Hello from Africa!

First of all let me apologize for the slew of posts at a time. While Zambia time is noteably relaxed Peace Corps time is a marathon race and I'm finally to a water station! The network here has been pretty unrealiable but I'd like to get a few things to show everyone if possible. Because things have been so hectic I'll likely post excerpts from my journaling to give you the freshest perspective on this new life and the many new experiences.

To give you a quick recap. In the last couple weeks I have:
Traveled from COS to Philly. Philly to Newark airport. NJ to South Africa. SA to Zambia. I stayed at a "hotel" for 3 days (where several of us didn't have water and when we did it was either cold or scalding hot. Oh yeah and several people got electricuted while bathing). I took a croweded land cruiser on an 8 hour drive through the bush to southern province to stay at site with a volunteer for 4 days. Then back to the hotel in Lusaka and finally a shorter but more crowded land cruiser ride to Chimpembi where we will conduct training for the next 3 monhs.

This is a journal excerpt from that first site visit on 6/16/14:
I need to sleep but how could I lying beneath this canopy of stars. Millions of tiny lights twinkle while the milky way ripples across the universe. Today is day 1 of first site visit. Maureen has been very hospitable and the crazy long shopping list we secured groceries according to wasn't even made by her. In any case the 5 of us won't go hungry. We rose early before the sun this morning to pack the cruiser and drive south through Lusaka to Choma in the southern province. The first group was dropped off 5 hours into our drive. Before leaving we had the pleasure of meeting the cheif of that region. After a quick lesson on how to greet and where to sit we were escorted to his "palace." That is what they are called but I use that term loosley as it was a cement house with ragged furniture and real windows. A palace for rural Africa indeed.  We sat while a few exchanged some Tonga dialouge and then we were each given a chance to introduce ourselves. Our group was split between two vehicles so only Sara and I had the pleasure of meeting the Cheif. Once we were excused/said goodbbye we jumped back into the cruiser and continued on to the southern provincial house. The "house" was much nicer than I anticipated. With 30 hostel style beds, a large kitchen, entertainment area with many couches, a garden, a basketball court or at least a hoop, and a couple bathroom areas they truely made it a little slice of America to escape to monthly for the volunteers. It is also the biggest prov house of the bunch so I won't get my hopes up too much. After we were spoiled with some cheese from the local co-op (curtesy of David after us practically beggging him to put some food in our bellies) we jumped back into the cruiser for the last leg of our journey to site. We've all decided Maureen is hooked up! She has a nice hut which she has renovated to make larger, cemented and painted the walls, and even has a tin roof. In addition she pretty much has the best Zambian family ever on her compund, cell service at site, and only a 12 min bike ride to her school. She teaches only 1 class period a day though she does many other programs. The southern province is known for the livestock and the host family has cows and lots of chickens. We will be learning how to milk the cows and kill a chicken tomorrow. I sat for a while with Maureen's host father and grandfather and got a small tonga lesson while asking about the village where 3 generations have resided. I think I can honestly say I've never met a kinder stranger than Ba Levius. He really loves Maureen as his own daughter. He says he will ask for another volunteer once her service is done. There will be 2 more after her since Peace Corps allows 3 generations of volunteers to serve at a single site, giving that area 6 years of service total. Whoever replaces her will have a sweet set up (too bad for us Maureen still has a year left.)