Hey,

I'm sorry about the long delay in posts. I'll try and bring everyone up to date with some tales from my life.

And...start,

For the last 3 months I've been in community entry because of which, I couldn't give updates, due to the lack of computers in my village. There are, however, an abundance of majestic chickens, some of which have no sense in spatial time patterns; i.e. roosters that go off at 2:30 in the morning, when clearly, it is not dawn. I will hopefully start a rooster training academy, for light sensitivity training and time management. My lead rooster, Tom O'Larry, guard chicken, best friend, and lasso partner extraordinaire will be co-chairing the event.

What else, I had a charming pet bush baby for a little less than a week. She was pretty cool. Very noisy at night, it was like having a small, needy child. I wasn’t ready for that sort of responsibility in my life. I got some sweet pictures, national geographic grade stuff. Some day people will see them. Like any good parent with a child they can’t take care of I released her into the bush, where she fell asleep in a tree. It was beautiful.

I spent far too much time in a hospital and all that good stuff. African bacteria are mighty little fellas. Some Chinese miners live in Mwinilunga. I saw a bunch of sweet animals. I teach at a school, hold meetings, read books, play guitar, cycle, celebrate cats birthdays, walk in the bush, attend rituals, meet headmen (receive chickens), pass out in banks, sample foods, upon other things.

I'll update again soon, I can't type due to my badly infected finger, which, coincidently nearly killed me. Talk about a cliff hanger?

Mwani vude,

This will hopefully be my last day in Solwezi and I can finally be posted at my site, Kasengeji. I've been in the provincial capital for over a week due to some banking,cruiser, and other issues but all things are solved. This whole week has been busy with supply runs and of course drinking with Australians. As I write this Joe is getting all his stuff packed into the cruiser and heading out to the area dubbed as, "Zamvegas", yeah it's pretty sweet. Tomorrow is going to be rough. The last three of us are all posting in one cruiser with a trailer. We are all first gen sites, so it's going to be a cramped few hours driving into the bush. This is going to be the last post until I return for provincial meetings at Thanksgiving. Thanks for all the comments and such. I wish there were more tangible things to write about.

Here are two pictures I took. I wanted to put more up but it took almost an hour to upload these small ones. The picture with the 3 small boys was taken during my first site visit in Adams' catchment. You can see one of the ponds in the background. I think it's a pretty rad shot, let me know what you think. The other picture with the 3 girls were my host sisters in Chongwe. There names are Blessing, Mary, and Rachael. We were having a photo shoot one day and I got some pretty awesome shots. If someone sends me some blank cds I can burn all my pictures on them and send it back to the States, hint hint!

Okay, I gotta take down the chicken coup in the back yard. You'll all be in my thoughts out there. I'm sure there will be rough days and lonely nights. It's all in the name of development.

Keep safe and strong

Hi!

Okay, so this is the first update on a real computer, so I'll try and make it somewhat descriptive. Today marks the start of the final week of training at Calambana. We will swear in as official Peace Corps Volunteers this Friday at 10:00am in Lusaka. We have our final language test on Tuesday, cultural day with our home-stay families Wednesday, Thursday we pack up all out gear and say our good-byes to the Zam-Fams and head off the ISTT in Lusaka. Saturday, bright and early our whole intake class will say our goodbyes, repay debts, and head off to our respective provinces where we will start 3 months of community entry. Community entry is the time when we cannot leave our districts, at all. We cannot go to the provincial house or Lusaka, unless its an emergency. Such as it is, these next few months will be very intermittent in my communication on this blog. Sorry in advance. It would be super sweet to get some packages or mail because I won't really have any connection with America or even my fellow volunteers until Christmas.

Hunter Shaffer, PCV

PO Box 110264

Solwezi, Zambia

Africa

That address is where you should send me packages if you feel so inclined.

Wish lists of things, good shampoo, high quality tooth paste, anti-perspirant, sweet America snacks, barbecue sauce, good pens, compass, map of America, a sea creature book (no one in my village knows what a whale is and are blown away at the fact that they are bigger than an elephant) mach 3 razor blades, magazines, news papers, tab books from bands I like, strings, picks, a buck knife, sling shot, pictures of you and from home, and anything else that's common in America that I can't get here, be creative.

Hunter Shaffer, PCV

PO Box 160073

Mwinilunga, Zambia

Africa

That is the place to mail all the letters to. You can try packages but the other is a safer bet.

Today, myself and 5 other volunteers hitched into Lusaka from Chongwe for free, (Woot). We got our first hitch with a Chinese construction firm and the second with a Zambian security company. Pretty awesome. The goal will be not to pay anything on the way back because its obviously been made a competition.

So, what else has been happening... The weeks really do melt away here. Everything has been very fast/busy since we returned from 2nd site visit. Lots of learning and hanging out with all the new friends that will soon be scattered throughout the country, some several days travel from my site.

I guess I'll explain a little more about my site. First, its about 6 hours northwest of the provincial capital of Solewezi. After that 6 hour ride, you arrive at Mwinilunga, home of the Lunda people, amazing honey, pineapples, and mangos. To get to Mwinilunga one must cross the mighty Lunga river on the south side of the town. Yes, there are crocodiles in the river and yes, they are known to eat children from time to time. People in my village told me that they aren't really crocodiles but witches, who knows. After you cross the rive you come into the sleepy town of Mwinilunga. It's hard to explain but its clean, there is a large open air market, not many cars, its nice. So, you'd keep going north out of the BOMA until the road runs out of pavement and turns to sand. I live 10k to the west, down a little bush path, barely large enough for a cruiser. About 8k into the path you would need to cross a really, really scary bridge, it's honestly held together with sticks from trees. They village really wants me to fix it fast because no one will come if there is no bridge. I doubt it will make it through another rainy season. Beyond the bridge you would need to climb out of the rather deep ravine onto the steppe, where you will find me. My house turn is marked my massive evergreens and a brick making oven system. My little hut has 3 tiny mango tree in the front and 4 banana trees. My bathing shelter is on the side of the house need to the bananas. It's made completely of thatch. Past my bathing shelter is a ancient bush path then 20 foot living fence plants, an abandoned brick making oven, and my Chimbushi (toilet), which is witch nice and private. My chota (gazebo type thing) should be done by the time I arrive, that's where I will hold meetings/entertain.

My village wants me to finish there half complete clinic, fix the bridge, build a few dams, help with building tons of fish ponds, teach at the middle/highs school, start COOPs, improve farming, improve animal husbandry, start womens groups, HIV and AIDs education, and the list goes on. I got a real full plate. I'm really exited and can't wait to get to work and hit the bush paths.

Like always, I miss you all. Send pictures with the letters I always respond to them but you will only get cool African stuff if I get a letter from you first. Yeah, it's kinda mean but you're being mean not sending me love :D . I guess thats about it for now. Hope all is well stateside, I got facebook working on my phone/email/these comments on the blog. I read them all. Keep me posted on your lives and any crazy stuff that happens.

Mad Love

Hi!

This will be a short post because my stupid phone crashed and i lost the last one.

Ill start and end with a story i heard during my second site visit.

The Fisher family are white zambians that live north of mwinilunga. They are highly respected, wealthy, and speak many of the zambian languages as well. Peter Fisher is the father and a professional hunter/guide. During what he would consider a routine hunt in kafue national park he encountered something strange.

For three nights, he spotted two hyinas outside the perimeter of his camp. They would circle around the tents, just outside the reach of the hunters; only their yellow eyes reflected in the stray light from the camp. On the third night, unsettled by the wild dogs presence peter armed himself with his rifle and floodlight and headed off into the bush. He tracked the hyinas several clicks into the african shrubland until they came to a river. When the dogs reached the river he caught a glimpse of thier yellow eyes. Knowing he had them trapped he flipped on his flood light. There, instead of dogs, huddled near the bank of the river crouched two naked men. Thier black skin caked with white clay and wearing nothing other than necklaces of bone. He called out to them and asked what they were doing. They responded with no clear answer and fled into the night.

Creepy huh?

Anyway, things are good but busy. My site is breathtaking. Its 10k outside mwinilunga, 8 hour bike to angola, 3 hours from dr congo. Huge forests, beautiful rift valleys, and mighty rivers. It will be a great home.

I drank from the source of the fabled zambezi river. Its supposed to make you powerful. Thats all for now.

Strength and love.

Welcome back my friends,

Its been a few weeks, hopefuly you're still reading. I know the posting is somewhat sporadic but the days are long and Im normally pretty burnt out by the time I get back from training.

Tonight my family cat caught a viper after dinner right near my Amomma's house, which was about 10 feet from where we were eating. Kitty killed the thing and then I walked over to see what she got and it turned out to be a snake. All the kids and mom freaked out (side note all zambians are terrified of snakes) so even though it was dead my mom wouldnt let the cat eat the snake. Obet (one of my host brothers) had to fetch a huge stick as so he didnt have to get near the snake while moving it into the bush while mom held the cat back.

(Side note, the cat just had 4 kittens last week and shes already too skinny and really wanted to eat that snake. I try feeding her when no one is looking because I secretly want a kitten to bring to site.)

Anyway, what made this whole snake thing so funny is we had a 4 hour medical lecture on animals to avoid while in zambia today. The viper being one. We were talking about the snakes today and what to do if you get bit. The black mumba was being discussed, it being the most deadly snake in the world one of the most aggressive. Some asked Gilly (our awesome british medical officer) she then made a witty british joke "off the path without a posse" and informed up we'd have less than 2 hours to live if we were bitten. There is no anti venom in zambia.

Wow long snake story. The sad thing is we got way more tales of peace corps people and thier misadventures with the various creepy crawlies that lurk in the dark places in zambia. We were assured that we would be impregnated with botfly larva at some point during service. Look that up people the african botfly. They lay eggs in wet clothes, which then hatch and the pre larval stage will burrow into your flesh where it will mature. Now think about how it rains for 6 months. How to dry out clothes? Luckily, it you cover the larvas air supply it will wiggle out of your skin before becoming a fly.

Okay enough of that. So, tomorrow i do my first fish transport on my bike, should be good. I have my interview with all the peace corps directors on saturday; cross your fingers for a first gen site.

Thats it for now. Send me pictures of home or anything my family loves them. Send any mail to the address i posted below or email me for faster responses. Ill have steady email / mail until the end of september. After that i wont have any regular contact with the outside world until after christmas.

Mad love.

Post comments on my blog i get those too!

Hi everyone! Im typing on a phone so bare with me.

Right now im at my homestay in a small village called chikroo outside of chongwi. Im laying on a mattress on a hardened mud floor surrounded by a mosquito net in a thatched mud hut. I have a friendly wall spider named fang who keeps of company at night. I used to have a rat but he was always creeping around at night so i stole the kitty who lives around the compound and she ate him.

Africa is completly beautiful. I spend at least 2 hours a night staring at the night sky. The southern cross is suspended among great streamers of the milky way. Its humbling and words cant describe how lovely it is.

My host family is awesome. My mom speaks no english but laughs all the time and it is infectious. I cant help but be happy. I live in a compound with 2 other trainies, michelle and jack because our family is one of 2 that speak the language ill be learning in this whole area.

Its been quite the adventure so far. We got stranded in south africa, which turned out to be an awesome bonding experience for ou intake. After that the dirt ex day were paper work, shots, and horn stuff. We got put in our language classes. Ill be speaking lunda. It is spoken in the northwest provence of zambia, congo, angola, and nimbia. We went on our first site visits which was insane. When i get posted i will be way out in the bush near congo. I loved it. All the peace corps people out there are great so im pumped. There is still old magic in those parts. Witches, wizards, juju and crazy stories from people. Ill post some dark juju tales ive heard in my next post.

Right now days are long. 4 hour of language in the morning follow by tech in the afternoon. Eat dinner around 6 bed at 8 or 9. Wake up at 630 for a bucket bath. I never thought africa would be so cold.

Anyway sorry for any typeos or grammer. All is well im really happy, all the people are great and friendly. You all need to visit. Miss you guys and girls.

Mad love

I'm not sure how to start this, so I think I may just type.

It's been one hell of a ride. A year of ups and downs, twists and turns and now it's here: the day I finally leave for the third world. I have tons of conflicting feelings. I'm scared, nervous, excited, sad, happy; it's weird, but I think most good things make you feel somewhat strange. I'm going to miss everyone terribly. I'm not sure what to expect but I'm sure it'll be awesome.

I want to thank everyone for giving me an amazing summer. My family and friends for being so supportive, without you this wouldn't be possible. I wish everyone well while I'm gone. I know the world I know will be gone forever after today. Everyone will be moving on to the next phases in their lives, new friends, relationships, all and all wonderful things. Change is a beautiful thing.

I hope some of you come visit, so I can hopefully share a small amount of Africa with you. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, you'll defiantly be in mine.

I love you all dearly,

Hunter

P.S.

Here's those sweet packing photos I promised.

Send me a letter or sweet package. This is my address for the first three months. I'll send my final address when I get assigned.

Hunter Shaffer/PCT

Peace Corps

P.O. Box 50707

Lusaka, Zambia

I have my plane ticket confirmed. I leave July 20th now at 5:45am for Hotlanta get there around 8:30am.

Let the adventures begin.

The next day at 7:45pm I'll be on a 15 hour and 50 min flight to scenic South Africa, riding in stylish coach seating, dinner is included. I got my H1N1 shot yesterday and that about the extent of my prep-work thus far. It still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving. I guess because I've been going to Africa for a year now in my mind. The build up was pretty gradual. I'm still on the fence about bringing a guitar or buying one in Zambia, anyone reading this has any advice on that topic please comment. Kinda weak update, I'll try and do one before I leave with the cliched "look how much crap I can pack into a backpack" photo. Until then,

I guess we'll start this blog off with a nice introduction. First off, this is my first blog I've attempted. I'm going to try and run it like a discussion, very informal, as if I was speaking to you in person or maybe not it's the first post.

So, that being stated my name is Hunter Shaffer. I'm from the small sea-side republic of Rhode Island. The rest of my background will be of little importance. I would be pressed to say that these writings will be the bones of personal growth breathed to life by events, tales, and stories from my escapades deep in rural Zambia. I will attempt to keep this relatively current while in Africa but from what I've seen from current volunteers the internet is temperamental at best, so posts may be long and far in-between.

Now onto the Timeline from Applicant to Invite. I found these posts incredibly helpful while I went through the application process. I hope this helps anyone going through that long, maddening process of becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer.

October 31st 2008 (Spooky!): I start my online application

July 7th 2009: I submit my finished application. Yeah, I know took me 8 months. They were rough days. I was originally slated to head off to India with a NGO growing fish in the foothills of the Himalayas / Bangladesh. SeaGrant funding dried up and I was without a plan until I remember my Peace Corps application.

July 27th 2009: Interview! I didn't go to this one because I got violently ill. My recruiter said it was imperative to get to this interview by the end of the week. I rescheduled.

July 29th 2009: Actual Interview in Boston. I was nominated on the spot due to make background in aquaculture and marine construction.

August 2nd 2009: Online status updated. Nomination for Rural Fish Farming.

August 4th 2009: Medical Packet was mailed out.

August 12th 2009: Got the Medical Packet.

August 13th - October 1st : Get Medical Finished.

September 9th 2009: I have to fill out a legal form because of my light brush with the law.

September 22nd 2009: Cue Legal Hold.

October 16th 2009: Dental Cleared.

October 22nd 2009: Medical Received, Review Starts.

November 21st 2009: Non-descript Update?

December 12th 2009: Medical Hold. Turns out I needed that Polio booster :(

December 17th 2009: Got the shot faxed the info back. Cue medical Hold

December 29th 2009: Email my recruiter about my continued legal hold. She says its all good. Continue waiting.

February 17th 2010: Email my medical review assistant to see what's up with all my holds. Turns out she had left the Peace Corps. Hmm, the plot thickens. Make phone calls toss out a few emails.

February 19th 2010: I get a bunch of emails back. Turns out my entire medical file had been lost due to a glitch in the system. Nurse medically clears me. Fun fact, always check with the peace corps if you think its taking way to long. It's easier to ask than to miss your assignment date.

February 20th 2010: Medically Cleared!

February 23th 2010: Legal Hold Lifted - Pretty pumped.

March 10th 2010: Email from the Ag/Env placement office saying, "Hey we are starting to look at stuff. Email updated resume and what nots.

March 11th 2010: Thanks for the update we will begin reviewing your file in the coming weeks. Eh, more waiting.

April 1st 2010: Cue April fools joke (which I did when the placement officer called). Asked a bunch of hard questions which you have to answer on the fly. After the convo I was really nervous.

April 2nd 2010: Parents called me on my way to Canada that my account was updated and I was invited to serve. Huge relief to all parties involved.

April 6th 2010: Packet arrives and I find out to my surprise I was invited to Zambia, Staging July 19th 2010! I'm beyond pumped. I accept the assignment the same day.

April 7th 2010: Online account gets its final update. Welcome to Zambia!

That bring me up to the current day. What am I left with? For starters a cornucopia of paperwork to fill out and sent to the country desk and others to Washington but it doesn't matter because I have a departure date and all is well.

Until next time fearless readers.

-Hunter