Good morning madame! (So not use(d) to this yet)

Cungulopo mukwai! Good evening. Im trying to update as much as i can but blogging from my phone is not ideal. So i didnt explain the deal behind site visit! So for the past however many weeks ive been in chalimbana ive be staying with a homestay family so last week we went to our actual site for the 1st time! This site is where we go after swear in and where ill be co-teaching for the next 2yrs. I got to stay in my hut,acquired a few unwanted pets but most importantly began to integrate into the community. PC Zambia is one of the last programs where the volunteer lives in the village they work in. While there for 5days i went to 3 school and observed 6 classes and sat in on 3 teacher group meetings(tgm). The teachers seem so eager to improve and to be as affective as possible which inspires me. I feel like i lucked out and i hope the fire is still burning when i go back and when i visit the other 4 schools in my zone. I intially did not know how the students would precieve me but by day 3 i had students comming to my house asking for help with homework. Crazy amazing! These kids are so eager to learn as well. One night after my failed attempt at lighting my braizer while the kids did it for me we had an english lesson in the sand which i never expected to happen so soon. Being back at my homestay makes me want to soak up as much tech and bemba as possible so i can do my best. On a similar note being here changes my whole perspective on classroom teaching. I never really wanted to be in a classroom i am more into outreach ed. The more i co-teach the more i like it. The past 2 day i co-planned and co-taught a 7th grade math and science lesson. i hope this experience doesnt spoil me because it was amazing! I had so much fun and the students seemed to enjoy it as well. I surprised myself. I didnt expect it to go so well due to the language barrier(they speak nyanja here in lusaka provience) and because im so use to the little kids. All in all im stoked and this is where im suppose to be! Now to study bemba and get the mesquito out of my mesquito net! Sendamemnipo mukwai! Goodnight

Be free!

Muli Shani! Thats how are you in Bemba. So much has happened since i got here a little over a month ago. Ive already been to 4 of the 9 proviences, Ive been proposed to twice and have been adopted by many and beginning to appreciate the African motto of "be free". Ive already been to 1st and 2nd site visit and will swear-in in a month! I went to southern for 1st site visit. I stayed with another RED volunteer and got to see what the old program kind of looked like. There the volunteer's bataata (father) killed a goat for us to eat and we watched. Goat is very salty. 2nd site visit was to my actual site where ill be for 2yrs more on that later! I have learned so much in 4 weeks like how to cook ubwali (nshima), carry water on my head and how to wash clothes the proper way. Ive already co taught a 5th grade math class and have seen where i could help. During 2nd site visit i went to northern provience a good 8hrs away from lusaka. I love my villiage i was afraid they wouldnt accept me because im a black muzungu (non zambian but ofter refers to whites and americans. They were so happy by my presence and my eagerness to learn bemba. The chief did ask why pc sent me not a white person! I had a great time. I suck at cooking and getting the brazier started so hopeful i can get the hang of it or ill be losing a lot more then 12lbs! I am staying with a host family and they are great. My bamayo told me she loved and things are quiet without me. Iam really excited to go back! I will go into more details later but things are well. I love mail so please write to me. Its 6-7 hr7 ahead here so im about to go to bed at 9. Ill try to update more. Ok kafakenipo and sendimenipo! Goodnight