Quick CHRISTMAS POSTAGE ANNOUNCEMENT: if anyone is planning on sending anything to Zambia for Christmas, you should mail it by Nov 20th if you want me to get it before Christmas. This includes letters. I will be away from the post for 3weeks on my Christmas vacation! If there is anything you want me to have before I leave the village around Dec 21st, Nov 20th is your deadline for mailing everything...even cards/letters!.... Hello all! The end of the term is approaching filled with 9th grade exams and one nervous volunteer, revisions, final touches on events and transfers that cometh! More on the last one later. Last week in grade 8 and 9, we played English Jeopardy for revision. They had so much fun. 9b (the too cool for school class) wanted to play more and even do a debate! This week we had a Camp Glow meeting. Things are coming together nicely. We are $350 away from our goal! Thanks to everyone donating and if you havent its not to late ;-) Rainy season has officially hit Mpumba Village. Water equals life and the village came alive this week with the 1st rains of the season. The highlight of the week was the Kitchen Party yesterday. Ba Julie's (my go to/bff in the village) brother is getting married and I got invited to the kitchen party. This was my kitchen party so I had no idea what to expect. A kitchen party is a house warming and bridal shower in one. Everyone comes with gifts that the bride will need in the kitchen and things she will need to be a good wife. I went to Julies at 10hrs and was feed beans, nshima and katapa(casava leaves) ifisashi with a cup of moncoyo. I then sat and waited for directions which ended up being to sit and wait. While waiting: a mayo told her baby to stop crying and look at the "Muzungu" ("white person"/english speaking person/non Zambian), I was told that the kids were so happy to see me that they didnt want to bath and I met the most adorable little girl ever. She was trying to wear a chitenge scarf around her hair like mine so I tied it for her...her eyes lit up. I also practiced dancing. At kitchen parties the owner of the gift dances the gift to the bride, dances while showing the gift off and then explains the gift. I cant dance like a zambian women but I tried! The ladies at Julie's were happy I tried and they were even semi impressed. The party was at a guest house in the next village and there were over 100 women there. Girls arent allowed to go because the dancing taught and done is mainly
the dancing you do for your husband. The community sets up a commitee to arange everything for the party it was really nice. I even had chicken and a CORN MUFFIN which is rare in the village. The party started out with the bride and her 2sisters crawling in with a chitenge covering them. Every few steps they would lay to the left and right and clap 3times as a sign of respect. We all did this throughout the party. Then a women lights a match and the bride unvails herself. The groome even makes an apperance to give the bride a gift of flowers. The bride also give the groome and three high women in the village(1 being future mother in-law and 1 being the Chief's wife) a cake as a sign of love and respect. The whole time matrons are guiding the bride through the ceremony. The bride doesnt talk or smile during the party to show that she's humble. The party was so much fun! All the women had a good time singing and dancing, even the Chief's wife danced. When it was my turn to dance the Chief's wife handed me her chitenge to dance with...HUGE DEAL. All the teachers got up and danced with me to make me feel more comfortable and everyone cheered! The bamayos in the village may not be impressed with my Bemba but the sure do like my dancing! I had too much fun. I ended a great day riding home staring at the stars and listening to bamayos singing the songs Zambian women have been singing for generations. I hope I get invited to the wedding!
