Letters from Zambia 8
Nathan wrote:
05-01-2006: I've been making mud bricks this morning behind my insaka. Okay, I've been hauling water & Mulenga is doing all the work. With luck, next week he'll start putting walls up around my insaka. He's doing piecework, so that by working little by little, I will give him enough money each week to help pay for school. He's on break yet for two more weeks before going back. There's a stranger sitting by my herb planter. I don't think he speaks any English. He's waiting for g-pa to return from the field. Him & mule have been talking. He asked Mule if I could speak French. So I looked at the guy and told him: "Je parle petit qu'il francais." It threw him, he knows no French either, so why ask?
____________________________________________________________________
U.S. to Zambia = 25 May 2005
PCV graduation = 29 July 2005
Mid-term (medical check-up) = 29 July 2006
Projected C.O.S. date = 29 July 2007
Halfway point = approx. 21 June 2006
The other day I heard BBC's report that H5N1 was found in Burkina Faso & Cote d' Ivoire. Bob still thinks migrations will come into our favor by Sept. Otherwise, you're right, politics is the other thing to watch. The information wasn't released of the President's stroke to Zambia until the BBC did it, two weeks after it happened. When I heard of it I asked some people in my village if they heard on ZNBC. They told me there's no such thing as a stroke, "it's a trick." Anyway, the Pres. says that because he survived, it is a sign from God that he should still be president. As far as I know, he still hasn't called elections. He most likely would lose & he's still preventing the more-fair constitution from being confirmed. We'll have to see in the coming months. The final tally on ducklings is 6. They've started gaining their true feathers & I've started giving them away. The hen laid 9 eggs. 6 hatched. 2 survived, but we'll see. Those two should go to Mrs. Banda who gave me two chickens. The nights have gotten colder, clear starry skies. I've had to sleep with two blankets on my bed, and even then sometimes pull the covers over my head. I'll either have to use my sleeping bag in bed or buy another blanket for June/July. The winds have begun again, starting about 0800 and are gusty until late afternoon from the E and S, often blowing dust. I've had to switch back to glasses. Some days have no clouds, some days the cumulus appear by afternoon. With the breeze, it can be chilly sitting in the shade. Luk's flea collar is working great - thank you so much. No need for drops, the two collars will last until March 1, 2007. My orange tree has 3" oranges on it, they'll ripen by June. I've had a few ripe guavas, but the kids steal & eat them before they ripen. Maddening. Masu is home visiting during school break now. An engagement party in June will be held in Kitwe. I'm passing your greetings on to everyone here. N
05-01-2006: I've been making mud bricks this morning behind my insaka. Okay, I've been hauling water & Mulenga is doing all the work. With luck, next week he'll start putting walls up around my insaka. He's doing piecework, so that by working little by little, I will give him enough money each week to help pay for school. He's on break yet for two more weeks before going back. There's a stranger sitting by my herb planter. I don't think he speaks any English. He's waiting for g-pa to return from the field. Him & mule have been talking. He asked Mule if I could speak French. So I looked at the guy and told him: "Je parle petit qu'il francais." It threw him, he knows no French either, so why ask?
____________________________________________________________________
U.S. to Zambia = 25 May 2005
PCV graduation = 29 July 2005
Mid-term (medical check-up) = 29 July 2006
Projected C.O.S. date = 29 July 2007
Halfway point = approx. 21 June 2006
The other day I heard BBC's report that H5N1 was found in Burkina Faso & Cote d' Ivoire. Bob still thinks migrations will come into our favor by Sept. Otherwise, you're right, politics is the other thing to watch. The information wasn't released of the President's stroke to Zambia until the BBC did it, two weeks after it happened. When I heard of it I asked some people in my village if they heard on ZNBC. They told me there's no such thing as a stroke, "it's a trick." Anyway, the Pres. says that because he survived, it is a sign from God that he should still be president. As far as I know, he still hasn't called elections. He most likely would lose & he's still preventing the more-fair constitution from being confirmed. We'll have to see in the coming months. The final tally on ducklings is 6. They've started gaining their true feathers & I've started giving them away. The hen laid 9 eggs. 6 hatched. 2 survived, but we'll see. Those two should go to Mrs. Banda who gave me two chickens. The nights have gotten colder, clear starry skies. I've had to sleep with two blankets on my bed, and even then sometimes pull the covers over my head. I'll either have to use my sleeping bag in bed or buy another blanket for June/July. The winds have begun again, starting about 0800 and are gusty until late afternoon from the E and S, often blowing dust. I've had to switch back to glasses. Some days have no clouds, some days the cumulus appear by afternoon. With the breeze, it can be chilly sitting in the shade. Luk's flea collar is working great - thank you so much. No need for drops, the two collars will last until March 1, 2007. My orange tree has 3" oranges on it, they'll ripen by June. I've had a few ripe guavas, but the kids steal & eat them before they ripen. Maddening. Masu is home visiting during school break now. An engagement party in June will be held in Kitwe. I'm passing your greetings on to everyone here. N
posted by nathan at 13:50
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