As I've been writing these letters I've realized that the majority of them have been a bit heavy. Much of this trip has been dealing with much of the heaviness found here in Zambia, so I've been trying to identify and describe those moments. Thankfully, this is not all that Zambia is, far from it in fact. As crushing as the weight of the disease and poverty is, Zambia is also a place of great joy and laughter. There have been plenty of both on this trip, especially today. So for now, I'll touch a bit on the lighter side of our trip.
First of all, the food is awesome. We've had chicken, pasta, loads of different greens, goat (some of us), fish, and the ever-present nshima. My favorite would have to be the fish, or a fish, to be more accurate. One of the more popular dishes at restaurants is a whole bream fish on your plate. It's gutted and cooked and perfectly fine to eat, but there's something unnerving about having a wide-eyed, open-mouthed creature lying on your plate with someone telling you to eat it. Once you've finally worked up the gumption to pull a piece of meat off the bone though, all doubt disappears. Bream is delicious, and I don't think any of us have qualms about tearing those fish apart until they're piles of fin and bone. This is all done with your bare hands, by the way. Most Zambian meals are, with the ubiquitous nshima mashed in the hand and used as an edible, makeshift spoon. It's a chance to back to high-chairs and play dough, so I'm not complaining
If there's anything I could complain about, it's this: I could've used more bros on this trip, especially today. I think every guy needs to experience an extended trip with 6 girls for company. You will learn to appreciate your brother, and you will learn both how fun and how maddening (sometimes mostly maddening) it is to be the only male with a crew of she-gigglers.
I was in this situation because Abby and Jared had to head to Lusaka (Jared, our token Australian, lost his green card) for an appointment at the US embassy. That left me and Michael "The Professor" Flanagin as the only males to accompany the rest of our team to Livingstone. Don't get me wrong, these are a lovely bunch of ladies. Once the Hannah Cannon starts firing and the vocal major starts gut-busting, however, you're in for a long, loud, and lasting laughter session. Most of the chuckle-inducing content had a more subdued effect for the male psyche. After a two-hour ride in the struggle-bus and dinner at a public pizza place everyone was a bit loopy, the sessions lasting longer and longer. It was a good time, but I was definitely glad when Jared made it back to the hotel.
We spent the rest of the night relaxing in our room, the benefit concert we were supposed to put on being cancelled. Although disappointing, it was nice to have a reprieve from performances. In the morning we are tourists, venturing out to the game park and Victoria Falls.
For more information about Poetice International, its ministry in Zambia, and updates on this trip be sure to check www.poetice.com and follow @livepoetice on twitter.
No comments:
Post a Comment