Additional notes and pix for late October 2010

My work started without a counterpart but with those farmers and groups who contacted me and came lead me to their sites.......there were women groups, fish farmers, garden farmers....It was all fine and fun to work with all of them.

One time I was visiting a basic school 5KM east from my house to show kids the maps of the World, Africa, Zambia....but teachers were more excited about my sprint triathlon and asked me to lead them running.....of course I have them stratch and walk first....but school ended early December and we did not continue walking....wait for the school to start again.....

One retired government officer has a large piece of land he determined to work on. One day he was cutting down a quite large tree for ant problem, at his condition - cancer of lots items.....I saluted his mental stage of life. His wife was so nice to call me as "her sister" and gave me all sorts of fruits from trees, as fresh as worms were all alive......her genuine kind heart has always sincerely accepted and appreciated.

Last week of October rain started, it was as quick thunder shower once every other day, it increased to every day business and heavier and heavier so my front yard flooded, roof leaked like crazy....at first I take pictures and watched rain along with the leaks.....later I had Gerlinde's books and books from PC Provincial House to read......and just read the rain out.....not just that late November it becoming lighter rain with no stops in between.....leak was less but it melted down my toilet wall......villagers did more talks than works on fixing my roof and all others than they really worked on any........

For the rain soften the dirt, all able person all worked in the field...school in vacation till late January......all kind of mushrooms come up every week.....my work with farmers had limited so more time with kids but it was hard to see kids around for they had to work in the fields too...

I have had some fun times to visit the officers of DOA and DOL socialized with their wives and dinners at their homes and once we played pool at the only table in Mabumba, my big village 4 km from my home with the environmental technician, too. At one of those luncheon Mrs. Owen, introduced the catapillo the dried warm deep fried to me and if I would have closed my eyes I would said it was dried shrimp that we use often in Chinese food.....but the look......sorry.....

I have visited a new widow with 6 kids, aged from 2 to 11. In the picture the #4 and #5 were missing for they run away for scared of "Musongu" the white man....the #6 had no choice but to cry in Mom's arms......How can I help??? I offered vegetable seeds for her to plant, but she told me "No"....what can I or we help????

Every weekend I try to come into Mansa the capital of Luapula to buy more groceries and just get away from village for a while.....so I got to met with Chinese people in town....first from the Budget Store for kitchen stuff....met the manager from Shanghai....from Mr. Ke I knew half dozen more other Chinese in town - besides Mr. Ke all are mine product collectors from all over China......this is the only place that I saw Chinese people first before I saw Chinese restaurants....
so Chinese people here all have vege gardens at their company rented large homes and all inviting me for dinner....they are all better cooks than I can manage at here.....

Well, I think, it is the limit for today on the pix and notes.....there may be some repeated, sorry for the confusion.....till next time.......Cheng 12/17/2010 reason to come in today was that I took PO box key to check if I have package coming and none, than rain started plus I had a ride home so I went home with the key.....that I had to return to the PC house.....so got some more posting......Later you all......Have a wonderful weekend to come.....I will stay in my village this weekend for I had been out twice already......

The pix got mixed up let me go from the last first......

Rain, Rain and RAINED....last week it was like Seattle weather in my village.....but it came with all sorts of flowers and mushrooms......I should not have complaint, just all able person was all in the fields to plant all things from corn - they call it maize here, casava, peanuts, beans and whatever they have at hand.....even hard to find kids around for they were all working hard in the fields too....even the snails, grasshoppers, butterfly and of course mosquitoes are truly on their duties seriously too.....

One day my housing committee told me that they will come meet and fix my roof that I was so appreciated and told them that I will make paper model of fish ponds for each of them.....while I was busying on it they met and talked in my insaka - little sitting place with half wall around with a roof.....but when I came out of my house they were ready to leave all collected grass got throw up to roof but no one was up there to spread it......so the leak is still leaks......what a wasted of half day on every one of us.......

Thanks to Gerlinde's books that calmed me down countless times.....so once weekend come I run not fast enough to Mansa to see my Chinese friends and had their wonderful cooking for me. I took picture of Mr. Ke's vege garden and shown him my cat in the Provincial House and met some of PC volunteers too, for they are at the same age group. We even made once duplings.....not that great for lack of materials like sasemi oil, etc...but we did enjoyed it as a treat nonetheless......

The 3-4 days sort of none stop rain that melt down my toilet wall for the roof metal was ended right on the top of the wall......I had kids to build me a grass wall as you see those in front of my bathroom door...but no dry grass to be found these days.....so I tight my bed cover on to the sticks the kids put up for me......

Today I came into town in the name of the villager brought couple feet of metal roof sheet and need me to come to town to buy nails.....so here I am in the same trip checked PO for my possible packages and try post a few notes on blog......this is so far I can do.....now pix are slow or even not moving....I might have to quit it and re-do it the next time I am here again....

So surprised to me that Christmas is only a week+ away. The villagers here are mostly Jehovah witnesses or Seven days advantages so they do not celebrate Christmas....this is the first time in 33 years US life that I miss my yearly letter to keep all my friends and family posted on what I had done for the year.......I just have to have everyone to check on blog to see at least the last half year 2010 of my life.....the first half was only closing my business and homes not that much to talk about.....of course a few trip of scuba diving......well.....those seemed so far from me now.....

Okay, the pix are not going to post for ever, so I will redo them next time I am here.....you all have a wonderful weekend to come.

In case I don't get in before the Holidays, you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year......12/16/2010 Cheng

November 2010

I finally got to meet with the chief of Mabumba - my village's big guy and he was nice to me for not request me to knee down, etc. on meeting with him.......and he requested to have pictures taken with me.....then more meeting with villagers....more talk than work......these people....

I still have more fun to work with big kids than adults.....we started compost....came into raining season.....it was not looking good at all....will do another one again soon......12/16/2010 Cheng

This part of story will retell later.....sorry - late October

Two women group one has hand power sawing machine and they learned my way to do peanut candy made more than 100% profit, one work slowly and candy was crumbed not able to sale - a total loss......

Pix got mixed up and missing some fun part of them I will make it up next time.......these pix were from the last week of October when the first RAIN came down it was no kidding business.....front yard flooded and roof leaked....was fun to run the buckets and did not know which one to attend first......I moved all things around to avoid the leaks and the villagers met and talked how to fix my house but are still meeting and talking.....

Sorry for the missing pix......till next time.....12/16/2010 Cheng

The missing pix for the October villager meeting

These people they like meetings, as I know the NGOs call for any meetings usually provide something to make people come now the locals are at the secondary aide they do not get the treats but the knowledge and information for them to work it out for themselves.....but they do not get this info well........they agree and sign all sort of documents but never really doing what was said and signed.....

Right after the villagers meeting to end of October 2010

Villagers meeting did not end till almost 2pm, I was to rest a while, but there came the neighbor to tell me that one headman's son passed away in Kitwe, Copperbelt provincial and the moaning is at his home about one KM from my house.

I wore the shitange - the fabric wrope around waist to be formal to go......all women sit in one large room, they sang the saddest songs I ever heard.....truly, the sadness in this situation is universal.....

I saw my counterpart's wife in the room, before I made my way to talk to her, she got up and left......this was one of duty my counterpart has to take me and help to integrate into village(s) and he is not......

I continue to visit all sort of farmers and watching kids make dirt bricks, etc.... found guava trees with nice guavas.....but they were the same as those I had when I was little in Taiwan, so I introduced them to graft it with pear tree like those farmers did in Taiwan way back.....to see if they will have those guava thick with meat and less seeds and if I will to eat it before my service is up.....

One neighbor at the front of my house built a dirt brake house quick and villagers came to make the roof for them in one day.....so the family with four kids have a new home.........Cheng 12/12/2010