Monday, March 7, 2011

Doin' the Vill Like "Whoop"

Hey everyone, sorry it has taken me longer than John Goodman to get on a workout plan than for me to re-write in my blog. I guess you could say I am fully embracing the pace of life here and not in too big of a hurry to blog ;)

So, since my last blog lots has happened. I have rang in the New Year in a different continent, swam in the deepest lake in the world, climbed a mountain, and cliff jumped more than once. Myself and several other Peace Corps friends went to Lake Malawi for New Years. It was absolutely gorgeous. We stayed in cabins literally five meters from the water. We did lots of snorkeling, relaxing and laying on the beach. And most importantly, we ate really awesome, American style food. I put a few pictures up on Facebook if you want to check them out. I am planning on putting more up the next time that I get a chance.

Recently, I traveled from my village to Serenje, Zambia for a workshop put on by PEPFAR. It was one that focused on teaching capacity building through HIV education. It went really well. I received lots of new teaching materials and the best part was I was able to take with me a villager from Masansa to learn all of this stuff with me. This way, someone in my community besides myself will gain knowledge on the PEPFAR material and hopefully will be able to continue the work that I start after I leave. That is my hope at least :)

Right now, I am in Lusaka at the PC head office. I had to come down for a small mystery rash. I am getting that taken care of now. But, I guess I learned my lesson in giving eskimo kisses to my dog.

I am also really starting to get a good feel for my village and the village lifestyle now. I am beginning to appreciate the beauty in everyday things that I never appreciated in America. Sometimes, my best days here are ones that I simply come home from a meeting and watch the day go by. I am now comfortable sitting and simply listening to the women in my area talk about village news while they do the dishes by the water hole. Or I feel within my element now sitting in circle with the men in my village talking about American culture and watching the evening sunset turn into a starlit night. If I did not love nature before, I definitely do now. I have decided that there is beauty in everything that is part of this world. Being here, it is easy to realize the rythme of life is constant and the ebb and flow of the world is in such a beautiful harmony. -End hippy thoughts-

Anyways, basically keep me in your thoughts and prayers often. I am getting very good at being on my own here, but that does not mean I do not want to hear from you as much as possible. I love phone calls on skype and letters/packages make everyday a blessing. So thanks for that! Rock Chalk and hope everyone is great!