I am back in Seattle on August 21, 2011.

My condition is getting better - energy level is higher, body is more flexible everyday, but there are two spots of skin grafts did not heal as all the rest, right at the both sides of left heel......

Dr. Neumann - the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, and Peace Corps Doctors - Dr. Jaco and Dr. Erfan thought that I should have further care for the wound and if I will take the surgeries in South Africa, it will make my medical leave over 45 days that I will be transported back to Seattle during my recovery time from the surgery so they suggested that I come back to Seattle for the further surgeries and I agreed, for the experiences of to move around right after those surgeries I already had.....it was next to impossible right in the same hospital, not talking about 30+ hours of flight time back home here......

It was the record high temprorature of 89 degree Fahrenheit (29+/- Celsius) in Seattle this year, when I arrived in the Sea-Tac Airport. When elevator door opened, Bob and the Oman's whole family were waited there.........they brought me flowers, cherries, peaches......and urge me to go back with Bob to have rest and all will visit me when I am rested......what friends are for!!! Lucky me.....

The hot weather was only for two days, Monday and on it has being the usual Seattle days - gray and rained.....sorry, it is sun shinning out now.....hope it stays....I already miss the African Sun, even the last week it was whole week between 5 to 18 Celsius (uper 30s to lower 60s Fahrenheit) and one 24 hours thander and hail strom..........

I have seen general surgeon Dr. Gerber 7am Monday and she made referrals for me to see the specialists.....more than a day now I can't make any appointment with any plastic/reconstructive surgeons........I am still trying hard with Dr. Gerber's help.......and will keep you all posted on my achivements here.......

One thing to tell before I posted this note, that is my Counterpart, Ba Martin Kasompe, has been carrying on the schedule and projects with Luapula fishery officials and PLARD, Dr. Abila to have my farmers trained for the fishery activities for my villages.........I am so proud of him and all my farmers.......

That is what Peace Corps is working for......we leave the skills and connections to the villagers and hope all is substainable......and my Yasakwa farmers proved that skills and connections to the resources to give to the farmers who really want to work for themselves are way better than money and materials that they have had received over last 60 years........

For these, I am proud of myself being one of the volunteers for Peace Corps too and I am looking forward to go back to Yasakwa to enjoy the progresses with my farmers ASAP. 8/23/2011 Cheng

The Rose Guest House.......

Where all the PCVs in the continent of Africa who has medical issues are all staying in here.....so I have been depended on all of them to bring me stuffs or buy me food.....

First two pictures were from the step down house where I learned to get up and down the bed, use bathroom, etc....first time I was allowed to use a computer for internet connection......than I moved to Rose Guest House........My room has two large window to see the yard....now it is winter here but still green outside......

Here I met Tom from SA village and he did most of my food shopping for the first week and he is well enough to go back to his village. I won't bore you for all the stories that we are all here fir and at the same breakfast table........just that we had the luck to met the highest age PCV Jim, he is 84 and was here to adjust his hearing aide........so I am not the oldest for the first time in any group...... 8/14/2011 Cheng

If you don't want to see injoury pix, PLEASE scroll down fast.

The first picture with clothing on was taken at Mansa General Hospital, at the time Peace Crops Doctor from Lusaka, Zambia was at my side already. Dr. Harry with Mansa general hospital doctors, they did the quick cleaning and stopped bleeding than flew me straight down to Pretoria, South Africa.

I was straight transfered by ambulance to Unitas Hospital's "Theater" - the operating room and CT scaned, X-rays than the second cleaning to cut off bad tissues......I rested that way for one day than they did the skin grafts from upper thighs to cover the wounded areas.......None of any bones got damaged, only loss lots of skin and masucle, the slow growing soft tissues......

I am truly thankful that I can walk out of the accident by my own and Peace Corps scooped me up with in 3 hours after it happened, within 6 hours flight straight down for the world's first class medical care at Unitas Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

The rest of pictures were taken after skin grafted and I was braced up for two+ weeks till last Friday and told to take if off the brace in the day and exercise all joints.......Hope I will be able to bike and use pit toilet soon so I can go back to my villages ASAP.......

Please do not worry about me for all doctors and people around are so nice and helpful to me......currently I am in the Rose Guest House in Brooklyn, in Pretoria and be here till I can run again.....8/14/2011 Cheng

July 17th parted with Barbara and Mary Ellen

July 17th three of us took the same bus from the Lake back to Kasama. Barbara was the first off the bus at Kasama, another two hours Mary Ellen got off at Mpika, I got off another 3 hours after at Mkunda to wait for Jorden Bus to take me to Mansa which is about 350 KM northwest away yet.

The bus was more than an hour no show, and there came a Airtel vihecle that the driver came down to collect passsengers, when I got to the car, the 7 sitters had pilled more than 10 people and I offered myself to sit between passenger and driver on their arm rests.......2-3 hours gone by, I was start to check his gas and thinking 40 KM will be at my home, I will be there by before 5am, and another 20 KM he will have gas station to tank up at Mansa........than accident happened.....8/14/2011 Cheng

Lake Tangwenyika in Northern Province

We had long decided that Mary Ellen Reviera and Barbara Smith are to spent some time togather after the Children's Nutrition workshop, but we did not do that at the part one, so we get this idea to spend couple days all three of us togather to visit Lake Tanganyika 200 Km north from Kasama......se we did.......it was all beautiful and wonderful visiting the resorts and beaches all by three of us with the boat crew of 5.....I need to show this one sail boat's sail to those boat people at Lake Bangweulu that they can make the sail by the bag materials too.......8/14/2011 Cheng

Instead of going back to Yasakwa than come down to Kasama...

I was medically released on the Saturday before I have to go to Kasama for Children's Nutrition part 2 workshop, while I met Mary Ellen in Lusaka and she has the Peace corps vehicle to bring her back to site from her trianing of trianers for the last 2 weeks.....so I took the advantage and travel up with her on Sunday to Kasama and helping her to prepare her workshop on Wednesday and Thursday........there were great deal of info and hands on demo within groups and we have all the discussions and suggestions to one another how to prepare food for young children and how to have them react as a young children need to be.......8/14/2011 Cheng

Back at work in my villages - Katangwe.....

Ba Lloyd was so nice as usual to give my villagers garden workshop...and the villagers were so great to make us lunch.....but something not agree with me that only me got food poisoned....Dr. Harry told me to come down to Lusaka to get better so I did and that trip gave me chance to see Ba Gilly one more time for she was to go back to England with her father........Ba Shebo was nice to atten all my complians about my tummy over 2-3 days..... 8/14/2011 Cheng

Chilube Island......hope I remembered the name right.

At 5:30 only Casey and I were up, he was fishing and I was waiting for the sun rise........after breakfast Ba David came scort Maxie and I to bike around the island and he was in the suite, than he stopped at one church that we went in in the middle of their service.........turn out to be that the priest was his father and the whole family was more than half of the congregation........from the picture I just realized that I had my bike hilmet on at all times........sorry.......I was not expected all this........Maxie was more prepared that she even have a Nshitange the wrop around skirt to wear for the service........8/14/2011 Cheng

Quick stops at Chinshi and Mbalala Islands

No others has bikes and the islands were not really walking friendly to see what they have.....so we got to the last one Chilube Island right before sun sit......hurried to get the tents up and find dinner at the guest house.........it was a beautiful day......8/14/2011 Cheng

Met up with 7 other PCVs at the harbor at Samfya, which was 75 KM from the parish, and Ba Nshinawe had her collegue Ba David going back to his island - Chibuli the last one we were going.......we picked up conversations that the same officers from PLARD who are helping my farmers, have done lots of work with DOF in Lake area for them too......with Fr. Clement and Fr. Jericho's helping boat owner to push us into deeper water to have motor started, off we went with only Maxie's and mine bicycals........8/14/2011 Cheng

One over night at St. Marie's Parish with DOF in Samfya, Ba Nshinawe, I attended Fr. Clement's morning service with the students from the boarding school.....than we walked around the church yard and school and the boarding students' areas they were all warmingly welcome us and play music wonderfully.....than we had breakfast and rush out to the harbor to meet other PCVs to go on to the three islands in the Lake Bangweulu........Cheng 8/14/2011