bliss

So I have another blog post to add from two weeks ago, but I'm having difficulty getting it to work. But I know you all would rather them be out of order and be able to hear how I'm doing.  So this is just a couple entries from my journal while I was spending some time visiting the site where I will be living for the next two years. 

March 14, 2012
I did it! I made it through my first night in my very own hut.  I admit it was not one of my best nights and I know they will continue to be difficult fora while.  I fell asleep fine, probably from exhaustion, but around 1 a.m. it got really difficult.  First, it's so dark that I cound't even see my hand in front of my face.  Then there is an extrememly annoying bug or bird that chirped the entire night outside my window.  And the roosters started going around 2:00, with the one closest to me sounding like was about to die.  I also started to panic about the bugs I heard scurrying around and really wishing I was back in Madison in my own bed (not in a tent on the floor of my hut). But eventually I realized my earpluga were in the tent with me, put them in and slept on and off until around 5:45.  I woke up so happy that I had made it through the night as I sawa the light pouring in under the cracks in the window.  And now I'm waiting for my water to boil on the braizer so that I can have tea and oatmeal before heading to the school for a bit.
And now details about my new home! I am in LOVE! The two days previous I have spent dropping off other volunteers at thier sites seeing things I liked and didn't like, all the while wondering if I would be excited or apprehensive about my own.  As we finally pulled up to my site, I knew I was extremely blessed and that I would be just fine here for the next two years.
First excitement is the beautiful covered porch.  I can hardly wait to put a chair and side table out here to eat breakfast and read! The inside of my hut gets even better.  Most volunteers have two fairly small rooms with ceilings just high enouigh to reach up and touch. My hut, however, hast two extremely large rooms and vaulted ceileings! I really can't get over how blessed I feel.  I will have so much room I wont know what to do with it! Oh, and most huts have a few small windows taht harldy let in any light.  I have four very large windows, with wait for it, burlgar bars built into the walls!One of my biggest concerns was safetly, but I was never once scared about someone coming in.

March 15, 2012
I still cannot get over how incredibly perfect this place feels.  Not only is my house beyond what I could have imagined, the school is a gem.  There are two blocks (buildings), one iwth 2 classrooms and a staff room and the otehr has 3 classroom and 2 offices (Head Teacher and Deaputy Head Teacher).  The blocks are in an L form and in the middle is a beautiful coutyard with a few trees, flowers and a small school garden.  And if you walk around the back and look towards my house, you'll see a beatiful valley where the river is and fields of maize.  And just across the river beyond the maize are a few bunches of trees which lay just in front of my house.  From behind the school, if you turn left you cna see the beginnings of a beautiful mountain range in the distance beyond more hills and valleys.
As if that all wasn't incredible enough, the staff that I've observed so far is beyond any previous Zambian staff I've seen.  They are friendly towards the pupils, well prepared and as I observed a grade 2 class I felt like I was in an American structured class.  They were divided into 4 groups, the teacher did a whole class intro. activity then worked with one group as the other 3 did individual work.  It was so exciting.  The Head Teacher has been such a great help!  He is primarly in charge of me and my well-being while I am here for the next two years.  He is very kind, approachable and makes sure every detail is taken care of above and beyond for me.
We are spending today in Mbala, the closest city and boma from Katito (about 25 km).  He has taken me around to see all of the important contacts in town (town clerk, MOE, police, post office, banks, World Vision, immigration office, shops and hostels). And soon we will head back to his home here in Mbala ti have lunch with his family.
It keeps catching me off gaurd that I actually get to live here for the next two years.  I took my first hitch today with ya Siame (ya is used for respect, kind of in place of Mr., Mrs., etc.) into Mbala.  We left the school around 7:15 and walked to the road (about 30-45 min).  We then watied 45 minutes before a car came and we headed to town.  As we came to the junction we had to pull over for a police inspection (most cars had to and the women in charge were very nice, though I didn't talk to the, just sat in the car and waited about 20 minutes).  Needless to say, it takes a while to travel in Zambia, whether you're on foot, bike or car.  As we were stopped waiting to finish our way into town I just sat soaking in the incredible view.  I am living in the mountains and valleys of Sub-Saharan Africa!
(later)
Ya Siame is going to be a great counterpart! As we continued our tour of the town he stopped to introduce me to any person he knew (he knows a lot of people). He was so proud to show me off and always introduced me as his friend.  And any time we passed somewhere that interested me he was more than willing to go explore even if he had never been there.  Like the Catholic orphanage.  The children stay in homes with guardians but during the day they come to the convent to eat and go to school.  Oh, and I was overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone we met.  They all stopped what they were doing so that they could sit and talk with me.  I've never felt so welcomed.  We also went through this enormous market they have twice a month-it was like everyone having a garage sale all in one place.  I'm sure they will all know me by name before my birthday! Our last stop was ya Siame's home-beautiful! It's by far the nicest I've seen in Zambia.  His wife was such a sweetheart and had prepared an incredible meal (shima, rice, pumpkin leaves, chicken, hard-boiled eggs and cold water from a pipe!)  After eating we relaxed and I played iwth his youngest daughter (crazy that we played and laughed for an hour and language barrier was never an issue).  We caught a hitch home with a truck.  I finished off the night sitting next door with my sisters, listening to them sing as I sat under the stars hearing the thunder of a storm roll in.  I know I will have hard days, but right now I am going to keep soaking in these wonderful African days!