Zam Twitter- July 2014

After loosing my last draft of this post to the the failure of my blogger app here is the probably less interesting rewrite.

7/2/14- We like to play a game we invented during our language sessions called goat or child? It's simple really: anytime you hear a noise that is not completely distint someone yells goat or child and then someone guesses while trying to identify the correct answer.

7/3/14- Found a giant trantula in the path between my chimubusu and me. After assessing my sandled feet and the size of the spider I made an audible agreement with said spider. "I'm going to go this way, you are going to go back to the bush and NOT my hut, and we are going to pretend this never happened."

7/4/14- The drunkard who was singing when I went to bed is still at it at 5am this morning.

7/5/14- First language simulation. I can't believe how much we have to learn in such a short period of time.

7/6/14- First real day off since we got here and I couldn't even sleep until 8am. Swept my house while listening to my Mp3 player and when "ain't what you do" came on I stopped and did the shim sham in my hut in rural Africa. *Shout out to all my swing friends reading this

7/7/14- Cultural exchange at its finest! I checked traps for mice this morning.....that my family will eat for dinner. Nothing like hunting mice to make you feel alive in the brisk early morning!

7/8/14- PACA day. A day in which Peace Corps attempts to have you use community assessment tools but in reality just makes you feel like your language skills are crap. Oh and I fetched water.

7/10/14- Foam mattress on the floor is taking a toll on me. Everything hurts. Also a visitor showed up last night which means I have to eat breakfast by the fire.

7/11/14- Gorgeous view as the sun set on one side and the moon rose on the other.

7/12/14- Sick :( (I blame the mandatory flu shots we were given.) We had a session with the cheif today and words didn't exactly match actions as he talked about gender equality and yet the men sat in chairs and all the women sat on the floor......

7/15/14- Found out site assignments! Heading to Luapula province! Also got to meet my head teacher who gave me a giant hug when matched our phrase.

7/16/14- After being in Lusaka the past two days for a host workshop I received a welcome fit for a solider returning from war when came home.

7/17/14- The pretty black and white speckled chicken is actually a rooster!!!!! Sigh.......

7/19/14- Second lanuage simulation.

7/20/14- My first tango with Zam transit. I don't think I've ever been so crammed into a vehicle as I was on public transit today. I can't imagine when it is summer with a bunch of smelly Zambians and I get a baby forced onto my lap. On the plus side I got some beautiful chitenges.

7/22/14- Made it to Luapula for site visit. Quite possibly one of the most confusing days of my life.

7/23/14- Children were repurposed today from learners to slaves as my house repairs had not yet been completed as my village said they would be. Children spent their day carrying bundles of thatch to my house instead of being in the classroom. Also I killed my first snake, a little bright green skinny snake about 18 inches long.

7/24/14- Salt and vinegar bush fries for breakfast. Later that evening I scorched my thumb real good when the handle of my braiser broke mid swinng.

7/25/14- When I went to show some school boys the tiny bat inhabiting my temporary home they went and found giant sticks 4x their height to remedy my problem. (I actually didn't mind the bat)

7/26/14- 20 children sat silently and watched me do dishes this morning......

7/27/14- Second site visit at Sarah's site. Shou made awesome pancakes!

7/28/14- Bathed and washed clothes in the river.

7/29/14- I will never again complain about the 2 hour minbus ride from Chipembi to Lusaka. I spent the last 13 hours crammed on a bus and taxi to get home to Chipembi from Luapula.

Also I want to apologize for calling this a Zam Twitter. I clearly do not have a twitter account and certainly don't understand the character limit part of its invention.