Feb 2011 - Fingerlings delivered

Late December I had contacted PLAN International and had one fishery officer, Ba Mwamba, to promiss have those fish farmers from closerby village that received their fingerlings in 2010 to share some to my fish farmers.....Late January when I was back from Lusaka's in service training, Ba Nwamba and my committee members went to Kale village, 15 Km east, to ask them to share their fingerlings. Wonderful Farmers led by ba Chimpo, promised to give us 200 fingerlings; 100 each for one pond, on Feb 22, after I come back from my Seattle vacation.

After I was back, there was a two days workshop on 2/22 & 23 in Mansa that I have to attend, so I had to run around arrange fingerlings to be delivered on 2/24....all was done after hard persuit....on the day of the harvesting fingerlings, they gave us 300 fingerlings instead.....so 3 of my ponds received 100 each fingerlings.....it was truly wonderful and rewarding for all the work up to now.....I was so tired from the trip, from social, from workshop, form running for internet connections......my lap top off line again....so had to depend on the internet cafe.....

Sorry all......pix can't be posted.....till next time again......hopefully Friday......3/7/2011 Cheng

Visit from JICA and DOA on Sunday Feb 20

Volunteers from JICA, Maki san posted at Mansa Colleg, Takashi san posted at Mansa Elementary school and Tsuyoshi san posted at Samfya Junior High School, they were so nice to come visit my post home by asking where the "musongu"(the white people) lives and found me.....while ba Lloyd (the officer with Dept of Agr., live 5 Km from me) and his wife were visiting me too....all had lunch togather on my village survival manu.....macaroni, with canned tuna, curry powder, pesto & parmasan seasoning and a big scoop of peanut butter......they said it was good....hope it was not only out from their politnesses.....4 oranges shared as desert.

After lunch, we visited one of my fish farmers and his ponds....Takashi san bravely accepted a row casava and ate it right there.....he tried well water too....we all had a great time just to catch the taxi = hitch hike to go back to Mansa and Samfya was a little longer time than we used to have to be....

Too bad to know that Maki san was to leave her Mansa post back to Japan before their school system starting in April.....so the next weekend there will be a farewell party for her at her post home and few JICA volunteers will be coming from Lusaka too......sure I will want to come to the party and meet more friends and see Maki san any more times I could have....

3/7/2011 Cheng

These pix were from Sunday 2/20 when Maki, Tsuyoshi and Takashi visited my post home at Yasakwa.....they came by asking for where the "Musongu" lives......guess that I am famous here...

These pix should have been the second half of their visit, but the first half did not came in so I post it any way, the next one will be pix only for their first half of visit while the officer of Dept of Agrecaltural, Ba Lloyd and his wife were also visiting me.....we had lunch all togather.....my village cooking manu.....come and try it too??? 3/7/2011 Cheng

Oh, my farmers changed one workshop on chicken and pig to Thursday 3/10 so I run into town for this posting.....you all have a wonderful week ahead.....Cheng

Feb 2011 still

but I can't make any pictures loaded now.....time to go and will be back as soon as I could.....3/5/2011 Cheng

Feb 2011 - lost in counting

Back at village I worked with another layer outside of the original 5 zones.....so biking distances are longer from last 4, 5 months every time I go out to work.....flowers sure changed the shifts.....pretty no matter what they are.....

Feb 2011 -

I got my cat, Shio-Bai home from neighbor's caring while I was on my vacation, she looked sick and week, slept a lot in her basket.....I had to go to Mansa to buy the broken pieces of dry fish for her for that was her cat mom eats.....after a couple of days, she was up more and started to watch the chicken from inside of the door, than she move further out and further....that made the chicken frozen right there and raise the loudest alarming call to the whole world wide.....it was funny to watch....but chicken sure don't think so.

When Shio-Bai is feeling better she wants me to play or be with her.....I think she also know that when I am home I need to work on schedules and planning for meetings or works....or read....so she was not too happy about me and watching me with her eyes closed.....but still she runs to me when I call her name.....she is a good cat.....and pretty too....don't you think so???

3/5/2011 Cheng

Feb 2011 -

Flight out from Seattle had a little problem because Ethipoian Airline cancelled one daily flight on mine......I had to recheck in 5am flew United air to Washington DC that gave me this chance to have a view of Mt. Rainier....and good to have a break in between my luxury living style back home and my village life ahead....It was a none stop flight to Harare, in Botswana, I think...not sure.....change plane to Lusaka, and stayed at Sarita's another night than take night bus back to Mansa. Kate was on duty in Lusaka and staying at Sarita's too. Two of their ages added up still 10 years less than mine, but we have lots in comment and can talk a lot, but I had to rush back to my village......nice young ladies.....

In the bus I met with the Japanese girl volunteer, Maki, who I share the same bus when I leave Mansa to Lusaka, now I am back and she was in the same bus with another two volunteers that she mentioned on the last ride they are from Mansa and Samfya - Takashi and Tsuyoshi. I am already looking forward to them visit my fish farmers, for their are PE teachers in College, High School and elementary schools. The sun sit from bus window was gorgeous.

When the bus passed my home in Yasakwa at 3am I did not want to get off to deal with mice in the house...so I phoned Ke to pick me up at 3:30 in Mansa and stayed at his home few hours before come back to my home in the day light. Thanks for all nice friends around....... 3/5/2011 Cheng