These Are A Few of My Favorite Things....That I'm REALLY Missing

Apart from the obvious homesickness and missing family and friends, there are some things that I find myself missing on a daily basis.  Large or small, based on infrastructure or just something that reminds me of home, here is a list (in no particular order) of things that I'm really missing.

1.  Sidewalks
You would think that they exist everywhere, but they don't.  Because so many people walk everywhere one would think sidewalks would be common (or at least a shoulder on the road).  That, my friends, is not the case.  Walking is treacherous at best and a death trap at worst.  Plus, now with the rainy season, people are trying to avoid the major puddles and think nothing of jumping right onto the street.  Needless to say, Ruby-dog and I don't walk in the city; only on the country roads (which are mud pits now).  My friend, Gina, says that the next president could probably win the election based solely on the "Sidewalk Platform." I have to say that I agree.

2.  New Seasons Market

'Nuff said.

3.  Cottage Cheese

What can I say?  I love the stuff and it's not available here.  Well--funny story--technically it is available here, but it's imported from South Africa and is whipped.  And flavored.   However, being the daring sort, I bought some of said cottage cheese without fully understanding what it meant.  Basically, and I did not know this at the time, Biltong is South African beef jerky.  Now combine that flavor with cottage cheese and whip it up and basically you have some sort of weird meat-flavored cheese spread.  Not delicious. 

4.  Roads with Clearly Painted Lines

Again, this is pretty obvious.  Driving here stinks.  There are no sidewalks, no shoulders, major potholes,  tons of pedestrians, tons of bikes (who obviously don't have reflective gear or lights of any sort to speak of), no street lights, heavy rains, and crazy drivers--especially the blue buses which is a post for later.  Combine all these factors with the fact that there are absolutely zero painted lines on the roads (marking the center line or side of the road, etc.), and every time you leave the house you say a little offering to the gods, in the hopes that you make it there safely.  

5.  North Bar, Pub Trivia Mondays in particular

What can I say?  Pub Trivia Monday nights with the fella's was a weekly tradition that went on for years. It just got the week started off "right."  Seth, Quiz Master Extraordinaire, found the balance between really tough, obscure questions, awesome picture pages, and special video clues.  Plus, I got to guest host once, which was brilliant!  Anyway, I really miss it.

6.  Yoga Union

The best yoga studio within walking distance of my house?  Yes, please.  I've been attending Yoga Union since I moved to Portland in 2006 and boy, do I miss it.  The Yin and Unity Flow classes kept me happy, at peace (sometimes when the world was a shitshow otherwise), and "centered" (for lack of a better word).  Plus, instructor Todd was wicked hot.  :)

7.  Recycling

Ummm.....yeah.  It doesn't really exist here yet.  Coming from Portland, where everything is recycled, I feel like my soul dies a little bit each time I throw away a plastic bottle or tin can or glass jar.  AISL just started paper recycling, but there's nothing yet to recycle other "recyclables."  Boo.  

8.  Good Beer (and Wine)

Good beer doesn't exist here.  The two local beers, Castle and Mosi, are basically like Coors Light.  I wouldn't even do them the honor of being PBR or High Life quality.  I was able to covertly buy a 12-pack of Fat Tire at the US Embassy Commissary store, before they realized that I was a teacher, but now I can't buy any beer/wine/booze there.  Has something to do with what embassy privileges are awarded to whom and, obviously, teachers rank near the bottom of the totem pole.  So far, I've had one beer and I'm hoarding the rest of them.  I guess I'll be able to have 1/month and that will last me until next year.

9. Walkability/Rideability

The favorite places I've lived (Portland and Chicago, though Walla Walla ranks high as well) have all been very walkable.  Or, if not very walkable, very easy to navigate using public transportation.  Public transport is pretty much non-existent here (unless you take a blue bus--aka "death on wheels").  So, I have to drive.  Everywhere.  Because of the aforementioned issues with walking or biking, driving is the only option, which sucks.  I miss being able to walk to too many bars, cafes, and coffee shops to count, to four movie theaters (all of them cheap seat/brew n' views), four major grocery stores (Fred Meyers, New Seasons, Zupans, and QFC), two of the best parks in town, etc.  However, perhaps the biggest downer is that my daily walk with Ruby consists of going up and down our road.  There are no loops or neighborhoods here, and everything is fenced off.  I could go in the bush but nothankyou with so many snakes around (in the last month I've known three people who have found cobras, puff adders, or green mambas on their property/in their houses.  I'm not going to push my luck!).  

10.  Coffee Shops (that aren't big, chain coffee shops, though at this point I might give my pinky finger for a Starbucks)

Not surprisingly, there's no "coffee shop culture" here.  I have found one pretty good coffee shop in the mall about 35 minutes' drive away.  So, because I hate malls, I've been there once.  What I would give for a nice, foamy latte from Albina Press right about now.

11.  Underdog Sports League, specifically volleyball and AMERICAN football (not soccer)

Team sports as an adult; what a novel concept.  Growing up, I thought that after Intramurals in college, the only sport I'd be able to play would be tennis.  Luckily, I discovered Underdog and have had so much fun over the last 5 years playing with them.  American Football is unheard of here (though I think for my next After School Activity, I'm going to try to organize it) and I miss playing with I Touchdown There so so so much!  It was my Sunday tradition; now my Sunday tradition is Ultimate frisbee.  A fine replacement, but still the glory and camaraderie of ITDT isn't there. 

12.  Being Able to See Peoples' Houses/Feeling of Neighborhoods

Everything here is behind a wall (usually topped with barbed wire and/or broken glass embedded into cement on top).  These walls average 10-15 feet tall and I have no idea what goes on behind them.  Homes, businesses, hospitals, etc...virtually everything is behind a wall.  As such, it's very disorientating; I am constantly lost because everything looks the same.  Probably because it is the same: one big concrete wall.  Even my house is "protected" with a giant wall on all sides.  

In order to get into my own house, I have to honk when I get to the driveway and my guard (24/7) lets me in.  My guards, Emmanuel and Frank, work 12 hour shifts, 6 days per week.  The day shift goes from 6:00 am-6:00 pm and then the night guard comes on for the other 6-6 shift.  Once per week, they have to work doubles (when they switch from the day shift to the night shift).  Other than the fact that it has to be the most boring job ever, they work such long hours and get paid (by the school, who pays for all security for the teachers) a bit more than $100 per month.  

There are obviously a ton of factors that play into the community infrastructure, but I greatly miss walking around the ole 'hood (especially at night when I could see how cutely decorated the houses are).  

13.  Ruby-Dog Services

Let's just say that over 100 pounds of my 500 pound shipping allotment went to Ruby's treats and food.  I wasn't sure what I'd be able to buy here (not much it turns out, so it was a smart move to bring tons of food, treats, and toys).  Regardless, I (and I'm sure Ruby-dog does, too) miss Portland Pet Supply and Mt. Tabor Vet Clinic.  The Wunguriyran's and Drs. Sulis and Bussmann took such great care of Ruby and Gus over the years.

Anyway, that's it for now...the "short list" of what I miss the most about life in Portland/the Northwest.  I'm sure I'll be adding to this as time goes on.  

South Luangwa National Park--SAFARI TIME (or to quote LM, "You Can't Make This Sh$& Up"

First, dear readers, let me apologize for being woefully behind on my blog posts.  Other than being ridiculously busy and having spotty internet, there's no excuse.  My New Year's Resolution (come a month early) is to post at least once a week.  While the big trips and events are obviously noteworthy, the mundane day-to-day posts are what will really paint a better picture of Zambia for you.  However, this will not be one of those posts--this post is going to talk about the most amazing trip ever--our Grand Adventure to South Luangwa for the October Break.  (I can write mundane next week, I suppose).

So, at AISL we're lucky to have an October break; this year it was 5 days and "The Crew" (my buddies here) and I decided to go to South Luangwa National Park which is world-renown for it's amazing wildlife.    As there were 6 of us going, we thought it wisest (and cheapest) to rent a car/driver for the trip (at $110/day as opposed to the round-trip ProFlight flight which would have cost ~$550).  Anyway, divided by 6, the long drive (it's supposed to be ~9-10 hours) was worth the cost.

So we hired a van driven by Kennedy, our driver.

Anyway, this shot was taken just after it broke down (about 5:30 pm) halfway between Lusaka and our destination for the night--Chipata.  We were stranded by the road next to Peter's Village (a small traditional village with no electricity).  Luckily, the village head, Chief Joseph, was very friendly and helpful and brought out a wicker/rattan mat thing for us to sleep on.  Long story short, we were kept warm by cuddling on the roof and the bottles of booze we brought for the trip; entertained by shooting stars and goofy stories; and were finally "resuced" at about 1:00 am by the replacement van.  We almost ran out of gas two times and got a flat tire as we limped into the park (not a good place to change a tire with lots of wild animals roaming around), but we finally made it to Mfuwe Lodge.

The next four days were filled with adventures, delicious food, the most knowledgable guide ever (seriously--how did Fannuel spot some of those things??),  amazing animal and birdwatching, games, "sundowners" (my new favorite thing--cocktails as the sun sets), and memories with great friends.  Highlights included getting quasi-charged by an elephant, coming upon a lion kill (water buffalo), having 2 lions walk THISCLOSE to the van (and me, by proxy).  I cannot wait to go back with Mom and Pop Cline when they come visit in December.  Though, this time, we're flying.  :)

Below are some shots of the safari, which was, honestly, the vacation I've been dreaming about since I was a little girl.

A giraffe with birds eating the fleas and ticks on it's back.

Gorgeous sunset over the (very low) river.

Kudu (I think):

My favorite African birds thus far, Carmine Bee-Eaters:

Our "rig:"  Of great importance is the roof which provides shade in the midst of the hot, hot days (it was roasting by 9 am and the twice daily game drives; from 6:30-11:30 and from 4-8, while awesome would have been unbearable without the shade).  I was told one day it got to 45+ degrees Celsius (that's 113).  Regardless, it was very, very hot.  Sadly, not all tour companies provided sunshaded Land Rovers and, boy, did we feel sorry for those suckers.

We did a lot of silly jump shots.

Male lion, VERYCLOSEUP.  He'd just brought down a water buffalo, so he wasn't hungry, luckily.  You can notice the blood in his mane.  Also, I learned that lions are only successful about 30% of the time (when hunting). 

Then, we saw the same pride later in the day, lounging by the river.  A kudu attracted their attention and they walked right beside our vehicle to go check it out.  Amazing and scary.  This picture is taken with ZERO zoom; he's just walking by the side of our truck. 

The pride, lounging by the banks of the river...probably digesting their water buffalo feast.

Beautiful African sunset.  If you notice all the stumps/deforestation, it's caused by elephants.  When a large herd comes into an area, they can cause major damage.  This damage is pretty much irreparable and the landscape is forever scarred. 

Right before the elephant "charged" our car.  Scary!

Galloping zebras.  Incidentally, a herd of zebras is actually called a "dazzle."  One wouldn't think that black and white strips would be much of a natural defense against predators, but in a large group they 'dazzle' their predators (thus the name).  Apparently, it's a natural optical illusion and the stripes cause their predators to misjudge distances and causes problems with depth perception, which enables the zebras to escape.  Strength in numbers, eh?!?

Super posh lodging at Kapamba Bush Camp (a sister company of Mfuwe lodge).  

Included in the bush camp stay was a walking safari...we strolled through the dry river bed and "walked" with giraffes and a herd of water buffalo.

The gang on the walking safari.  There was hyena urine in the skull (which dripped on my head).  Super gross and super stinky!

Baobab tree; one of Africa's treasures.

Crocs, and Hippos, and Elephants--Oh My!

I know I'm woefully behind on my blog posts...now that I *finally* have reliable (and decently fast) internet (and I'm paying for it, believe me), my plan is to stay up-to-date, meanwhile catching up on the last month here in Zambia.

Anyway, this weekend was a mile-marker because I left Lusaka for the first time since arrival (my jaunt to SugarBush Farm--more later--certainly doesn't count).  Anyway, a camping trip to Kiambi, on the Lower Zambezi was organized by the social committee (of which I'm now a part) and I was one of the first to sign up.  Obviously.

As The Wizard (my "rig") is out of commission, Gina and I rode with Jeff and Susan.  It was only about 120 kms, but because of the roads, it took us about 3:30 to get there.  There were about 20 folks from school (including spouses and kids) who made the trip and it was amazing.  The highlight was the 3 hour canoe ride eight of us opted to go on yesterday.  We went upstream in a motor boat and then paddled back down to our campground (which was also a pretty swanky lodge, if you wanted to shell out the big bucks--camping was only $8 per person per night--quite the deal!) in big, 3-seater canoes.  Absolutely amazing (and a bit disconcerting being that close to "big game."  The Crocs scared me more than the hippos (though I know that hippos cause much more damage), and there are no words to describe being that close to an elephant in the wild (I'd say, at the closest, we were 50 feet away).

Below are some of the best photos of the weekend.

I've Arrived (well, awhile ago, but internet is limited)

So sorry for the delay in posting!  I've been here in Lusaka for about three weeks now and have just been so busy (and have very limited Internet access--at school only, as of now), that I haven't had time to post.  I'll cover the highlights here and then post more detailed posts later (travel with Ruby-dog, Lusaka orientation, school--The American International School of Lusaka, life in general, etc.).  But, for now, here's the Reader's Digest Version:

Ruby-dog and I made it here uneventfully.  I was (and am) actually so surprised at what a good travellin' dog she is.  As she is my Emotional Support Animal, she was able to sit in my lap the whole way.  I also sat in bulkhead the whole trip, and her carrier fit nicely between my feet.  More on that later....

We arrived on Wednesday, Aug. 3 and were met at the airport by the Director of AISL, Chris.  After collecting *all* of my luggage (apparently, that is rare), we breezed through customs.  Chris dropped me at my house and said he'd be back to collect me for dinner shortly.  Although I was completely exhausted, I managed to stay up for a few hours and have dinner with Chris (Director), Jim (my new Principal), and some other new hires at Kilimanjaro Café.

The next few days were packed with Lusaka orientation, get-to-know each other, and an awesome excursion to a game park which was about an hour from town.

New-teacher orientation began at AISL on Tuesday and that week (Aug 8-12) was full of iPad training.  AISL is the first (and only) school in Africa to adopt a one-to-one iPad program for 6th and 10th graders, so we spent two days in intense iPad training.  I learned a ton, but have barely begun to scratch the surface on the possibilities that will enhance my classroom with the iPad.  So many cool things!!!

Because of so many meetings and trainings, I only had one day to set up my classroom, which is tiny.  Space here is at a premium and the school had a good idea (really) to set up smaller language classes.  So, they took one regular-sized classroom and put up a dividing wall to create two classes, each which would have much smaller classes, which is ideal for language learning.  However, because the school has gotten big, I now have 17 kids in two of my classes (which, in the States, would be a dream).  However, the largest class in the entire school is 22 students in a regular, full-size, class and I'm struggling to cram 17 10th and 12th graders in a classroom designed for 11-13 kids.  Plus, my classes are very active--my kids are always up and moving around, so it simply isn't working out.  The other big bummer is that because they divided the classroom, I have 1/2 the windows...actually less because the windows that face south are smaller than the windows that face north and I'm in the south-facing room.  To top it off, about 1/3 of my windows are covered by the 6th graders lockers, so I'm pretty bummed.

Other than the classroom situation, however, AISL is amazing!  Great facilities, supportive staff and administration, LOVELY students.  It's just great!  I can see how people get into the world of international teaching and never leave--there are major perks.  I'm teaching MYP (Middle Years Programme) Spanish levels 8, 9, and 10 and IB (International Baccalaureate) 11 and 12 ab Initio (basically beginning Spanish for kids who already speak two, three, four, or five other languages).

The schedule is pretty confusing, but there are 7 periods per day and I teach 4 (so I have three 45 minute preps every day which is amazing!).  I'm also co-coaching volleyball and just found out that we have a big tournament in Johannesburg in October!  So cool!

Anyway, signing off for now, but will post detailed posts about the above briefly mentioned, things soon.  Including pictures.  Yay!

blogging about Zambia from Mexico

I can't believe that in less than two weeks I'll be in Zambia!  I especially can't believe this fact since I'm only halfway through my last summer session of my Masters.  I'm currently up to my eyebrows in homework, but I did present my Action Research (thesis) on Saturday, so at least one major thing is accomplished.  Hopefully.  We haven't heard back yet if we passed or if we (the presenters) have to go back for rewrites, etc.  So, the waiting is an additional stress added to an already very stressful week full of papers and presentations.

Oh well, I've survived four-and-a-half summer sessions at La Escuela de Idiomas de Guanajuato (where it's sister university, Southern Oregon University, hosts the Summer Language Institute every summer).  Hopefully in less than two weeks I can say that I've completed my Masters in Spanish Language Instruction and can board my flight to Zambia as a vetted "Master."

I suppose I should get back to work as I have so much to do (as always with this program).

In Zambia news, I got my work permit (email) yesterday, Ruby's vet permit should be arriving soon, my car (the Wizard) is set to land in Durban today or tomorrow and will hopefully make it to Lusaka in time for my arrival, and I got an email that my shipment is en route and should arrive sometime in early-September.  Oh, and Ruby's "stroller" (for the airport, plus the carrier part detaches so she can have her own area on the plane) arrived, so I'm going to see if my folks can start sticking her in it with lots of treats (Greenies) so she has positive associations.  I'm actually really nervous about flying with the pooch.

Adíos for now--keep you posted on my classwork and graduation status.

Moving Internationally: 500 lbs just doesn't go that far

On the topic of moving, my school provides me with a $3,000 relocation allowance (both to Zambia and back again which is, obviously, very important).  Well, since Zambia is a land-locked country with not the best transportation system, it's quite expensive to move there.  I priced out many companies and got a fairly reasonable estimate from Mayflower Movers.  Their agent came out and did a walk-through of my house and provided me with an estimate.  Apparently, the smallest crate (which would weigh approximately 500 lbs.) would cost about $3,000 and fit the majority of the things I wanted to bring.

Per my numerous email exchanges with other teachers at AISL, things in Zambia are surprisingly expensive (approximately 3-5x what you'd expect to pay in the States) and much poorer quality.  So, it made sense to take advantage of the shipping allowance and send some of my things.  In particular, I was told to bring linens/bedding/pillows, cookware, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, camp gear, clothing, etc.  At the last minute, I threw in my boxes of books/teaching supplies I'd planned to send via ground rate at the Post Office; since there was room, I hoped they would be allowed.

So, on Friday, the first, Joey from Mayflower showed up with his big truck and packing supplies.  I'd already packed things pretty well (I thought), but Joey had unpacked, wrapped in paper, and repacked all 500+ pounds of stuff in no time flat.  It was loaded into a big wooden crate (there was actually room leftover) and taken to the Mayflower office where it was weighed (it was actually 60 pounds overweight, but Sam, the lovely woman in charge of international moves, let it slide), wrapped in saran wrap and, theoretically, sent off via some slow ship to South Africa.  After arriving in South Africa, it will, in theory, be loaded onto a big truck and delivered to moi sometime in the beginning of September.  Let's just hope it makes it!

PDX chapter closed. Temporarily.

On Friday, July 1, I felt one major step closer to actually arriving in Zambia: I moved out of my house and turned the keys over to the renters.  The last few months have been a whirlwind with so many things to do (as outlined in the previous post).  Now, I'm not talking a to do list like "buy shampoo for Zambia," but rather major life events like "finish thesis," "put old dog to sleep," and "move out of my house and find renters to live in it."

Needless to say, the last few months have been a blur of trying to cram in as much fun with my friends as possible before departing Portland and, conversely, trying to ready myself for the upcoming move to Zambia, all while teaching 5th grade full-time.  I accomplished some things better than others and this post is dedicated to my friends and family who helped me get some major shit done so that I can begin the next adventure.

The house/packing was such a major undertaking that I avoided it like the plague.  In fact, I avoided it almost as much as I've been avoiding my thesis/action research writing.  It wasn't until I had actual real renters who actually really wanted to move in on July 1st that I realized this was actually really happening.  Good thing I have amazing family support; Mom and Pop Cline came down to help pack/clean/ready the house for renters and my awesome Auntie and Unc Cline-Turner also came down to help for a few days.  From cleaning to packing to hauling loads of crap all over Portland for my friends to store, there's no way I would have been able to get it all done.

Regardless, the things I want to keep are scattered around Portland in the basments and living rooms of many of my close friends and I was able to sell a lot of my things (from my couch to my car to my dishes) on Craigslist.  It was amazingly cathartic to get rid of so much stuff!  I felt as if I was purging years of junk and bad memories (Springwater, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, etc.) from my life.  I hope I see some of it again, but if not, it was nice knowing you!

So Much To Do, So Little Time

It recently hit me that I only have about 3.5 weeks left stateside before I head off....I'll be leaving Portland at the end of the month, spending a week in Spokane at my parents', and then heading to Guanajuato, Mexico for *hopefully* the last summer of my Masters program.  Then, it's back to Spokane on the 29th of July for 48 hours and I leave for Zambia on August 1.  Whew--I'm exhausted just thinking about all I have to do in the next few weeks. 

Plus, for some reason, I just can't seem to motivate myself to do anything.  Perhaps I'm dragging my feet because I'm afraid that it really means this is REAL.  So, in order to help me prioritize and hopefully light a fire under my ass, I've made a to do list of things that HAVE to get done.  Now.

-Find Renters for my House (thought this was accomplished, but it might not be)
-Finish My Thesis
-Finish My Thesis Presentation (Power Point)
-Finish My Year at Creston and Pack Up My Classroom
-Pack Up (Mexico and Zambia)
-Shipment to Zambia
-Move Out of my House
-Buy Ruby's Pet Carrier

I think I have to go throw up now.  I'm overwhelmed and under-motivated...not a good combo.