I've got the ticket to Lusaka, Zambia.

I will be leaving Seattle on 14:20, May 5th, via Chicago, London and arrive in Lusaka, Zambia on 06:15, May 7th.

I will be in Lusaka a week before I go to my post home in Musaila, Samfya District, Luapula Province.

I will post on this blog again when I get to Lusaka.  You all have a wonderful week ahead.  Cheng 4/30/2012

I will be arrived in Lusaka, Zambia on May 7, 2012.

Hello, all.....I have the date to end my medical leave now, that I will be back to Lusaka, Zambia on May 7, 2012.  This time I new post home will be at Musaila, Samfya District, Luapula Province and I will be there for one whole year.  My new post home is about 50-60 kilometer east from my old post home at Yasakwa.  It is 900+/- kilometers north from the capital city Lusaka.

My sincere thanks to you all for all cares, encouragements and supports that had accompanied me through out my recovery.

My thnaks also to Peace Corps in Zambia, in South Africa, in Washington DC and Dept. of Labor that all of them have been taking great care of my health, condition during my recovery and they keep my case open for the future treatments if needed to. 

I am truly grateful that I have had all these menpower behind me, that enabled me to concentrate on my own healing.  Now I am good and ready to go back there again to contribute what I have had expected myself to work up to the maxium of what I can do for my new villagers.

I will continue to show and tell on what I see and do in my new villages on this blog, when I am there again.  Thanks to you all.........until I am there again.......Cheng  4/20/2012

Now to share few of my lucky catch of Seattle and Skagit county area sceneries that I would miss a lot in my coming year, besides all my friends here.

I've given a new site......

A little more information on my return to Zambia.........Tuesday, I've given a new post site, it will be Musaila in Luapula province.

This morning I've got email from DOF provincial officer to tell me that Musaila is 40 kilometer east from my old post home and another 10 kilometer to Samfya where I had a camping trip on first weekend of July 2011 with two local DOF officers and seven other PCVs to visit the three islands in the Lake Bangweulu. On that trip Fr. Clement and Fr. Jerico were so much involved with connecting boat and camp ground for us besides the two officers. I am so excited be back to work with all of them soon.

I am sharing these pictures I took from Monday at my host Bob's home. I had witnessed the two tall trees been cut down for the ground security and safety issues...both trees might had taken 60 to 80 years to grown that tall and only 60 minutes to came down......

Anyway, now to share a few pictures to you all and I will show all pictures to Dept of Forestry in Mansa, Luapula when I am there....as you can see, the one cuts the tree branches on his way up and the two ground supporters collect the branches and fed all into the wood chipper.....than the big sections came down with a correct guiding so all fallen only next to the tree root....they clean up one step at a time and leave no mass when they were done.....I am still aweing their efficiency.......You all have a wonderful week ahead. Cheng 4/4/2012

Hello, all.......

I have not been on this blog for few weeks, hope you all are doing well. Just to let you all know that as of this morning, I am officially granted the medical release from the doctors, Dept. of Labor and Peace Corps. I will know the departure date of my return to Zambia pretty soon, I guess. I will let you all know soon as I have it. You all have a wonderful Spring Day. Cheng April 2, 2012

The first two pictures were from yesterday April 1st's trying to hike at Lake 22 (at about 1,300 ft elevation) by myself. Trails were spoted with thick snow at some and a lot of water falls where there was no snow......up to one point that the water was deeper than the top of my boots where I turned back. It meant water came down on the trial with some force, at least, I felt that way........the whole hike was not more than 40 minutes in total. My energy and my legs were fine, but just don't want to push too much while not other hikers in sight.

The third picture was a hiking/walking at Point Define Park trail at Tacoma with my dear Austrian friend, Gerti on March 28. As you might be able to tell that I was hiking in skirt, with my backpack on and the backpack was filled with 22 pounds of weight. Spring is around Seattle - Tacoma area now.........flowers are every where here now.....

Yes, I am good to go back to work in Zambia........

As I saw Dr. Friedrich on February 16th, after we discussed the cons and pros on my reconstruction plastic surgery now or another year+ from now, we concluded that:

1. I can go back to work in Zambia now for the surgery can take up at least another two, three months of my time in Seattle.

2. Even if I have the reconstruction plastic surgery now, that my wounds are all healed up and good to go for the surgery, but the circulation is still at the rebuilding stage, the leg is still has a little swelling and will take another year or so before it could become completely normal, that I might still need another reconstruction surgery a year later.

So the final conclusion was that Dr. Friedrich released me back to work in Zambia, after March 25, 2012.

For whatever reason, after I have this expected out come from February 16th doctor's visit, I just can't bring myself to post this news on the blog.......whatever emotion issue that was........

Went scuba diving with Northwest Dive Club Sunday and talked to many people about my return to Zambia soon and still took me whole day today to face this reality on my blog.....might as well share to you couple pictures from yesterday's dive at Redondo Beach, Federal Way, Washington State. They were baby wolf eel and Cockerell's Dorid Nudibranch. Cheng 2-19-2012

Maldives big critters - Bob's pictures

These big critters pictures were from Bob's catches that divers had to stay down deep and in the strong current that divers have to use the reef hook to anchor onesselves. I did it once and I did not trust that thin line will keep me afloat so I was basically holding tight on the hook never relaxed, that hurted my fingers a lot. I was almost like hugging on the brain carol head the whole time, besides taking pictures of other divers I didn't catch any worthwhile large images.....

Therefore I choose not to do the later big critter dives, instead once I went on to a little island for snorkel but I didn't do good to relax with snorkel either.....I walked around the little island and it was way too hot, so I had to come back to the boat earlier than other divers who did not go for the big critter dives.........

Early on at the trip, we encountered the whale sharks. These big critters are shy and do not like noises of bubbles so all had to snorkel to see it and catch pictures. You see how large the Whale Shark was and how little the divers were at the left upper corner of the last picture.

I thought I was not strong enough for the excitment yet, I just realized that I was actually not good on the snorkel......later I found it while visiting the little island.......Lucky that Bob got his pictures and happy enough to come back to check on me, while I was almost at the point of losing my confidence to be on the DEEP water and "snorkeling".......Thanks, Bob. Cheng 2/13/2012

Maldives diving pictures - 3

Besides Bob's birthday celebration we had one beach dinner under the almost full moon. The boat crew used whitle and black sand to make a whale shark that I thought was real until they lite the candles around and two stirno fir for its blue eyes.

There were tons tourists from Main Land China and few tour guides were printed in Chinese; also there was a library donated by Chinese in Male City.

Okay, these were for my play time. Coming Thursday I will see Dr. Friedrich and I shall know a date when I can come back to Zambia to continue my work. Cheng 2/11/2012