What a week!!!

What A Week!!! And yes I am posting this weekend!!! It's just going to be on Sunday and not saturday!! Okay so for the week in review... Monday was good same old same old lanugage and tech stuff. Tuesday I had the school activity. That went so well!!! It was fun to get out of routine for a bit. Kristen, Regina, and I worked well together and I think the kids all had a really good time. We talked about self esteem and the importance of it etc. It was fun!! Wed was the usual and Thru we went to mwkera. I learned about rabies. Not really a fun disease and if a human gets it and doesn't get treated in time you die. Not cool huh. So if you are coming to see me you have to get your rabies vaccinations!! I'm making it a requirment:). There are stray dogs here but the villagers kill them if they think they have rabies but still tis better to err on the side of caution. So I got my second rabies shot on thursday and my other hep shot? I have few more left. I also found out about a lot of cool and by cool I mean disgusting germs/worms I will get while I am here. Most likely anyways, I learned all the signs, syptoms, how to treat yourself when to go/call the PCMO and stuff. It was all pretty interesting and I defintily feel good about the people in charge of my health care over the next few years so that's good. Sat we had a culture day. All of our families came to the training center with us and cooked us different local dishes. I tried flying termites and catapillars!!! Can you belive it!!! I have actually had worse things. Then the families went home and all the PCT went out in Kitwe we had a good time but I am still really tired today. I can't wait for the waterfall next weekend!!! I am so excited!!! Today I went to church. Church here is cool. In the chruch I go while here, all the women sit on the left, the men on the right, and the kids upfront left. We sing a lot, clap and dance. The sermon is all in Bemba, the language I am not learning! But it has still been neat to attend a service here. Monday we are going to town during the day and we have to order food to eat in our language and practice bargaining for things at the market!! Fun Field trip day!!!! Then tuesday we have another teaching actvity kind of. We will be meeting with the neighboorhood health committee for our village and helping them address a particular health issue facing their village and then figure out a solution and intervention. Kristen, Regina and I will do it. Then Friday we have a tech test and a language test. It is going to be an extremely busy busy week. But luckily Sat we go to the Dam. Yipee!!! So I have read all your comments and to answer a few questions.... I do have an outhouse, no elctricity, no running water, except when I pour it out of a cup and it runs over me.. Ha ha ha.... I do obviously have a bike. Some people have cell phones but the whole concept of cell phones is a little bit different here. I have 3 rooms all to myself. All in all it's a pretty nice set up. I really can't complain. So as for now I had better get off this thing. I have a few things to check. oh, other people have posted pics so follow different links to see different things that I am seeing. Love ya all and peace out for now, vic

Hello friends!!!

Oh how I love the internet!!! Thank you all so much for commenting. It makes me so happy!!!! So before I forget correction from the last email, it is 12k to training on thur when I bike, 24 roundtrip. I also tend to have to bike it more than just thur. But that's okay I don't mind. Sometimes PC sends us a driver so that is really nice. I am getting faster on my bike but I am still definitly the slowest. I leave first and get there last!! At least I get to see everyone on the way right?! Tuesday I will be leading an activity at a school with 2 other girls. I am excited, it should be a lot of fun. I had my first lang test the other day. I did as well as I thought I would do. My trainer is great and very encouraging but I still know I have a lot to learn!!! I am actually able to communicate with my A maama a little bit more and I met another sister the other day. She is in grade 9? and speaks some english so that has been helpful. It does rain here but I love it. It's never to hard for too long so I really enjoy it. Anyways, it's great to hear from ya'll I love you each, take care, victoria

Kolenu Mwani

Hello!!! That (kolenu mwani) is the typical lunda greeting. Mwani vude mwani would be your response. It is pretty much the return greeting to any sort of greeting. I use it all the time and just hope that it applies. So the city I will be nearby in NW Province is Mwinilunga? Sorry I don't have the spelling in front of me but I think if you look at a map you can figure it out. So in my last blog remeber how I bragged about feeling wonderful. Well the next morning I woke up with the big D (Diarreha). That was the day we had to drive 5 hours in the land cruiser! I was the first one in the group to get it. Unfortunatly when we got to the hotel it was accompinied by throwing up. I hate throwing up but luckily that is all behind me now. Since then though I think everyone has expericenced some of the big D. Good times. So anyways now that I have disscused the movement of my bowels with everyone I suppose I shall tell you what other exciting things I have been up too. Everyday Well Monday- Friday I go to language class in the morning and tech training in the afternooon. 8-5 with a lunch break where I go home and my A maama feeds me a lot!! It is good to be fat here so she wants me to be fat. On thurs though I have to bike 27 K to Mwkerera for a big training with all of the volunteers. It is fun because I get to see veryone but the biking is very hard. Please pray for strength on that day. IT takes me about an hour. I don't really mind so much I just wish I wasn't so slow. But I suppose I will get better in time. On Sat we just have class until 12:00. Then I will try to come to Kitwe to do computer stuff. Please keep adding comments i like hearing from all of ya'll. I know my grammer/ spelling is not that great but I don't have much time and the keyboard is sticky! So that's really all for now. But I love you all and look up at the stars everynight when I brush my teeth outside and I think that somewhere ya'll are seeing the same ones and it makes me happy. So know that you are all missed, loved and though of often. Peace out, Victoria

Zambia Rocks!

Okay so, seeing zebras...tasting n'shima...land crusing it across country...meeting the locals... using the pit latrine... making fire... packing your stuff 15 times... playing with kids... walking everywhere in the bush with the mountains and beautiful zambian huts on your left... secret society male dancers... stars so beautiful and bright you would give anything to touch them...FRESH chickens... beautiful faces with big brown eyes... showering in a hut while watching the cows, chickens, bulls, and pigs scurry past... driving by monkeys... waking up to giraffes eating.... and basically living scenes right out of a national geographic are just many of the many many reasons why zambia rocks! It has really already been the most amazing experience of my life and it is just starting!! I really appreciate all of your prayers. I have met some of the most amazing people and I have been and felt so healthy. I guess eating fresh food all the time does that. I just spent the past 4 days in Eastern Province where I practiced carrying water on my head. I can kind of do it with one hand. But I do have to use one. Eastern Province was beautiful!!! Full of mountains and lush green fields. I chose my language. I will be speaking Lunda. Lunda land is in NW Province. Pull out the maps because that is where I am going to be for the next 2 years! I won't know where exactly until 2nd site visit at the end of march? We have training in Kitwe until then. So far so good. It is great being able to keep in touch with you all. I love you and miss you all a lot but I hope that you are all doing great! Know that I think of you often, vic