10/14/2010 Villagers' meeting - pix not re-sized, sorry.

This was the second villagers meeting - first was in early September to introduce that I was coming now it is that I have arrived so let's get to work together.

My counter part was dared to announce that who will like to work with me to make appointment with him....at my speech in Bemba language that my language teacher translated for me I emphasized who ever have a real work to do can come to me and we will work it out on the timely manner.

So far I saw this counterpart of mine only in the occasions that he is to barrow my bike, money or have me to buy him talk time for his cell phone......besides he has been demanding that Peace Corps to provide him a bike and he pressed this issue on me time after time and still..... Besides he did not have any action on fixing my house, I also knew from PC officer in Mansa and Dept of Fishery that he had materials and money for fix my house and both were gone uncountable.....part or all I do not know....hmmm.....I do not want to spend my time here to just baby sitting on him.......

At this second villagers meeting a housing committee were elected to look after my house......hope all will work out.....Cheng 12/12/2010

10/1 to 10/13/2010 my village - Yasakwa, Mansa District, Luapula.

Every PCV has one counterpart to work with, but mine was busy at first had to sale his casava to Lusaka, then he is building a house somewhere, as he said close by....but unknown as where about, anyway, he was not around at all.....so I have to be creative to find my own connections, nieghbors and friends.....

At the provincial house someone posted a note wanting a large plastic jar for hand wash water, I did not pay attention to the details, but since I've got nothing to do so I pictured it myself and had two bigger kids to do the work and it worked......I was so proud of them and gave them rope and jars to do the same for their own families......then we got known all around the village and constructed more water system for future parted neighbors......all with happy faces around us.....

I sit in with neighbors when they were pounding casava, and had their children to memorize time table....at which I was so surprised at age of 12, grade 4 and they can't do up to the "3"......but I was so thankfully to know there I have at least this job to do....found one kind of the chicken with bare necks......visited fish farmer and found they are still use the squared bottom ponds....another job to introduce the slope bottom ponds......

At my first 4 day staying in early September I met field officers of Dept of Agricultural and Dept of Life Stock, now I was able to became friends with them and their wives.....visiting back and forth.....also visited the neighbor's grandfather 4 KM away by foot.....

There is a cat in the provincial house it is expecting babies in mid-October......I was so wished to have one kitten when available for I was so bothered by the mice in my house. On this account I even compromised with the mice that I go to bed at 7pm and up at 5am so they can be running around in my house without me to chase after them......or they me..... when I knew the cat had given birth to 4 kittens, I came to take picture and put in my wish.....but was told all to be lottery out to all 27 new volunteers at the Thanksgiving week's meeting.....

Than I think that I will be out a week in Thanksgiving and two weeks out for "in-service-training in Lusaka" in January 2011, on these I kind of changed my mind on not to have a cat after all, for I will not be home enough to be with a kitten or a cat....it is not fair to have it to fend for itself if I have to be out.......

Well, I just have to deal with my mice the way I do right now.......all food and clothing are in plastic containers.....and so be it...... Cheng 12/12/2010

9/30/2010 moved into my post home.

I have had 4 days stayed in my post home in the first week of September and I have a list of things to be done to fix my home before I came back to stay for good, all were promised to be done before I came again.....but of course none was done.......and I was told "You are in Zambia." so it is to be.

My bed after the long 10+ hours trip from Lusaka, was in pieces that driver and villagers had to hammer all in at the front of my home. A table has no way to be in so villagers used the bicycle chain to saw of the dirt wall....that was quite a scene and quite thick the dust to deal with.....so bed fixed, no way to go into bedroom for the hall way is small.....villagers lift it up and went over the 7 foot divider wall under roof.....so I have the bed to sleep.....whao.......

Life is to be full of interesting way on the coming......Cheng 12/12/2010

4 days resting and more shopping in Mansa before move into our homes.

As you all know no matter where I go I am always the oldest person in the group, so it is for this group of 27 PCV - Peace Corps Volunteer - in Luapula Province.....

9/26 We were arrived in Mansa Luapula Provincial House and we shopped three days in the day time and the youngings of course partied every night....I always took some their pix and go to bed after they left for the bars or clubs to caught up with my resting.....my tummy had been good while in the training, but once the final exam was over I got it way over active for almost a week.....not serious but very inconvenient that I even had to ask for one emergency stop an hour before we reached at Mansa provincial house in that 10 hours ride from Lusaka.

Hello, all....it is 12/12/2010 and I have seen Christmas card, letter, invites in my email....Thanks to all......

Since Thanksgiving that I was in the provincial house in Mansa for the meeting and celebration of Thanksgiving and was able to post some of the re-sized pictures with some notes but stopped with power outage, and the following weekend when I came in town too, etc. etc......hope I can achieve the posting to up to last week this time.....

First of all, thanks for Bob B. to teach me the re-size of the pix and thanks to Gerlinde sent me a box of children books.....all are interesting stuffs even for me.....I am working on have a librarian trained to handle these books then to have one or two big kids to lead the reading.....so when I am out working or vacationing out of my village, these books will be still in use.....Thanks to Gerlinde and Elizabeth for all wonderful books.

Yes, vacation, I am planning to be back to Seattle at the first 10+/- days of February, depends on how ticket schedule to be. Planning to do my own tax plus a couple days in Winthrop snow shoeing and one or two days at Stevens sikiing and rest in Seattle area scuba diving, do my tax and see MY FRIENDS, come joint with me, anyone???......I will have you all posted ASAP.

Here is my updates from late September 2010.

9/25/2010 we got the sworn ceremony at US Ambassdor's residence as PCV; the ambassador was only two weeks new in Zambia at that time. After the ceremony, I was so hoped to have a good rest for a nap or something like that but had to go shopping for our future post home, for in the village the things we might want, need might be none to be seen in any villages where we will be posted in......

The next day 9/26/2010 we all departed from Lusaka to our own post homes.....

I am up to end of August now.......

These pix were from I was catching up my language and fish pond skill period of time in Chongwe, Zambia......wish I have had learned to resize pix earlier to save all the frustrations.....See you all later today, if I am lucky.....you all have a wonderful T dinner......Love, Cheng

Okay, last post it took 4 pix of street view of Pretoria.....few more in this posting.....sorry to give you my yicky eye, but do you recognize the World Cup Game building, I was one week too late of been there for it....

I will try post another one up to end of August, before I have to quit to go back to PC House for the turkey dinner......later......Cheng