Mongu Family.

We had to say goodbye to one of our Mongu family members.  And that’s what it really has become - we are a small but mighty family unit.  It’s nice.  We have 'family' gatherings just to chat, we go out dancing at all the major Mongu hot spots, do yoga together, have dinner together, and just generally take care of each other.  Unfortunately, you know that at some point people will move on…that’s just the way it is.  You will be missed here in Mongu, Patrick.  

And I say a big cheers to the rest of my Mongu family.  I am happy you have made your way into my life...

Thinking about home.

I’ve been thinking a lot about home.  And what that means.  People ask me all of the time if I miss home.  I miss my sister and those amazing boys of hers.  I miss going to movies with my mom.  I miss going to eat Mexican food with my Grandmother.  I miss my dad’s quiet ways and his willingness to always help.  I miss going to yoga (or drinks or hiking or just spending time) with my friends.  I miss my Carnelian sisters.  I was just looking at pictures and I can’t tell you how much I miss all of you…wherever you are.  But I don’t know that I miss "home."  I feel like part of this journey the past 3 years or so has been a bit of searching for where my home might be...I still don’t know that I’ve found the perfect place for me but I know that wherever I go I find more people that continue to make a place feel like home even if the place isn't quite home yet.  And although it makes me sad that I can’t carry everyone around in a little bag with me wherever I go, just knowing that you are all with me (reading my blog or sending me an email  or text or just thinking about me) it makes me feel like I’m already home.  Wherever I go.  And someday I will actually have a home where you can visit me.

Kuomboka 2013. Amazing.

I feel really lucky that not only was I able to attend Kuomboka but that I had so many friends (and friends of friends who quickly became friends over the course of the weekend...) come to Mongu to take part in the festivities…and all 15 of them stayed at my house.  People arrived Friday night and left Sunday morning and it was a big celebration the entire time they were here.  We watched live Zambian music, took a boat out into the floodplains of Lealui where the king prepared to start his journey, watched traditional dancing as the Zambian Vice President arrived in his helicopter and escorted the king to start his 6+ hour journey (with a crew of many paddlers supporting him along the way) then saw him arrive later in the evening to his home on higher ground in the village of Limulunga (with a spectacular crowd and an amazing sunset). 

I loved having the opportunity to show everyone around Mongu and while at times it was a bit hectic with so many people, I would do it again this weekend in a heartbeat…in fact, I’m told there is a smaller “Kuomboka-like” ceremony taking place in a village just outside of Mongu this coming weekend.  Maybe I’ll try to go...I can't get enough.  Although I wish all of my friends would come back.  I miss them already. :(

I have some pictures up in my photo album so please take a look.  And I recommend if you are ever in Zambia in the Western Province around the time of Kuomboka…you must attend.  It was amazing.

Group shot (most of the group anyway).

Kuomboka. It's almost time.

Kuomboka is coming.  April 20, 2013.  We have been waiting for this date to be announced for months yet I think they are just organizing for the ceremony this week.  Oh, how I love Africa and last minute planning.  I will be hosting about 15 people in my humble house (I’ve told them they all have to sleep on the floor because I don’t have beds) as we enjoy the ceremony.  Look for pictures coming soon but for now read up on Kuomboka (click on the link below) which means "getting out of water." Or of course you can google Kuomboka and find lots of information.

The Kuomboka Ceremony in Mongu

Easter and Music in Zambia.

During Easter weekend, I don’t think I ate a single bit of chocolate??  Or attended any religious functions for that matter! :) But I did watch a lot of live music?  In Africa, you find new ways to celebrate holidays, I suppose.  

I ended up making my way with a few friends (via a couple of buses and taxis) to Siavonga (which is a beautiful little town/village on Lake Kariba which I think I wrote about when I went there for a work function a few months ago) where they were holding a Zambian music festival.  Although this was the first year this festival was being held, we had been told that “thousands” of people were expected to attend so were anxious to check it out and enjoy music outside by the lake.  Unfortunately, the “thousands” number had been quite inflated.  I would guess that maybe a hundred people were there?  After the initial shock of realizing we were going to be dancing mostly alone (oh well?!), we figured it was still a beautiful setting and there was great music?  So we enjoyed our time anyway…hopefully next year more people will take advantage of the opportunity to hear some great music.  Just so you can feel like you were almost there with me (!), check out the links below (I tried to give a sample of just a few of the great artists)!  I have to say that Zambian music is slowly growing on me…

Mutinta - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6KMhtgftkI

Scarlet - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPs231eK68w

B-Flow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odQDVWU2Df0

The outdoor stage at the music festival.

Weekend Travel Goes Bad.

I thought I would take a lovely weekend holiday to Victoria Falls but unfortunately it didn’t turn out exactly as planned.  I shall try to give a short update.  I started out taking the bus to Lusaka where I was meeting my friend Heather so that we could connect to another bus and go on to Livingstone.  Because my bus from Mongu was delayed (the journey from Mongu to Lusaka should take about 8 hours but it took a bit longer), we didn’t make our connection and ended up leaving from Lusaka about 3 hours later than anticipated.  The bus ride to Livingstone was miserable, 1.) because I was now almost 16 hours into my bus ride journey and 2.) we stopped at every little town/village along the way to pick-up or drop off people.  Anyway, we arrived in Livingstone on Friday evening happy to be there and ready for some dinner.  This is when the “unfortunate event” happened.

We were walking out of my friend, Joel's, gate to get dinner and it was dark (around 7:30PM) and I believe I had just turned to say something to Heather when all of a sudden I was at the bottom of a concrete ditch on my head.  I don’t know exactly how I tripped and fell but all I know is that my face was covered in dirt and my neck was hurting.  I was a bit panicked because the first thing that crossed my mind was that I might be paralyzed for the rest of my life.  Then I made sure my teeth were all still in my mouth.  And then I started crying.  Heather and Joel were now looking for me (because you couldn’t really see into this small ditch) but they realized I wasn’t just playing a game of hide and seek so they got two men from the street to help carry me into Joel's house so my injuries could be assessed.  

The short story is that I am fine.  I am not paralyzed, have all of my teeth and only have bruises and cuts.  Although I landed on my head, I didn’t fall hard enough to do any real damage to my neck.  Thank goodness.  So after a long night of picking sand and rocks out of my face so that the cuts could be cleaned, I slept and we managed to wrap me up like a mummy so that we could go to the falls on Saturday.  It was quite comical though because people would try to avert their eyes yet stare upon seeing me only to say, “Sorry.”  I started feeling bad for people who had to look at me.

After one day in Livingstone (yes, one day...that was crazy planning looking back), we took the bus back to Lusaka (a mere 8 hours) and then I hopped on the bus back to Mongu.  This should have only taken 8 hours but the bus broke down and we had to wait while they fixed it.  So, very late on Sunday I was back in Mongu after my relaxing weekend away.

 

I have put some pictures up of my weekend travels (and, yes, I put one up showing my poor head but it's not too bad, I promise).  I look forward to visiting the majestic Victoria Falls again soon...under better circumstances.  :) 

It happened so fast.

I was working in and around Mongu District last week visiting health centers (just doing my job like I do now...thank goodness I am actually starting to understand my job).  Every day we set out from the office and moved through copious amounts of sand to visit staff from various health centers.  Essentially, we check to see if they understand how to complete and submit monthly reports, then we do a routine stock assessment of the drugs at their center and also check to see if they have any challenges (and provide training as needed).  All in all, it takes a couple of hours or more for this process to take place at each health center (sometimes more depending on what drugs you are checking).

Of course you find all kinds of crazy things (not always related to the work you are doing…just in general things that amaze and surprise me).  For instance (and this is just one example...I have so many stories), we were meeting with the staff who run this very remote health center last week (it takes almost two hours to access by foot but luckily we had a car).  Anyway, as we were meeting, a small group of women came to the center and they were ushered into the back room (which is like a small clinic/patient room).  I was barely aware of their presence as we kept meeting (one of the women we were meeting with got up and attended to them).  We just kept on talking and working in the storage room.  Well, I’m not even kidding that maybe 15 or 20 minutes went by and I see these women come back out and start to leave.  I asked the staff what had happened because I was curious?  She casually said that one of the women had just given birth.  What?!  I practically fell out of my chair.  There had been no screaming, yelling…nothing.  And it had been seriously less than 30 minutes for this entire process (entering, birthing, paperwork, leaving).  Amazing.  No big deal.

For as much as I am amazed with all of the challenges that exist here I am equally amazed at the simplicity of life.  I felt proud to be in Africa as I witnessed how simple life could be.  Although I did comment to the staff (as they were laughing at my amazement of the situation) that there is no way I could have done what this woman did...unless I had been given some very high doses of drugs.  I wish I could have gotten a picture of the happy occasion.  But I didn't.  It all happened so fast.  So, instead here are some pictures of us out and about in Mongu. 

We got a bit stuck so had to push the car a bit.

Some of great animals in and around Mongu.

Sand, sand everywhere.