They let us go into Lusaka today so I can make my first update! I am living in one of the most beautiful places! I have my own hut on a compound with a family of 8, my compound is the furthest back in our village and it overlooks a river to the West, so I have an incredible view of the sunset each evening. I am learning to speak Chinyanja (nyanja for short) which means my site placement will be somewhere in Eastern Province. I have language training in the mornings for 4 hours, go home for lunch and bike to the training center (3k) for technical training where I am learning all about the Ministry of Education, government schools, community schools, etc… On Thursdays we have medical & cross cultural training, Saturday mornings HIV/AIDS training, then the afternoon & Sunday are free, but my free time is generally spent practing launguage with my family or reading for tech training, so they keep us very busy. I have already come to terms with being dirty all the time, even though my family prepares two hot baths a day for me, which is so great – when I am at site by myself I will not spoil myself quite so much.

The first week here we all went to visit current PCVs at site, to get a realistic idea of what is like to be a volunteer in the bush of Zambia. I went to Southern Province, where Victoria Falls is (I was 2 hours from it) and where they speak Tonga, I learned a few words in Tonga, it was a lot of fun! When we came back from site visit we were assigned our languages and placed with our Homestay families. Its hard to believe I have been here 3 weeks already, my legs are already stronger from biking and I am getting very used to the food.

Its guava season! I get one or two a day, its fabulous. I am getting really used to eating with my hands. Nsima is pretty good. It is a conrmeal porridge of a grit-like consistancy served in hot lumps, you break off a piece and cool it in your hand and use it to scoop up various vegetable and meat relishes. I am getting quite used to the technique of eating this way,  good thing as it is a staple food that I am eating twice a day. My amai (mom) is teaching me to cook Zambian relishes and basic chores. I am having a great time and already have some fun stories, I am keeping a very good journal and have taken some sweet pictures, so I will have plenty to share later on when I have more internet time. More next time…Tidsoanana! (we will be seeing each other)