Monday, June 6, 2011

23-5-11
went to mukwela clunic-an hour bike ride both ways. sat in on a VCT (volunteer counseling training?) it is a class for pregnant women and their partners to learn about HIV/AIDS and how they can pass it along to their child.  they then get tested.  the clinic is much different then the one that is 10km from me.  mukwela clinic has several buildings a maternity ward and computers for keeping data.  I then visited a training center where they have carpentray, livestock, catering, and tailoring.  I also weighed myself at the clinic, gained ten pounds (not even joking) since leaving training. got a box of condoms to give to my villagers.  I came home and my host mom , mutinta, had saved me lunch :) chopped some wood with my neighrbor my neighrbors boyfriend came over
24-5-11
a chicken stole my bread this morning off my lap.  i took it back from him.  sat in on a grade 6 english class.  saw the storage room of my school which would be perfect for a school/community library.  picked some tomatoes with some ladies.saw some teachers caning the pupils hands for not coming back to school inthe afternoon to sweep, and slash the grass.  helped my sister with some math.  she used her fingers, toes and her sisters toes to help count.  we had soya pieces (tofu) with some crushed red pepper and garlic powder (thanks jbone for the seasonings)
25-5-11
met my neighrbor clifford to start our comminuity walk which lasted 8 hours and four meals later.  i visited the house of the old volunteer my first meal was chicken, okra and nsiam.  saw a commerical farmers house and his beautiful grave yard.  had some fresh honey, sweeter than sweet and some corn.  then went to the headmans house, ate with his sister, okra, rape eggs, and nsima.  he grows tobacco.  next to another headmans house who has 3 wives and only 12 children.  ate some okra, rape, eggs and another veg.  caome home and had some pumpkin leaves, okra, and nsima.  i got watermelon seeds from one of the villagers.
26-5-11
had my neighrbor make fritters. knocked down a wall in my house. hung a curtain leading into the bedroom.  got water. carried my sister on my back. jumped rope with the kids. had a close encounter with a cow that i thought was on the lose but wasnt.  we had eggs and nsima for dinner.
27-5-11
got a hitch to my boma with an open bed truck (canter).  basically flashed everyone on the truck while attempting to climb over the side to find a seat (which was on the side of the truch with a stranger touching my butt the whole time) met up with larry bits in the boma and had lunch.  my carpenter came over and i drew him my bookshelves I want.  the under 5 clinic was supposed to happen today but they had no shots to give to the children(all the ones under 5) so they got nothing.  bought some okra seeds. 
28-5-11
made some fritters did 2 loads of laundry organized some stuff. got some clothes mended at the tarmac bought 15 eggs only 13 survived the bike home.  showed clifford my snaps and my bataata.  ate sweet potatoes with my bamaama. my neighbors other two children showed up today, alick and elick (her youngest is delick) my sister tried swinging from a branch and it broke so naturally she fell on her head.  a car with a loud speaker was driving around informing the villagers to register to vote at the school over the next two weeks. 
29-5-11
slept in until 8.  went to church. they wanted me to pray and contribute to the bible study.  i polietely declined.  they also tried to get me to dance.  I said I didnt want to embrass them with my sweet dance moves. had soya and eggs and nsima for dinner. got water with my sister. they eat rocks because a lack of iron. i tried and it was disguisting.  gave my  host mom condoms, made her demonstarte how to put one on with a candle.  (thanks jbone for the candles)
30-5-11
had a dance party with amanda (my neighrbor) late to the staff meeting.  got a hitch to choma to collect my package.  turns out the hitch i got is the owner of a local community school.  she works out in choma every monday at a step class (holla). stayed the night at the house because could not find transport and it was getting dark. 
31-5-11
had lunch with tim ( PCV) in choma. headed back home. had rape eggs and nsima for lunch. visited with my friend mildred at her shop on the tarmac. there was supposed to be a tgm (teacher group meeting ) at 16 hours but i showed up to school and it was cancelled.
1-6-11
june 1! WHAT THE FRENCH!!! community walk part 2.  went to a few farms, people gave me two bags of peanuts, watermelon, squash and eggs. met my future husband.  found out that someone doesnt know that condoms are a way to prevent babies. i have my work cut out for me. one of my neighyrbors invited me to her wedding in august.
2-6-11
its so darn cold here It makes me not want to get out of bed i think i am depressed (just kidding dad). went to the tarmac bought a donut found out some info about people who own stores in the area etc. sat in on a grade one lesson that i really enjoyed.  the grade two teacher walks around carrying a stick to beat pupils with.  won't be working with him. did a load of whites swept and dance with rabecca my sister.  lunch was cow, rape and nsima. my sister rabecca knocked down my mirror i hung with a tree limb and almost knocked her eyeball out.  the headman royd came over, telling me again he wants to learn english. for dinner we had butternut squash and nsima. there was a meeting for the commerical famers in my area at my host families house. my husband came to see where i lived today. he said he would come to visit tomorrow. (he never showed)
3-6-11
had some funky tummy isues in the middle of the night. not cool.  observed a grade one class LOVED IT. talked to lauryn apparently the hangover two came out. headed to the tarmac to meet tim. he came to visit for the day.  we cooked roasted peanuts delicious. my neighbor gave us white rice with sugar. lunch was left over cow and nsima. dinner with soya, butter nut and nsima.
4-6-11
got a lot done today. fixed jungle oats for tim and I. did 2 loads of laundry, and my sheets. got water. swept everywhere even under my bed. a neighbor came over and gave me sweet potatoes, made those. wrote a funny letter to my friend deanna in northwestern province. hung my curtains on all three windows. learned some new tonga words with my neighrbors. some ladies collected tomatoes to take to livingstone to sell. we had soya beens butter nut, fish and nsima. the women asked me againwhen i would start teaching them english.
5-6-11
the kids share very well here. they saved fritters for their moms. went to church. first charged my phone at mildreds farm then to church. it was all intonga was completely lost the whole time. collected my phone and got a free soda. bought some saladi (cooking oil) at the tarmac. stopped by the school on my way home ate with the head fish rape and nsima. finised my book Dear Exile, Cried. missed my friends and family. went to cliffords house beacuse my mom was going somewhere and was not cooking. ate with them nsima, rape and veg. there is a guy who plays the guitar at the pilgrim church and walks around on sunday playing it. it makes me smile.
6-6-11
got a hitch to my boma to meet the debs got my hair done.hurt like heck. met some religiuos white people from america. now typing this blog.
thanks for reading
if anyone has any information on how to teach enlgish please send it to me either via email or facebook or my blog or mail. also dot math.  !!!!
BE FREE.
amanda fixed fritters before going to church.