I have come to enjoy the simple life that is lived in the
countryside of Zambia. It may sound like an easy transition to make, but when
you come from such a developed, structured and fast-pace lifestyle it can be
difficult. Even now that I have adjusted to the life here I sometimes find
myself wandering through the field that is filled with pine trees; a foreign
tree to Zambia but planted a few years back for additional lumber (pine is
strong and grows straight. Many trees here do not). The scent the trees emit
bring forth a peaceful feeling that stems from the many memories of my time
spent in the woods of Nisswa, Minnesota. It’s amazing how a certain smell can
make you feel a specific way.
I don’t walk through the pine trees because of homesickness,
but rather to remind myself of the home I have back in the United States. It is
a nice feeling to have when living in a much different area of the world that
registers temperatures of 90+ for the month of December.
Adjusting to a different lifestyle and then living in that
way for a long period of time is an interesting experience. The word
‘interesting’ tends to be an overused and overlooked word, but I truly mean
interesting. The experience is new, different, hard, weird, fun, thrilling and
many more adjectives that when combined make up an experience that, well, peaks
my interest.
I would be lying to you if I told you that one of my first
thoughts after landing in Africa wasn’t “What the hell did I get myself into
this time?” Ask my parents, I, along with my brother Thomas, have been able to
get ourselves into a few tough situations in our time (as two brothers should)
where the same question has been asked. However, after the first impressions of
the undeveloped and rural life of Tanzania and Zambia I adjusted. I have come
to enjoy the differences and now when I encounter one I feel as if it is not so
much a difference, but just the way it is.
I have come to know ponono of the language (ponono is the
Bemba word for “a bit” and is possibly my favorite word to say in Bemba), the
Zambian handshake, the popular places to visit, the distances between those
places, the phone companies, the popular brands of beer, the food you are
likely to eat, when electricity is likely to go out, where safe water is, how
to clean clothes by hand, the best way to travel, the car you would want to
rent if traveling here, the place where you can buy 100 day-old chicks (no joke,
100 of the cute little yellow chicks) and, of course, many many more things.
Gaining a better understanding of a certain place allows you
to venture out independently and that is when you know you have conquered the
hardest part. It is nice to be able to walk around Mpika and know where things
are and the people to talk to. It’s a good feeling.
However, with every change come difficulties. One major
obstacle I see is the length of time it takes to complete a task. I mentioned
that Mr. Mulenga was arrested for stealing two pigs from the monastery farm.
The process that goes into convicting and sentencing him takes weeks to months.
Similar to my troubles in receiving a visitor permit to extend my stay in
Zambia, this process has caused countless trips to Mpika and hours of wasted
time spent waiting. Efficiency is a tough thing to lose and then adjust to.
Additionally, it is always a risk to buy something here.
This is because it may not work. If you buy a TV in the U.S. there is a solid
99.99% chance that the TV will function properly and work. The same doesn’t go
for Zambia. There is probably a 50-60% chance that it will work. Meaning that
you may have to travel back into town, spend more money and buy a new one. That
can be frustrating.
Finally, something you adjust to (even though you think you
won’t) is the BO. Body odor is the popular cologne here. Heck, even I sport BO
and I’m not ashamed of it anymore. In America you’ll be looked at like you’re
from Mars if you don’t cake on some deodorant or perfume. However, not only are
those things hard to come by but people are unable to bathe as often here as
they do in America. Rather than being different or weird it’s just simply
normal.
What’s normal, standard and common in Zambia is different
than the U.S. Just like what’s normal in China is different than the U.K.
Normality changes with culture and area. The sooner one gets that the sooner
they adjust and progress in their new lifestyle.
For example, something that can be difficult to encounter is
a different way of thinking. Many people believe that their way is the best
way. The popular phrase “It’s my way or the highway” may come up. Yet, it’s
important to understand that things are done differently all around the world.
Different cultures, areas and lifestyles bring forth differences in thought. A
major problem when helping the Haitians after the natural disasters that
destroyed much of their country was building homes. Many Americans went about
building homes the way they would back in their land-locked states of America.
Unfortunately, these homes were decimated weeks later by a new storm. This is
because Haitians build their homes differently. You have to change your thought
process a bit when in a new place. Of course the homes the Americans built were
destroyed because they weren’t built with a hurricane in mind whereas Haitians
have to think about those things.
I hope that helps you understand a bit more about adjusting
to a new home/area.
Considering I wasn’t able to post the other Saturday I have
a few topics I’d like to spit out here. Rather than go in-depth I’ll just
mention them so I can get back on track with my postings and the relevance of
the material within them.
Sister Agness had her Final Profession on Saturday the 28th
of November. I attended the ceremony in Mpika. When she spotted me I heard her
say “Oh, he came!” That was nice to hear. I was glad to be able to support her
considering she became a nice friend and person to talk with over the month of
November.
While in Mpika dealing with my internet issues I was walking
around when I ran into a Japanese volunteer that resides in a village near
Mpika. I cannot remember his name, but it was so nice to swap stories about our
experiences. This is because he actually understands. Probably the most
difficult part about living abroad (or any life changing experience) is trying
to explain everything to the people back home who do not fully understand what
is happening and how things really are. It can be frustrating because you want
your friends and family to understand everything, but realize the only way for
them to know exactly what it’s like is to live the experience themselves (which
is unlikely). This is why I enjoy writing this blog so much. I hope it helps
take away some confusion on your end and some frustration (that I am sure to
encounter) when I return.
While saying goodbye, my Japanese friend commented on my
hair. He told me that I could sell my hair and make good money off it. I won’t
be selling my hair because of my goal in donating it, but it made me think “Why
would anyone want someone else’s scraps of hair?” Ha, strange!
On Sunday the Mpika Football Club (soccer team) came to play
the Katibunga team. Some monks are on the team and asked if I could play
because they needed another player. I haven’t played a serious game of soccer
probably since the 3rd grade (which wasn’t very serious either) so I
told them I would be rusty. However, I thought “Why not?” and decided to play.
It was a fun time and I didn’t screw up which was nice. A lot of spectators
come out to watch the game so seeing an uzungu (white man) play was a bonus.
The game ended in a tie. Nil-Nil (0-0).
Something I have noticed is that Zambians love to bag
everything. When you buy an item, even though it’s just one thing, they will
insist on giving you a bag. I have become used to telling them no, but it’s
just a popular thing to do. Unfortunately, most of these bags end up as litter
scattered all over the city or village. Littering is a big problem here.
Some more of the younger monks have come to me asking for
music. I am happy to give them some and they love the American music. One of my
favorite rappers is Sammy Adams and so I have introduced them to his music. I
feel like I have done some good now :) haha
Each grade in secondary school is separated into groupings
labeled K and A, so 11K and 11A. I teach 11K. The strange part about these
separations is that the two groups get taught different subjects. I teach 11K
biology, but 11A will never get taught biology. Then, 11A is taught agriculture
science and 11K is not. There are differences in each grade and I find this to
be problematic, especially when dealing with importance subjects like biology.
Additionally, A’s have supposedly tested worse on a standardized exam than the
K’s and this is how they become separated.
I finally received my parcel (package) containing some books
that the BVC sent me back at the beginning of October. This means that there is
just one more package that I am waiting to receive before heading to Tanzania.
Terri, if you are reading this, know that I am still holding out for your
package :)
I hope it comes soon. I will continue to check throughout December. Thank you
very much for thinking of me!
Alright, so I think that puts us back on schedule.
Thanks for reading!
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