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.