Zambia Gott Katie

Image hosting by Photobucket I hope everybody enjoys my site. I will try to update it as often as I can but since internet is limited, it may be hard but stick with me. Thanks everybody!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

One week until SWEAR IN!! :)

Hello everybody,
Well today is probably one of the last times I will sit at a computer for quite awhile. Internet is extremely limited where I am going but I will try to get to a computer at least once a month.
Well, the past 2 months have been crazy. I really cannot believe that it has already been 2 months...time is flying by. I swear in on March 31st and become a Peace Corps Volunteer..so exciting. Then I head off for my post!! It is going to be really sad to say good bye to my host family and all of the great friends that I have made here but the next chapter of this journey needs to begin.
I just want to say thank you to everybody for the letters, pictures and packets. It is such an amazing feeling to get letters from friends and family back at home. I want to share some of my favorite things from the past 2 months with all of you.
First of all, living in Zambia is great and very different than life in the states. It is really nice living without things that I used to thing were a necessity life power and running water. I am starting to love my bush baths and studying over candlelight. :) My host family has treated me so well and same with the tech staff for Peace Corps Zambia. I still cannot believe that I killed a chicken with my own hands and saw a goat being killed. Bemba is a hard language to speak but I am learning it slowly. I am getting more used to the food and am very excited to start cooking for myself but not doing my own laundry. Doing laundry is soooo hard!!

Oh, so one of my greatest nightmares occured last night. While I was writing a few letters and my hut was attacked by huge fire ants. The ants here are brutal and when they attack then really do. I yelled for my Ba Taata and Ba Mayo and they came running from there hut. There was probably like 500,000 ants...no joke. They started to pull straw from their roof and put it on fire. (Fire is one of the best ways to get rid of them) Basically, there was little bon fires all over the yard trying to get rid of these horrible things. Meanwhile, the ants are climbing up my pants and my Ba Taata's and they latch one when they bite...Gosh it really hurts. It took us over 2 hours to get rid of them all. I tried to go to sleep but that didn't really happen. I think the rats might be back so it is a good thing that I am leaving in a week. All of these fun things like sleeping with rats, crickets, being attacked from ants and sleeping with chicken fleas is all part of the experience and I would not trade it.

I am very lucky and grateful to be here. Some mornings I wake up and cannot believe that I am here in Zambia. Zambia is amazing and I hope some of you can come out and see it first hand.

Well, that is it for now...love you all..check out my new address...stay safe and healthy...Oh, I think I might be getting a cell phone so check back later for my number.

LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU AGAIN!!

8 Comments:

  • At 27/3/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Katie,

    Wow---this is exciting stuff. Sure makes my day when you update your blog site. Will and I mailed you a small box of goodies today. It contained a bottle of hot Taco sauce, couple packets of Oreo cookies, couple packets of instant oatmeal, couple packets of instant soups, couple packets of onion soup and a couple packets of Top Ramen. I know you will be happy to receive and use it all. You are an amazin kid Katie and are talked about very often!! We love you tons!
    Mom

     
  • At 29/3/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Katie. This is Leo and Cathy Chavez. I Play basketball with your dad and he kept saying you were in Zambia. I thought he had played too hard and was hallucinating. But he kept saying it so I began to believe him. So I thought I better check out your blog.

    I'm glad I did! It was great to read your most recent entry. Cathy and I and my daughter Andrea got a good laugh at your description of life there. We are glad you are learning to get along without electrity and water! And the fire ants sounded like a horror movie. You better run fast if the fires go out or don't work and the ants keep coming, coming...

    We hope you continue to enjoy the experience. Your life will never be the same. Few people will have ever experienced what you will experience. It is incredible what you are and we can't help be both envious and proud to know someone who steps so far out of their comfort zone to help others so far away. Truly a remarkable thing to do.

    Any way, good luck. I'll keep playing basketball with your dad. If he hallucinates any more I guess I'll take him seriously!

    We look forward to reading more of your adventures. By the way, where are your photos? Those would be interesting to see.

    Have fun.

    Leo and Cathy Chavez

     
  • At 30/3/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    LOVE YOU KATERS!!! I have some good news to share with you, and I've tried calling that phone number all week but haven't had any luck connecting...boo hoo...I'll keep trying though!

    GOOD LUCK ON YOUR TEST TOMORROW! You will kick butt, like usual. I'm so proud to have a sister like you! xoxoxoooooxxxxxx

    MISS YOU - Jenny

     
  • At 14/4/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Happy Easter Katie!!! Love and miss you. I hope boxes and envelopes are arriving, which are full of goodies and surprises. You make me proud Katie!!
    Mom--yes I am still the Honey Bear

     
  • At 18/4/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Katie - I have the funniest story to tell you:

    So I was talking to Dad last week about this big presentation my manager asked that I give to all this high profile people during their manager's meeting...anyways long story short...I was telling Dad about my exciting idea for the presentation because it was a good idea, much like the ones Dad always came up with for our school projects...and.....DAD FELL ASLEEP!!! In the middle of my story about my ideas! Can you believe it??? Total classic moment, and he couldn't lie about it....he just came out and said, sorry Jenny I just feel asleep! HAHA Mom got a kick out of it too.

    I can't wait to hear about Central and your new house and DOG!!! Call or email soon - I MISS YOU SOOO MUCH! My Saturdays are boring without you....

    XOXOX - LOVE YOU - Jenny

     
  • At 18/4/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    katie---we all miss you and how you make us laugh! Your smile is missed, as well as, you making us dinner!!! Dad just ain't the same without YOU telling him what needs to be done....2 years you are back to 32 Bayberry and us!
    xxoo
    honey bear and the mule

     
  • At 9/5/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    GOTTIE!!!! hi katie! it's molly!!! I MISS YOU! so glad to hear you are doing well!!! just got back from semester at sea, best time of my LIFE! i sent you a letter and pictures yesterday! hope it arrives safely! take care of yourself and tell africa hello! i miss it!
    LOVE YOU TONS,
    gazin

     
  • At 25/6/06, Blogger Mike said…

    Katie,

    Here are some Peace Corps / Zambia blogs that I have found. If you know of any others that I have missed please let me know. Thanks!


    -Mike Sheppard
    RPCV / The Gambia
    www.journeyacrossafrica.blogspot.com


    ==
    http://360degreesofsky.blogspot.com/
    http://brettinzambia.blogspot.com/
    http://bruce.butts.mystarband.net/peacecorps/pc.htm
    http://daneenleidig.blogspot.com/
    http://devinsmyth.blogspot.com/
    http://erinwolf.bravehost.com/
    http://www.geocities.com/daneen526/PeaceCorps
    http://heatherbarron.bravehost.com/
    http://janeofthejungle.blogspot.com/
    http://lara.webhop.net/
    http://laurainzed.blogspot.com/
    http://leainzambia.blogspot.com/
    http://www.manited.net/sara.html
    http://nnsinafrica.blogspot.com/
    http://pckristin.livejournal.com/
    http://peacecorpskatie.livejournal.com/
    http://raypalko.blogspot.com/
    http://rozbitsky.blogspot.com/
    http://runawaychronicles.blogspot.com/
    http://scribblingsfromzambia.blogspot.com/
    http://www.tamaniproject.com/joomla/
    http://topherchavis.blogspot.com/
    http://travel-diaries.com/profiles/ratty_n_jp/two_years_in_zambia/
    http://www.victoriaseyes.blogspot.com/
    http://visadiscover.blogspot.com/
    http://web.archive.org/web/19991010003245/members.aol.com/wmoore8726/index.html
    http://yewo.blogspot.com/
    http://www.zambia-boy.com/pages/1/index.htm
    http://www.zambiagottkatie.blogspot.com/
    http://zambianfish.blogspot.com/
    http://zambum.blogspot.com/
    ==

     

Post a Comment

<< Home