“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Winsten Churchill

I have been at my official site now for over seven weeks. While there have been moments that have felt like centuries long, overall time is moving quickly. I am currently in a period known to Peace Corps volunteers as ‘community entry.’ Community entry is the first three months after initially being posted to a volunteer’s specific sight post pre-service training. Community entry is a time for volunteers to get to know their community and surroundings, meet many people, learn and speak the local language, design a community map, assess community health needs/issues, eat with neighbors and friends, and most of all, a time for adjustment into the new life.

Due to the nature and purpose of ‘community entry’ we are encouraged to remain in our villages thus making it difficult to access a place to update my blog. Because it has been centuries since I have last posted a blog I am just going to give a semi-quick overview of what I have been up to.

Each day I strap my jerry cans onto the rack of my bike and cycle 500 meters to my nearest water source (they call it a borehole or hand pump). Before drinking I place a few drops of chlorine and then put it through my water filter. I cook using either a brazier with charcoal or my methylated spirit stove. I enjoy cooking for myself but I frequently eat with my host family and am often invited and served food by many of my friends around the area. If you are caught at someone’s home around 12:30 it is almost a guarantee they will serve you lunch. It almost seems impolite to refuse.

Between the stark differences in cultural, language, work, daily conversations and contemplating my trillion thoughts per second, I often feel I am ready to explode with every single emotion known to humankind by the end of each day. For those that know me I am sure this comes as no surprise. 

Here is a snapshot into my rambled thoughts and experiences. Plus, I think bullet points are helpful and easy to comprehend. ;)

            1) I simply cannot emphasize enough the immense contrast between the way many in the developing country interact with one another and the way in which people here in Zambia interact with one another. Zambian culture is extremely collectivistic, highly valuing close interpersonal relationship, friendships and of course familial relations. Most families have about 6 children. Having a large family symbolizes wealth and happiness. If there are not many people will often feel pity for that person (just to specify: I am speaking of life in the rural village setting. Those who come from town or various cities have fewer children and recognize the value in concentrating on only a few children).

      2)  If someone has not seen me (and I think this perhaps goes for anyone in the village) for more than one day they say to me, “Mutinta, where have you been? Why haven’t I seen you? When are you going to come visit me?” I can only imagine what the will say if I ever decide to leave for vacation.

 3) Upon arrival, the community threw me a welcome celebration. All village headmen in my catchment area within the area I will be serving in were present along with health staff and other members of the neighborhood health committee. It was a bit intimidating having over 30 Zambian village headmen stare at me as I tried to speak Tonga to them, but it was a great experience. Throughout the meeting there was designated time carved out for the people present to dance. Someone would speak about something and then all of a sudden the music would turn on and everyone would begin dancing. At the end we enjoyed a local meal of nsima, cabbage and chicken.

            4) I encountered my first mouse in my hut several days ago. It turns out it had been living under my bed for quite some time. I normally regard myself as a fairly tough woman when it comes to bugs and wildlife but for some reason, knowing it is in my actual home is a very unsettling, creepy and disturbing feeling. When I first saw it, I screamed bloody murder and called my younger sister (she is seven years old) to help me. Eventually the mouse ran into my pillow case and my host sister collected it, brought it to the family and all gathered to watch as she dropped the mouse out of the bag and the family proceeded to hit until dead. Needless to say, at least for now I will be without a mouse sleeping

beneath me. Let’s hope it stays this way.

             5) Time is fluid here. Time is an extremely different concept here compared to where I come from. In America when we say there is a meeting at 2pm people arrive around 1:45pm to make sure they are properly on time. When there is a meeting here at 2pm people arrive around 4pm or simply do not show up at all. This is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of being here. It has taught be once again about PATIENCE and simply going with the flow to the best of my ability. This is easier some days more than others. 

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words....enjoy!

The first day in my village with part of my family

Playing with some of the kids on my compound

One of the Catholic Mass Services I attended. Almost everyone in my area attends church. It is a social event and a time for people to dance and sing.

Some of my kiddo friends after church

Chileshe: The Environmental Health Technician at the Health Clinic. We have been traveling to many villages in order to meet the people and find out some of their health concerns/troubles

Biking is my main form of transportation and I LOVE it

One of the many villages meetings

Trying to blend in...

One of the school signs. All government schools has signs for AIDS awareness

This man wanted a picture together..

Chiwayu has been the main person to show me around and introduce me to the community. I am thankful for both of these great guys who have become my good friends! 

Chileshe and Chiwayu. The three musketeers!

Say cheeeeese. Oh cheese how I miss you.....

My newest love here in Zambia. Her name is Choolwe. which means Lucky in Tonga.

My current home. They are building an extension making my house twice as big. Yay!

My host sisters happily asked to wash my bike. I can't complain.

Homemade tacos

Doing some laundry village style. One bucket of soapy water and the other with clean water to rinse.

A tool to grind maize into tiny pieces to make local drink called "cibwantu"

Attempting to grind some maize. These women are strong!

Homemade peanut butter

My friend Sithabile and I

I had the opportunity to celebrate Zambia's 50yrs of Independence. It was a day of traditional dance, performances, soccer and local food.

Additional thoughts...

We must never forget about all the beauty that lies in this world. For even in times of great trials, there is always something to lift the heart. Here in Zambia, it is looking up into a nearby tree just to notice beautifully colored birds breaking from the sun, or the way the children intricately construct a toy from the pieces of rubbish in the yard. It is watching the elderly women laugh, dance and embrace one another in friendship. It is giving thanks for the magnificent sun that swelters over the people during the day but then creates a powerful melody of color just before becoming a dark sky. There are moments that are tough here. There are moments I am frustrated, I feel defeat and moments that I even want to give up. In these moments I think of these small beautiful things and they are enough to make me smile. The mind is an incredible space. I am finding we truly have a great amount of control over our attitudes and thus the way we react to the circumstances and experiences in our everyday life. Once again I am reminded of the notion that happiness is not a place but rather a state of mind. And I choose to be happy.