Nico and a few thoughts

I’ve picked up a few words of the local languages…3 of 72 local Zambian dialects to be correct. There are 7 core languages, each having 5 + local differences…making 72 distinct ways of saying “I don’t speak english”. The title is just “how are you?” in Bemba, Tonga and Nyanja languages. Greeting and swear words are what I have learned so far, the basis to any foreign language. In Lusaka, and most urban areas of Zambia, English is spoken very well as it is the official Zambian national language. As you can see, like other Bantu languages (a group of south African languages including xhosa), there are many

similarities in all of them, and most Zambian can speak 4 of the main 7 languages.

Road trip 2007

I did take a road trip this past week, but really what I mean is the whole year of 2007 will be a road trip spent in my jeep named Grandpa Lion. My 6 volunteers live all over zambia, the closest is and hour and half, and the farthest is in a small town/village called Samfya…9 hour drive away which was this past weeks trip. As team leader I’m responsible for all the volunteers, support, feedback for work, drop offs, aiding in their workshops and sidevisits = lots of hours of driving alone with the ipod firmly attached. After the two week long orientation I prepared, it was time for the volunteers to enter their communities where they will be staying for the next 6 to 12 months. The jeep packed, everyone inside, grandpa would not start. After 3 hours of grandpa being stubborn and a few love whacks to the engine, I was off. First to the city of Kabwe, and then the journey to Samfya where a dutch volunteer would be working.

Samfya – crocodile wrestling.

I was pretty disappointed. I had heard stories of this place for the past two weeks. A small community far north east of Lusaka, close to Congo and Tanzania, on a giant lake,

filled with a laid back peaceful lifestyle, with hut villages surrounding the calm sunset driven waters. I was told crocodiles. I imagined myself going with the local villagers in their canoes late at night with a giant spear and hunting croc. Bringing the croc back to the people, and maybe as a gift the villagers would give me a tribal headdress. Well… it didn’t happen that way. Samfya is stunning, remote, peaceful, and spectacular. Yes. Samfya is a fishing community where fresh fish are picked up by the villagers in small hand carved canoes they run off from the sand beaches. Yes. Crocodiles exist…but they are illegal to hunt! However this low point was countered by the intriguing stories of croc-men. Men who by witchcraft were changed into crocs, and sometimes make appearances in human form late at night, only to trick small children to coming close, before their jaws snap ontop of them. Croc-men..clever onces they are…

And the rest.

After a month a half of solid work everyday, I am taking a few days off for downtime. To be enjoyed…

that time of the year again. this isn’t the first time i’ve celebrated a birthday in the southern hemisphere, but it was a memorable one. There were pre birthday celebrations to be had with my volunteers and colleagues at the 24 hour lusaka bar, but i wouldn’t say it was the same kind of birthday “pressure” drinking that used to go on in university (”birthday boy!!! you need drinks in boooth hands”)

I’ve been very busy planning and faciliating my general orientation for new volunteers here in Zambia. Getting them in the mode for culture shock, development through sport and language sessions has been a learning experience for all of us. I celerbrated my birthday at work you could say, although work is never normal,

Morning: I provided sessions on HIV/AIDS general information

Lunch: I ran around Lusaka in da jeep to pick up a colleague at the airport

Afternoon: Second community field trip in Matero community. The idea is to get the volunteers ready for “african life” - and also learning to work within the communities sports programs. For diner we stayed in the village for a tradtional supper.

Supper: Caterpillars, kapenta, nshima, kalialia and friends. I forgot the word they use for Caterpillars, and its hard to describe what the others are.

Caterpillars were fried, dosed with salt oil, tomatoes and onions. They were very black and have a white crisp to them. The volunteers tried their best to eat them up, but as usual, i pounded them back. I wouldn’t say they were great, that perhaps I would chose pizza over caterpillars if given the choice (or pizza with caterpillars on top?). Very crunchy, where you can really feel the legs still. closest comparison would be really crisp and soaked in oil small black cheetos (if you know what cheetos are, potato chips kinda). And yes, they were dead before they were fried, and yes there were many jokes about them still moving in our stomachs after eating them.

Evening: we had another feedback of community session and the volunteers surprised me with a cake! I was happy

Thank you to you all for your birthday wishes, who knew facebook would keep me so happy.

In zambia, and busy,

the old guy