Hello mudzanga (friends)!
Just wanted to share a few photos of my first few days here...
Laura
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Pictures
Hello mudzanga (friends)!
Just wanted to share a few photos of my first few days here...
Laura
Muli Bwanji?
July 26 2008
Muli Bwanji? Ndili Bweno, Zikomo! (How are you? I am fine, thank you)
Zanga langa ndine Laura. Nanga inu? (My name is Laura, and yours?)
Ine Ndine Waku Canada (I am from Canada)
Kodi asewenza nchito yanji? Ndine wotzipeleka mu YWCA (What do you do for work? I am a volunteer with the YWCA)
Well, as you can tell, I am learning Nyanja! Although English is the primary language of Zambia, there are many other languages spoken, Nyanja bring the most popular. Today was day 2 of our language training and it is going great! Melanie, Heather and I have 2 teachers - Elijah and Golden. They are fabulous! We've only had about 6 hours of learning and we can already carry a very basic conversation! It's very exciting. Today we also did minibus training with Elihah and Golden. I suppose it sounds a bit silly to do bus training, but the bus system here is pretty chaotic and very intimidating. So they took us to each of our places of work, we got on, got off, learned how to negotiate price (in Nyanja of course). It was really fun! So now I am slightly less intimidated and feel pretty good about getting to work on Monday. Mind you, I do have to go through the town's main bus station which is basically about 500 minibuses crammed into a lot, whereby every conductor is screaming out their destinations, honking their horns, and yelling at you to come onto their bus. Again, all part of the adventure! I am sure in no time I will more than used to it. Elijah and Golden are very special people, so kind and welcoming, always smiling. People in Lusaka are generally like this, its very comforting. On the minibuses today, we sparked up conversations with random people, again, in Nyanja. People laugh but Golden told us that that is common and it is not at all that they are making fun but that they are excited that we are learning their language. Nyanja is definitely not a simple language. There are different types of phrasing used for articulating formal (with respect) vs informal talk. For example, if I were referring to my brother informally, I would call him my Bulongo, but formally he would be my Alongo. However, if I were a boy and I was referring to my brother informally he would be my Mubale or formally, my Abale. So not only is there the difference here of informal vs. formal but also if you are referring to same-sex vs. opposite sex. Have I sufficiently confused you?
I am starting to really take to this town! Today was the first day I have truly felt this. It is partially due to the fact that I am finally starting to feeling better, but also learning the language, the bus system, and beginning to talk to the locals in their language!
Tsalani Bwino! (Good bye! - if I am leaving the room I would say this, if I were staying and someone else was leaving, I would say "pitani bwino" to them)
Muli Bwanji? Ndili Bweno, Zikomo! (How are you? I am fine, thank you)
Zanga langa ndine Laura. Nanga inu? (My name is Laura, and yours?)
Ine Ndine Waku Canada (I am from Canada)
Kodi asewenza nchito yanji? Ndine wotzipeleka mu YWCA (What do you do for work? I am a volunteer with the YWCA)
Well, as you can tell, I am learning Nyanja! Although English is the primary language of Zambia, there are many other languages spoken, Nyanja bring the most popular. Today was day 2 of our language training and it is going great! Melanie, Heather and I have 2 teachers - Elijah and Golden. They are fabulous! We've only had about 6 hours of learning and we can already carry a very basic conversation! It's very exciting. Today we also did minibus training with Elihah and Golden. I suppose it sounds a bit silly to do bus training, but the bus system here is pretty chaotic and very intimidating. So they took us to each of our places of work, we got on, got off, learned how to negotiate price (in Nyanja of course). It was really fun! So now I am slightly less intimidated and feel pretty good about getting to work on Monday. Mind you, I do have to go through the town's main bus station which is basically about 500 minibuses crammed into a lot, whereby every conductor is screaming out their destinations, honking their horns, and yelling at you to come onto their bus. Again, all part of the adventure! I am sure in no time I will more than used to it. Elijah and Golden are very special people, so kind and welcoming, always smiling. People in Lusaka are generally like this, its very comforting. On the minibuses today, we sparked up conversations with random people, again, in Nyanja. People laugh but Golden told us that that is common and it is not at all that they are making fun but that they are excited that we are learning their language. Nyanja is definitely not a simple language. There are different types of phrasing used for articulating formal (with respect) vs informal talk. For example, if I were referring to my brother informally, I would call him my Bulongo, but formally he would be my Alongo. However, if I were a boy and I was referring to my brother informally he would be my Mubale or formally, my Abale. So not only is there the difference here of informal vs. formal but also if you are referring to same-sex vs. opposite sex. Have I sufficiently confused you?
I am starting to really take to this town! Today was the first day I have truly felt this. It is partially due to the fact that I am finally starting to feeling better, but also learning the language, the bus system, and beginning to talk to the locals in their language!
Tsalani Bwino! (Good bye! - if I am leaving the room I would say this, if I were staying and someone else was leaving, I would say "pitani bwino" to them)
42 hours of travel, 4 plane rides, 2.5 hours of sleep, and one hospital visit later...
I am here!!! Where do I begin? The trip over here was long, very very long. We flew Vancouver to Singapore (with a stop over in Korea for refueling and crew change - 11 hours plus 7 hours plus 1 hour stopover) to Johannesburg (10 hours) to Lusaka (2.5 hours). We had Canadian Olympic athletes on our flight to Singapore - the swim team and the women's soccer team on their way to the Olympics! It was interesting to talk to them and hear their stories of how they go to be where they are. They are so young too! Between 15 and 27. So yes, as mentioned the flights were long and I slept very little. Needless to say, we arrived safely. We had a few people pick us up from the airport which was great. Beth, a VIDEA intern from last year who stayed here an extra 5 months was there to greet us as was a YWCA (the organization I will be working with) staff.
The drive into the city from the airport was a bit overwhelming and it really hit that I was in fact, in Africa. Lots of people on the side of the highway selling candies, kids with no shoes and barely any clothes, very run down housing. I expect to become more acclimatized to this over time but it definitely hit hard right off the bat. I was expecting they were going to take me into the office to meet everyone, as that is what I had been told previously, but I wasn't. That was fine by me though as I was obviously exhausted and didn't feel so hot. We got driven to the guesthouse we are staying at this week, until our flat is ready for us August 1st. No hot water in this guesthouse, or shower head. It's all part of the adventure! Beth took us for a little walk around the area, and to the mall. Apparently we'll be spending a lot of time at the mall! We were told that during our training in Victoria. So we picked up a few groceries, non perishable though as we dont have a fridge in this guesthouse. I didnt sleep well at all my first night, maybe a few hours at the most. There were many many dogs barking all night long and then the roosters started crowing around 4am.
I was feeling dizzy and nauseous as well and hoped it was just jet lag and lack of sleep. I still didnt feel well the next morning so off to the hospital we went! They did a quick blood test, results were back in mere minutes. Turns out I have a bacterial infection and I left there with some antibiotics. Hopefully I'll start feeling better in the next couple of days. We have not done much exploring yet but hope to soon. We start work on Monday. When I saw "we" I am referring to Melanie, Heather and I. They are the other 2 interns I am here with. And let me say, it is great being here together! Well that is all the time I have for now but will post again when I can! Missing you all...a lot.
The drive into the city from the airport was a bit overwhelming and it really hit that I was in fact, in Africa. Lots of people on the side of the highway selling candies, kids with no shoes and barely any clothes, very run down housing. I expect to become more acclimatized to this over time but it definitely hit hard right off the bat. I was expecting they were going to take me into the office to meet everyone, as that is what I had been told previously, but I wasn't. That was fine by me though as I was obviously exhausted and didn't feel so hot. We got driven to the guesthouse we are staying at this week, until our flat is ready for us August 1st. No hot water in this guesthouse, or shower head. It's all part of the adventure! Beth took us for a little walk around the area, and to the mall. Apparently we'll be spending a lot of time at the mall! We were told that during our training in Victoria. So we picked up a few groceries, non perishable though as we dont have a fridge in this guesthouse. I didnt sleep well at all my first night, maybe a few hours at the most. There were many many dogs barking all night long and then the roosters started crowing around 4am.
I was feeling dizzy and nauseous as well and hoped it was just jet lag and lack of sleep. I still didnt feel well the next morning so off to the hospital we went! They did a quick blood test, results were back in mere minutes. Turns out I have a bacterial infection and I left there with some antibiotics. Hopefully I'll start feeling better in the next couple of days. We have not done much exploring yet but hope to soon. We start work on Monday. When I saw "we" I am referring to Melanie, Heather and I. They are the other 2 interns I am here with. And let me say, it is great being here together! Well that is all the time I have for now but will post again when I can! Missing you all...a lot.
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