So Zambia is amazing. I went to second site visit, which is were we go and stay for 5 days at our home in our village to explore the area before we actually get posted. Then we went to have language class in another village for 3 days then came back to our homestay families. I love my house, my toilet(hole in the ground) and my bathing area. I went to visit 2 schools in my area there are 7 and two community schools, but only about 3 are in riding distance. I also saw the clinic which is in the process of building more rooms for patients. I hitched to Choma to check out the provincal house, that was awesome. I also am getting some furniture made, a 4 post bed, coffee table, food shelf and a wardrobe closet. When we went to the other village we went to visit with a senior headman where he gave us a pigeon that I killed and we ate. I also milked a cow while we were there. All the schools start off the day by gathering around the flag pole and sing the national anthem. This is when the head teacher aka principal makes annoucements for the day. The pupils have class from about 7 hours till 13 then come back at 14 to do maintance around the school such as slash grass or sweep. I also saw corporal punishment. Not at my school at the other school we stayed at for 3 days. The teacher said if pupils show up late tomorrow they are going to be caned. I didnt think he was serious but sure as can be he caned pupils on the hand about 3 times each hand for showing up late for school. I can tell that this is going to be in internal conflict I will struggle with for the next 2 years. Almost every zambian teacher thinks it is the only way a pupil will learn not to do a behavior. we, my language group went to victoria falls. We stayed in a village called Pemba for 3 days as a language group and our trainer and had to walk about 11 km to get to the tarmac to get a hitch to Choma were our language teacher had connections to get us to Livingstone. I will bungee jump off the bridge before I leave. O I also plan on river rafting and taking a helicopter ride. Because there have not been any volunteers in Southern provinces for two years we had to stay at a school, other people stayed with PCV but we dont have any in the province so that was the reason we stayed at a school. Also, one of the girls in my language group was going to the bathroom and bats flew out while she was squatting over the hole. Needless to say we found other ways to go potty. I got dreads aka locks. I love them and the only up keep is i have to go once a month to my Boma (Choma) to get them relocked and they will wash it then. Other than that I do not wash my hair at all. I will post pictures on facebook of the falls and my hair and my new hut. So on April 23 I will be living in my hut by myself for the next two years and I can't even wait. I tried playing an Aprils Fools joke on my family by telling them I wanted to come home but they didn't believe my. my sister also got engaged HOLLA, she plans on doing a cruise not sure where but should be exciting. I will also have a new address starting April 23 but you can start using it whenever. And if you have already sent stuff to the other address no worries it will get to me, eventually. I love Zambia more and more each day and I can't wait to make improvements to my house. I plan on making a porch with some tarp and poles. I will let you know how that goes.
I found this qoute in Worldview Magazine, its a Peace Corps publication
"Zambia gets in your blood, inhabits your dreams and dares you to be smitten by its charm'
Be Free.
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