Today everybody talks about the match against the "Black Stars" from Ghana. It is a tight match since both teams are favourites for the title. Until 18.00 when the game starts I will join the many specualtions and discussions about line-ups, potential results and questions where to watch the final on Sunday.

Before I get to my class I just wanted to update you with recent highlights.

Tuesday was marked by heavy rainfalls. A normal consequence in this country is a power breakdown. Since I was still in the office and it was lunchtime I witnessed Zambian creativity. Withi9n minutes a fire burned outside the office in order to cook food whereas the rest of the crew relaxed their heads on the computers that were out of order. I woke up when the Radio started again to play Zambian music.

When I got home I realized that I left keys and cell phone at my place. So I had to wait for Marten and Domi. I used the time to go back to the Bar where we had a couple of weeks on Sunday and due to a misunderstanding did not get our change. What would probably be impossible back home, I just asked the waitress whether she remembers me and the fact that we did not get our change and after a few minutes she came with the money and wished me a good day.

Amazed by this kindness I was still not getting in to our house. So I started to play soccer with the neighbour kids. They are good....but they could not stop the German striker. I got to score 6 times to turn the game into a victory. A girl that was playing in my team told me that she was supposed to go to Linköping with her school (exchange) and wondered whether I knew this place....Hell yeah I know it! Funny story....!

Since Domi is leaving for her host family today (Wednesday), we went out for some beers, also because I dropped my beer back home and created a mess....Some people wont be surprised by the fact that I spill things or drop things....I know....I take this habit with me wherever I go.

Have to go to class now....Wish me a lot of shade....so I do not burn myself again! :)

Sunny regards from Zambia. It is not getting colder here...that's for sure! My skin is pealing off my nose and I consider using sunblocker even at nights.....!

The last days were like a Rollercoaster-ride....Let me start with Wednesday and Thursday. Actually There is not so much to say since I spent most of the day (and night !) in the bathroom. I realized that an upset stomach is part of every journey I made and Zambia would not be an exception. I lost about 3 kilos which I had to gain back on Friday. After a few hours at the office in order to let everybody know that I am alive and that it is NOT Malaria, Marten, Domi, and me went to the mall in order to enjoy a good, american meal. We made it our tradition to meet up on Fridays and get something to eat that contains neither Pasta nor Pasta....Did I mention that I eat a lot of Pasta?!

However, we witnessed an interesting aspect that appeared to be present in many other places in town. The head of the restaurant was an old, american Lady who thought it would be appropriate to criticize and complain about out personal (!) waitress in front of us. This power game was a disturbing picture since it made the whole prejudices we were told come true. A friend of me told me a couple of days earlier that some people still think that authority replaces humanness".

On Saturday we decided to leave for some excursion in order to benefit from the sunny (yes it was sunny again) weather. We headed to Munda Wanga which is an Environmental Park that takes care of all the animals that are too weak to be sent into the wild. We were the only visitors and we enjoyed the 45 minute walk along the compounds with lions,antilopes, and many other animals. It was weird since it felt like a zoo but these animals actually live in this country and have been born here as well. We are though really looking forward to see them in real wilderness. Funny story: Independent from each other, we looked up information about the same camp in Kafue National Park and decided to go the for a long weekend in March!

We spent a couple of hours at Arcades (the big shopping mall) and waited for the kick-off of the quarterfinal between Sambia and Sudan. Lucky enough we were at the bar quiet early so we got seats with good view. The places was crowded and the next two hours should be an experience I will never forget. I have seen many matches in many different places, from Argentinian fanatics to Swedish exctase on the couch with Ralle, but this was just amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing. Ever single person was dancing, singing, shouting, cheering, screaming and everything that you can relate to movement and joy. It was very catching and soon enough we were joining the Zambians on the tables, cheering for the Chipolopolo and having local beers all together. Zambia won by 3 goals and on our way back we witnessed parades of cars, people dancing on driving (!) buses, dancing people on the roofs and not to be missed, the VUVUZELAS. I could still hear them when I got up the next morning.

Sunday was a lazy day...Highlights: Played soccer with the kids outside the gate. I was trying to keep up with the guys but they are quick...way too quick for me who is way out of shape.

I did laundry (hand wash only) and had to witness how our puppy (Sasha) ate up one of my socks that fell down from the rope.

Entering the third week, I feel good.....excited about many things to come and about this week's activities at school. I wish you all a good start in the week and post some pictures later today.

Mulenga Joe

Here just a few pictures from today's PE lesson with the 2nd grade. Today we were focusing on football drills and the importance of hygene!

Today I had to get up at 5.45 since I was asked by the head of the Libala High School to be at the weekly assembly. While I was standing next to the teachers in front of circa 800 pupils, agroup of 8 graders sang the national anthem and read out the weekly prayer. I was presented as the new "coach" that will assist them to improve the skills and lead them to succesful times on and off the field. I was heartly welcomed by a loud "GOOD MORNING, COACH JOE!!!".

Today we had Physical Education at Burma Basic School, so I finished some paper work before getting to the site with Chenge and Levy. This time I brought my camera and so I was able to take some pictures. We had the 8 graders today so we went for some interesting active games accompanied by a lot of singing and dancing. I am on my way to learn the basic songs that make them stretch and move like the Coach wants them to...it is just not that easy to pronounce this language and my motor function leaves a lot to be desired. However, we had a lot of fun and introduced this week's topic to the kids. Most of the activties and games will be framed withing the topic of HIV/Aids.

Afterwards, we took some minutes to get some snacks and some refreshements on the market and we had a great time joking around, teaching me new expression like "Ey, Chicken....move!" which appears tp be helpful in the crowded busses! :) I dare, however, to make use of it since I haven't learned how to say "Sorry...I did not mean to insult you....My friends told me to say that!" Only then I might use it!

Today is Monday so that means that I am focusing on my studies and some research regarding my thesis-topic. I got in touch with some partner organization as well as journalists who I will meet up next week. I am doing really fine in this country and can't wait to get more and more involved in the activities as well as implement new projects! So far I am trying to get as many people as possible from back home to donate their old, washed-out or small sport jerseys so I can send them to this organization. The reason is simple....For most children, and I experience that every day when going to sport classes, the outfit is an essential and crucial precondition for getting active in sport activities. What we might take for granted is often one of the obstacles to benefit from the many advantages that sport brings with. If you have some jerseys or sport outfits in your closet that you do not need anymore, or you know somebody who might do so, just send me an email and I will set you on the list of potential donations. Further information will be provided!

Have a good start in the week! Regards from Zambia!

Mwauka bwanji everybody.

I am sitting in the office on a Monday morning after an eventful and really exciting weekend. But let's start the highlights in order.

1) Since Friday we are 2 more in the SIA-family. Dominique and Marten from Holland joined the SIA-house and are staying for 6 months in Zambia! On Friday we more or less showed them around and went grocery shopping. After 5 days of pasta I felt like mixing it up a bit....so I bought some rice!

2) On Saturday I went to "school games" at Libala High (School). Raul, my collegue at the organization, is the coach of the girls-basketball team at Libala High. The schoolgames turned oput to be a tournment between 5 schools in basketball and football. The football field was more or less an acre with two posts and a bumpy field of grass. It was, thus, eve more impressive how the palyers performed. What was even more impressive was the celebration when somebody scored a goal. Players started to dace, to do backflips and to jump through the air like...yeah like what?!

Another thing that amazed me was the warm-up sessions before the matches. The whole team is jogging in file, dancing, singing and throwing themselves on the ground. It is just catching and so much fun to look at....it is the joy in their face and the passion they have for the game and the music that creates this wonderful picture.

At the same time on the basketball-court (streetball) boys and girls were battling out the prestigefull glory of being the best school on the court. I was surprised by the physical intensity and the partly very spectacular games. Apart from that I met a lot of new people and had some interesting chats about the current performance of the Zambian football team. While Raoul was busy coaching the boys and girls of "his" school, I switched my chair frequently between the two fields, enjoying the games in the sun...oh did I mention that it was sunny again. I heard afterwards that we had 42°C that day! At night I most likely looked like a lobster who just jumped out of boiling water. It was a great day and I took some great pictures from the fields. Too bad that I couldnt join the others out for some drinks...the sun was giving me a hard time.



On Sunday the two dutch and the two norwegian and me went to the Sunday Market. I could have spent a lot of money since there were lots of amazing handmade stuff and potential souvenirs. I figured, however, that I will have to come back at a later stage. We spent the day walking around the market and taking pictures of our neighbourhood. My personal highlight were two sales women at the street who gave us two fresh Mangos for free when we bought some fruits. Not onyl were the Mangos really really good, but we are now officially their best friends for life. It seems to be quiet easy to get in touch wit the locals here which eases the whole transition process from "being used to your surrounding" to "being the white stranger". Even though one is more than aware of the fact that the colour of skin should not be a matter of concern, it is an interesting process one experiences when people continuesly tell you that you are "white".

The Sunday should not end without two additional highlights.

1) I had my first Zambian beers after I realized that I would never be able to keep my "promise" not to drink for the 10 weeks I am in Zambia. It is just not ME....watching soccer, chilling in the afternoon sun and NOT holding a cold beer in your hands while chatting with your African friends.

2) Zambia vs. Equatorial Guinea....Final match of the group stage..."Colour"-TV, CheeseBalls, and a screaming crowd in front of the screen when OUR captain Katongo scored the important 1:0 for Zambia which meant that we qualified for the quarter-final. Tonight we will know whether we are going to face Angola or the Ivory Coast. But everybody is pretty confident that we can beat any team this year. The spirit that this team brings on the field is accompanied by the touching background of Zambia's participation at the African Cup of Nations. In 1993, the whole Zambian national team died in a plane crash when they left Libreville, Gabon for a FIFA world cup qualificaiton match in Senegal. A resurrected team defied the odds, and displaying an offensive playing style, came second place after losing the final of the Cup 1994 against Nigeria. This year the "Chipolopolo" want the title more than ever since the final will be played in Libreville, Gabon!

After a few days of looking how things work out in Zambia, I am now updating you on the recent events.

Since I can imagine that it is not in everybody's interest to read long texts and jump from one paragraph to the next, I will provide you with the highlights of the week so far

1) 3 days of sunshine make me almost look like a local! Good work of the sunblocker and the moskito spray....Statisitcs so far: Moskitoes killed: 5 Moskito bites: 0.....winner after points: Johannes fran Lönneberga!

2) First days of working at the schools with super cute 6 and 8-years old children. Getting to know the difficulty to manage practice and sportive activties for 120 (!) children at once. Coach Joe together with his friends, jumping and singing in Njanja (one of the 78987552 zambian languages), doing exercises and races and telling the kids about important life skills such as trust, teamwork, honesty. I am wondering if anybody would notice if I just take all of them with me...did I already mention that they are SO cute! Writing the repots at office and studying became routine and makes time passing by quiet fast.

3) Zambia got a draw against Lybia and has good chances to qualify for the final stage of the African Cup of Nations. People are nuts when it comes to their team, the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) and I danced together with my Zambian roommates in front of a not so coulourful Coulour-TV when they scored. Everything is in movement...dancing, singing...I actually never saw a Zambian sleeping. I wonder if they do sleep at all?!

4) I start getting used to be the main attraction in busses, on the streets... I start to wonder whether it as at any time different back in Europe?!

5) Played marbles with two little children who were sitting on a road on the way to office. I lost :(

So far some updates of what I am doing and how I am doing! I will post some pictures this weekend. So stay tuned!

Muzungu Joe

It took me 15 minutes to get first signs of a sunburn when I sat outside in the garden reading my book. The sun is shining all day long and it is really hard to imagine that just a few days ago I was walking through London freezing like hell.

The weekend was relaxed besides the fact that my luggage haven't arrived as expected. The more exciting I was when I called on Monday and was confirmed that my luggage has arrived. I could sleep much better that night, also due to the fact that the night before Zambia had won against Senegal in the ongoing African Cup. It was a outstanding result and thus was followed by hours of honking the horn and "tooting" the Vuvuzela. When Andy and me took the truck to the office we had to get all stroing boys in the neighbourhood to help push-starting it. It was a funny way of starting the day. On the way to the airport I realized again how beautiful this country is, marked by the extremes of really poor neighbourhoods and shopping malls and Range Rovers.

When I finally got my luggage, I felt how it took a load off my mind. I could take my Malaria-Pill, I finally could get changed, and start feeling like I have eventually arrived in Zambia. On the way back to the office, I got to know real Zambian music, learned about interesting spots in Lusaka, and realized that the streets are full of advertisement warning of and informing aboutn HIV/Aids. Interesting enough that most of the time they highlight that in a relationship it is women who might have other sex partners and thus a couple should get tested. I asked Andy about the dichotomy that Zambia has one of the highest HIV rates despite the seemingly awareness and spead of information. He told me that the awarness is not the problem, but it is the pressure within the communities that make people take the risks. That there is a great difference between changing someone's attitude and changing someone's behavior.

On my way home after hours of studying in the office, it took us 45 instead of 10 minutes since rush hour in Kabawata (the district I am staying in) is ridiculously chaotic. Cars switched from the streets to the fiels, busses used their privilege of picking up poeple to sneak through the traffic jam, and since there are no traffic lights at all, the biggest car always dominates the crossing.Too bad that I was sitting in a damaged compact car that was almost falling apart and also was running out of fuel. I made it home anyway and started to unpack, took a bath and made myself comfortable. A feeling I was longing for during the last 4 days.

I start working with the kids tomorrow, Tuesday, and I am very much looking forward to the first week of getting to know the sites, writing reports about the activities and enjoy the African sun....sun...sun!

This morning I met the two Norwegian girls who are staying in the house for a month. It was nice to speak some Swedish after a few weeks. Today I should have my first day at the office, and should meet all the people that I am going to work with. Andy and I took the bus from outside our house. When I say we took the bus, I do not refer to a bus that we might know from the places we grew up in. The busses here are minibuses, mostly produces by Toyota. When I asked Andy why so many people drive Toyota in this country he said that they are the cheapest since they come second hand from Japan. When we got into the bus, there is place for 6-7 people. But the average number of people in such a bus is 9-10. The driver is the one who decides where to go, when to go and how many people he wants to have in the bus. Since each of the passengers pays 3000 Kwacha (1$) for the trip, he is happy to take as many as possible with him. Then there is a co-worker who sits at the closest seat to the door at an opened window. He yells at the people walking on the street, informing them about where the bus is heading to and how many seats are available. Whenever there is somebody who signals that he wants to get on the bus as well, the driver stops. There are only a few fixed stations, otherwise you have to tell the driver when to get off, give him the money and make 5 people in front of you stand up so you can squeeze out. Since we are in the middle of the rainy season, the many sidetracks and little streets are flooded or marked by gigantic wholes. It became a bumpy ride and a real adventure trip I will have to get used to. When we got to the office, I realized that we are in the heart of the communities outside of Lusaka. Andy told me that it is a huge advantage since we can reach people and especially kids more easily. When I entered the office, I finally got to meet Mwape, who was my contact person in Sweden from the first day on, and a lot of the stuff members. One of them, Martha, is from Norway and has been here for already 6 months. After 5 minutes I already forgot most of the names, since they are as difficult to pronounce as “Johannes” is for them. I will get a Zambian nickname very soon, I heard. After checking my mails, and posting my first reports on my blog, I had an introductory meeting with Mwape. I got information regarding safety and health, the work of the organization, and life in Zambia in general. Some interesting points included that whenever I invite somebody to do something, he expects me to pay for him as well. It was a good chat since I realized that they have a lot of experience working with the “muzungu”, the white men. We came to the conclusion that I would work 3 days at the organization and the site, and 2 days I would have for doing schoolwork and studying. Thus, I got together with Chenge and Levy who are in charge for 4 sites in the district closest to the organization and they introduced me to the projects and activities they were doing so far. I am looking forward to get introduces to the sites on Monday.

During my stay at the office we had some incredible rainfall and a few times I thought that we were going to swim home. One can barely imagine how much water is coming down on these already muddy streets. The rain also impacts the work at the sites, since the fields are under water, and children stay at home instead. This will be one part of my work, to establish alternative ways to get access to the kids and spread the message out of the organization during the rainy season. I am also looking forward to take pictures, write reports and evaluate working days so that one could improve on certain things.

The atmosphere in the organization is really relaxed. Mwape and everybody I talked to is laughing a lot, chatting, and whenever I ask them about how it is like to work at this organization, they refer to it as their “family”, since they are all close to each other and shared so much together. Like many NGOs, a big issue is the funding and the lack of resources. But that does not discourage the organization to engage in many amazing activities, events and cooperation with other organizations. I could tell from the first day, that they put their hearts in the work that they do.

At home I started to make some pasta, which was way too salty in the end but I had to eat something anyway. I also figured that there are apparently 13481 ways of cooking pasta, since I was told that I am doing it all wrong. It was a long day, and I am looking forward to get my luggage soon so I can start living an ordinary life here in the community outside of Lusaka. After a chat with my family back home on the phone, I slowly got to feel the fatigue that this weather and the many new encounters cause. The weekend ahead of me, I will have to time to read through some articles regarding sport and development, finish my book, watch a movie, sit in the sun, and get some rest and take some pictures.

Where is my backpack?

After a long flight to Lusaka I am standing at the airport, exhausted by the heat and the journey, looking for my luggage. It is not there! It was the first time that such thing happened to me. I was lucky enough that a steward from BA helped me with the arrangements and that George (one of the officials at the NGO), who was meant to pick me up from the airport, was patient enough. When I finally was outside of the terminal, I was still shivering and totally overwhelmed by everything that just happened during the last 30 minutes. A new continent, new culture, no sleep for days, first encounters with people I will work with and ...NO luggage!

George did not seem very surprised and took it quiet easy whereas I was already thinking in terms of having lost all my stuff that is in the backpack. I am hoping to get it with the next flight from London to Lusaka, which arrives Saturday morning.

George and a friend took me to the house of the organization. On the way I could get the first impressions of how Zambia is like. It rains...a lot! The streets are in very bad conditions, people walk along the roads and carry with them whatever they have to transport; vegetables, bags, children....everything. In general, it is hard to describe the misery and/or living condition in which most of the Zambians live. It is both shocking and impressive since it contains the impact and power of poverty as well as a certain calm in the faces of the people. Everybody seems so relaxed, so joyful, and so calm. The ride takes about 30 minutes and during that time it started and stopped to rain 4 times. The rain leaves its impacts on the roads and on the fields. "you picked the best time of the year to come...everything is so green", a woman told me in the airplane. And she was right....The contrast of the "red loamy" roads and the green bushes and trees are what you always heard and imagined when talking about Africa. The bad condition of the roads and big puddles are the other side of the coin.

We arrive at the house and I meet Andy. He is somewhat project manager at SIA (Sport in Action) and a really nice guy. He and his girl stay at the house as well as a friend of his. Right now there are also two Norwegian girls staying for a month who work with another project of a partner organization. I am tired...I can barely stand on my feet. The heat is getting on me and my frustration about the backpack still bothers me. The house itself is really sophisticated, with a shared bathroom, my own big room, a kitchen, a living room with big screen and stereo and a patio. A typical feature of Zambia appears to be the high walls that separate the properties from each other. Even though Zambia is argued to be very friendly and peaceful, it seems that people did their best to make it as hard as possible for anybody to become a criminal.

I take a nap which turned out to last over 2 hours...Andy did not go into office and told me that we would do some shopping (since I needed some basic stuff for the days I am without luggage). Andy, Vivian (his girl) and 2 drivers took me to a mall. The ride was funny since everybody is so keen and has such a great sense of humor. They took care of me from the very first moment and I felt the positive energy that people have immediately. At the mall I got 2.000.000 Kwacha (400$) and I got 40 bills which hardly fit into my wallet. Andy laughed at me and told me that I would get used to the big numbers and the amount of bills. In the mall I had to laugh because the supermarket I was about to enter was "Superspar", one of the most common German supermarkets in Germany. I had to travel thousands of miles in order to buy my African bread and the Knorr-Soups in a suburb of Lusaka. The bill of 200.000 Kwacha was not as chocking when I translated it into dollars (5000 Kwacha = 1 dollar). I also bought a Sim card (for a dollar) so that I am available on a Zambian phone number. During the shopping I realized that people were looking at me and were probably wondering what I was doing in their neighborhood. Some were friendly and greeted me right away; others gave me rather telling looks.

The next stop was the hospital....in that case I was only passively involved since Vivian was having an appointment or was about to get some medicine. This was the first and probably the best example of time management in Zambia. From "we will be back in 10 minutes" to "10 more minutes", me and the two drivers waited almost 2 hours in the car at the parking lot of the private hospital. I started to chat with the drivers who were real locals and, thus, spoke mostly in the traditional language. They taught me how to say "nice to meet you" and I got a round of applause when I welcomed Andy and Vivian back in the car with "Tschaoama po onana" (something like that)

We stopped twice to get some more food. People buy their food either directly in the store in the malls or they stop at one of the many little wagons at the street to buy some "fresh" vegetables, fruits, spices etc. It is a chaotic picture of people on their way to where every they are going to, and people living right next to the streets, and a traffic that is anything but clear.

The time with the four made me forget about the trouble I had in the morning and I realized that if you drink enough water, your body thanks you for that. It is 5.00 pm now and I am already tired. I have some sleep to catch up. We watched Rambo 4 and I have the feeling that it wont be the last movie they are watching tonight. I am going to make some pasta later, install the mosquito net, and tomorrow I will get to the office the first time in order to meet everybody and to get first "instructions" of how my stay is going to look like.

It was surprisingly sunny when I landed at Luton Airport in London. It took my 25 minutes to get through the pass control which reminded me of my journeys to the USA. I met Steph at St Pancras in Northern London and after 6 months of not seeing each other, we had lots to talk about during the upcoming next 2 days. Even though it was not my first time in London, the beautiful old buildings, the red buses as well as the fancy taxis caught my eye immediately. I like the mix between the hasty and rush atmoshopere and the calm that can be found in so many places of the city. After leaving my stuff at her place, a nice 3 rooms flat, we went to have lunch in a place called “the Blue Legume”, one of the first lovely local places that Steph showed me during my stay. I had Halloumi-Spicy Sausage Panini and an English Tea and I was on a good way of working off the list of things that I wanted to make during my stay. Eating something very British was finally accomplished when having Fish&Chips the same night. We spent the day walking across the city, crossing several bridges, taking pictures of Shakespeare's Globe, Tower Bridge, St,Paul’s Cathedral and took some drinks with friends of Steph in a Bar that she refered to as her After-Work bar. A lot of suits, young couples but no toursits met and caught up on the latest news, gossip and adventures. The day of sightseeing was indeed British, but should entail another very British ingredient; Notting Hill with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. We slept into the next day and went for brunch in a place called Breakfast Club. Typical English breakfast, a fridge that is a secret door to a nightclub, sunshine on the back and lovely company made the start for a great day to come. We walked along the Themse in order to get the cruiser to Greenwhich. Still sunny, we arrived at Greenwhich, a place I haven't been to yet and which is famous for the Planetarium and the Mediarian Line. That's where GMT (Greenwhich Mean Time) comes from. The afternoon turned out lovely. Wandering through Greenwhich, we climbed the hill where the Planetarium is situated. A beautiful view and an amazing sunset over London made this little excursion very memorable. We went home to pick up Pam, Steph's roommate, in order to get some drinks. I ordered a pint and accomplished the list successfully.

Now it is time to get to Lusaka - Zambia! See you soon, Europe...I am out of here!

All my bags are packed, I am ready to go. After 4 weeks of Christmas break in Berlin, I will leave for London tomorrow morning to start my journey to Lusaka. Before heading to Lusaka on Wednesday, I will spend 2 days in London, catching up with a friend.

My plan is to see something very British, to eat something very Brtish and to do something very British. Since I have been to London before, I am looking forward to some relaxing hours at Picadilly Circus and Camden Town!

Bye bye Berlin! See you next summer!

I'm not exactly sure what this title is supposed to mean, but its from a song and I am not stopping my service. I have about a month to go before my 2 year commitment expires, but I've applied and been ok'd to remain with Peace Corps for an additional year and live/work in Lusaka.

I'm not exactly sure which work I'll be doing, but Peace Corps will hopefully approve 1 of 3 options I have.

1. With Zambike, an organization that does Social Business and assembles great bikes within Zambia. Two of the four founders are actually from Southern Ca which is cool

2. With the UN sponsored Food and Agriculture Organization. This would be a great experience with a UN organization and I would continue my work with sustainable agriculture in Zambia.

3. With "Sport in Action". A Zambian run NGO that does health education and HIV awareness through sports. This would be great because of my teaching/coaching background.

So, in the next month I'll find out which one I'm with, but for now I'm just trying to enjoy my last month in the village....I must admit, these last few months have become more difficult for me. Mainly because I'm not very busy, and I am worn down physically (I've lost a lot of weight and feel like I've aged 10 years). Life in the village is hard and I respect all my friends and neighbors who persevere. The village experience has been awesome and enlightening, but I am ready for a change. Lusaka (the capital) should be very cool to experience because its the "other side" of Zambia....city life.

Dad and AnnaLee will also be coming out to visit me at the end of the month. Should be a geat time and I can't believe its been 2 years since I've seen anyone from home...both friends and family. I used to have food cravings and think about all the conveniences but now I feel that I've kinda forgotten what its like. Either way I miss it. And when I do come home I'm sure it will be overwhelming.

With extension volunteers, we recieve one month of paid leave. I am planning on coming home mid June to meet up with Kenna and the kids. I'm hoping I can also pass through Europe on the way and see Anna, though, maybe she will be able to come home during that time as well. While at home I'll probably do the west coast tour and try to see everyone.

I know it has been a long time since I posted anything, but I finally managed to do it. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.

Joe

Hi Everyone.

I'm in Lusaka, writing on the computer at the Peace Corps office. Kai and I, along with two fish farming volunteers just finished our second day at the National Ag Show. Things are slow thus far, but tomorrow we'll kick off the weekend and there is sure to be some action. This "show" is another "fair type" thing and its fun to hang out, make connections, and promote our program. Life in Lusaka is so fast paced and expensive (compared to my village, but not compared to America) I sat this evening at the shopping mall and felt lost in the hustle and bustle...felt minuscule actually. Nice cars, traffic, different races.....all things I'm not used too, but I'll admit the electricity and food is enjoyable. So crazy to see Zambian villagers working in the fields one day, then the next day, see their countrymen driving in Range Rovers and Mercedes.

Last night a few of us went out for drinks because some friends had finished their time in Zambia. Had a good time doing the funky chicken and inventing some new moves (cant imagine what Zambians think when they watch us dance, but I'm sure its painful for them) Its funny how the experience here works because all us volunteers become close in a short time, then everyone packs up and leaves. Most of these volunteers I won't see again, but there will be a lot of memories and pictures with them.

Its been nice to hear how Kenna is doing with the new baby, Lincoln, while Anna is whitewater rafting in Costa Rica. I think the Jefferson family is at the Par Chaser Classic right now. Have fun in SLO and picture me rolling in the bush on my Trek bike

....Just saw some nice messages on my blog. Thanks to the Fergusons, Jeffersons, and Natalie for keeping track of me even though I'm horrible at keeping in touch!

Me again, livin the dream in the middle of nowhere, Zambia. Things here are alright and I've been busy as of late. I organized a workshop last week that included composting and application (conservation style). It was a fabulous workshop and my counterpart/facilitator did a perfect job. We had about 15 attendees who appeared to learn something. Afterward we had a great lunch and rocked out to a boombox with some serious bass. After the guests left we had some minor problems so I decided to leave the village for a week to cool off.

During this time I went to the provincial peace corps house and kicked it with other volunteers. After two days of boredom my friend Kim and I decided to go for an adventure and visit a new place in Zambia where we hadn't been. We walked out to the road and waved down the passing vehicles. Finally one stopped and let us join him. We arrived in the Copperbelt that night (about 7 hours) and found a local spot to sleep (60,000 kwacha a night/11 bucks). The Copperbelt is the mining capital of Zambia, so its somewhat developed. The following day we went to the National Trade Show......which was a lot like a county fair in California. However this fair had people selling beer from D.R.C., fabric from Ghana, jewelry from Nigeria, and you name it made out of middle eastern leather.....who knew the middle east had so much leather...or maybe it was pleather? We ate ice-cream, watched some dancing contests (watching Zambians dance is no joke!) and met some interesting people....unfortunately I couldn't find corn dogs. That night we met up with a Zamfriend of mine at the Eastwing bar. Reminded me a lot of the outdoor bars in San Diego....my dad called that night and told me my Christmas package had arrived after 7 months in transit!

The next day we got on a bus back home. It was a nice break from the village.

As far as work goes, we have a big event next week. My chief, Mwata Kazembe, is the paramount chief in my province. Each year there is a huge traditional ceremony for him. The ceremony is a remembrance of the Bemba people coming from the D.R.C. and conquering this land. I along with a few other peace corps, will try to do an HIV outreach during this time. We think it will be a good opportunity to reach people. Right after that, I'll head to Lusaka to work the National Ag Show. Its a big event! I'll be working it with my buddy Kai so its sure to be a good time. The only challenge will be trying to trick people into thinking we are actually doing something constructive. Kidding

Alright...... I originally came on here to delete my account, but after looking at my sister Kenna's blog, I was inspired. And Im pretty sure nobody looks at this, so those of you who see this are probably family or close friends.

I just finished 1 year of service in Zambia. The 1st year was a blast. Everything was new and exciting and most of the time I had no clue what was going on around me. Sometimes its actually a good feeling when people around you are talking and you can't understand anything....but now, I can communicate with people fairly well so there's no excuse for not paying attention. Language has been challenging and tough to study considering its a dying language. But I'm learning slowly...panono panonofye.

I'll do my best to summarize this past year.......it has been eventful.

-only lasted 3 months at my 1st site due to break-ins. It was a stressful time, but where I've been living the last 10 months has been wonderful (at least as wonderful as a hut with no running water or electricity can be). Its a secluded place, quiet, few people and lots of woodlands.

Work has been.....good. But frustrations are begining to build. There is lots of talk with people in the area, but results are tough to find. Little things like encouraging villagers to make a shelter for chickens, rather than keep them in their house makes for a big day. Behavior change is extreemly difficult, and I think that's a big factor in the HIV problems here. There is so much HIV education, but its up to the individual to use that education. That is true with other things like birth control and fertilizers like compost/manure that are an alternative to costly chemicals. I could go on and on about all the cultural differences, but I'll spare you.

I made it through all three seasons "cold" season, hot season, and rainy season. They were all great, but it was nice when the showers came. However, because they lasted 5 months, it was nice to see them go as well.....it is May and there were heavy rains last night (its not supposed to rain in May).

I was able to harvest a minute amount of food from my fields. Some maize, groundnuts, and beans. But this year was more of a learning experience. Next year I should have a good plan that I can use when the rains begin.

Animals- I saw monkeys on my birthday while I was drawing water but haven't seen them since.

- 4 snakes in or near my house

-Hyenas that enjoyed eating my neighbors goat.

- hunters walking with spears and a waterbuck (deer) through my village. It was one of the coolest things I've seen here, but they wouldn't let me take a picture because they were poaching.

-monitor lizards as long as I am tall

-all the big game animals (lions, crocs, elephants, hippos) , although they were in the game parks

-tooooooo many chickens, goats, pigs, pigeons, guiney fowl, ducks, guiney pigs, rabbits (all village animals)

Vacations

Malawi- a beautiful place and seemed more developed than Zambia. I enjoyed Nkata Bay and our accomidations at Myoka Village. The lake was clear and clean and had great snorkling. Tropical fish that you'd think should be in the ocean were in fresh water. At night watched the lanterns bob up and down on the water while local fisherman were working.

Livingstone- Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park. Went to the falls during dry season so there wasn't as much water, but the rafting was spectacular beneath the falls. Also visited Chobe which was a great day trip in Botswana. Saw at least 100 elephants and 3 or 4 lions, monkeys, water buffalo, crocs, impala.

Mozambique-

An amazing place. Beautiful language, great coastline, and good seafood. I spent 2 weeks on the beach in Tofo. Wish I could have spent more time in Maputo, the capital, but I think I may return to Mozambique at some point.

This year..... I'm going to try and get some work done in my village. Maybe a few workshops, and a few field visits. I have a few good programs with citrus, and bananas in my village that I'll continue. I also want to focus on intensive gardening (for household nutrition) and animal husbandry (an activity that if managed properly can provide big income).

I'll also try to visit both Zanzibar of Tanzania and Namibia.

I've made some good friends here and last week it was nice to be in the capital city with all the people who I came to country with. Many of them I hadn't seen in 9 months. We had our mid-term medical/dental checkups and were able to talk about programs/problems. Funny how most of us have similar struggles....so we're not alone.

Should be a great 2nd year.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers

Joe

My host family during training

My crib

My roomate

Typical evening at my place

Soccer ball care of Doug Sperry

Zambian sunset

It looks like Im sweeping dirt, but Im actually sweeping dirt

Computers are hard to come by in Zambia (and expensive).  Thats my excuse for taking so long to update this blog, and though my phone has internet it would take way too long to write anything on here worthwhile.

I wrote this update, put it in the mail and sent it to my sister, so if its not good I blame her.

Ive been in my village a little over two months now.  The stress of a new environment is beginning to wear off and Im starting to become comfortable.  Im sleeping much better, (every little noise used to keep me awake) and Im not startled by all the bugs and rodents that live with me.

Ive kept myself busy with home improvement jobs and lots of little chores that would take me 20 minutes in the States.  Here they take hours....Laundry?  An entire morning.  Water?  At least an hour.

As you can believe, days go by quickly.  Once the sun sets, its a race against darkness as I prepare dinner.  I've been asking people in the village about getting someone to cook for me a few days a week- cooking plus a little language practice.

I also attend meetings 2-3 times a week.  Usually someone has died and no one shows up.  Seriously, funerals are happening all the time.  The nearest medical clinic is 17 miles away- how sad is that?

Im still trying to figure out who I can trust here.  Many people are looking for handouts and I don't want to encourage that.  So in the meantime my parter-in-crime has been Jackie, a nine year old.  He's got okay speed, great power and swings from both sides (with an axe).  I'd describe him as that pesky neighbor kid who bothers you enough to the point where you finally give in and hang out with him.  So I put him to work.  Unfortunately he usually gets distracted by a mouse hole and digs himself dinner.

Being close (25 miles) to the Peace Corps house has its pluses and minuses.  It is my nearest market so I have to go there every 2 weeks.  Its nice to see people and enjoy the electricity, but it's also a bummer because I know I can go there whenever I need to.  Most of the other volunteers don't have that luxury.  This weekend, we've organized a big 4th of July "white trash" party.  Should be a real hoot.

Surprises:1. I was nominated to preach at church2. A kid said "Hello yellow man" as I rode by him3. At my village school there is one teacher teaching grades 1-4 at teh same time.  School goes from 9-12.  I help out there on Thursdays.4. I finally received land for a garden after 2 months of asking

Hey everyone. Its been a while since I've had the chance to get on a computer. Things here have been great though. Now that I'm at my permanent site I can finally relax and unpack my belongings. I'll be in Kapapa for the next year and 50 weeks......so everyone go and book your plane reservations now...Righhhht

I ended up passing all the Pre-Service Training. I didn't expect it to be so challenging, but it was a lot like being in college again, but with some serious language instruction. In my final review I received an "intermediate low" score.....the highest was intermediate high. Technical testing was no prob. If you have any farming/animal raising questions, I am now a pro.

After a swearing-in ceremony and talks from the U.S. Ambassador, we went to an animal/recreation park for two days and did some celebrating....yet saw no animals

At this moment I'm in the provincial capital Mansa. I'm just here for the day, and I've have a lot to do, so this will be short, but I want to all to know that everything is a.o.k.

My hut is right off of the road so I've had all sorts of interesting visitors. Mostly children (usually 20+) who enjoy sneaking up to my door to yell "Ba Joseph" then run away. It was hilarious the 1st time......since then its become quite old. But I no longer have to set my alarm, the kids wake me up at 7am sharp on their way to school.

The adults have been very welcoming. I've had a bunch of offers to attend 7th day Adventist and Jehovah's Witness churches.....but I chose to go Catholic on my first Sunday. It went well, and was pretty entertaining for the congregation when I tried to introduce myself in Bemba language....I actually did very well, but people here laugh at anything I try to say.

Interesting story for you all- I was walking home from my neighbors the other night and stopped when a 15-or-so year old girl pointed out an indeke (plane). Then then caught me off guard when she pointed to the stars and asked "Which is America"........another one of those questions where I'm not really sure what to say......so I said "that one right there" (kidding).

Alright, that's it for now. Thanks for the letters and I'll try to get better about posting on here. Also, I do get email on my phone, so you can update me on the latest U.S. news by email (send pictures as attachments too)....though I won't be able to respond. Love you all.

Mwashebukeni Mukwai!

Ok, I've learned that WWE wrestling is very popular here. Its one of the 5 or 6 tv shows they can watch on their tv (which is powered by a car battery because there is no electricity). So, I've learned a great deal about "john cena", the "undertaker", and "triple h". My host mother asked if the wrestlers have soft bones because they never get hurt. I wasn't sure how to tell them it was fake, so I just said "no, their bones are the same as yours".

Enough of that.....I just finished my 2nd language test. I'm not too concerned with how well I did, but I am happy its over. No time to relax though, I have my final "exit" test in three weeks. I must be an intermediate level Bemba speaker to pass. We'll see about that.....Language class is a pretty cool set up. There are four volunteers to 1 Zambian teacher. The only bad thing about it is 2 of the other volunteers are Ivy Leaguers, so they do a great job of making me look unintelligent.

Yesterday I also found out where I will be for my two years. I will be in Luapula province, 20k from a town called Mansa. My village is called Kapapa. The provincial Peace Corps house happens to be in Mansa, so I will have access to that when I need to get out of the "bush". Usually PC volunteers are allowed 4 days at the Peace Corps house a month, but I'll be close enough that I'll be able to make day trips if needed.

Tomorrow we leave for our 2nd site visit. We will drive up to Luapula and I'll get to check out my site and stay with another volunteer who is nearby. Today we are in Lusaka buying groceries for the trip. This afternoon we'll head back to the training center and bbq, dance, and have some fun activities. There hasn't been much downtime, so it should be a great time.

I was REALLY sick last week, but feel fine now. Thanks for the prayers.

Shalenipo Mukwai

Hi everyone. Nice to finally use the Internet.

Things here are great and adjusting has been much easier than I thought it would be. These last few weeks I've been on the go...Site visits to current volunteers, language training every morning, and technical training every afternoon. Not much down time, but being busy is good.

The "kwatcha" is 4000 to 1 dollar. Talk about inflation........but it makes me feel important even though it ain't much.

I'm living with a family right now just east of the capitol. Its in a city called Chongwe (probably misspelled, but the good thing about this language is that everything is spelled exactly how it sounds). I live with a host family that pretty much does everything for me. Hot water for bathing, food, a nice hut. There are 9 kids...but they come and go so I'm not sure who's who. Patrick and Antone throw a welcome home party everyday when I come home. As I bike down the dirt path there are usually 10 rugrats running as fast as they can towards me. Then they stalk me until I come out to play futbol with them. For the first time in my life, I actually feel like I'm good at futbol because I'm playing 6 and 7 years olds.

My youngest sister is 4 and I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm a ghost. When I walk towards her, she turns and runs....at dinner she eats with her eyes fixated on me. Dunno what to do about that.

My Batatta is retired military who now works security at the bank in town and my Bamaayo basically works harder than anyone I've ever seen....not too mention she speaks great English.

Oh, I should probably mention that I ate it on my bike last week. I was going as fast as I could on my bike and came across a ditch in the middle of the road.....still not exactly sure why there was a ditch in the road, but it definitely got me good. I lived to tell about it. Goats, pigs, chickens and ducks roam around freely here. Its fun to throw rocks at them or use a slingshot. And no there are no "national geographic" animals roaming the streets. For the most part they are limited to game parks.

Alright, there is so much to tell, but so little time. I'll try to post some pictures on here. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Shalenipo

At the moment I'm trying to figure out this whole "blogging" thing. Being that I won't have regular access to email/phone, I think it will be best to use this blog to keep everyone updated. Hopefully this technology doesn't get the best of me.

I just arrived home from a 12 day road trip down to Souther Cal. Things went great. Was able to see, and say goodbye to some good friends while enjoying the nice weather. If there's anything I miss about San Diego it's the few friends that I have there and the weather...definitely NOT the amount of people and traffic (I say that as I'm getting ready to go to a remote place in Zambia).

People keep asking me "what exactly, will I be doing in Zambia?". My thoughts before I respond usually go something like "hmmm, thats a question I'd like to know too". Then I try to give a respectable, well spoken answer that goes something like this, "Obviously I'll be saving the world".....My program is called LIFE. It stands for Linking Income, Food and the Environment. I don't have many details but the title sums it up well; a little business, a handful of environmental work, with a side of agriculture.