with the project.  Ilene and I visited just after they had completed the shelter.  They plan to have 150 kids going to school there in the near future.

Alan, his crew and the NEW SCHOOL!!! (Congrats Alan)

From Chipata, we drove over the boarder to Malawi and further south to a town called Lilongwe, where we camped for the night (after pulling Alan and Frances’ car out of a mud bog just as it was getting dark).

Ilene playing games with kids as we wait for truck to pull car out of mud

The next day we decided to take the “short cut” to the Entre Lagos boarder crossing in to Moz.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the bridge that eventually made us take the “long route”, but suffice it to say that another unfortunate soul had clearly gone THRU (and not over) the bridge.  As we arrived, about 75 locals immediately “appeared” and insisted that they could put planks over the hole and it would be “good”.  “Good” depends on who’s car it is and whether you are driving the car or waiting for the show to begin.  As I contemplated a way to make it work, I went over to Alan only to receive his sage advice….

“There is no way in hell I am taking my car over that bridge”

Fortunately, we back tracked and took the long way.  Here are a few scenes from the 2 hard days of dirt road driving:

Ilene trying to catch a ride in a Landrover instead of our Rav 4

 

Friends, as you to go to bed in your comfortable home this evening, there are millions and millions of Africans waking up in these typical huts

 

a local bus, as we approach Ihla Mozambique

Ihla Mozambique is really an interesting place.  It was a former Portugese trading center and was obviously BOOMING in it’s day….but now, almost a ghost town, with the relics of a very rich past.  It was strange walking amongst all of these old decaying buildings – you could easily FEEL the energy of days gone by.

Oh, I got stung above the eye, by a wasp (I think?) along the way to the coast.  A little irritation for a couple of days, followed by a little swelling and then one morning I woke up looking like this:

"In the clearing stands a boxer, a fighter by his trade..."

Doesn't much matter what country, kids love to be photographed

From Ihla Moz to Pemba.  This is a place that I found on line and sort of made it the destination for the trip.  We stayed at a WONDERFUL, relaxing camp just outside of town and right on the water.  Highlights were hours in the hammock reading and snoozing, a mud bath (very gooey and fun), snorkelling with beautiful fish and THE beach bar of my dreams (when I was contemplating this trip from far away Zambia)

We stopped by here for a beer....turned in to three beers, a couple games of cribbage and a prawn dinner until it got dark

Then on to Ibo Island.  This is another former Portugese trading stronghold.  A beautiful island, reached by driving down miles and miles of dirt road, parking your car in a make shift enclosure and sailing out through the mangroves to the island – about an hour to hour and a half away.

We went out to a ship wreck to go snorkelling.  I really can’t fault the captain on this one.  It is way out in the middle of the Indian Ocean… you just wouldn’t believe that you could ever go aground here.  But the fish were amazing.  If they had been in an aquarium, you would accuse the owner of being cruel to these animals for packing them in there so tightly.  The best I have ever experienced.  A few highlights from Ibo:

not Ibo, but near where we went snorkelling

 

bike ride through the town

 

This touched me, as I have built MANY similar boats in my youth and sailed them off to unknown adventures. These boys really had it down though

 

Boats in the bay on Ibo

 

Then on to a little peninsula called Pengane.  Ilene wasn’t really excited about this little adventure, after reading about the road out to it.  It calls for 10 KM of soft sand track, and recommended to deflate tires for better traction and only go out there with 4 wheel drive.  Well, we had 4WD and I was all over it.

I have to admit that my knuckles were sore from grabbing the wheel so tightly for 10 solid KM’s, but what a gorgeous little fishing village.  The way these people live is just amazing – totally dependant on the sea.  The little girls would net fish along the shore during the day, while the older boys would go out to sea in these SKIMPY little dugouts.  Along the beach, there is constantly some sort of fish on drying racks in the sun, or situated around a charcoal fire.  It is a very special place.

The "Road to Pangane"

 

Scenes from a fishing village

 

fish drying EVERYWHERE

 

The village huts...you know, these guys don't have it too bad

 

Ilene was picking up shells and soon found a helper

 

women and girls in the region commonly apply this paste to their face as a sort of "facial". These girls were just sitting at the edge of where we were camped and watched us for about an hour. I thought "Hell, if they are going to sit around and bug us, I'm finally going to go get the picture that I have been to reserved to go for."

 

Pangane camp site

 

By this time, as you may have been able to tell by the photos, we have had a LOT of sun and it was hot.  We were very pleased to be on our way to Gurue, which is up in the mountains, amongst tea plantations.  Another beautiful place.  This is one that Ilene had heard about and that SHE really wanted to go to, and I had a few reservations as to whether it put us in a very good place to get back to Malawi from.  It was an arduous 13 hour (stop only for gas) drive and we made it just after dark, in a DOWNPOUR.  The cooler temperatures were a real relief.  Here, we stayed at a Catholic Mission that catered to small business enterprises.  They had an amazing woodworking shop, an equal metal shop, grinding mills, electronics, automotive and agriculture programs, and their own mill for cutting lumber.  All of this surrounded by a very quaint village among towering mountains (for Africa) and tea plantations.  A wonderful spot.  When we arrived, they told us to unload our bags and that dinner was in 5 minutes.  A sit down dinner for about 20 guests from all over the world.  It was great!

I did a little photo essay of women carrying “stuff” on their heads.  This will never cease to amaze me.  The loads that are carried in this manner are amazing.  Huge sacks of grain, a meter wide baskets FILLED with fruit, large tubs of water….ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!!

                                                                                                                                     

LET ME BE VERY BLUNT

Most of the women in these countries work there ass off.  They make the meals, do the dishes, take care of the kids, carry the water, collect firewood, work in the fields, clean the house and surrounding landscape, harvest the crops, dry the food, etc.

The men….. don’t do ANY of that stuff.  It is the men that hang out in the villages at night and drink, chatter about and who knows what.  Some are hard working, of course, but too many are not.  It is very sad to see.

This last photo, I am giving special importance to.  We met this couple while hiking around in the tea plantation.  The husband was very upset about something and very perturbed with his wife.  He was yelling this and that and making all sorts of gestures with his hands and arms.  This while she carries the load of firewood on her head and his child in her tummy.  He would not even think of helping her out.

I have a hard time even "looking" at this photo

And here are a couple of the typical houses in the area.  It is very beautiful

And on to Lake Malawi.  We spent New Years here – arriving in a downpour, after a long, hard drive.  Pretty uneventful New Years, but we can’t complain, as it’s been a very interesting trip up to this point.  We camped the first night and after waking up at five AM to a party that was still going right next to us, we splurged on a wonderful hut, right on the sandy beach of the lake.  Now THIS was relaxing

A welcome reprieve from a bad New Year's in the tent

Can you say "Kick your feet up???"

A fitting end to the trip

Well that’s about it for the Mozambique adventure.  It was a very memorable trip and all in all came off pretty smoothly.  The kids are arriving back in the village and it sure is good to see them.  It just doesn’t feel right without their energy around.  Plus we have about 20 new kids to the village that we are all excited to welcome in.

Friends from Seattle (Dana, Martha and family) have been with us the past couple of days.  They are off to South Luangwa and will be back next week.  It’s so nice to have visitors from back home.

Anyone else????

Happy trails to the skiers in the Methow.  I understand that you have been DUMPED  on this year.

And Happy New Year to ALL

Jerry and Ilene

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…..

Hey why's that guy sitting in the basket, in that crazy red suit?

…actually, it isn’t

It is a holiday season, like summer break, but it doesn’t seem like anyone gets very excited for Christmas.  It is a “day” when people go to church and maybe have a bit nicer of a dinner.  The kids at our village have never even heard of Santa Claus.  I find it interesting, confusing, comical to try to explain what Santa is and isn’t. 

As far as the holiday goes, all the kids have returned to their rural villages.  It is right at the beginning of the rainy season, so they will most likely spend their time weeding and planting in their families fields.

It also means that Ilene and I are off until after the first of the year. 

Mozambique here we come!!

We just took possession of a Rav4 today

 and as soon as we get all the paperwork processed, we are headed to Chipata, where we have some volunteer friends, then will cross the border to Malawi, head south for a while and cross the border to Mozambique, and in to some pretty dicey (but beautiful) mountain roads.  From there to the coast and beach camping, until it is time to return to work.  It should be a bit of an adventure and we’re really excited to leave.

So, this posting I will share some photos of where we live.  It is a dumpy building, but the apartment grows on you.

 

flamboyant tree

 

I love driving under this tree every day (it's a Flamboyant!)

 

but this is our entry (upper right)

 It’s plenty comfortable and I must admit, better than expected after going through the training back home.

Well, Happy Holidays…. I will check back in after the trip to Moz.  Ilene and I are making pizza tonight

Yummmmmmy

Oh, I need to share one more tree that bloomed before the Flamboyant.  It’s called a Jacaranda.  It loses all of it’s leaves in June/July then in September, rather than budding then producing flowers….it just goes right to the beautiful flower stage.  Almost like mother nature didn’t want to have any distractions from the beautiful flower she was about to produce.  These are all over the country!

Jacaranda in September...stunning

Settling in to Africa (also Zambezi River 3 – Knucklehead 0)

I was thinking the other day….the things that were once sooo bizaar when I first arrived in Africa, seem to have become just a part of every day life.  I thought it might be interesting to list a few items that come to mind…so here goes:

Our driver went out to get new tires for my “Ride”

LOVE THIS VEHICLE

Anyway, he got the tires, but didn’t get them installed (couldn’t tell you why not)  I asked if he could go do that, which he did, but came back later that day with the same ol’ tires on the Canter.  When I asked why, he said that they didn’t have the right size spanner (lug wrench).  He said we would have to go buy one.  I asked why THEY didn’t go buy one.  He said that they used to have one, but finances got tight one day, so they sold the spanner so that they could get transportation to get home.  And that’s where we are at, at present.

A friend has a child who was visiting his grandmother.  He decided to run away and no one bothered to tell her for two days.  When she called the police, she was informed that she would have to come to the station to give them money for fuel to help find her kid.

These are the worst drivers I have ever seen.  It was a total daredevil venture whenever I was on the motorcycle.  I was stopped at a roundabout a while back, waiting for a spot to enter and got rearended by a car.  That was very upsetting, so I don’t ride the bike far from where I work anymore.

I haven’t had a drink out of the “tap” since leaving home.  All water is boiled and then filtered.

I have only had a few showers since leaving.  We have a bathtub and no shower for some reason…  but it is the norm here.  So the easiest thing to do is sit in the tub with a big bucket and a bowl to splash water all over – you get used to it.

Intonations of the voice mean so many things that I haven’t figured out yet.  “aaaaaAAAAHHHHaa” I think means something like “Oh, really?”  There are loads of them.

When you enter a roundabout, you give way to traffic on your right EXCEPT when you are in the area of President Banda’s house.  Then you don’t stop…it’s so the big cheese can travel with greater convenience.

At intersections, there isn’t necessarily a stop sign if you are supposed to stop.  There should at least be a white line, but it is usually faded away….if there ever was one.  I remember driving through the city when I first arrived and asked “How do you know that you are supposed to stop at this intersection?”  Answer…”It’s just something that you pick up”  There are no signs or markers.

So that’s just a couple of items…the list could go on and on.

Work with the alumni girls is going well.  We have switched gears and are selling to retail shops.  Being able to offer special makeup products and gearing toward the “muzungu” market made a huge difference.  They are now making some good money and learning a great deal about running a small business.

The metal shop is booming with projects.  Right now, we are making 12 bunk beds and then we make some “artistic” (security), grill doors  then we will be making some coffee stand kiosks for a number of airport locations and then perhaps a display area for another shop at the Lusaka airport and on and on.  I am training three workers in the shop and having a wonderful time sharing the skills.  They are totally psyched to learn something that has greater potential than pulling weeds and digging ditches for the rest of their lives and I appreciate working with these guys that are trying so hard…making plenty of mistakes, but it is because they are trying.

Last weekend, Ilene and I went down to Livingstone for her birthday get-away.  We stayed with a wonderful VSO couple from Australia.  It was SO HOT (over 40 – or 100 for you Yanks), but fortunately, they have a pool. 

The first evening, we went to one of the most fantastic places to have a “sundowner”.  It is a hotel right on the Zambezi River and just above the falls (Victoria Falls).  On the way home, we did have to slow down for an elephant in the road.  It is amazing, they are just on the outskirts of town.

The second day, we crossed the border in to Zimbabwe.  I had not seen the falls from that side, and it really was beautiful, and it is always interesting just doing a border crossing.  So here is a few photos of the falls:

a small section of the falls

Oh, these bugs are SOOO tasty

from the Zambian side

This was just "Sweet". These baboons were hanging out right on the edge of the cliff

And now a little story, before I watch our boys play the kids from the local compound in football. 

Kristen (guy from Australia) asked me if I wanted to go boogie boarding in the Zambezi River…just below the falls.  He surfs a standing wave and offered that I might be able to boogie board it.  This was a no brainer of a decision for me and we left at about 6 am to be there before it got too hot out.  We also had a goal to paddle across the river and walk around at the base of the falls. (things are a bit less regulated around here). 

So, we walked down to the river and it was there that the adventure began.  The entry in to the river was to jump in to some boiling white water and float down to the wave.  This was a bit more intimidating than the actual event and it was great to be playing in a river.  I tried to catch the wave four times and just couldn’t get it to hold me.  So, we decided to walk a ways up the river on the Zimbabwe side and then jump in and paddle up the river to the base of the falls.  If you look at the above picture “from the Zambia side”, we paddled to the point at the bottom of the photo.  From here, we made an aggressive paddle across the current, got washed down river a ways and then caught a back eddy and were at the base of the falls.  We were able to walk around the falls, until we were at a place that was like being in a hurricane.  Lots of falling water powered wind and pouring…..very fun. 

Then back to the boogie board and flippers and we now prepared to again cross the river.  Kristen went first on his surfboard and to our dismay, the current was too strong to cross and he got washed in to the back eddy and back up to me.  We both looked at eachother and wondered how we were going to get out of this one.  So, we took the gear off and climbed through some rocks and entered further upstream, in a pretty strong current.  Off he went again, and after about a 45 second struggle, just barely made the current that went over to the other side.  I knew it was going to be a struggle for me, as I wasn’t as quick on the boogie board, as he was on the surfboard.  I stood for what seemed like a couple of minutes on a rock, contemplating the whitewater I was about to dive in to and the consequences if I didn’t make it…..it wasn’t good.  I knew that I would not have the energy to try again very soon.

So, a leap into frothing whitewater and I started kicking with everything I had.  Then I stopped to realize I would have to do this for quite a while and could not keep that pace up.  So I backed off and read the current.  It didn’t read well…I had doubts that I was going to make it.  Then I hit a calm stretch and paddled hard – and made some ground (water).  I gave it everything I could muster and in the end, where the current hit a wall and some water went downstream and the rest went in to that dreaded backeddy – my body split the difference.  The board and my shoulders were headed downstream and my legs were headed for the backeddy.  I felt like one of those salmon in the locks, that makes one short burst to climb the fish ladders. 

I just barely made it.  Kristen was there with a “Good on ya Mate!”  I was REALLY tired. 

After catching my breath, he informed me that we needed to float through rapid #1, stay to the left and catch the back eddy to where we could pull out.  “Make sure you stay to the left”.  After questioning him about that, he replied “Just follow me mate”. 

What we did NOT discuss was RAPID #1.  This is a class four rapid, with two HUGE standing waves…..that I was about to enter on a boogie board!  I was totally thinking “stay left”, when we came upon the first wave.  HOLEY SMOKES!!  There was about a two foot drop and huge acceleration in to a four foot wall of frothing, standing wave.  I don’t have any idea just how I got through it, but summitted the top, only to look at a four to five foot drop and another four to five foot wall of nastiness.  This time, my leg hit a rock in the bottom and I emerged at the top in nowhere near as good of shape as after the first wave.  I was upside down, had lost the board and the tether to it was wrapped around my leg, which was facing the wrong direction to “stay to the left”.    After another noticeable struggle, I was able to catch the back eddy, where Kristen was waiting with a “How’d it go mate?”

How did it go????

That river had just totally kicked my bootie……and I loved it.  I do have a memento of that rock as a reminder however:

Zambezi River 3 – Uncle Knucklehead 0

Happy Hunting season to the Methow folks…hope you have your firewood in.

Cheers,

Jerry