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| This is what has caused so much trouble this past week. |
The third time is the charm. I made my way back to Chinsali
one last time in order to get my visitor permit. I had packed my things and was
ready to leave if needed, though. I would have made for the Tanzanian border. Luckily,
things finally seemed to go in my favor and the immigration officer granted me
a three month visitor permit. This will allow me to fulfill the rest of my time
in Zambia. It is nice not having to leave my students in the middle of their
term or leaving Violet alone at the clinic. The visitor permit will allow me to
finish what I have started here.
Now that the stress of getting my permit has passed I can
now focus on my teaching, work at the clinic and the Abasambi Project. All of
it seems to be going well which is nice. These things consume most of my free
time, but with the time I have remaining I use in multiple ways. I have begun
to play chess on my computer. I love the game of chess and played it a lot when
I was young. My brother and I also would play it during Christmas break. Playing
against the computer is difficult, but fun and a good challenge. It is nice to
refresh my skills and be able to play a game I love.
Another way I spend my free time is prepping for the GRE. If
I decide to obtain a graduate degree I will need to take the GRE. I brought a
GRE practice book with me to Africa and it is nice to go through and work on
many of the questions. When preparing for exams such as the ACT and GRE it
makes me think about how strange the education system is. In America we have a
phenomenal education system and being in Africa only makes that more clear to
me. However, isn’t it a bit crazy that one number (your ACT or GRE score)
determines your future, but it takes two numbers to measure your own a**.
Crazy, but that’s how it works. Anyways, the prep is going well and it does
help pass the time.
When in Africa you notice all the differences between the
American and African cultures. One thing that is hard to miss is what we call
the ‘African Walk’. Africans tend to walk much slower than others. I know I am
generalizing, but things are just a bit slower around here. When on my long
walks I will see people close to a mile ahead of me and I will end up passing
them. They just walk at a much slower pace. I am working on my ‘African Walk’ but
it is difficult for a guy who walks fast for an American. So, I think I will
just stick with my own pace.
When in Chinsali the other day I walked into a small shop
and noticed the newspaper sitting on the table. I took a look at the front page
which had an article about the president of Zambia. President Edgar Lungu has
called the nation to fast, pray and repent. Now you know I wasn’t kidding when
I said Zambia was a Christian nation. Anyways, the nation has been having
problems with gathering enough resources and goods so the president has called
for prayer. It seems as if this notion has been recognized and accepted by the
people as well. So, as of now, the president and many people plan to pray and
ask for guidance on how to become a better and more prosperous nation.
When coming home from Chinsali I noticed a car full of white
people in Katibunga. When they saw me they seemed to not believe their eyes.
They probably were wondering what a white kid from America was doing way out in
the bush of Africa. I believe these people were coming from a safari and just
passing through, but it was funny to see them because I haven’t seen a white
person in some time now. I know that I am the only on in the surrounding
villages – that’s for sure.
The monastery’s reservoir became clogged with mud this past
week which caused some issues with water flow. When the water flow is affected
it tends to have a chain effect on everything else. The monks quickly grouped
together and worked to clear the reservoir, though, which has helped the water
flow. It’s nice to have everything working again.
Someone recently asked me what the hardest part about
volunteering is. There are many challenges about volunteering in Africa like
the distance from home, the new culture, the way of life and the lack of
everyday items that we have become accustomed to in America such as internet
and clean water. However, I wouldn’t say any of those are the hardest part.
The hardest part, I think, is the exhaustion. Many probably
think the life of a volunteer is nice and easy-going and it is at some points. Yet,
when volunteering you are constantly giving; giving your time, energy,
resources and love. This is exhausting because it becomes difficult to refill
these areas. Just as a car needs to be refilled after being driven a long ways
the same goes for people. This is another reason why I go for long walks or go
to bed early (besides the fact that it gets super dark and there isn’t much
else to do). I need to take some time to refill and gain back some energy. This
is a part of the volunteer experience that I believe is glazed over often. It
isn’t a bad thing that I become exhausted, but it is important to know how to
handle it in order to keep moving forward.
October 24th is Independence Day in Zambia. Many
celebrations will be taking place today.
Well, it’s about time for me to start work at the clinic. I
can’t believe the end of October is already upon us. I hope everyone’s
Halloween costumes are planned and the candy bowl has been filled. (Mom – you
should totally save me some candy for when I come home next summer…just saying
haha) J
Thanks for reading!
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