I made the trip back down to Mpika after almost 2 weeks in the village. I love my village, but have come to realize that there are certain telltale signs that I need to get out for a couple days. One of these is when I find myself hiding from villagers in my hut because I just don't want to greet yet another person in Bemba. I also know I need a break when I start have conversations with my pets. I've realized that there are days when I go without speaking any English, and my poor family gets there ears talked off whenever they call :) I am staying with Kathy this weekend, another volunteer who lives about 15k from Mpika. Her sight is gorgeous with an amazing view of the silhouette of the mountains and the lights of Mpika, and she is an awesome cook.
This past week was Child Health Week in Zambia, so every day I went with the clinic staff to different villages in my catchment area to give children 5 and under as well as pregnant mothers immunizations and vitamin supplements. I tried to convince the children that the vitamin A and deworming pills were sweeties, but they weren't really buying it. :) Of course the clinic staff mostly rode the motorcycle to the villages while I followed behind on my bike, but Peace Corps just gave us these sweet new Trek bikes so mine was fun to test out. Of course it makes it a little more difficult to persuade villagers that you are a poor volunteer when Peace Corps shows up in the land cruiser with a shiny new bike and accessories....but I won't complain because I get lots of use out of it. I was planning on attempting the 130k ride to the boma on Friday but after a week of biking for Child Health Week I settled on 30k to the tarmac and then hitched the rest of the way.
So one of the villages in my catchment area that is only about 7k from my village has a legitimate problem with Elephants. They storm their crops and their homes, while the community is pretty much helpless as poaching is punishable by death. The NHC members told me I could come anytime to see the elephants. I might just have to bring my tent and take them up on that. Because even though it's horrible that they are causing such problems, it's not every day in America that you see elephants storming things...
The other Mpika volunteers and I are planning a trip to the hot springs to celebrate the 4th of July! Luckily it sits right next to an African Holiday so we get about 5 days off. A bunch of us are also planning a trip to Lake Malawi right after In-Service training at the end of August. Apparently there is amazing scuba diving there.
I have become increasingly annoyed with people staring at me. It's like I am constant entertainment that never gets old for the children. Adults will stare as well. I try to greet the adults in Bemba and usually that helps, but with the children I have started making funny faces back at them and having 'staring contests'. I always win of course :) I have to remind myself daily that I am so different from them and I stand out so much that they can't help but stare. It's like a purple-colored person wandering through America. Even when I see other white people in Mpika I find myself staring at them too! I want to know what they are doing all the way out here...and I'm sure they probably wonder the same about me.
I finally got an official malaria medication switcheroo approved by the Peace Corps Medical Office. I am now taking Doxycycline, which is an antibiotic that I need to take every day the entire time I am here, which clearly isn't good for the body, but I'll take it any day over malaria.
I am becoming a little more clear as to what kind of work I can do in my village. I attended a Neighborhood Health Committee training a couple weeks ago at my Rural Health Center conducted by HCP (Health Communication Partnership), an NGO here in Zambia that basically does my job as a CAHP volunteer except they have money. My NHC's are just getting started so there is plenty of potential for capacity-building which is what I am here to do, and I hope to work with HCP to make the training complete as well as help with monitoring and evaluation. The HCP workers that I met said they have worked well with some Peace Corps volunteers in the past, and they only come to my area quarterly so I can work together with them to fill in any gaps in training as well as work with the NHC's on a more regular basis. That translates to lots of biking for me. :)
Hope all is well back home! Zambians here that follow American politics at all are pumped about Obama! Kathy gave me some Obama stickers I am going to hand out in my village....ya know, with all the people around here voting in November....
I miss you all more than cake. Much love from the Zambian bush!
Katie
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Mwapoleni bonse! I'm back in Kasama now for Provincial meetings. I got in yesterday and after 2.5 hours on my bike with my tent, sleeping bag, and backpack, then about 4 hours in transport vehicles I just about collapsed after arriving at the Peace Corps house last night. (After my highly-anticipated hot shower and a couple cold beers of course.) A bunch of volunteers were already at the house so it was nice to see people and hang out, and the rest will get in today. Meetings are all day tomorrow, then this weekend a few of us are going to head to Chishimba Falls near kasama to see the waterfalls and camp.
The past couple weeks in my village have gone pretty well. I attended my first under-5 outreach clinic with my counterpart in a village about 36k away from my own last wednesday. My counterpart was pretty upset at the turnout, as he was anticipating more mothers to come. They bring their children for immunizations and vitamin supplements, and babies are weighed as well. Basically it's lots of wailing babies, but they are so adorable! It is also an outreach to the village to provide birth control and also educate on safemotherhood, HIV during pregnancy, family planning, etc. Although I was just an observer at this first clinic, in the future I will participate in the educational component as well as get to weigh some babies (and most likely get peed on). Malnutrition in children is a major issue here in rural Zambia. It was one thing to read and learn about conditions such as marasmus and kwashiorkor during training that produce bleached/lightened hair and swollen bellies in children, but quite another to actually see the effects of malnutrition first-hand. Families here are so large and resources for proper nutrition are not readily available (I even worry about my own nutrition in the village). Under-5 clinics are a great way to reach very rural villages who otherwise would not be able to take their children to the Rural Health Center, and the opportunity for health education is great, but they are ineffective if only a small number of mothers show up. This will be an obstacle I will attempt to tackle as a volunteer here. This three months of community entry time is helping me to see the great number of opportunities there are for me to work with my community and help develop their abilities to reach out to community members and motivate them to take responsibility for their health (since the government of Zambia has delegated that responsibility to them).
Last weekend, Lonnie, a retired peace corps volunteer who drives me to Mpika a lot (I think I mentioned him in an earlier post), wanted to introduce me to the people that run Shiwa house about 30k from where I live. Talk about surreal moments in Zambia. Shiwa is a huge colonial british mansion that was built in the 1800's I believe by a British family that moved to Zambia for development aid. The original owner of the house was actually the first and only white person to receive a government burial from President Kaonde, as he was key in helping Zambia gain their independence from Britain. His decendents now run the house and people fly in from all over the world (in their private jets of course...there is a landing strip on the property) to stay at the house, dropping thousands of dollars in a matter of days. The house is absolutely gorgeous (needless to say my mud hut pales in comparison) and I got to meet and have tea with Charles, the british owner. He even offered me a free stay in the house anytime I would like to stop by! I explained to him where I was living and what I was doing in the village, and he said "call me old-fashioned but I can't believe they allow you girls to live way out here in the villages"...haha. Clearly he thinks I'm hardcore (wink!) He gave me his number, the house number, and his son's number (he's single and in his 20's....I think Lonnie is playing match-maker) in case I get into any trouble in my village and need to get out. In case of emergency they are great people with vehicles who could help me, but let's hope a situation like that never arises (knock on wood). At least it gives me peace of mind.
My neighbor next door just had a baby boy, so precious! I had dinner with them the other night, chicken (yummy!) for the special occasion, and I got to hold him all bundled up in about 10 blankets. They gave me some money to buy some baby clothes here in Kasama, so I'm going shopping after I finish with the internet.
The transition to village life has gotten easier with each passing week. It's hard to believe I was posted over a month ago! I went to a soccer game in my village last Sunday, and it was so much fun to watch, they were so good! They even played with kleats and uniforms which is almost unheard of in village games. However, maybe 30 minutes into the game there was a disagreement about a penalty kick was called. The opposing team refused to give up the kick, and pretty soon the entire village was out on the field arguing with eachother. Then the game was over. Everyone just got up and left. I felt as if I was the only one who was surprised by all this. Ha! Something that would never happen in America....but I guess there is a rematch next weekend.
My kitty, puppy, and I are like a happy little family in my mud hut. I talk to them a lot as if they are people...but they keep me company and although I regretted buying them at first because of the maintenance I am glad they are there to greet me when I come home! They didn't get along at all at first, but the other night while I was eating dinner (cold corn from the can because I didn't feel like lighting up my brasier) they were both curled up together on my lap sleeping. I love my puppy, and the cat has it's moments when it isn't completely annoying, but it has killed a couple mice so I let it stick around.
Andrew Jo, the PCVL (peace corps volunteer leader) came to visit my site last week, and since I'm so far out he just spent the night. He was my first company and it was so nice to have someone to talk to in English about concerns, things that are going well, village life, etc. We made a big mexican feast that I would probably never attempt on my own. And the result of his visit is that my village thinks he's my husband...haha. They just can't fathom the fact that I am not married and don't have children. There was one woman at the under-5 clinic who was 22 and already had 4 children. Women my age in Zambia are breastfeeding and working out in the fields....while I am still figuring out exactly what it is I want to do with my life. They say I am like a soldier because I ride my bike and that I am very strong. I tell them that Zambian women are the strongest women I have met. Anyone who can carry 20 liters of water on their head while also carrying a baby on their back (in the hot African sun of course) will beat me any day in a competition of strength.
I hope all is well on the other side of the world. I hear small tidbits about the upcoming election. I'm disappointed I'll miss all the craziness surrounding it all. I just gotta figure out how to vote from here....
Miss you all! Sending you all my love from Zambia.
Katie
The past couple weeks in my village have gone pretty well. I attended my first under-5 outreach clinic with my counterpart in a village about 36k away from my own last wednesday. My counterpart was pretty upset at the turnout, as he was anticipating more mothers to come. They bring their children for immunizations and vitamin supplements, and babies are weighed as well. Basically it's lots of wailing babies, but they are so adorable! It is also an outreach to the village to provide birth control and also educate on safemotherhood, HIV during pregnancy, family planning, etc. Although I was just an observer at this first clinic, in the future I will participate in the educational component as well as get to weigh some babies (and most likely get peed on). Malnutrition in children is a major issue here in rural Zambia. It was one thing to read and learn about conditions such as marasmus and kwashiorkor during training that produce bleached/lightened hair and swollen bellies in children, but quite another to actually see the effects of malnutrition first-hand. Families here are so large and resources for proper nutrition are not readily available (I even worry about my own nutrition in the village). Under-5 clinics are a great way to reach very rural villages who otherwise would not be able to take their children to the Rural Health Center, and the opportunity for health education is great, but they are ineffective if only a small number of mothers show up. This will be an obstacle I will attempt to tackle as a volunteer here. This three months of community entry time is helping me to see the great number of opportunities there are for me to work with my community and help develop their abilities to reach out to community members and motivate them to take responsibility for their health (since the government of Zambia has delegated that responsibility to them).
Last weekend, Lonnie, a retired peace corps volunteer who drives me to Mpika a lot (I think I mentioned him in an earlier post), wanted to introduce me to the people that run Shiwa house about 30k from where I live. Talk about surreal moments in Zambia. Shiwa is a huge colonial british mansion that was built in the 1800's I believe by a British family that moved to Zambia for development aid. The original owner of the house was actually the first and only white person to receive a government burial from President Kaonde, as he was key in helping Zambia gain their independence from Britain. His decendents now run the house and people fly in from all over the world (in their private jets of course...there is a landing strip on the property) to stay at the house, dropping thousands of dollars in a matter of days. The house is absolutely gorgeous (needless to say my mud hut pales in comparison) and I got to meet and have tea with Charles, the british owner. He even offered me a free stay in the house anytime I would like to stop by! I explained to him where I was living and what I was doing in the village, and he said "call me old-fashioned but I can't believe they allow you girls to live way out here in the villages"...haha. Clearly he thinks I'm hardcore (wink!) He gave me his number, the house number, and his son's number (he's single and in his 20's....I think Lonnie is playing match-maker) in case I get into any trouble in my village and need to get out. In case of emergency they are great people with vehicles who could help me, but let's hope a situation like that never arises (knock on wood). At least it gives me peace of mind.
My neighbor next door just had a baby boy, so precious! I had dinner with them the other night, chicken (yummy!) for the special occasion, and I got to hold him all bundled up in about 10 blankets. They gave me some money to buy some baby clothes here in Kasama, so I'm going shopping after I finish with the internet.
The transition to village life has gotten easier with each passing week. It's hard to believe I was posted over a month ago! I went to a soccer game in my village last Sunday, and it was so much fun to watch, they were so good! They even played with kleats and uniforms which is almost unheard of in village games. However, maybe 30 minutes into the game there was a disagreement about a penalty kick was called. The opposing team refused to give up the kick, and pretty soon the entire village was out on the field arguing with eachother. Then the game was over. Everyone just got up and left. I felt as if I was the only one who was surprised by all this. Ha! Something that would never happen in America....but I guess there is a rematch next weekend.
My kitty, puppy, and I are like a happy little family in my mud hut. I talk to them a lot as if they are people...but they keep me company and although I regretted buying them at first because of the maintenance I am glad they are there to greet me when I come home! They didn't get along at all at first, but the other night while I was eating dinner (cold corn from the can because I didn't feel like lighting up my brasier) they were both curled up together on my lap sleeping. I love my puppy, and the cat has it's moments when it isn't completely annoying, but it has killed a couple mice so I let it stick around.
Andrew Jo, the PCVL (peace corps volunteer leader) came to visit my site last week, and since I'm so far out he just spent the night. He was my first company and it was so nice to have someone to talk to in English about concerns, things that are going well, village life, etc. We made a big mexican feast that I would probably never attempt on my own. And the result of his visit is that my village thinks he's my husband...haha. They just can't fathom the fact that I am not married and don't have children. There was one woman at the under-5 clinic who was 22 and already had 4 children. Women my age in Zambia are breastfeeding and working out in the fields....while I am still figuring out exactly what it is I want to do with my life. They say I am like a soldier because I ride my bike and that I am very strong. I tell them that Zambian women are the strongest women I have met. Anyone who can carry 20 liters of water on their head while also carrying a baby on their back (in the hot African sun of course) will beat me any day in a competition of strength.
I hope all is well on the other side of the world. I hear small tidbits about the upcoming election. I'm disappointed I'll miss all the craziness surrounding it all. I just gotta figure out how to vote from here....
Miss you all! Sending you all my love from Zambia.
Katie
Friday, May 16, 2008
surviving
Well, I survived my first two weeks in the village. I'm not gonna lie, the first week was my toughest in Africa so far. I was posted on Saturday, May 3(?) and the malaria had left me pretty anemic, so I was pretty exhausted. I commissioned some villagers to cement my house, and that whole process took almost 2 weeks. Each day I had to move everything out of my house early in the morning and then move it all back in at the end of the day. The process of making my water ok to drink took a few hours. There is a stream that runs close to my house and I was both fetching my water from as well as bathing in that river, until I was notified that it is dangerous because of the crocodiles. oops? So now I need to go further to get my water from a different part of the river (the neighbors help me out sometimes but I like knowing I can do it myself....p.s. I don't know how these women carry those buckets on top of their heads....ouch!) Once I get the water I need to chlorinate it, filter it, boil it, then wait for it to cool so I can drink it. After a week of being dehydrated because that process takes forever, I decided to stop boiling it....and pray I don't get a parasite from the river.
I probably slept a total of 5 hours the entire week, a combination of being homesick, taking my malaria medicine (which makes me hallucinate and causes my hair to fall out), and just the shock of knowing how far out I am. I made it through the first week and then biked 2.5 hours to the tarmac and hitched a ride to Mpika to meet up with some other volunteers for the weekend. I was really struggs at that point. However, an angel sent from God came in the form of a retired peace corps volunteer named Lonnie who volunteered in Zambia in '95 and just never really left. He married a dutch doctor from the mission hospital near Mpika and is now building a house on a lake near where I live. He is an old white guy from Alabama :) He gave me his number and said I can catch a ride with him to Mpika whenever I need to since he goes there a lot in his big truck. I got a ride in with him again this weekend because I need to go to the immigration office for my work visa, and he has been telling me about all the great places to camp, bike, and hike around the area. He's crazy, but amazing at the same time. :)
I don't want this post to give off the impression that I'm miserable, because I am definitely not. The first week was one of the hardest of my life but it just made me realize that the next two years are going to challenge me in ways I never imagined. My counterpart in the village, who I will be working with a lot ( he is the in-charge at the clinic) is great and is basically running the entire clinic by himself so he is eager for me to lend him a hand. There is a lot of great work to be done in my village and I am so thankful for the opportunity to live there and integrate into the community for the next two years. My neighboring family is awesome, and the fact that they don't speak much English is just another reason for me to keep working on my Bemba! My site is gorgeous, and I have been exploring around the area a little bit. Apparently sometimes elephants have been known to come through, and I am located in the game management area and very close to North Luangwa National Park, where there are lots of wild animals to see. :)
I think the hardest part so far has just been feeling lonely. I eat some meals with my family that lives close, but one can only eat so much Nshima (the staple food of Zambia)....so there are lots of times where I put on music, cook my meal for myself, maybe have a glass or 2 of wine, read, and head to bed around 8:00 at night or earlier (it's dark by 6!). As I get to know more people in my community I'm sure the loneliness will subside, and this whole process of adjustment will just make me stronger in the end.
There are some things I will never take for granted again....1) a hot shower (although warm bucket baths under the stars of an african night sky is something everyone should experience), 2) a cold beer, 3) a bed to sleep on, and 4) chips and salsa, and 5) the amazingly supportive friends and family I have back at home (and liz in china!).
Oh, and chalk it up to filling an emotional void, but Becky and I bought puppies on a whim last weekend. :) I think mine has special needs and she looks a little worse for the ware, but I'm a little scraggly myself these days so I thought it was the perfect fit. :) Now I just need to figure out how to bike it back to my village without killing it....
All in all, things are looking up and I am excited to keep exploring Northern province. There are some hot springs near my place that I want to camp at soon with some friends, and my community is holding a public meeting sometime soon about my work as a peace corps volunteer so it will be nice to meet more people. And I've gotten to play soccer....a lot. :) I think I'll be OK. Thanks for all the support, and much love from Zambia! I will try to write again soon. :)
Katie
I probably slept a total of 5 hours the entire week, a combination of being homesick, taking my malaria medicine (which makes me hallucinate and causes my hair to fall out), and just the shock of knowing how far out I am. I made it through the first week and then biked 2.5 hours to the tarmac and hitched a ride to Mpika to meet up with some other volunteers for the weekend. I was really struggs at that point. However, an angel sent from God came in the form of a retired peace corps volunteer named Lonnie who volunteered in Zambia in '95 and just never really left. He married a dutch doctor from the mission hospital near Mpika and is now building a house on a lake near where I live. He is an old white guy from Alabama :) He gave me his number and said I can catch a ride with him to Mpika whenever I need to since he goes there a lot in his big truck. I got a ride in with him again this weekend because I need to go to the immigration office for my work visa, and he has been telling me about all the great places to camp, bike, and hike around the area. He's crazy, but amazing at the same time. :)
I don't want this post to give off the impression that I'm miserable, because I am definitely not. The first week was one of the hardest of my life but it just made me realize that the next two years are going to challenge me in ways I never imagined. My counterpart in the village, who I will be working with a lot ( he is the in-charge at the clinic) is great and is basically running the entire clinic by himself so he is eager for me to lend him a hand. There is a lot of great work to be done in my village and I am so thankful for the opportunity to live there and integrate into the community for the next two years. My neighboring family is awesome, and the fact that they don't speak much English is just another reason for me to keep working on my Bemba! My site is gorgeous, and I have been exploring around the area a little bit. Apparently sometimes elephants have been known to come through, and I am located in the game management area and very close to North Luangwa National Park, where there are lots of wild animals to see. :)
I think the hardest part so far has just been feeling lonely. I eat some meals with my family that lives close, but one can only eat so much Nshima (the staple food of Zambia)....so there are lots of times where I put on music, cook my meal for myself, maybe have a glass or 2 of wine, read, and head to bed around 8:00 at night or earlier (it's dark by 6!). As I get to know more people in my community I'm sure the loneliness will subside, and this whole process of adjustment will just make me stronger in the end.
There are some things I will never take for granted again....1) a hot shower (although warm bucket baths under the stars of an african night sky is something everyone should experience), 2) a cold beer, 3) a bed to sleep on, and 4) chips and salsa, and 5) the amazingly supportive friends and family I have back at home (and liz in china!).
Oh, and chalk it up to filling an emotional void, but Becky and I bought puppies on a whim last weekend. :) I think mine has special needs and she looks a little worse for the ware, but I'm a little scraggly myself these days so I thought it was the perfect fit. :) Now I just need to figure out how to bike it back to my village without killing it....
All in all, things are looking up and I am excited to keep exploring Northern province. There are some hot springs near my place that I want to camp at soon with some friends, and my community is holding a public meeting sometime soon about my work as a peace corps volunteer so it will be nice to meet more people. And I've gotten to play soccer....a lot. :) I think I'll be OK. Thanks for all the support, and much love from Zambia! I will try to write again soon. :)
Katie
Friday, May 2, 2008
malaria sucks
Yup, I'm still here in Kasama. Sunday morning I woke up with some mad stomach issues, and by Sunday night I was pretty much down for the count. I'll spare the gruesome details, but basically I felt like hell for a good couple days. Lots of fetile position on the bathroom floor....and thank god I had a bathroom at all to spend time in and not a pit latrine. The Peace Corps medical office thinks I had malaria but doesn't know for sure. All of my symptoms pointed to the big M. Luckily there were people at the provincial house here in Kasama to take care of me and I could sleep in a comfy bed. :) I wasn't able to go shopping with all the others for move-in because I was so sick, and they also didn't want to post me when my body was still recovering, so I should be posted tomorrow (saturday)! I am kind of going stir crazy at the house. Plus the tv isn't working so I've been doing lots of reading and sleeping. I was finally able to eat some normal food yesterday, but the malaria has made me pretty anemic so I'm get tired easily. Turns out Malaria is not fun and I hope to never get it again. However, Peace Corps did give me some miracle medication that helped me feel better a lot faster than I normally would have. Oh, and thank you all so much for all your messages of concern. Looks like I'm gonna be ok!
So I should be able to post on this blog again in a few weeks, as I have to come back to Kasama on May 21st to renew my visa. Then I'll be back up here again in June for Provincials, when all PCVs in Northern meet up to discuss....stuff? Not sure, I guess I'll find out!
So I officially move in to my hut tomorrow and after having stayed at the house for so long I am SO ready. It'll be crazy! I miss you all and remember to fight malaria in Africa! :)
Katie
So I should be able to post on this blog again in a few weeks, as I have to come back to Kasama on May 21st to renew my visa. Then I'll be back up here again in June for Provincials, when all PCVs in Northern meet up to discuss....stuff? Not sure, I guess I'll find out!
So I officially move in to my hut tomorrow and after having stayed at the house for so long I am SO ready. It'll be crazy! I miss you all and remember to fight malaria in Africa! :)
Katie
Sunday, April 27, 2008
home sweet home :)
Hello from Kasama in Northern Province! Turns out my opportunities to use internet will be pretty few and far between for the next two years, especially since my site is way far out, but I promise to try and update this blog as much as possible. There are so many things that I want to sat it's going to be hard to get it all in before I run out of kwacha...but here goes....
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. All 51 of us officially swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers on Friday!! Thank GOD training is over. Of course I will miss my host family and close friends that I've made over the past two months, but I am so ready to get on with what I came here for in the first place. We had a big celebration with our host families last week, and I had to give a speech in Bemba, but I think it went pretty well. We cooked a ton of food and our families gave us gifts and we said goodbye to them. I tought my family to give a peace sign and say 'peace out' when I got here and they all said it as I was getting into the land cruiser and driving away. Love them! I plan to go back and visit them while I'm here in Zambia.
After swear-in, Peace Corps put all of us up in the pretty nice place called Eureka Farms in Lusaka. Somehow Becky, Davy, and I lucked out with the honeymoon suite chalet! wink! We stayed at Eureka for two nights and celebrated training being over. I don't think someone could have hand-picked a more random group for our intake. There are so many crazy characters and we are all very different from eachother...but we do have in common that we are willing to live in the bush-bush of africa for 2 years and we have a ton of fun together. I've made some amazing friends here already in the past two months and it's important to have that support system. Of course I really miss all my friends and family from home. I just want everyone to see what my life is like here, because it's pretty indescribable.
I am here in Kasama with the other 7 volunteers that will also be in Northern Province. We are staying at the Provincial House, which is a place we can come to 3 days out of every month to meet up with other volunteers and have some time away from the village to just chill. We will head to Mpika on Tuesday I will be posted to my site on wednesday! Crazy! I am so excited to move into my hut and be settled in one place for 2 years, as well as meet the villagers and get to know the community...but the other half of me is a little scared shitless. I am probably the most far out of any volunteer in Zambia, but I know that I have a lot of support through the Peace Corps and I wanted the hardcore experience so I just need to make it through the initial adjustments.
Thanks for all the letters! I appreciate them more than you know. :) My new address for the next two years is:
Katie Bierlein (PCV)
P.O. Box 450100
Mpika, Zambia
Oh, and on a random tally, so far I have only seen one snake, no rats, a few bats, some zebras, a couple lions, 4 million chickens, 5,000 goats, eaten one crocodile burger and one caterpillar, hit only one zambian with my bike (it wasn't my fault I swear!), and had only one serious biting of the dust on my bike (still a little sore from that one). We'll see what happens once I get to my village!
I hope all is well back in the states! I think about you guys all the time and I hope that Minnesota weather improves soon. :) I will try and post again as soon as I can, but it may not be until June. Miss you all! Peace out homies.
Katie
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. All 51 of us officially swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers on Friday!! Thank GOD training is over. Of course I will miss my host family and close friends that I've made over the past two months, but I am so ready to get on with what I came here for in the first place. We had a big celebration with our host families last week, and I had to give a speech in Bemba, but I think it went pretty well. We cooked a ton of food and our families gave us gifts and we said goodbye to them. I tought my family to give a peace sign and say 'peace out' when I got here and they all said it as I was getting into the land cruiser and driving away. Love them! I plan to go back and visit them while I'm here in Zambia.
After swear-in, Peace Corps put all of us up in the pretty nice place called Eureka Farms in Lusaka. Somehow Becky, Davy, and I lucked out with the honeymoon suite chalet! wink! We stayed at Eureka for two nights and celebrated training being over. I don't think someone could have hand-picked a more random group for our intake. There are so many crazy characters and we are all very different from eachother...but we do have in common that we are willing to live in the bush-bush of africa for 2 years and we have a ton of fun together. I've made some amazing friends here already in the past two months and it's important to have that support system. Of course I really miss all my friends and family from home. I just want everyone to see what my life is like here, because it's pretty indescribable.
I am here in Kasama with the other 7 volunteers that will also be in Northern Province. We are staying at the Provincial House, which is a place we can come to 3 days out of every month to meet up with other volunteers and have some time away from the village to just chill. We will head to Mpika on Tuesday I will be posted to my site on wednesday! Crazy! I am so excited to move into my hut and be settled in one place for 2 years, as well as meet the villagers and get to know the community...but the other half of me is a little scared shitless. I am probably the most far out of any volunteer in Zambia, but I know that I have a lot of support through the Peace Corps and I wanted the hardcore experience so I just need to make it through the initial adjustments.
Thanks for all the letters! I appreciate them more than you know. :) My new address for the next two years is:
Katie Bierlein (PCV)
P.O. Box 450100
Mpika, Zambia
Oh, and on a random tally, so far I have only seen one snake, no rats, a few bats, some zebras, a couple lions, 4 million chickens, 5,000 goats, eaten one crocodile burger and one caterpillar, hit only one zambian with my bike (it wasn't my fault I swear!), and had only one serious biting of the dust on my bike (still a little sore from that one). We'll see what happens once I get to my village!
I hope all is well back in the states! I think about you guys all the time and I hope that Minnesota weather improves soon. :) I will try and post again as soon as I can, but it may not be until June. Miss you all! Peace out homies.
Katie
Saturday, March 29, 2008
FINALLY internet access!!
hey everyone!
muli shani from the african bush-bush! it's crazy but this is the first time i have been able to access my email or blog since i got here. i have an internet phone but for some reason facebook has been pretty much the only site i can get to on it. there is so much to say and so little time! first of all, africa ROCKS. i love zambia. the people, the climate, the scenery. i love it all. it's hard to believe that we only have one month left of training, the time is going by pretty fast! training is pretty intense, with about 7 hours of class almost every day (4 hours of language in the morning and 3 hours of technical traning in the afternoons). so much information has been thrown at us that it can get pretty frustrating at times, but it's the times when i am biking to class and there are mountains in the distance or when i am brushing my teeth at night and i just stare up at milky way spanning across my hut in the african sky that i know it is all worth it. :) the people in my intake are awesome, too. there are a handful that i've become pretty close with and we are already planning vacations to zanzibar and trips to eachother's sites.
we found out on thursday where we will be spending the next two years of our lives! i will be in northern province, about 80km north of Mpika. My village has never had a peace corps volunteer before, and started building my hut before peace corps even told them they needed to so hopefully that means they are as excited as i am! there are natural hot springs about 20k from my village and my hut is secluded by trees. i am also very near mountains as well as a game park to see lots of animals! there is an old victorian house built by an englishman very near to me that is apparently a huge tourist spot and has chalets that are great to go stay in overnight or camp out at. My site is pretty far out and will require an hour of biking just to get to the Great North Road (the major road running through northern province), then another hour car ride (i'll need to hitch!) to Mpika. I believe I am 30k from the nearest pc volunteer, danielle, who is awesome and another soccer girl. :)
I am so incredibly excited to get to my site but also a little nervous as i won't have cell service and who knows how far i will have to bike to get it. however, i was looking for a hard-core experience and it sounds like that is what i am going to get!
we are in lusaka right now buying food and such for a visit to northern province to see our sites and meet other volunteers in the province. we will be staying up there with another volunteer for a week. it is also an opportunity for us to meet people in our village and maybe get a carpenter to start building us tables, bedframes, etc. for our huts. later today, there is a big party for us back at the training center, complete with soccer, goat (i hear it's yummy!), and dancing! they even got us a dj haha. well i'm almost out of time here but hopefully i can update this blog again soon! thanks to all of you who have written letters, i have been busy writing letters to you all as well (mostly while sitting in class haha).
i hope everything is well back in the u.s., i miss you all like CRAZY but everyday am reminded of how i am having the experience of a lifetime. much luv from ZAMBIA!!
love,
katie
muli shani from the african bush-bush! it's crazy but this is the first time i have been able to access my email or blog since i got here. i have an internet phone but for some reason facebook has been pretty much the only site i can get to on it. there is so much to say and so little time! first of all, africa ROCKS. i love zambia. the people, the climate, the scenery. i love it all. it's hard to believe that we only have one month left of training, the time is going by pretty fast! training is pretty intense, with about 7 hours of class almost every day (4 hours of language in the morning and 3 hours of technical traning in the afternoons). so much information has been thrown at us that it can get pretty frustrating at times, but it's the times when i am biking to class and there are mountains in the distance or when i am brushing my teeth at night and i just stare up at milky way spanning across my hut in the african sky that i know it is all worth it. :) the people in my intake are awesome, too. there are a handful that i've become pretty close with and we are already planning vacations to zanzibar and trips to eachother's sites.
we found out on thursday where we will be spending the next two years of our lives! i will be in northern province, about 80km north of Mpika. My village has never had a peace corps volunteer before, and started building my hut before peace corps even told them they needed to so hopefully that means they are as excited as i am! there are natural hot springs about 20k from my village and my hut is secluded by trees. i am also very near mountains as well as a game park to see lots of animals! there is an old victorian house built by an englishman very near to me that is apparently a huge tourist spot and has chalets that are great to go stay in overnight or camp out at. My site is pretty far out and will require an hour of biking just to get to the Great North Road (the major road running through northern province), then another hour car ride (i'll need to hitch!) to Mpika. I believe I am 30k from the nearest pc volunteer, danielle, who is awesome and another soccer girl. :)
I am so incredibly excited to get to my site but also a little nervous as i won't have cell service and who knows how far i will have to bike to get it. however, i was looking for a hard-core experience and it sounds like that is what i am going to get!
we are in lusaka right now buying food and such for a visit to northern province to see our sites and meet other volunteers in the province. we will be staying up there with another volunteer for a week. it is also an opportunity for us to meet people in our village and maybe get a carpenter to start building us tables, bedframes, etc. for our huts. later today, there is a big party for us back at the training center, complete with soccer, goat (i hear it's yummy!), and dancing! they even got us a dj haha. well i'm almost out of time here but hopefully i can update this blog again soon! thanks to all of you who have written letters, i have been busy writing letters to you all as well (mostly while sitting in class haha).
i hope everything is well back in the u.s., i miss you all like CRAZY but everyday am reminded of how i am having the experience of a lifetime. much luv from ZAMBIA!!
love,
katie
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
just being true to my procrastinating nature....
Well, it's about 3:30 in the morning on the day of my departure to Washington D.C. and I just finished packing. Crazy. Luckily Sarah and Jamie were there to help me sit on things. :)
I am really going to make an effort to keep up with this blog. Hopefully I will have a chance, once we arrive in Zambia this weekend, to write a post about how orientation and all the traveling went.
Thanks to everyone who came to my going away party! I think a great time was had by all, and it was so good to see everyone before leaving for 27 months. I really do have feel so lucky to have the best family and friends in the world. :)
I need to be at the airport in a couple hours....one thing I don't mind leaving behind is the cold Minnesota weather....it's supposed to be 79 degrees in Lusaka when we arrive! My body might just go into shock....
I love you all! Take care, and be sure to go over to my house and argue with my parents so they don't miss me as much! :)
.katie.
I am really going to make an effort to keep up with this blog. Hopefully I will have a chance, once we arrive in Zambia this weekend, to write a post about how orientation and all the traveling went.
Thanks to everyone who came to my going away party! I think a great time was had by all, and it was so good to see everyone before leaving for 27 months. I really do have feel so lucky to have the best family and friends in the world. :)
I need to be at the airport in a couple hours....one thing I don't mind leaving behind is the cold Minnesota weather....it's supposed to be 79 degrees in Lusaka when we arrive! My body might just go into shock....
I love you all! Take care, and be sure to go over to my house and argue with my parents so they don't miss me as much! :)
.katie.
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