Livingstone, You Took My Money

I mentioned in my last post that I returned from Livingstone, Zambia, about 3 weeks ago.  I went there for a much needed vacation and getaway with some of my friends from training, and it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Billed as the adventure capital of the world, it was pretty amazing.  First off, Livingstone is home to Victoria Falls, which is one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  That's an impressive resident to have on your premises, I would say. The falls are pretty spectacular and this is coming from a guy that thinks arches and waterfalls are weak in comparison to great mountain ranges, animal migrations that number into the millions, and trees that stand taller than most commercial buildings. With that being said, this one was impressive.

Victoria Falls seen from the Zimbabwean side.  During the rainy season the entire edge will make one continuous waterfall.

Livingstone is also home, or at least partly home, to the Zambezi River and white water rafting.  This is supposed to be some of the more dangerous rapids in the world to raft and although it was in fact dangerous it was also a blast.  I was thrown from the raft 3 times and each and every time that I was underwater waiting for the Mighty Zambezi to stop tossing, turning, rotating, spinning, and trying to drown me I had an enormous smile on my face.  What a joy to realize that there is nothing you can do to stop nature from taking it's toll - you had better just enjoy the ride.

More fun than you can imagine, rafting was quite an adventure.  I'm the one farthest to the right being tossed from the boat.

To get between Zambia and Zimbabwe is a bridge.  A very shaky, metal bridge.  This bridge hosts a gorge swing, a zip line, and a bungee jump all from some 100 meters or so above the rushing Zambezi.  I did none of these activities.  Why?  I don't like peeing my pants.  I'll admit it.  Just watching people do these things (two of my closest friends did) was enough for me.  It looked terrifying.

There are tons of things to do in this vacation spot, but come with a fat wallet because Livingstone will take and take and take your money until soon it's finished - all gone - no more.  However, on the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe a traveler can buy Zimbabwean dollars, which due to inflation are no longer of any value.  I bought some and am now the proud owner of over 70 trillion Zimbabwean dollars... maybe enough to buy some bread or a Coke, but probably not.  (The biggest note I bought was 50 trillion Zimbabwean dollars).

My good friend Nick Smiley-Kallas bartering to buy Zimbabwean dollars on the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Even though I no longer have money due to my trip I'm rich in good memories and good times... and a fist full of Zimbabwean dollars.

I Finally Saw Elephants

So I finally saw some elephants here.  9 of them to be exact.  I was on vacation in Livingstone, Zambia, when I looked out across the river and about 200 meters away were 9 big ol' rock shaped creatures.  Sure enough... elephants.  They were really far away so I wasn't all that excited, but it was good to see them and know that they do exist here (I was beginning to wonder).

The next day I went to Chobe National Park in Botswana (about 1 hour from Livingstone) for a 2-day safari and didn't see just 1, 9, 90, or even 200 elephants.  Nope.  I saw well over 300 elephants in just 48 hours.  For whatever reason, the elephants are like ants in Botswana - they crawl all over the place.

Elephants need to drink water at least once per day, so staying near the river guaranteed an easy sighting of these three.

We (myself and some other PCVs that I was on vacation with) saw elephants in the river, on the hill sides, in the road... you name it and there was an elephant there.  We even saw elephants at our campsite at night as we sat in the middle of the park enjoying the stars and listening to lions call in the distance.

I didn't get to track any elephants on foot, but I did get to juggle some dry elephant poop for a bit (sadly, no picture to show of that) and I practically filled an entire SD card with pictures of these big, gray beasts.  However, we saw much more than just elephants.  We saw huge herds of zebra, cape buffalo, impala, some sable and roan antelope, a lion, and even the always elusive leopard.

The always elusive leopard taking a mid-afternoon nap in a tree near the river.

Overall, Chobe National Park didn't disappoint in terms of being able to see tons of African wildlife.  It did make me sad though that this all lives across the river from Zambia.  I know the Zambian parks have wildlife but Botswana was teeming with it.  As soon as we entered the country, not even the park!, there were elephants crossing the road.  So what's the difference between Zambia and Botswana?  I have no idea, but it's really too bad they aren't in more places.

With that being said, after returning from my vacation to my village I was informed that a herd of 8 elephants were spotted just 4 miles from my house but had been chase away before I could see them.  So maybe I should've tracked them after all.  For me though, at this point, its just enough to know that there are a few left, and maybe they'll come by someday just to say hi to me.

This elephant crossed right in front of our boat.  Hopefully I'll be able to see something close like this in Zambia.

Appropriate Tech.

As I write this post I'm sitting in Solwezi (my provincial capital) and trying to unwind after a third straight day of training.  The training is focused on appropriate technology, which is an area of my work here in Peace Corps that I'm really starting to enjoy.

Appropriate technology (AT for short) is a program we have here in Zambia that promotes the idea of finding village solutions to some of problems that arise in the rural settings that we volunteers work in.  For instance, how to preserve and store food better, how to cook with less fuel (cooking fuel is a leading cause of deforestation), and even how to shell maize and peanuts more efficiently.

I love AT if for no other reason than we get to design, create, and test out a lot of cool machines - some fail, some are tinkered with further, and in the end some work well enough that they'll be used in a village setting sometime soon.

Working with two counterparts to design and test an irrigation system for tomato plants.

I'm one of 5 volunteers at this workshop and each of us brought a counterpart from our village to attend and learn side by side with us.  I brought my good friend Mr. Nshimbi.

At the workshop it isn't so much about sitting in a classroom and listening to someone yap on about this and that, but rather it is very much hands on and lots of sweating.  It's a great event and to make this even better we're paired into "design teams" for different "design challenges."  My design team consists of myself, one other volunteer, and two Zambians.

Mr. Nshimbi building a peanut sheller from common timber.  Peanuts are one of the more labor-intensive crops grown in Zambia and any means of separating them from their shells in a speedier fashion is great.

My team has been tasked with designing a stove that uses less charcoal than the traditional means, a solar drier for fruit and vegetable drying, and a way to irrigate a garden more efficiently during dry season.

This last one is my favorite - it's something I'm very interested and so far we've been really successful with our designs.  Today, we designed a system that uses a 20 liter bucket, two bicycle tire inner tubes, and some lollipop sticks.  It worked perfectly on the first try.  I felt even better when one of the counterparts said that he was going to build one as soon as he returns to his village.  He was so surprised at how simple and inexpensive the design was.  I completely agree and will be taking this design back to my village as well.

Making a frame for a solar drier to help in food preservation.

I've come to realize that appropriate technology is fun technology, useful technology, and also interesting technology - who knows... maybe I'll bring some of these ideas back to the USA at the end of my two years.

A Big Thanks to Tom

One of my favorite things about living here in Zambia and interacting with the children around my village is the thumbs up I get when I greet them.  At first I would just say "hello" and wave at them, then one day I got a thumbs up from a kid I passed on my bike.

From that day on I've decided that if the thumbs up was good enough for Tom Cruise as Maverick in Top Gun, well then, by all means, it's good enough for me... it's good enough for all of us.

Ah, thank you Tom.  Thank you very much.

Now I have no idea where or even when these kids learned the thumbs up greeting, but I like to think it came from Top Gun and Mr. Cruise, some time / somehow.

Although the thumbs up gesture has a very rich and varied past (ranging from Ancient Rome to World War II to contemporary times), I believe that its use here in rural Zambia now has added a new chapter to that history.  And without doing any real research or even trying to back this claim - I think a big thanks is owed to Tom Cruise for his advancement of this universal gesture.  So let me speak for all of us and say, "Thanks Tom.  Thanks."

It is worth noting that according to Wikipedia (the best website in the world) the thumbs up gesture in the Middle East has a derogatory meaning.  Tom must not be loved as much there.

My Desk / Office / Dinner Table

I recently wrote about how much writing I’ve been doing, and mentioned that some of my writing happens in the forest.  That’s true, but more of my actual work and writing happens at my desk. 

As one of the first things I purchased when I moved in it has been worth every penny, dime, or Zambian Kwacha.  My desk was made by a local carpenter, and aside from my bed, I spend more time here than anywhere. 

So here is my desk.  Let me give you a tour of it… 

My desk / office / dinner table

Sitting on my desk is a radio that I’ve adorned with characters from “The Office.”  I put Andy Bernard next to the power switch, because every time I turn the radio on I think about how Andy had to turn off his anger after he punched a hole through the wall.

I have candles, lots of candles.  The sunsets about 6:30 every night here, so how is someone without electricity suppose to see?  Candles, that’s how.

Piles of papers (to the top right).  Like any office I have papers and if I’m not careful they’ll grow and grow until they cover the full surface.  Making my desk a shelf.

I’ve got a few pictures of family and one of Michael Scott.  If you have to question the latter photo, then you don’t know anything about me.  If you don’t see your picture up there, I apologize.  I’d be happy to put it up, but you’ll need to send it this way.  So go ahead… send away.

Let me see, what else is there?  There’s a picture here, so look for yourself.  Just know that I spend a lot, an awful lot, of time toiling away there: writing reports, letters, playing Monopoly on my Kindle, and doing insightful thinking.  

Rare Ceremony A Privilege To See printed 08/01/12

This article was originally printed in the Battle Creek Enquirer on Aug. 1st.  

Every year, towards the end of June, my area holds a festival to celebrate Chief Chizela (the local chief), his subjects, the recent harvest and the area’s rich cultural heritage.

The festival is complete with singing, the pounding of drums, a lot of dancing, and local foods. Of all these, the dancing was my favorite by far.

Traditional warriors waiting for the chief.

Never would I dream of attempting to mimic one of these dances, because the resulting laughter would ring in my ears for days.

But it is still entertaining to watch even if I’m too scared to participate and my favorite of all of the dances was called the “Lion Walk.” It involved five men beating drums, 12 or 13 women singing, and another four women imitating a lion as it stalks its prey through an imaginary Zambian forest.

This whole scene conjured up images of National Geographic for me, as if I was the first outsider to ever view it.

A traditionally dressed warrior during the procession to the festival ground.

The festival itself is only one day long, but the preparation for it starts weeks and weeks earlier with the gathering of grasses and timber from the surrounding communities. These materials are then used to create a kind of parade ground and additional structures for the ceremony’s attendees. There are no collapsible stages or stands like what we would use in the United States. The natural construction gives the whole scene a very authentic and traditional feel, which is exactly what it is…the Ntongo Traditional Ceremony.

On the day of the ceremony thousands and thousands of people flock to the Chief’s palace where the ceremony is held. Additionally, local members of parliament, government officials and other chiefs from the surrounding chiefdoms are in attendance.

All the chiefs come and meet together, then when it is time to begin a rifle is fired into the air and a procession begins with the chief’s group going from his home (the palace) to the parade ground. The procession is lined on both sides of the lane with onlookers (just like a parade in the States) and as the chief comes closer the drums and the njimba (a traditional instrument that looks like a xylophone) beat louder and louder. As the chief passes, people get in line behind him and make their way into the parade ground.

Men playing the njimba and other percussion instruments.

There the chief sits front and center, with the other chiefs and distinguished guests flanking him. To his immediate sides are men dressed as traditional warriors, and in front (seated on the ground) are women dressed traditionally as well.

Once he’s been seated the program begins and there are songs, dances and speeches. The entire event is a unique experience because though there are more than 250 chiefs in Zambia, only a handful still have ceremonies of celebration like this.

The chief's structure with traditionally dressed women and men surrounding it.

It’s a tradition that’s being continued every June and I’m very lucky to have been able to at least view and participate in one of them even if I’m too scared to dance at it.

My Project List

Peace Corps takes a really hands-off approach as far as telling each volunteer what they should work on and in what manner they should work on their projects.  I love this.  Every site and every volunteer is different, so why try to think of a way to make them all uniform – with the same projects.   I like that I’m able to assess my community’s needs, consider what projects are possible, and go about them as I see best fit.

So what kinds of things am I working on here in Mufumbwe District in my first 6 months?  Here’s a list:

• Demonstration Garden – Gardeners here work really hard everyday.  In order to water their garden beds they use 20 liter buckets, which weigh about 40 lbs.  That’s a lot of labor and a lot of time spent on one activity, so my garden was created to show techniques for improving the water holding capacity of the soil.  By using these specially dug beds I water my garden once, maybe twice per week, instead of 3 or 4 times like other gardeners. 

• Demonstration Field – I’m cultivating a small field to show agroforestry techniques, which can help to improve yields for local farmers in different crops like maize, beans, and sweet potatoes.  These techniques can also improve soil fertility and maintain soil nutrients for years and years, while replacing some of the trees that are lost to deforestation.

This picture, taken during training, is of some fellow volunteers practicing crop yield improving techniques.  These are the same methods I'm currently using in my demonstration field.

• A Forestry Manual – Peace Corps gives each Volunteer in my program (Linking Income, Food, and the Environment – LIFE) a forestry manual with a part to aid in species identification, but the names are always in English or Bemba, a Zambian language not spoken in my area.  Due to this it is difficult for me to work with villagers and discuss the forest, because we’re literally both speaking different languages.  The manual will hopefully resolve this issue for myself and for future volunteers of this area.

• Teaching At A Local College – Starting in mid-September I’ll begin teaching a course about agriculture, forestry, and gardening at a local mission college about 12 miles from me.  It’ll be twice per week, and for four hours each class.  I’m really excited for it.  It gives me a chance to work in a more formal setting and I’ll have students that have to be attentive.  I’ll have 8 to 10 students and after they complete their three-year programs (I will only teach the first year students) they’ll go off, all over Zambia and (I’m hoping) spread the knowledge that I’ve imparted on them.

• Writing For The Enquirer – This is by far and away my favorite project so far.  It’s just fun to do.  I like living here and trying to explain what I see, hear, and how life is on a daily basis. 

• Workshops – Lastly, I’m doing a bit of traveling to other volunteers’ sites to help lead gardening workshops.  As of late I’ve been averaging one per week.  The workshops are usually with women’s of girl’s clubs, and the women are very hard workers, so I get to teach them and they get to impress me.  A win for me, a win for them.

Teaching a fellow volunteer's girls club some improved gardening techniques.

I’m trying to do a lot and as of now I’m enjoying it.  I’m staying busy and as things progress I’m sure I’ll add and subtract projects from the list.

Letter Writing

I wrote my dad a letter a while back in which I told him that I probably do more writing now that I'm in the Peace Corps than I ever did in college.  Between writing things like this blog, the occasional newspaper article, in my journal, reports for Peace Corps, and (my favorite of them all) letters to friends and family back home it feels like my hand and pen never get the chance to stop.  However, I love it and am enjoying all of the writing.

For those of you that have received a letter from me - you're welcome and I hope you enjoyed it.  For those of you that have not received one of my hand-written letters - send me your address and I'd be happy to write one up for you.  I promise that it'll have a really cool Zambian stamp on it, be full of laughs, and hopefully you'll learn something about this little corner of the world as you read it.

Writing a letter in the forest.  It's about as close to an office as I have.

The worst thing about writing these letters isn't the time it takes to write a hand-written 3 or 4 page letter or even the buying of postage to mail it (which really isn't that expensive), but it's the crappy pens here. Most of the American pens that I brought with me have long since dried up and been disposed of.  Zambian pens are lacking heavily, and because of no electricity I can't use my computer to write.  That means everything is written the old fashioned way - with time and crappy pens (apparently).

If anyone is looking for something to send me let me give you one hint: pens.  I'll use the pens you send me to write you a really nice thank you letter.  I'd greatly appreciate that, and you can take comfort knowing that somewhere in the Zambian forest I'm just sitting there on a log writing, writing, and writing.

Let Me Introduce Mr. Kook

One aspect of my job that I really like is going to do farm visits with local farmers in my community.  The purpose of these visits is for me to go see their fields and try to gain a kind of inventory about what techniques the farmers are using to grow their crops, specifically what is working and what isn't.  It's a lot of fun to do and the farmers feel really honored when I make the effort to visit them all, which isn't really an effort because it's my job.

I like meeting the farmers and seeing what they're doing, but something I like just as much is that nearly every time I meet a farmer I end up leaving with a ton of food.  That's because to show their appreciation for my visit they want to give me things like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, oranges, and, recently, a chicken.

The farmer I visited, Mr. Musebo, was so happy that I rode all of the way out to his farm that he gave me about 20 pounds of sweet potatoes and a rooster.

Now at my house I have a rooster running around, usually chasing the neighbors' hens.  I've named him Mr. Kook and even though I usually hate roosters because of their need to create audio madness before the sun rises, I do like having him around.  He's my very own chicken and by adding him to my grass-thatched hut I feel like I'm pretty close to becoming a Zambian villager, minus the white skin and blue eyes.

Myself, Mr. Kook, and Mr. Musebo

The generosity that is shown to me by the Zambians in my community is something that I'm sure I'll write about pretty continuously throughout my two years here in the Peace Corps, but being given the rooster raised the level of generosity to an even higher level.  What could be next?

The Great Goat Rescue

One very humorous story that I haven't mentioned, but definitely should, is the goat that I rescued a few months back.

When I first came to my site (way back in April for a brief visit) I was sitting in my hut on the very first night and kept hearing a goat making the most awful noises.  I couldn't figure out why.  I would walk outside, look at the goat as it paced back and forth.  I went out a few times to try to chase it away, but as soon as I'd walk back inside the goat would return.  After the 3rd or 4th time I realized the goat kept returning to my pit latrine.

Eventually it dawned on me that maybe the reason for the goat's distress was caused by something inside the pit.  So I walked to the opening of the pit, used a flashlight to illuminate the bottom, and there it was... mother goat's baby (a kid in goat vocabulary), about 10 feet down.

The goat at the bottom of my pit latrine.
The belt is looped around the goat's neck, with the nylon cord
running back up to me so that I could pull the goat up

I wasn't sure what the proper procedure is for removing this goat from my latrine, so I went and asked the headman of my village.  His reaction was one of indifference and fatalism.  He told me that it was the goat's fault that it ended up in the pit latrine, and therefore it "deserved to die."  I was satisfied with that answer, after all I felt like he's the headman so his say should be good enough in this matter.

But it didn't keep that mom from raising all kinds of audio madness and keeping me from my much loved sleep.  As the hours passed and my nerves became more and more frayed I decided I had to do something.  There was going to be no possible way I would be able to sleep.  

I looked around at what I brought (which wasn't very much) and found my leather belt, a nylon cord, and my head lamp.  I made a kind of noose from the cord which was attached to my belt and using the head lamp to light up the hole I lowered my Bear Grylls-styled trap down into the pit.  After about 25 or 30 minutes, and a couple of slight modifications, I finally caught the little guy.  I pulled it up, got it out of the hole, and let it go.  20 minutes later I was fast asleep.

The goat after I pulled it up and out of the pit latrine.  The belt buckle acted as a
kind of slipping mechanism where when I yanked on the cord and belt it tightened around
the goat's neck.  After that I pulled the goat from the bottom.

Luckily the pit latrine had never been used (it was freshly dug) and the goat was clean... without being covered by fecal matter.  Almost 4 full months later the goat is doing well and I sometimes see it grazing near my house.  It's now too big to fit into the hole, but should another fall through in the future I now feel prepared to retrieve it and grant it another day to live.

The End of Community Entry

Community Entry just ended for me yesterday.  This is a bit of a milestone for any Peace Corps Volunteer.  CE is a period where the volunteer, more or less, stays at their site and in their community for three months straight.  It is supposed to be the longest continuous time span that the volunteer stays in their community.  In short, it's a three month period where the volunteer gets used to the village and villagers, and in return they get used to the volunteer.

Sounds a little like a prison sentence (not being able to leave, a set time frame, and so on), but it isn't quite that bad.  It's definitely worth getting to know them and allowing them to get to know me, because so many of the relationships that are cultivated now are going to be with the people that I may work with for the duration of my service.  And, of course, first impressions are everything.  If I stick around and they see me everyday, then they'll start to realize that I'm actually there to work and help them, not just to do some sightseeing.

Anyway, that part is over and done with.  Now I'm out of Community Entry and I can move around the province, and even country, a little hear and there.  It just feels nice knowing that 6 months have gone by and I'm still enjoying Peace Corps and all it has to offer.

A few, short, brief updates....

1.  My mailing address for the rest of my service will be:

Jordan Blekking, PCV
PO Box 130050
Mufumbwe, North-Western Province
Zambia

2.  In case you were wondering how many elephants I've seen here in Zambia (my blog is named Tracking Elephants after all) the total to date is... 0.  There just isn't the wildlife there used to be.

3.  Total number of snakes seen: so many I've lost count... maybe around 20?  Or more?

4.  The website Online Education Database has ranked my blog the 25th best Peace Corps blog in the world.  I have no idea what this website is about, who they are, or what they based it on, but that's nice I thought.

Me working in my demonstration garden.
The garden is to show improved water holding techniques for garden beds.

Another Update

First, my new address.  Since I have now left training my new address is:


PO Box 110264
Solwezi
Zambia


Any mail sent to the old address will still get to me, but it will just take a bit longer.


Next, I have a phone number here in Zambia.  Service is pretty good, so feel free to shoot me a text or call.  The number is


Thirdly, the photo below is of myself and the infamous Alan.  When I told him that after I blogged about him he had a bit of a following I demanded that I get a photo with him, so that his fans could put a face to the made-up name I gave him.  Aside from being a really awesome guy, my favorite fun fact about Alan is that his hometown (Mansfield, Ohio) is home to the prison that was used in The Shawshank Redemption.

Alan (Aaron Lamp) and Myself.  This picture was taken about four weeks into training.
Notice the amazing mustache I sported for about two days.

Lastly, well, I don't really have anything else to say.  I'll be pretty much out of internet contact for the next few weeks, which means no new posts.  When I do get back though I'll have more and more things to post about life here in Zambia.  

Jordan Becomes A Real Writer

I wanted all three of my loyal blog fans (and anyone that happens upon this) to know that I will be having a once per month (maybe twice per month) article in the Battle Creek Enquirer - my hometown newspaper.  If you're living in Battle Creek I expect you to buy a copy this upcoming Saturday (the 5th of May) when my first feature comes out.  Then you need to read it, love it, clip it out, and place it on your refrigerator.  After that, reach into your refrigerator and grab an ice cold Pepsi.  Crack that thing open and drink it for me.  Then read my article again.

I don't know if I'll have internet access to write two per month, but I'll try.  The newspaper articles will kind of be like my blog, so maybe it won't be anything all that different.  Maybe I'll throw some curve balls and you won't know these new updates unless you read both... kind of a tag team effort between the newspaper and my blog.

Well, I just wanted people to be aware.  Hope you like it.  If you don't, I still want you to clip the articles and post them on your refrigerator.  And be sure to have that Pepsi for me.

Meet the Mukumas

During my eleven weeks of training I stayed in Suse Village (outside of Chipembi, Zambia, where the main training center is) with the Mukuma Family.  The family is comprised of Peter (the father), Betty (the mother), and "my little brother" Paul.  They are, more or less, the typical rural Zambian family.  They wake up about 5 AM, when the roosters are just too loud to ignore any longer, and they go to bed just a little after the sunsets.  In between the rising sun and the setting sun they occupy their time with farming.

Farming for them is their livelihood.  If the rains don't come or if they somehow fail... then they severely struggle.  Life isn't the easiest for them.  They have no running water, electricity, or even a steady supply of candles.  What they did have, in very sizable abundance, was an awesome spirit.  They are amazing to be around.  They're bright, they love to laugh, and, most important of all to me, they took interest in why I was there.

The father, Peter, is a great guy.  He was full of all sorts of Peter-unique quips like, "Jordan, water is life."  This one he told me on an almost daily basis.  Luckily for him there was a pretty good rainy season this year, so I think they can keep on keeping on.  Betty, she was an amazing cook and even though I lost weight, I ate exceptionally well.  Paul was a kid's kid... always running around with a sling shot and singing at the top of his lungs.  His favorite song was the anthem / theme song for the Chipolopolo Boys - Zambia's national soccer team.

My favorite thing about staying with the Mukumas was that Peter loved maps and geography.  He had a large map of the world and after dinner would stand next to it, pointing at different countries, then ask me about those far off lands.  Lucky for Peter - I love maps.  I couldn't of had a better homestay.

Peter, looking by candlelight, at the map of the US I ordered for him.
Thanks for sending that Mom.

I tried to show my appreciation to the whole family in a lot of ways (buying them awesome thank you presents when I moved out, helping to build them a garden, and planting beneficial trees), but the one thing I got them, Peter specifically, that they loved the most was a map of Michigan and of the United States.  When Peter opened the map of the US, he exclaimed, "Praise the Lord."  No joke... he loved, loved, loved that map.  I had it specialized by having all of my fellow trainees sign where they were from on it.  I'll really miss living with them.  It made training that much easier knowing I could leave training and go home to a great atmosphere.

Living HIV Positive

As a newly sworn in Peace Corps Volunteer I am fully aware that my work is about to begin and before I know it I'll be in the full swing of things in my village.  Aside from working on agricultural and environmental projects, one of the issues that I will spend much of my time addressing will be HIV / AIDS here in Zambia, specifically in Mufumbwe District (where I'll be living).  As a whole, about 16% of the Zambian population is infected with HIV - Zambia is right in the heart of the worldwide HIV / AIDS epicenter.

I have no idea how many questions I got about HIV / AIDS before coming to Zambia, but there is no doubt in my mind that people asked more about that than anything else.  For as much as we Americans know about HIV (how it is transmitted and those that are most at risk to contract it), we still don't know much about the virus itself, and we still attach a lot of stigmas to it.  So this blog, though brief, will be about my first (known) encounter with HIV + people and how they live their lives with it.

The first thing I will say about HIV - it isn't lurking around every corner here in Zambia, in Africa, or anywhere in the world.  It's out there, but it isn't everywhere.  The second thing, with advances in medicine those that are affected with HIV now have the opportunity to live more normal and long lives.  HIV no longer leads to the guaranteed death sentence that it use to, and that's a very, very good thing.

About five weeks ago, while in training, we had half a day in which five people that were HIV + came to meet with us and discuss how they handle being infected with HIV and how they live their daily lives.

One woman told the story of how when she found out she was infected she informed her husband and insisted he be tested.  He refused and left her completely.  Just a few short years later he died from AIDS, and she is still living.  It has since been determined that he gave her the virus many years before she was tested.

Another man told the story of how he has been living with it for over 20 years.  He had no idea that he had the virus until his daughter died suddenly of suspected tuberculosis.  TB is sometimes blamed for deaths when, in fact, the real culprit is HIV / AIDS.  After she passed he went and got tested... since then he has known he has it.

These are just a couple of the stories, but all of the people we spoke with had really compelling, heartbreaking, and hopeful stories.  And that's just it - everyone with this condition has a story and a battle.  Luckily the odds in successfully fighting this battle have greatly improved.  The key is to live a healthy lifestyle (good food and exercise) and take full advantage of the medicines that are freely and readily available.

John, Linus, Mary(?), Eugene, Me, and Charicia

It was one of the best sessions that we had during our entire three months of training, and to hear their stories was really a unique experience.  However, I think the thing (for me at least) that was the most useful was to actually put names and faces with this terrible virus.  It can be a bit difficult to totally understand the condition when you know absolutely no one that is affected by it.  I really want to thank all of these speakers for coming to talk with us trainees.

From Trainees to Volunteers

On April 27th, myself and 33 other Peace Corps Volunteers walked into the United States Ambassador's house in Lusaka, Zambia, as trainees.  A few hours later we walked out as volunteers.  This was our Swearing-In Ceremony and after 11 weeks of training in cross-cultural topics, improved farming and gardening practices, and (every trainee's favorite) language - we had come to the end of training and it was time for the ceremony that would mark our official start as Volunteers in the United States Peace Corps.

This was the first time I had ever been to an Ambassador's house and let me tell you, it is an incredibly nice place.  When we arrived we had some small snacks set out for us with tea and coffee.  All the plates, cups, and saucers had the seal of the United States emblazoned on them - even the napkins!  The incredibly well dressed and groomed staff served our every needs while we explored all of the compound's grounds.  Needless to say an Ambassador's job has perks... this place was proof of that.

Next came the actual ceremony which involved speeches - lots and lots of speeches.  Speeches from myself and 5 other trainees, about our program and work.  The catch was that they had to be given in the local language that we had been studying for the last 11 weeks.  A big task and a little overwhelming.  There were speeches given by Peace Corps staff (the Country Director and the Training Director), The United States Ambassador to Zambia (Mark Storella), His Royal Highness Chief Chamuka (the man that manages the area where our training was held), and the Guest of Honor - the Zambian Minister of Lands, Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection (Wilbur Simuusa).

Tom Kennedy (Country Director for PC), myself, and Tom Storella (US Ambassador to Zambia)

The Entire Training Group, Guests of Honor, and PC Staff

Leaving training has been a really surreal experience because after just 11 weeks you manage to get really close to all of the people in your training intake, then you go through a ceremony, and it is more or less over.  Everyone becomes scattered to the wind and placed in different provinces throughout the country.  It is both very exciting to be going on to something new, but also sad to know that you won't get to see these people that you have developed such close ties with over the past few months everyday.

With that being said, the Swearing-In Ceremony was a great experience and one that I won't soon forget, and I'm sure my fellow, new volunteers won't forget either.  Now it is up to my placement in the North-West where I'll be for the next two years... one journey ends and the next adventure starts right away.

Updates

This will be brief and will hardly even count as a blog post, but I wanted to leave a brief update.  Training is about 1/2 complete now and things are going really well.  I'm still enjoying Zambia a lot and it is hard to believe I have been here for 7 weeks or so.

The weight loss competition is going really well.  Britain is still winning although I have now lost about 16 pounds, so I am catching up a bit.

We are doing an NCAA March Madness bracket tournament here... I was in first place.  That is until Michigan State lost.  Now I'm just hoping to save some face and not get last place.

Also, I wanted to say that if anyone sent me a postcard or letter I would love it.  You know in those movies about soldiers and other people overseas that wait very anxiously for letters and mail to arrive?  That's how it is here.  Any incoming mail is like Christmas.  So please, send something.  Then I can brag to all the other trainees that I got mail and they didn't.  I have not changed.

Jordan Blekking
US Peace Corps/Zambia 
PO Box 50707 
Lusaka, Zambia

The Peace Corps and My Health

So the Peace Corps is very good at some things, and I'm sure they're very bad at others.  One thing they're GREAT at is giving shots and making people like me take a whole lot of pills.  In the three weeks or so that I have been in country I have been given at least eight shots for all sorts of diseases and viruses.  One of the shots I received the other day was for tetra-somethingorother.  Or maybe it was tera-gonnakill youquickifyougetthisfromsomerandommosquito.  All I know is that it had a crazy long name and seemed really painful.  I desperately want to avoid getting it, so I let them jab away at me.

I am usually fine with shots, but we get so many of them here I have begun to get super nervous. 
Notice my grimace of pain.

Here I am in a country where every Thursday I get a bunch of shots and a whole handful of pills that I either need to take once a week, or take immediately after a really odd disease flares up and I am suddenly overcome by a rapidly advancing illness.  My hat is off to the Peace Corps Medical staff because they deal with wimpy volunteers and trainees like myself on a regular basis and never cease to stop answering our silly questions, which we base on unfounded fears. 

At the end of the day, I probably feel healthier than I have in years and I really don't worry too much about what kind of illnesses I may possibly develop, because the Peace Corps' Medical Staff will have my back.  They do a pretty darn good job with a lot of really nasty sicknesses.  About the only thing I am really afraid of here in Zambia is a bout of Mr. D. (diahrrea) as they call it.  That one could knock me out for a few days easily, and unfortunately there is no shot or pill for that.  So bring on the tera-gonnamakeyoublindfast and the mono-bloodinfectionwithnocureonceyougetbitten.  I think I'm ready... I at least have enough puncture marks in my left shoulder to prove I have had the vaccinations.

Biggest Loser: Zambia

The Biggest Loser: Zambia, started today.  We have six contestants all vying for a cash prize of $120.  They are: Craig Andrews-Jones - 145 lbs, Me - 235 lbs, Stephen "Tex" Loewen - 196 lbs, Britain Ogle - 225 lbs, Drew Canger - 200 lbs, and our only woman contestant Megan.  The odds on favorite so far is Britain who, in the past 3 weeks, has already lost over 15 lbs.  But it isn't the person that loses it the fastest, it is the person who loses the largest percentage over the time span of the competition... two years.



From Left to Right: Craig, Megan, Drew, Tex, Britain, Myself

 Unlike television's Biggest Loser, this competition will not employ / showcase personal trainers.  In fact, any professional help is completely out of the question and against competition rules.  However, sicknesses are allowed, starvation, worms, and other more natural means are all fair game.  But these seem painful and gross, so I probably won't go that route.  Should the competitor leave the Peace Corps early for some reason - illness, they hate the Peace Corps, they crave fatty foods too much to bare - then they will forfeit the competition, of course.  In the end, the game is for fun, but the money would be great too!  $120 is a sizable amount, but when put into Zambian currency (the Kwacha) it becomes VERY SIZABLE - 600,000.  To give an example of what that is like take into consideration that a Pepsi in the States costs about $1.25.  Here in Zambia that same Pepsi will cost about $0.55.  Kwacha is amazing (if you're American).

There are stories about Peace Corps Volunteers losing up to 45 lbs in their first year of service.  New foods, no preservatives, an occasional bout of dysentery and the pounds just fly off.  So wish us all luck as we endeavor on shedding incredible amounts of weight over the next few months, and the next couple years. 

Whitney And The Chief

On Saturday, or Friday, or whenever it was (news here in Zambia is slow in traveling) my favorite singer was taken from all of us on Earth... Whitney.  For those of you that don't know, I am a huge Whitney Houston fan.  I love all her hits, such as How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.  I'm bummed to say the least, but the thing that worries me the most is that I feel somehow responsible.  In 2009, when I went to Kenya Michael Jackson died.  I come to Zambia one week ago and Whitney dies.  I plan on traveling to a lot of other countries while I'm here and I'm worried to find out what other celebs may meet their demise.

I Miss Her More Than Words Can Describe

I just finished my site visit in Chipata, Zambia, and I really enjoyed it.  We took some tours of projects like what I'll be working on (forestry and agricultural) with a volunteer that is serving there, and I liked what I saw.  There is some really interesting work being done by the community, as well as the volunteer.  It made me really excited to get started on the training and then having a site of my own.

While on site visit and had a couple of firsts... fetching my own water, killing a chicken by slitting its throat with a knife that severely needed a good sharpening, washing my clothes by hand (I've done this before, but this time I was trying to get out blood from the chicken, not just dirt).  It was interesting to get out of my comfort zone and really live the way the rest of the world does - no lights, water, or packaged meat. 

However, the most interesting thing that happened is that three separate villagers referred to me as "chief."  Both because of my continually growing beard and my sizable mid-section.  If only I wasn't a pale-faced mzungu (a white person) I could become a proper chief.  It is this type of experience that really reaffirms that I truly am back in Africa.  Well that and the cows and goats that are wondering all over the place.

A Few Days In Zambia

Let me describe to you what Zambia has been like so far... muggy, muggy, a spinkle of rain, a dash of sun, and muggy again.  As soon as I got off the plane in Zambia I started to sweat.  The temperature here in Lusaka is about 85 or so for the last few days, but the humidity is what has been the toughest.  This may seem hard to understand how someone could say that it's tough when most of the people I know back in the Midwest weill be struggling with at least another month and half of cold winter, but it's all I can really talk about. 

So far we've just been sitting in a bunch of Peace Corps meetings and being told what is expected of us, what we expect of them, and so on and so forth.  I haven't had the opportunity to see much of the country except for a brief trip to the Peace Corps's country headquarters on the outskirts of Zambia, which included meeting the entire staff and the Country Director - Tom Kennedy.  Even that was very brief, but it will all change tomorrow when we head out on our first site visits.  This means that we go stay with a current volunteer to gain some sort of idea what the projects are like, living conditions, and overall feel of being a Peace Corps Volunteer.  It should be really exciting. 

On being back in Africa I really couldn't be happier.  Out of the 35 of us that made the trip from Washington DC to Zambia a few days ago only two other people have ever been to Africa in the past, so it has been a lot of fun for me to see their reactions and excitement about coming here.  It brought back a lot of great memories of mine from when I first went to South Africa in 2008.  In fact, as soon as I stepped off the plane I smelled the diesels fumes, felt the mugginess, and I instantly remembered why I like this place so much.  An odd set of conditions to enjoy, but for whatever reason I do. 

Zambia itself is quite a bit different from both Kenya and South Africa, but it is similar in some ways to Uganda.  The tiny bit of countryside that I have seen is really green and lush like Uganda.  It is the rainy season right now (the reason for the mugginess) but I think that overall I'm really going to like being here, like I have enjoyed the other countries before. 

And in case any of you were wondering about Alan / Aaron... now all of the other Peace Corps Trainees call Aaron by the name I gave him, Alan.  He has fully embrassed it and I'm pretty sure that a couple of people don't even know what his real name is. 

Leaving The Mitten

Yesterday I left my favorite mitten of all, Michigan.  Leaving my home state proved to be more difficult than I thought.  I tried to keep a stiff upper lip and tried not to think about how long I would be gone or what I would miss while away or any of a number of other concerns that come with going abroad.  But it was difficult. 27 months is a long way to be away from your home.  That's over 800 days or just shy of 20,000 hours of being gone.  That's a long time time for sure.

One thing I'll really miss about Michigan are the early summer months.  Nearly perfect weather.

With that being said I'm still very excited about this new adventure - it's my personal version of the space program or something.  Where everything I see and do will be completely new and, hopefully, exciting... or at least interesting.


Last night when I got to my hotel here in Washington D.C. I was informed by the woman working the front desk that the Peace Corps had put another future volunteer in my room for these two nights.  I had my first new roommate and she told me his name was Alan.  So I went up to the room, dropped my bags off and he wasn't there.  No worries though, because I went out to eat with my good friend Jeff.


When I came home I walked in and there was Alan sitting in his bed, reading.  I said hi, introduced myself and we talked for a while.  I kept calling him Alan because that's what the women at the front desk said his name was, or so I thought.  After about 8 - 10 minutes Alan informed me that his name was not actually Alan and he didn't know why I was calling him this.  His name was Aaron and he would really appreciate it if I got his name correct (he didn't say this last part, but I'm sure he wished it).  I felt like an idiot.


What a great way to start off my Peace Corps endeavor.  Today is the first day of registration and a bunch of other busy work here in D.C.  Worst of all, today is when I meet all the rest of my group's volunteers.  Usually I would be excited about this, but after the whole Alan incident I'm just not sure I can trust myself to get their names right.

Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and Me

This blog will probably be the last time that I am ever directly linked with Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian unless some Act of God places the the four of us on a desolate island, and if that happens I can only imagine the outcome. 

So maybe this blog is a bit far-reaching for me then, since the focus is on these three Armenian-American pits of public interest and myself.  Aside from the fact that Kourtney is the best, and most likely to make something of her life (no DUIs, lost videos of love making, etc.), these three little ladies are making something of an interest of mine.  That isn't saying much... 


Since I came back to Michigan a couple of days before Christmas I have spent nearly the entire time eating and watching as much TV as humanly possible (minus 10 days when I was busy seeing friends in Washington DC and New York.  Even then all I did was eat).  Everything from the Kardashians to Maury to Teen Mom can be found on my viewing menu.  It's terrible and I'm not proud of it, but these are the little examples of Americana that I will miss a lot while I'm in Zambia.  Most people when they go abroad really miss certain foods - pizza, burgers, milkshakes and so on, but for me it will be these mindless shows that engross the viewer.  Sure I'll miss baseball, college football, and March Madness, but those are seasonal.  These bits of viewing delight are year-round commodities.  


I shouldn't be too distraught though... when I was in Kenya I heard about the death of Michael Jackson within a few short hours of his passing.  My dear friend Wambua, who I will blog about in length soon, passed the news on to me and the two of us were miles and miles from the nearest TV.  So, with that being said, maybe I shouldn't be too upset that I'll be missing out on pop culture.  It may just find me.  After all, the Wrath of the Kardashians is far reaching, the Maury Empire is all encompassing, and Teen Moms are all around.  

An Average Day Feeding My Addiction / Keeping Up With The Kardashians In The Basement

Problem Solved

Last November, while I was working for the Bureau of Land Management in Yuma, Arizona, I was driving through the Sonoran Desert with two co-workers, John Hall and Mike Pittman, and we discussed what my living situation in Zambia would be like.  We hit all the topics: food, electricity, showering, transportation, and, of course, the bathroom.


It was this latter issue that caused me to really consider what I was getting myself into and what possible, terrible experiences may arise.  (Don't read anymore if you can't handle real-world situations.  This post is about to elevate to Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs status)...


Here is the worst situation that we could come up with, and truth be told it is very possible and even likely that it will happen to me.  It is that I get to Zambia and the food disagrees terribly with me.  I have already resided myself to knowing that this will happen.  Of course it will.  It happens every time I go abroad, but here is the kicker.  There isn't an American-style toilet anywhere to be found.  No American Standard.  No Kohler.  Nothing.  Instead... a pit with some artifacts of patrons past.  


Now, if you haven't had the luxury to experience a pit toilet first hand you can create one at home relatively easily.  Put something wet on the toilet seat (this is to avoid sitting on the seat) and hover over it while humming BTO's Taking Care of Business, while taking care of your business, and that's pretty much what you're dealing with.  But don't forget that aim is half the battle, leg strength is the other.  Add in a dash of traveler's diarrhea and you've got a real interesting memory.  Just remember you don't have the bowl of the toilet to catch what you put in motion (if you know what I mean).  The real issue here is exposed legs.  


Luckily, I worked with some intrepid inventors and the three of us resolved this problem.  The solution: a squatting crate that will serve as the bowl and splash guard.  Gross, I know, but it is a necessary piece of equipment.  I thought that was it... problem solved.  But oh no!  My dear friend John and his fiance, Ashley, took it a step further and at my going away party gave me a gift that is worth its weight in gold.  A brand new, light-weight toilet seat for this crate.  I couldn't be happier.  It will be one of the few "luxury" items that I take with me to Zambia.  Again, thanks so much John and Ashley.  It'll be just like home. 

John Hall, Ashley Shepherd, and the Very Useful Toilet Seat