Bob had arrived on time......

November 12th, 07:00 Bob just walked out of the arrival gate at Lusaka airport.

Dr. Marum was so nice to make the breakfast for all us......

Ba Jennipher took this picture before we started.......

That evening I made the dinner that Barbara did come with Marcia and we all had great time catch up and making new friends......

13th we travel to Livingstone on bus that I was taking it as granted and forgot to prepare Bob about all the vendors and "helpers on luggages"......I used to just igore all of them and there Bob was to be polite to begin with, but ended to expect to pay tips or to buy anything they were selling....bad first trip in Zambia for Bob......it took him few days to cool it all down.....sorry, Bob.

 

The 14th we went on to game trip at Chobe, Botswana that started with a 2-3 hours of boat drive and checking all large herd of animals from both sides of the Zambizi River banks.

 

 

First seeing one Hipo it was so excited....than there were huge herds here and there and everywhere....

 Elephants not only came to drink water they bathed with water....

and spread wet dirt or sand on their backs...... 

wonder around more......

peacefuly co-exsiting with all huge and small ones.......

Behind the Bob and boat and guide was the land of Namibia......we were all thinking how to make a landing for just for a picture or whatever....... 

More elephants after, we and other tourists did the same thing - jump off from the boat to have a picture or two and back we went back to the other side of river to end the boat trip and have lunch..... 

At the dock, we can see four countries' land - Zambia, Botswana, Naminia and Zambawi.

Bob had only double entry visa for Botswana trip, we can't do the official visit to Namibia....

Cheng 11/27/2012

First comes food, than comes visial realization.....

Peace Corps has a great net work of the deplomates or NGOs in town who are willing to share their homes to PCVs while they are in town.  So I've got arranged to stay with Dr. Lawrence Marum.  Turned out, he is the Country Director of CDC in Zambia and he was on his way back from business travel, but texted to me that I shall go to the house before his return to enjoy the swimming pool since it was a hot day.......Yeah, it was.  38C and above for sure......

 

In order to thank him for taking me in to his home, I offered to take him out for dinner and turned out that he is on law fat diet and not good to eat out often times......so I offered to cook Chinese food at his home and was agreed.  Dotor even loan me a book "First came love and than came the Malaria" written by a PCV who served in Africa country in early 1980s......that was where I copied the posting tile from this one.

 

Look at this gorgeous kitchen......

Look at my great helper of the house maid - Ba Jennipher....... 

I hurried to buy materials I need but the Doctor went ahead to have Jennipher stock up what I might use. 

I did not know the Doctor was that excited and asked me if he can invit his friends to come for dinner and if I have any friends that I want to invite.....

The first dinner, there were Peace Corps Country Director Tom Kenneday and his wife Felice....They were still talking about the Ambassador's visit to my Makasa village that got aired Sunday night's TV news and Tom was to make sure that I will have a copy of the clip.  I am truly grateful for my work in villages had all the attentions from all over.......

 

Only PCV I know well enough to invite was Barbara and she is out in Northern and Luapula Provices to train trainers on Malaria programs.  But I will see her at dinner at Doctor's home when she is back from her Malaria program travel and Bob comes. It was at Doctor's aproval and almost as at his encouragement for Bob to have my cooking while he is here......

 

How would I give thanks enough to a person like Dr. Marum......

Doctor cooked a few breakfast for me and even for Bob after he had arrived.... 

Showing me around his gardens....... 

His fruit trees......... 

Swimming pool........ 

Roses his wife planted........She is also a Medical Doctor, now in Geniva for a short term program, not to be home till mid January. 

What a nice home for my wonderful break from the six months of village life........

 

I told Dr. Marum that by Peace Corps' homestay policy that PCVs can't invit their friends or relatives to stay at homes so I will move out on Monday.  But Dr. Marum said, "I understand that, but if I invit you and Bob to stay in my house, that will be all fine."  How lovely things can be.....Bob and I did stay at Doctor's home the whole time while Bob was here.......

 

Of course we traveled in and out of Lusaka few times, just to think the packing and repacking and to store luggages while trips we took from here..... I am thankful at all times.

 

Cheng  11/25/2012

What I had done before Bob's vacation here......

I have scheduled for my right knee check up on Wednesday, November 7th in Lusaka due to my bysical problems, the hurt did not go away since July.  The Ambassador did offer me the ride to come down to Lusaka with one of his stuffs vehicles on Saturday, but I was thinking that I could have a few more days work with my farmers before my two weeks vacation at Bob's visiting here.  I was told to travel on day time bus, but it will go only on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Which meant I have to be in Mansa the night before in order to catch 06:30's departure.  Even if I will take Sunday bus that I will leave my post home on Saturday anyway, so I called back to Amanda and she arranged the ride for me and I was out of my post home late afternoon of Friday with Ba Sheroya.  We over nighted at Kabwe and arrived at Peace Corps house in Lusaka by noon.  It was way better than squeezed in any of the day time or night time bus to travel this 12 hours distance.

 

I am always amazed while passing the large wet land and the longest bridge on it in Africa.  People always catch the fish in any sizes, dry them and sale them at the road side.....

Came into Lusaka, there are lots of sports stadium, hospital.....large structures or road constructions that funded and / or worked by Chinese corporations or government.

I took effort to contact Fr. Clement Kangwa that he is teaching in Lusaka now, and had meet with his Superintendent. 

Visited his chapel. 

I have seen the Orthopedic doctor and he think MRI will be only way to see what is actually wrong with my right knee but the appointment can't be make until November 26th.  That's mean I have to stay in Lusaka after Bob goes back home.

 

Now I have four days to wait here till Bob comes and no medical reason to stay in Peace Corps house. Hmm......where shall I stay to wait???

Cheng 11/25/2012

The "DAY" the US Ambassador came to my psot home....

06:00 hours came and gone, no additional chairs or any officials came.....my farmers did come to make the furrow to drain the water in my front yard for it rained again the whole night, almost.

 

07:30 there were still somep sprinkles of rain....I called for the chairs, etc......"We were waiting for the vihecle and now we will be on the way.  If rain is still going, we might have to have the receiption in the near by Makasa Primary School." Fine, but be here soon......

 

There came the big arm chair and some office chairs and a large coffee table....okay, let's get the name tags on so people will know where to sit without asking.  It is 08:20 now.

"No, no, you have to have chairs for the securities just closely behind the Ambassador."

"How many of them?"

"Six,"

"Why no one told me ahead of time to request enough chairs?  Take the chairs for the Presses here, quick. Move the coffee table two feet to the front for these chairs."

"No, no, you need to leave room for people to walk throught.  You move those name tags to put them next row here."

"These are the people I want to present to Ambassador for their great help to my farmers. Do you want the Ambassador to stand up, turn around to recognize them???"

"Okay, okay, we do it this way, okay? Okay?"

I was thinking, what needed to ask again? I said, "Good, it is done and the next...."

"No, no, you are not happy. We can't do this if you are not happy."

"What? I said it is done and over. Didn't I???" 

Can't stop myself, "That was why I went told you all last week and I even had a map of what I want the sitting for all to be, even where to park cars.......why didn't you talk when I show it to you all? Even just yesterday when you all just began to be interested in this event???"

My-Oh-my...... "Let's move to next issue. It is 08:40 now."

 

Text came in "The Ambassador's group is runing a few minutes let, on the way now."

I told all these "helping officials", "Listen, they are on the way now there is no time for you to educate me to understand your way.  Just do the rest as you think right."

"No, no, than the one done it will have to take the blems."

"Blem all on me, okay? I need to get my farmers ready for it now."

 

Boy, oh boy, oh boy.....even to agree with them is still not right??? What's the matter here???

 

Abassador's group came in three vihecles, and I don't even know how many of them or most of who they were....I knew only the Ambassador and his secretary, Amenda - I assumed, for she was the first to check my site two days ahead. 

 

Plus I couldn't really see how many of TV, news and redio reporters they came in all together, in the front, at the side and all around....almost made me cross eyed...

 

Well, my farmers stood along side of the way in, singing, dancing, etc.....it was a nice warm scene and came the visitors were all cheerful and attentive to the details of all....First step went well.

After all sitted, I did a briefing of my six months of work in Makasa area, I presented my dear friends and great helper to my farmers, headman, and all my farmers' groups - four members from each group (otherwise will take up too long the time), plus little story of this 17 year old Dimas Kaluba and we went to see the closest fish ponds. 

 

Amenda was so nice to take Dimas came see the Ambassador and had a picture taken during the pond visit.  Just hope Dimas stand up on his study and make a great example to all young Zambians that it is time for them to stand up for their own future.

 

Back to my insaka, all sitted again, the Ambassador had a speech appriased the work done here by my farmers and me and all......I just remembered that whole morning I did not have my camera with me....run into house got camera and here I am, just now to realized that I had missed half of the Ambassador's speech for taking these pictures following. Great loss of mine.  Hmm....if I can ask Amenda for a copy of something.....sorry.....truly miss calculated.....

The Ambassador has been attentive, cheerful, sincere with his warm smiles at all times....

I felt so easy next to him, otherwise I might not be able to have my 12 minutes long briefing done half way as good....I've never think that I am a front stage person ever and never had a TV microphone and TV camera right at the front of my face and with all those recorders...... 

The Ambassador was taking all in while my farmer's represantative was giving a speach of thank you...and they never forget to put in some requests of material helps.... 

Crying of in poverty, see how many of them were in suits.....of course, this might be the only time in their life to see the big people come to their villages...at least it was said in their speach. 

Ambassador came down to shack hands with the speeker and all my farmers were so happy to see that had happened.......

Then the DOF Samfya - Ba Musonda gave the closing remark.....he was not too easy on these TV camera, microphone and all recorders either.....but done well with the Ambassador's warm attention. 

The Ambassador handed out gifts - a picture book for headman..... 

Books for farmers to pass around..... 

and a soccer ball to kids........whao, how wonderful that was.....the kid got the ball and run, but one stand-by farmer grasped him to give traditional way of thank you to the Ambassador. 

one of my farmer did the closing prayer....... 

After all left, the kids were having great time with the new ball......

All done well, thanks to the Ambassador and his group traveled with him and all the Press members to come and visite.....what a booster to my service here and the lifes of all my villagers.

 

Cheng  11/3/2012

 

 

 

It always came the opposite of........

Almost the whole month of October, I was only doing offices visits with new farmers and the pond managements on existing ones, I thought I could have learned to Zambian way to sit back and relax......

Hmm...one group of my farmers acted up that they wanted to reconstruct one of their old ponds....Okay......

While working with a new group, there was this young man - Dimas Kaluba, 10th grader, 17 year old, who was working in behalf of his father - a member of Makumbi group......that he has his own old fashioned fish pond (leaks already) and a garden to feed his fishes.....well, if he has the gut to earn his own tuitaions, I will help any way I can along side of the Makumbi group.

Some Makumbi members and Diams Kaluba in white shirt at back.

 

Got a phone call from PLARD officer Dr. Abila that Prime Minister of Finland was especially came to see my Yasakwa farmers on October 24, 2012 for the farmers there are doing great job under PLARD's assistances that had never stopped after my taxi accident in July 2011. I appreciated that people are still remember me along with my Yasakwa farmers.

 

There came phone calls, emails that US Ambassador is coming to visit Luapula Province the last week of October and choosen to visit your post home, villages, farmers and fish ponds......Whao, this is going to be a big event for all my villagers......

My counterpart is a carpenter and he was to make me a book case five plus months back and now he got it done.....so I have a proper sitting room. Come for a cup of tea???

There also came the package from Kathy and Larry of school books and soccer balls that was on the way for eight weeks, but it have to wait till after this big event of Ambassador's visit to open. I believe my kids will be very happy to see them and use them.......Thanks, Kathy and Larry.

 

Dimas's new standard pond started...... 

Makumbi's new standard pond also going on.....

besides monitoring all old ponds on their pond managements.

 

Well, well, Makasa buddies, time to cleaning up all ponds and all those tadpoles in the water.....The US Ambassador is coming on November 1st...........Whao....hurry......

 

I started to invite the officials as suggested about 10 days ahead of time, plus all those who helped me all along my PCV journey since July 2010.  Responds were fair.

We even have had the Wildlife officer - Ba Wmimba to come given one goat workshope to my farmers last Friday. I went over night at Rachel and Joe's Friday night, we had great Indian food the Joe made and yaped too much, no pictures was remembered to take.  Went to Carmen and Mark's on Saturday night and witnessed their home education project of the universe.

and dinner under the solar system.......

Before I went home Sunday morning, Nala and Lilly had to show me their new ducklings....these ones have ones that I always knew........not the yellow ones.....

but those were all from the same mama...

 

The day before the Ambassador came, the whole town of Samfya all of sudden got more excited than my farmers..... 

The Acting DC with two Police high officers came checked my house inside out, went to the ponds that Ambassador will see.......took me and my bike back to their office for some other officers will supply us all chairs for "important" people to sit on......plus for my farmers too......

 

Rain had been in the air for couple of weeks now, and it came down all at once while they were about to take me and my bike back to my post home to see how many chairs they can bring over that afternoon and next morning before the Ambassador come. 

No time to wait, we loaded my bike in the back, in the rain and drove to my house. The driver was nice to park the car in the front of my step so I can go put on gum boots to unload my bike while all sit and wait in the truck....

 

For the receiving of the Ambassador, I have a map made out on how to have all estimated number ofpeople sit around for November 1st......... Of course, on the chairs will be better than I was to have all to sit on the cement ring as all my meetings had been at this post home......

 

Okay, 30 plastics delivered before 17:00......the rest will be here 06:00 hour tomorrow.

Fine.  Thanks, and see you all in the morning.

 

This office is to close at 17:00 soon, I will come again tomorrow......

Good night you all.    Cheng 11/1/2012