It’s Just Life Now…

I’m writing this blog entry while charging my phone at the clinic. I’m sitting on the porch of the clinic kept company by the pregnant women waiting for check-ups and by the biggest spider I’ve ever seen. Honestly. None of these phases me anymore: crazy huge bugs (outside atreast), pregnant women who look like girls, or waiting with my phone to charge it somewhere. It’s just life now. I just take it all in stride and take opportunities as they arise. Opportunities like a free minute to write a blog. Even bizarre things don’t phase me often. The other day though, I got the best laugh out of an “untraditional” teaching aid.
I had finished my weather lesson (to grade 8 ) with extra time, so I invited questions about America. No, we don’t eat nshima. Yes, we have trees! Do we have chiefs lead to a simple explanation of American government. All Africans know Obama so next came questions about his family. Two boys’ faces lit up – ‘so that’s who is with him on my belt!”. They both proceeeded to show off their hologrammed Obama family belts. These aren’t officially sanctioned uniform belts but give the boys serious street cred. Or is it village dirt-path cred?! Nothing is off-limits in terms of memorabilia. I just said I used every good opportunity presented, eh? So I nodded and said yes, that’s his wife and two kids.
So I have just March remaining to be in my village. This means I’ve been getting my Rememberences ready. Rememberences are like goodbye gifts and an important part of culture. Surely I’ll disappoint some peripheral aquaintances when they don’t receive something, but honestly I can only give so many. Earrings I never wear are a great gift and I’ve been sewing bags for my favorite neighbor girls. (For the devoted blog followers, the 3 boys got something big don’t worry) The school is helping me plan my good-bye party. I’ll probably buy a goat or chicken for everyone to eat.
It’s just life now. With so little time left I think often of how many things have just become a tolerated part of life. Lack of dairy in my life is a perfectly ok thing to tolerate but I worry about problems in larger institutions which I’ve come to tolerate. Scary. This being a public blog, I’ll have to drop the subject there.
As for some long awaited news, I’ve now decided to extended my PC service in Kitwe, some 500km away from my home village. I’ll be working with similar projects like tree planting and permagardening and organic farming. I’m really excited for a reforestation project which I want to make official so that it qualifies for carbon credits for. I’ll be working within a technically for-profit company but assisting from a help-the-community-projects perspective. It looks good when a lumber company engages in reforestation for a nearby area, but even better when planting and seedling management is taught to the members of that area so they gain a applicable skill. I’m excited for more useful experience!
Kitwe is the second largest town in Zambia (about a million residents, only Lusaka is bigger) so life will be different surely – yikes! Luckily I’ll be living outside of town proper, actually on the company property, in an electrified house with running water. Better Beware – Beth (Butemwe) Becomes Bwana! But really – how will I see life then?
Lastly, thank you to all who have contributed thus far to help me take my environment club back to the national park. Anything further is much appreciated by myself and the pupils. I’m excited to be able to hand most of the program over to the school, but look forward to still being around so I go as well.