Last week (and a half) was quite eventful, in different ways. It started out with an introduction to Ultimate Frisbee. When a friend invited me, I thought that it would be fun to try something new. Well, it was fun. I met a good group of people, and learned a new game. However, it was also disappointing. It clearly showed how out of shape I really am, despite my claims of “exercising”. That prompted me to get serious about my weight and my health again. Needless to say, I started to exercise more intensely, and I started to watch what I eat again. In a way it feels good, but it’s also hard, as my “switch” means that I won’t be able to continue to “spoil my belly” (that means that I can’t enjoy the catered food at work anymore).
As I am writing this, I am feeling very sore. On Saturday, I went for a run and worked out in the morning, and played quite a bit of ping pong in the evening. Playing table tennis was fun, as I haven’t done that in ages. For those of you who haven’t played: You’d be surprised how much you sweat once you get into it.
Last week was also a week of firsts. Surprise, surprise, I put in a solid week at work. I worked from 8-6 with an hour break for lunch, and no access to my own laptop. I hope to be able to write more about this at a later date. Next, it was the first time I got a shave at the salon. My “rough look” prompted my “stylist” to attempt to up-sell me. For 10 pin (a little over $2) extra, I could not resist. Finally, (Mom, I think someone is ringing the door bell) I rode a motorcycle for the first time in my life. (Mom, don’t worry, I’m OK). I must admit, it was FUN!
Finally, another month is coming to an end, as is evidenced by the monthly market at the Dutch Reform Church. I learned that the market dates back to the 1930s. Amazing, isn’t it? What’s also amazing is that several of the vendors know me by name now. Everywhere I go, I hear “Mr. Sam, Mr. Sam”. It’s interesting that they actually pronounce it more like the Austrians than the Americans. I’m not sure that the vendors’ knowing me is a good thing. I’ve been buying too much stuff. It has gotten to the point where I get mbasela ("bonuses"). I look at it as another way of supporting the local economy. A couple of weeks ago I went to a place where some of these crafts are made. Watching these pieces of art in the process, makes it hard to “negotiate”, especially when one knows that the few dollars difference makes a much bigger difference in the life of the vendor, than in the purchaser’s life.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Detachment - The Hidden Lesson
Living in Lusaka has taught me a LOT. First and foremost, as I described in the last post, I have seen the life of economically less fortunate people, which has been a true eye opener. On a more positive note, I am experiencing a different lifestyle, I am experiencing a new culture, I am making new friends, and I am part of an NGO that helps people in need. I am having fun going on trips, and seeing lots of “stuff” such as wild animals, the Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world (largest per water volume I believe), Lake Kariba, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and much, much more. To top it off, my “current” level of responsibility reminds me of my childhood. Not only do I not have to worry about how to put bread on the table, I barely have to worry about dishes, as we have a maid that comes three times a week. Life couldn’t get any better than this, right?
Well, being here also has a “hidden benefit”, a test of detachment. The longer I stay here, the more difficult the test becomes, showing my “addiction” to the material world that I am “used to”. Although the paragraph above makes this country sound like the place to be, life here is very different from life in the US, especially from Orange County, California.
First and foremost, I miss family and friends. I miss a good internet connection, where checking email does not take 45 min. I miss our home – I told myself that I am NOT going to write about electricity and water this week :). Believe it or not, I actually miss work! I miss making money, and feeling productive. I do work every now and then here, but the definition of “productive” in Zambia is not even close to being the same as the definition of “productive” in a struggling industry in California. I miss “regular” things to do ("regular" as in excluding trips), especially on weekends. From what I see, everything other than night clubs, shuts down around 10:00 pm. Even for a “non-party animal” like me, having a 10:00 pm curfew seems somewhat odd. Azadeh and I have been watching a lot of movies lately. I miss good restaurants - no offense to the restaurant owners here, but there’s just no comparison, no sushi bars, no Mexican food, no good seafood, and most importantly, no Persian restaurants. I miss my car. Finally, I miss…. ROCKPORT!!!
For the Orange County readers: Of course I miss the following as well: I miss being minutes away from Laguna Beach, Super Irvine, and Wholesome Choice. I miss “malls” such as the Spectrum or South Coast Plaza (wonder when Cartier or Versace will open branches in Lusaka ?!) I miss being within driving distance of Mexico, San Diego, LA and Vegas (think shows and concerts and not gambling :) ). I miss my banker (believe it or not, I sent him an email last week).
I realize that most of the items I listed above fall under the materialistic category of life, and that has made me conscious of my “attachment” to the material world. If I wouldn’t be here (for a significant amount of time), I would have never noticed this condition, and would have continued to think that I am “pretty detached” from the material world. Now my eyes are open (at least not completely closed anymore), and I am actively trying to combat this challenge. I hope to be able to live a detached life in moderation when I get back to the US. I hope to be able to appreciate the privileges of my life more, without forgetting the less privileged people I have seen here.
Well, being here also has a “hidden benefit”, a test of detachment. The longer I stay here, the more difficult the test becomes, showing my “addiction” to the material world that I am “used to”. Although the paragraph above makes this country sound like the place to be, life here is very different from life in the US, especially from Orange County, California.
First and foremost, I miss family and friends. I miss a good internet connection, where checking email does not take 45 min. I miss our home – I told myself that I am NOT going to write about electricity and water this week :). Believe it or not, I actually miss work! I miss making money, and feeling productive. I do work every now and then here, but the definition of “productive” in Zambia is not even close to being the same as the definition of “productive” in a struggling industry in California. I miss “regular” things to do ("regular" as in excluding trips), especially on weekends. From what I see, everything other than night clubs, shuts down around 10:00 pm. Even for a “non-party animal” like me, having a 10:00 pm curfew seems somewhat odd. Azadeh and I have been watching a lot of movies lately. I miss good restaurants - no offense to the restaurant owners here, but there’s just no comparison, no sushi bars, no Mexican food, no good seafood, and most importantly, no Persian restaurants. I miss my car. Finally, I miss…. ROCKPORT!!!
For the Orange County readers: Of course I miss the following as well: I miss being minutes away from Laguna Beach, Super Irvine, and Wholesome Choice. I miss “malls” such as the Spectrum or South Coast Plaza (wonder when Cartier or Versace will open branches in Lusaka ?!) I miss being within driving distance of Mexico, San Diego, LA and Vegas (think shows and concerts and not gambling :) ). I miss my banker (believe it or not, I sent him an email last week).
I realize that most of the items I listed above fall under the materialistic category of life, and that has made me conscious of my “attachment” to the material world. If I wouldn’t be here (for a significant amount of time), I would have never noticed this condition, and would have continued to think that I am “pretty detached” from the material world. Now my eyes are open (at least not completely closed anymore), and I am actively trying to combat this challenge. I hope to be able to live a detached life in moderation when I get back to the US. I hope to be able to appreciate the privileges of my life more, without forgetting the less privileged people I have seen here.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Living On A Dollar A Day - What a LUXURY!
A few weeks after experiencing what is likely to be our “touristy highlight” in South Luangwa, I believe it is safe to say that last week we experienced our “emotional highlight”. A small group of us had the privilege of going on a trip to visit the beneficiaries of PCI and PCI-partner programs. We had several stops, and below is a summary of the three most memorable visits. Unfortunately, words can only describe the situation, they cannot transfer feelings, but I’ll try.
As most of you know, the HIV/AIDS rate is rampant around here. Some estimates put areas of Lusaka at 20% and even above – That means 1 in 5 people is infected. Let’s assume that is extremely exaggerated, and reduce that rate by 50%, even then, 1 in 10 people is infected. Of course that is not the only killer. Healthcare is a serious problem here, and there are more problems all over…
Family #1
I was busy playing with the kids when our guide described the situation, but what I got out of it is that 10 people – 9 kids and 1 adult - live in a room that is about 10 feet x 10 feet (assumption: 1 foot = the size of my shoe) without any windows, without electricity, without running water – just a room made of 4 brick walls, a roof, and a door. In 2002, I shared a 5 bedroom house in San Diego with 4 other people (temporarily 5 other people). I cannot imagine living with double the number of people in less than 1/20th of the space. I can’t speak from experience, but I assume living in a US jail would be considered luxury when compared to living around here.
Family #2
To a parent, I assume the most hurtful tragedy that can happen is the death of a child. Now, assume that you had 6 children, and that out of those 4 died, and 1 is critically ill. Further, assume that before they passed, each of the now dead children had children of their own, and that you and your spouse are now 100% responsible for your grandchildren. That is precisely what happened to a grandmother we visited. The youngest child she cares for is an infant, and it is HIV positive. Of course grandma, grandpa and (I believe 6) grandkids live in a very small home. For some grandmas out there, taking care of children would be fun, and for others it’s a reality. However, I hope that none of you grandparents out there have to “break rocks” for a living. This grandma does that for the family’s sole income. She goes out, finds big pieces of rocks, and then breaks them into small pieces. She mentioned that she sells a wheel barrel full of those rocks for 4 pin (=4,000 Kwacha = approximately $0.80). It has happened before that she only sells one wheel barrel per month, we’re told. Imagine what a “luxury” a dollar a day means to her. Meanwhile, I used to belong to a gym in Southern California, where I paid over $4 a day. This grandmother is one of the true heroes of this world.
Family #3
The word “family” is somewhat misleading here, but given that the people we visited don’t have anyone else, I still find it appropriate. We visited inner city street children. Our “guides” for this trip were a large group of outreach workers, who are helping these kids to get off the streets. Many of these helpers previously lived on the streets themselves, and have come a very long way. On the way to the beneficiaries, we had to pass through areas of town that I would certainly not cross by myself, and therefore, I did not dare to take out my camera – sorry!
Some of the kids (mostly teens) were high (I believe from sniffing glue) and all of them were dirty. We heard that some of the kids are sometimes violent, but my experience was that they are nice, and very excited to talk to us. In conversation with them, I found that a couple of them seemed smart, and a couple even seemed somewhat educated. The stories of how they ended up on the streets and why they are still on the streets are not very pleasant – obviously. One particular kid lost both parents and lived with his uncle, who regularly threatened to poison the boy. At one point the teen couldn’t handle it anymore and ran away.
Going on these trips was a true eye-opener for me, especially, when I compare it with life in Orange County, California. A good friend of mine lives in a nice condo in Irvine, and in the parking lot of his towers are several (!!!) Ferraris, Bentleys, and even a couple of Rolls Royces. I wonder how many people here can be helped with just the money it costs to insure these cars.
I hope that when I return to the States, I will not forget these trips. I hope to be able to keep these experiences with me for the rest of my life.
It's not unusual to see kids taking care of kids
A home for 10 people!!
Hero Grandmother
Goods the grandmother sells - broken rocks
As most of you know, the HIV/AIDS rate is rampant around here. Some estimates put areas of Lusaka at 20% and even above – That means 1 in 5 people is infected. Let’s assume that is extremely exaggerated, and reduce that rate by 50%, even then, 1 in 10 people is infected. Of course that is not the only killer. Healthcare is a serious problem here, and there are more problems all over…
Family #1
I was busy playing with the kids when our guide described the situation, but what I got out of it is that 10 people – 9 kids and 1 adult - live in a room that is about 10 feet x 10 feet (assumption: 1 foot = the size of my shoe) without any windows, without electricity, without running water – just a room made of 4 brick walls, a roof, and a door. In 2002, I shared a 5 bedroom house in San Diego with 4 other people (temporarily 5 other people). I cannot imagine living with double the number of people in less than 1/20th of the space. I can’t speak from experience, but I assume living in a US jail would be considered luxury when compared to living around here.
Family #2
To a parent, I assume the most hurtful tragedy that can happen is the death of a child. Now, assume that you had 6 children, and that out of those 4 died, and 1 is critically ill. Further, assume that before they passed, each of the now dead children had children of their own, and that you and your spouse are now 100% responsible for your grandchildren. That is precisely what happened to a grandmother we visited. The youngest child she cares for is an infant, and it is HIV positive. Of course grandma, grandpa and (I believe 6) grandkids live in a very small home. For some grandmas out there, taking care of children would be fun, and for others it’s a reality. However, I hope that none of you grandparents out there have to “break rocks” for a living. This grandma does that for the family’s sole income. She goes out, finds big pieces of rocks, and then breaks them into small pieces. She mentioned that she sells a wheel barrel full of those rocks for 4 pin (=4,000 Kwacha = approximately $0.80). It has happened before that she only sells one wheel barrel per month, we’re told. Imagine what a “luxury” a dollar a day means to her. Meanwhile, I used to belong to a gym in Southern California, where I paid over $4 a day. This grandmother is one of the true heroes of this world.
Family #3
The word “family” is somewhat misleading here, but given that the people we visited don’t have anyone else, I still find it appropriate. We visited inner city street children. Our “guides” for this trip were a large group of outreach workers, who are helping these kids to get off the streets. Many of these helpers previously lived on the streets themselves, and have come a very long way. On the way to the beneficiaries, we had to pass through areas of town that I would certainly not cross by myself, and therefore, I did not dare to take out my camera – sorry!
Some of the kids (mostly teens) were high (I believe from sniffing glue) and all of them were dirty. We heard that some of the kids are sometimes violent, but my experience was that they are nice, and very excited to talk to us. In conversation with them, I found that a couple of them seemed smart, and a couple even seemed somewhat educated. The stories of how they ended up on the streets and why they are still on the streets are not very pleasant – obviously. One particular kid lost both parents and lived with his uncle, who regularly threatened to poison the boy. At one point the teen couldn’t handle it anymore and ran away.
Going on these trips was a true eye-opener for me, especially, when I compare it with life in Orange County, California. A good friend of mine lives in a nice condo in Irvine, and in the parking lot of his towers are several (!!!) Ferraris, Bentleys, and even a couple of Rolls Royces. I wonder how many people here can be helped with just the money it costs to insure these cars.
I hope that when I return to the States, I will not forget these trips. I hope to be able to keep these experiences with me for the rest of my life.
It's not unusual to see kids taking care of kids
A home for 10 people!!
Hero Grandmother
Goods the grandmother sells - broken rocks
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