Tonight, I invited Chrispin, my good friend and IT guy at CLCE, to the Yellow House (the local watering hole). As usual, I had a few more beer than expected, so this turned into a tipsy Tuesday night. Good night, and I hope you enjoy this blog!
Mrs. Daka
I have decided to dedicate a portion of this blog entry to my interactions with Mrs. Daka. If you haven’t been following my entries, Mrs. Daka runs the store, works in the kitchen, cooks for guests, and does just about everything else short of teaching. I am her American son and often visit her and two other ladies at the campus store in the afternoons. We chat and have a soft drink, which makes for a relaxing afternoon.
Mrs. Daka was in the guesthouse preparing lunch for some guests from the University of Zambia when she heard me whistling. Taking on her motherly role, she informed me of a little piece of Tonga tradition. When a child is heard whistling, his parents know he is ready to be married. They will then begin looking for a partner for their son. Tradition has changed and that way of life is not the norm anymore, but I might be more careful about the time and place in which I whistle…
Mrs. Daka has told me that I am a very hard worker and a good help cleaning up. Initially, my motivation to clean was too keep her happy (she tends to pop into the guest house at unexpected times). After a few weeks, I have transformed into more of a neat and tidy person. This is partially out of respect for the college and Mrs. Daka, as well as realizing that failing to keep your living space clean is just silly. My mom and roommates can attest to my traditionally messy room. Better late then never, I suppose!
I was fortunate enough to be invited into the Charles Lwanga football squad for their game at home against nearby Lusangu University. I went into the game with 20 minutes left, which gave me plenty of time to get a feel for the environment surrounding us. Lusangu had as many fans as Charles Lwanga did, which created an absolutely insane atmosphere. After every goal (in a game that saw six), fans and players rushed the field in celebration. I witnessed the Lusangu supporters create the longest canoe celebration I have ever seen…. twice (fans and players sit in a line and row their imaginary oars… Bison soccer players from the class of ‘09 will understand this celebration…). The Charles Lwanga supporters gave me a wonderful ovation as I entered the pitch as the number seven (right wing/forward). Unfortunately for me, I had been sitting for an hour and hadn’t touched a ball in three days (we didn’t have a ball for warm-ups). Because of this, along with the uneven dirt surface of the field, my first attempt at a cross ended with minimal contact on the ball and me lying on my back. Ouch. I slowly became more comfortable, and with around ten minutes remaining, I put home a ball that was played across the face of the goal from the opposite wing. Cue mass chaos and panic. Fans rushed the field, picked me up, and we celebrated for what seemed like ten minutes. I have been involved in some big moments and scored important goals in my high school soccer career, but the passion and excitement I experienced in that moment stands above everything else. In that same moment, I also became a bitter enemy of Lusangu supporters. The game was running into nightfall and they thought my finish had actually gone through the net on the wrong side of the goalpost. The shot came from a tight angle near the end line, but it was a goal. Near-riot conditions ensued over the next ten minutes. I’m still not sure if they thought the goal should have been disallowed, or they were angry because a Mzungu (white-man) had scored… :) Lusangu equalized in the final five minutes, but a 3-3 draw seemed like a good note to send everyone home on.
The next time I played, my ankle decided it was time I took a little break. There are holes and mounds all over the field, and as I was turning to make a run up the sideline, my foot found one. When I informed some lecturers of what happened, they thought I was crazy for not going to the clinic. A trip to the clinic here would maybe cost 5 Kwacha ($1), whereas a check-up back home would probably cost about $50.
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| Our game against Lusangu University |
Zambian Life
The rain has arrived! There has only been about three rain storms, but that's a welcome change from the six weeks of dry heat I experienced through September and October. I should invest in an umbrella because when it rains it pours. I also need to be more aware of the weather when I put my clothes on the line. Whoops.
Animals I encounter while walking around campus: Pigs, goats, donkeys, cows, dogs, frogs, and scorpions (one almost ran right over my toes… I was not amused).
What I’m thankful has not crossed my path yet: Cobra.
In my previous blog, I mentioned that an appreciation for what the local people cherish in life is necessary. Not only do I value the Zambian way of life, but I have also been trying to do the little things to “fit in.”
1.) I know you won’t believe this, mom, but I have been doing some laundry by hand (underwear, socks, shorts). Now let’s not get carried away, as I have only done this a HANDful (get it??) of times. I still give my pants, shirts and towels to the washing machine because it needs some love, too.
2.) My head has been seen on the pillow past 8am maybe once since I have been here. People get up early, even on the weekends. As I was walking to 7am mass last Saturday, I saw students cleaning, washing, and playing chess. This is far from the lazy, headache-filled weekend mornings I (sometimes) experienced at Gonzaga.
3.) I have been seen walking around with a bag of Masuku, a local fruit that is readily available this time of the year. One student came up to me and asked if I liked this Zambian fruit. He mentioned that he, as well as other students, appreciate that I am trying new things and enjoying what Zambia has to offer. Well, Masuku is really tasty, and a bag of 25-30 cost 1 Kwacha (about 20 cents). Seems like a no-brainer to me! I also usually buy a fritter or two (1 Kwacha for 2) on my way to 10:30 tea break during the week. Masuku and the fritters can be purchased by local ladies who set up shop (a basket) by the classroom buildings. When I’m lucky, there will be mini-bananas as well (about 8 for 2 Kwacha). Another local delicacy is Inswa, which are a member of the termite family. They come out in swarms with the first rains, and locals take advantage. Buckets of Inswa are collected, their wings taken off, and are then fried. They're not too bad with salt (once you get over the fact that you're eating insects…).
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| Masuku, a local fruit |
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| Inswa, a member of the termite family |
4.) When visiting Livingstone this past weekend (more on that trip below), I was given two tailor-made Zambian shirts. I had become quite jealous of the sweet shirts many of the lecturers sport, and now I have something to wear. Mr. Mooka also took me to a tailor near Charles Lwanga, so I will have at least three shirts before leaving. I look forward to continuing this fashion trend back home!
Teaching
I have really enjoyed being in an environment that is completely focused on the profession of teaching. College students back home could learn a thing or two from the professionalism displayed at Charles Lwanga. Students always look nice (you won't see any shorts, hoodies or sweatpants in class), and they are very serious about studying. Suyi, one of my good friends, has a ridiculous schedule. He goes to bed around 11pm and wakes up to study with a small group at around 3am. He then rests a little before classes start at 7:30am. I can't even stay up to watch a full Barcelona football match (game time is usually 9:45pm), and waking up for mass at 6am is a struggle (I miss one or two every week…).
Most students are very passionate about the profession of teaching. A lot of people here don't really understand why teachers in America aren't respected like they are in many other countries around the world. I had a nice conversation with Suyi last week, and he mentioned that “a person who does not respect a teacher fails to reason. If you want to become a doctor or a president, you have to pass through the hands of a teacher.” Seems simple enough to me. Education truly is the foundation of society.
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| Two of my students presenting information on the desert climate (with my sketched map on the board... not too bad!) |
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| A group of first year students |
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| Victoria Falls (There is water falling on the Zimbabwe side, but all of this will be falls in a month or two) |
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| The bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe (also, where you can bungee jump) |
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| Making faces with Agnes, Mrs. Sitali's niece |
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| Mrs. Sitali, our host in Livingstone |
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| The Sunset, aka "Booze," Cruise |
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| Sunset over the Zambezi River |
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| Checking on the big cats, who are enclosed at this particular location (you can actually take a Cheetah for a walk on a leash...) |
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| The King |
I have less than three weeks left at Charles Lwanga, and will be busy finishing up work on the tennis program, literacy program, and a possible post-grad teacher assessment that is just formulating. Meeting with lecturers and other staff members to work on programs is difficult (everybody is always very busy, especially with finals just around the corner), so hopefully we will be able to make progress over the next few weeks. I will have a full update of the work I was able to complete the next time you hear from me.
I hope you enjoyed, and feedback is always appreciated!
Chabota
joshdube6@gmail.com
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