Nothing Like a Fresh Coat of Paint

I'M STILL IN: Livingstone, Zambia
NEXT UP: Living in Livingstone

Hello, how are you?  Greetings are very important here in Africa (which I think is quite nice) and I must respond to this question at least 100 times a day.  The answer is that I am doing quite well.  I've spent the past few days painting three bathrooms at the Lubasi Home orphanage outside of Livingstone (poor quality pictures of the before and after of one of them updated on Flickr).  Since the children there are school-aged and school is currently in session, this was the best project for me to do and it was fun and gratifying.  But I did miss working with kids, a situation I will rectify tomorrow when I start volunteering at a local primary school.  I will be teaching 8th graders English and Geography (!) for a few weeks.  I'm quite excited and a little nervous, especially as my knowledge of African geography is sketchy.  Hopefully I won't inflict any permanent damage on the youngsters.

And life in the compound has been most interesting.  I am the only white person for a many-block radius and sometimes I feel like a celebrity of sorts.  Children see me coming and shout either, "Muzungu!" or more often, "Hello, how are you?"  Both water and electricity are regularly cut off in the compound, which adds complexity (will I be able to take a shower?  will we have power to cook inside or have to use charcoal outside again?).  But people couldn't be friendlier or more welcoming, which is heartwarming.  My host Matildah has been spoiling me rotten in the traditional African way of treating guests like royalty.  I've been eating boatloads of nshima, the Zambian national dish, but tonight I'm going to cook Western food for the family.  Everyone likes spaghetti, right?  At night we watch a lot of Nigerian movies, which are like super violent soap operas.  There are a few of them that are just nonstop killing, but the kids' favorite is about a guy named Isaac who gets a girl pregnant, then denies he is the father because he wants to go to Rome with his priest/sponsor.  But then he is forced to marry the woman and he resents her and beats her up and is verbally abusive.  I comment early and often that I think Isaac is a big fat jerk and make the boys promise never, ever to treat a woman in this manner.  They think this movie is hilarious.

Reports of classroom activity to come, wish me luck!

Comments

[Monica L. Williams]

Corey:

I love your blog. It was great to meet you at Jollyboys in Livingstone, Zambia. I'm in awe of your bravery and all that you've seen so far. I look forward to reading more of your adventures abroad.

Victoria Falls is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen but I wasn't as lucky to see as many creatures. I was, however, harassed by many packs of monkeys and baboons.

Happy trails.