Life is Different Now

Yeah.  Different.  Pretty good, too.  Having my meals prepared for me, my clothes washed, my bath water drawn and heated, and my schedule laid out is pretty nice here in Zambia.  I am learning a lot between language classes, technical classes on fish farming, and just living in a close knit community in the middle of Zambia.  That includes everything from avoiding untraveled routes for fear of tire-puncturing thorns, sweeping frequently to keep the ants from setting up a home in my hut, shaking out the mattress and sheets to keep the bed bugs away, making sure I greet my family when I return from class, and how to roll nshima properly so it can be used as a spoon.
Gina has proven to be the master cow-game player here in Zambia.  I think the score is something like 12 to 1.  I also have to commend Gina on her ability to get Zambians to open up.  Whether they are children or adults, Gina seems to attract people with smiles.  After I got a less than warm welcome from my host family when I arrived by myself, Gina's visit to my host family last weekend had my host mother, children, and neighbors talking jovially about anything, even if only in broken English.  I feel like my host family has warmed up more to me even after Gina has gone back to Chongwe, so I either need to start taking notes on her tactics or must make sure she is around when we get placed to our permanent site in October and when I go to my fish farmer meetings.
I thought I had gotten over most culture shock after staying in Chongwe with Gina, but with my host family in Chipembi there was room for a little more:  having my host father strongly suggest that I do not go outside at night and even providing a pee-bucket to keep inside my hut to discourage leaving it at night. I also had to get used to the sounds of pigs snorting and rooting outside my hut for scraps and bugs instead of the Zam-pop I had while I stayed with Gina's host family.  Of course, the aforementioned bed bugs, or what i assume are bed bugs, were a change as well.
Highlights for me since the last post:

*  Going to a Church of Zambia service with gina and her host mother in Chongwe.  It was nearly 3 hours long and was about 60% singing, 30% sermon, and 10% waiting, and worth the experience.
*  Going to a church choir practice near my host families house in Chipembi on a saturday.  I got to play the drums and learn a popular gospel dance step.  Yes, gospel dance.
*  Witnessing the skinning and gutting of a freshly killed goat.  I missed the killing by about 5 minutes, but from what I hear I think I'm glad I missed it.  As it was described to me it was more like a lynching than a sacrifice.
* A mountain bike ride with Gina during her visit to my host family in Chipembi. The Zambian bush is ripe for adventure mountain biking exploitation.
* A football game (note: SOCCER, of course) played on a sloping half sand, half dead grass field.  I wasn't expecting much but these teams meant business.  You'd never know it but there are official leagues even this deep in the bush.
* An evening of drumming, singing, and dancing with my family and neighbors on a random Tuesday.  I didn't know what the occasion was but everyone was happy.  Zambians love the concept of the "take your turn in the middle of the dance circle".  I even got to play the drum again, though the drum was a water bucket.  The family loved it all the same.
* A long lazy day of throwing around a football (American style), playing cards, and hanging out punctuated by brief interviews with the technical staff and a little bike maintenance.  It was "chillin'" at it's finest.  It is particular noteable for me because the hasn't been a lot of time for that since I've been in Chipembi.
Though not a highlight exactly, I confess that any leaning towards vegetarianism is gone here in Zambia.  I'm still eating plenty of vegetables, but it seems most of my reasons for being a pseudo-vegetarian in the States are non-issues in the bush. Bring-on the meat!  Though I like the fish here just as good!  I've almost got things set up for pictures, so hopefully we'll have some next time.  Good bye for now.  Any comments are particular appreciated.  If not on the blog itself, then just for the heck of it!