Back to the grind

Hello all.

Well, it is back to the grind this week. Site visit was amazing. Almost as amazing as the welcome we received coming back into the village Tuesday night. Lea and I had to take a minibus all the way from Kapiri and of course, it got pulled aside at the police post for being unfit to drive. That set us back in time and it was already dark when we arrived in Ndola (about half way to our destination). It was DARK when we walked back into Kakolo. Lea's house is closest to the tarmac and I stayed there for the night because I didn't want to wake my family (especially because I didn't have my keys). We started up her "driveway" (I like that I used that word, no one has a car in the village) and all of the kids came running and screaming and gave us all hugs and carried our bags up to the house. Her bamaayo made us a late night dinner (ubwali of course) and we fell into bed, excited to be back. I walked home in the morning and my bamaayo came running and threw her arms around me. We don't get to communicate as well as we would like to, but she is an awesome lady and I'm thrilled she's my "mom" here.

Later in the day, it took Lea and I two hours to walk/hitch to Mwekera to fetch our injingas. We were stopped by these three guys outside of the police college. They had a camera and wanted us to "take a picture." So we stopped and then realized that they didn't want us to take their picture, they wanted to take a picture with us in it. So in my best Zamblish I said, "Ah, but we do not have time. We must get our injingas before the sun goes down. We must be going." Lea turned to them and said, "but we can take your picture." Foiled. Two days later we find out that we are going to be doing a training at the police college in two weeks. Two of us (HAP trainees) in a room with 60 cops each. I am sure we will see them again, and maybe that will make it less wierd that they have photos of us. I dunno.

Yesterday morning I did a workshop with 8th graders at Kamfinsa Upper Basic School. It was awesome. They knew so much about HIV and they were amazing to work with. We did a game called "The Best Response" where they had to come up with their best response to a whole bunch of "lines" that someone might say to them to initiate sex. We had about 20 girls and only 4 boys in the class. They gave some really sassy answers. I was totally psyched. They knew so much more than the 9th graders we worked with in Lengwe (in Luapula). I really love facilitating. Especially in the schools. Probably because they are a captive audience.

Okay, so in other news. Half-day today. We had the afternoon off and I've come to Kitwe today so I can stay home tomorrow. My bamaayo is going to teach me to make amascones (yep, that's scones with an ama- in front of it - Mom, corruptable noun means it was corrupted from English) on the imbabula (brasier). Oh right, I digress. So I'm in Kitwe today and so is His Excellency, President Levy Mwanawasa. We watched his motorcade come through as we were riding the bus into Kitwe. Pretty impressive. The just announced this week that the presidential elections will be September 28th. Everyone was expecting them to be held in November, but I guess these things change. Again, as a Peace Corps Volunteer I am not allowed to attend political rallies. My bataata is the chairman of the MMD in Kakolo and he wanted me to come, but I cannot. Oh well. I sure would have liked to rub elbows with the big shots down in Freedom Park.

Kitwe is abuzz on Saturdays. This is the first time I've been here on any day other than Sunday. It is a much more happening place than I ever realized. We went to the market in search of a citenge (fabric that you either wear as a wrap skirt or use to make a variety of other clothing items) with the Pope on it. Bonanza. There are so many. Citenges come with all kinds of crazy business on them. My friend Liz's goal is to find one with dinosaurs on it. I personally like the cell phone ones and the ones with the coy fish and umbrellas (yes, on the same fabric).

Alright. I think that might just be all I can manage to type for today. Thank you all for the buckets of mail I got this week. It was awesome to come back from site visit and have a stock pile of mail. I am slowly able to write each of you back. I promise I will get to all of you, and I'll have a ton more time to write everyone when I get to site. Tad-guy, I don't know how this is possible, but I don't have your new address. I sent a birthday card to home, so go check out Vermont sometime in the next 7 to 21 days.

I love and miss you all. Thanks for reading.

Smooches,
LIBBY