back to work in the fields, even right after malaria......

Wednesday, the meeting to work got canceled another time, so I went in to Samfya to check PO, charge phone, etc......I walked behind PO building to the market, where Carmen's office is just in between and there were these maize all over the street waiting to be collected by government......they told me that if they are lucky they can have the money by January......

Sincerely, I wished them all a great luck.

On my way back home, sky darken quickly and seemed to be rain at any time.....my counterpart came burn the tall grasses behind my ichinbusu (outhouse) that the fire was so close to its thatch roof....he told me "That is fine, do not worry." I asked him, will it be raining soon?  He said, "No, no rain in August." 

But it did, after sun went down......I did not see it for I do not go out in dark if I could help......there were lightlings and thunders before I fallen a sleep......my head had full of the pictures I took this morning, all those bags of maize were all over the street, with their owners close by and in this terrible rain....I slept sadly........

Thursday I woke up with all symptom of malaria and called PCMO in Lusaka, took malaria self test and it turned out normal......because I am taking Mefloquen for malaria prevention and it often shown normal on the test..... As day went on and my temperature went up, body ached all over, ever I can remember that way.....by 4pm, Dr. Toni and Ba Shebo called back and said "Take Coartem now and take the second dose in eight hours. We are calling Mansa for a taxi to take you to the provincial house now."

The taxi did not come until 19:30 and by than I have soiled two trousers....I just can't run to outhouse quick enough.......lucky that taxi did not come quick, so I've got time to burn them before I had to leave the house.......sorry for too much details........

It took an hour time to get to the provincial house and I went straight to shower and bed.....So sorry for Dr. Toni, who had to call me every step I had to take and made sure that I take my second dose of Coartem on time - at mid night, etc......the next two day I took medicine as told......when medicine was gone the symptoms were gone also.....except weak and tired......what a deal.....

The PC Co-ordinator had business to Samfya that he took me home as well, also brought me a loaner bike so he can take my broken bike to repair for the third time.  On the way out of Mansa, we stopped by his house so I got to met with his young and sweet wife and shy and playful son.

Look at me, right after malaria........Have I aged to hundred and four now or not?

 I took the advantage of my farmers wanted to work, even I was still weak and tired I went on with them.....that made them felt that they were in control of whole situation.....While I was in the field,  Carmen called from the front of my post home to check on me and surprised to found me out working already.

Of course, the farmers did not do what they said be done on prepare the land for measuring and sticking the new ponds......so I had to sit on a bucket to wait for them to bring fire from home to burn the grass, while waiting I had them clear off grass around the old fish ponds......you just had to be there to tell them one step at a time.......

When the fire goes, it goes all directions......none seemed minded.....and the fire die down in a couple of hours......

Right after the burning of the grass, those roots became sharpe as nails, and most of themwalked on it bare footed.........

I was sitting not far from them, to make sure all meassurements done correctly and so on....they were quickly got the hint of how it should be done.  At the third pond I kept quiet for a long time and turned out they had done it correctly at the re-check and re-meassure and re-level......they were so proud of themselves too......besides I was so happy to see it all.

These roots can go down more than 20 inches deep or more.....but all I can ask for was to move about 10 inches deep clearly out side of dike line that I left it on each pond for them....it is wet land area, you can think how heavy each shavel is to be......

The third day, only two of them shown up on time....still a lot to go.....for even just the first pond...

On the way to and from the ponds, there were two of these trees, about 30 feet tall, with all flowers no leaves....and bees were busying with loud noises.....I just can't help to zoom in for a photo or two....and I've got the first one good too.....haven't I.......Cheng   8/17/2012