I feel like a teacher!

I am giving my first quiz tomorrow! I am weirdly excited about this, but I believe it is because I get to mark it and I will feel like a real live boy teacher! Click here and see how many you got right.

Ni Shinga ichitenge?

Ichitenge shopping! Or fabric shopping as you Canucks would say. It cost around 60,000 Kwachas for six yards of Ichitenge cloth which works out to about two dollars a yard in Canadian mula.... Holy Grail. I am going to break my wallet and my back with all the fabric I am going to bring back home!!
The market is nuts so many people I almost went bananas. I am learning how to dodge (Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, Dodge) people, chickens, cars, wheel barrels, questionable road splatters etc. Adventurous! :)


This was when I was purchasing fabric for the skirts with Charles the (Youth Empowerment Program director) and Lizzy. He came to make sure they did not over charge us. In the market a lot of vender's  would like to charge us "rich Americans" double or triple what they might charge a local. Even when I go back to the same places they try to charge more and claim that the prices have risen so I say Ahwaay!!! (Means NOO in Bemba said: ahhway not away) "Be honest, ni shinga ichitenge?" And then they give it to me for the regular price. It helps if you know a lil bit o'Bemba, I fool them into thinking that I know what I am doing. So I am learning how to barter what fun! :) I need to go back soon to buy more fabric, the girls are almost done their skirts and the boys almost done their shirts and then we will switch.

Our friend Diane who works in the market sifting something. Beautiful smile.

I am sorry, you said you wanted a pair of fur lines galoshes? But of course we have some!

I have left the job up to the students to find a place where we will sell our beautiful clothing as I don't know my way around that well yet! This is the Chasokonee Market where I go to buy the fabric.

Albert pinning his shirt getting ready to sew.

Anne working on her skirt.

Eliacy modeling her skirt 

This week my students will be done our shirts and skirts, we will talk a little bit about small business, and then the boys will make skirts and the girls will make the mens shirts. Our week besides work has been a good one, we are still in the process of getting our working visas which has been tough but I know we are supposed to be here so we will get them I am not worried but if you would like to send a prayer up for us that would be appreciated. I was able to open up a bank account even without my working visa which was what they required so praise the Lord I will finally be able to get money sent to me after two months of begging and borrowing. Glory! 

We had a very relaxing Sunday I slept for about 3 hours Amen. And now I am going to read Pride and Prejudice for the third time since being here. Thither! Henceforth! Onward! Forthwith! Tis so great.

blurred nature, painting or water reflection. meh, your choice.

Africa seams to be a little bit of a blur right now... or is that just how quickly time is passing?? I have been here a lil' over two months now and I cannot say it feels like that long.

My comfort level increases everyday, the other week I walked to the bakery up the street all by myself. I put my big girl panties on and took a gander. I am no longer screaming when I see a cockroach, I am learning how to cook (Mum sang a Hallelujah chorus when I emailed her for recipes), and I have finally trained my students not to call me "Aunty" (shudder) I don't care if it is a sign of respect you are ageing me. They now call me "BaRaura" or "BaNaura" which is also very respectful i'm told so I will ignore the missing L and feel very honored. :)

Everlyn, the Village director, also says she is going to find me a husband so I can never leave! How nice... scared.

PS Missing home but not enough to want to leave.. sorrrry... I still have love for you.

PSS Ate chocolate cake, sipped Tim Hortons coffee and watched the hockey game today! And it felt so great.

today I sat and watched butterfly's

Today is Zambians National freedom day so that means no work for us! I slept in till the glorious hour of nine o'clock then proceeded to have a very busy day of making french toast with caramelized bananas and apples (thats right, no big deal...) lounged in our neighbors hammock, and from my door step watched butterfly's frolic about. Thoroughly exhausting let me tell you.

Liz and I in front of our new abode..

What? I didn't tell you about my first day in Zambia???

Day one in Africa. I don't want to forget to tell you about it! I got off the plane in the sweaty humid air and walked for the first time on Zambian soil..pothole..ashfault..pothole... It was a beautiful sunny day in the rainy season so this was a good sign! After Liz and I got through getting our Visa which took about an hour somehow we ended up being last in line so I was praying heartily that our bags would still be there on the other side. They were raise the praise! So we went out and were met by a missionary lady in Lusaka who was to help us get to Kitwe... by bus. I was a lil' worried. The advice they gave us was: make friends with the bus driver, be the first to get off the bus at the bathroom point or hold it (for 6 hours), and always watch out the window to see if people are making off with your bags at stopping points. Greeaaat.

The lady hooked us up with a taxi man who navigated us through what felt like the whole of Lusaka before we got to the "bus station" which basically looked like a run down hot dog stand with a few buses around. We had about 7 suitcases betweein the two of us and we stood guarding this mountain of luggage while they put masking tape on each one and wrote with a blueberry Mr Sniff It marker our destination... It also takes four men to do this job, if you didn't know now you do! So we got our entire lives and then some on the bus and then got on and managed get a seat together yay. I ended up being on the isle which I don't mind but these isles are about a foot wide and some of those ladies have quite the baadonk!! So I am trying to avoid getting hit by what I never wanted to get hit by so many times while Liz has her face mashed against the window trying to see if anyone is running off with our luggage. So far so good!!

So keeping in mind that Zambia is a Christian nation a preacher man gets on the bus and starts preachin away getting louder and more animated as he goes whilst skillfully dodging the large behinds, I know I was impressed. He was getting so into it so I started throwing in an Ahmen and Halleluhia! Preach it brother! Every now and then it was really fun. I think it spurred him on though cause he kept going for another 45 minutes.

So we finaly got on our way I was super jet-lagged so I would wake up suddenly with my mouth hanging wide open and drooling not even realizing that I had gone to sleep, juuusy love it when that happens I was very attractive let me tell you. Only a couple days ago Liz told me that the two kids across the isle from me would stare at me with their mouths and eyes wide open watching this lovely sight. Awesome! haha. So after about 6 hours of sweaty sleepyness we got to Kitwe and were met by Everlyn Village director and a team of guys to carry our luggage for us Halleluja!!!! Happy dance!

We finally got to our destination place both of us swearing up and down that we will never take the bus again. Lets see what happens! This was the first of many adventures in the life of Laura the Explora and I didn't want you to miss it. A whole year is ahead of me, there is going to be many laughs and many tears I am sure, but each day here is an adventure and there is always something to learn. I know already that I would rather be here learning the hard way than not be here at all.



PS You made it to the end YAY! I am pleased :)