Fish is a common food staple for many families in Zambia. This is one reason why I am here—to teach rural farmers about aquaculture, otherwise known as fish farming. Most local markets will have dried fish for sale or even small fresh fish like Tilapia.
My Bamaama brought home fish or nswi a few weeks ago for supper. Before I bathed, I watched as she cleaned out the fish with her knife and rinsed the fish clean with water. She didn’t take off the frins or the tail or the head or anything!
After my bath, I returned to find Bamaam cooking each fish WHOLE is some oil in a frying pan. I know by now I’ll have an interesting meal ahead.
Its suppertime now and Bataata and I sit down at the table. He offers the water to wash my hands, he says a prayer in Tonga and I begin to remove the lids of the dishes. Nshima…check! Cabbage…check! NSWI…? Ugh…whole fish?
I tell Bataata that eating this fish will be difficult for me. But I can do it.
With my plate full, I begin to pull back a “steak” of fish as my Bataata shows me to do. I slowly pick out the bones and set them aside. This is it. I look at Bataata and he begins to tell me how its hard for me because it like the fish is still alive on my plate. I agree with him and say, “Its like he’s about ready to pick up his head and say, ‘Don’t eat me! Don’t eat me!’” This gets an eruption of laughter from us both! I have tears in my eyes and my abs kill from laughing!
I go back to my fish and slowly, bit by bit, begin to eat. It’s actually very tasty and I begin to relax into this whole fish eating situation.
And then, I get to the head. I’m not quite sure what to do so I ask, “Do I have to eat the head?” Bataata is back to laughing and we’re both gasping for air. Finally we calm ourselves and he assures me I don’t need to eat from the head.
The rest of the meal goes on without incident, but Bataata did try to offer the last nswi to me. I declined!
This may have been a “you had to be there moment.” But it really was quite the experience and now when we talk bout nswi, Bataata and all the bana (children) go to laughing and pretending to talk like a fish on my plate!
Maybe I’ll get used to fish. But I still am very creeped out by them, especially the live appearing ones on my plate looking at me with their eyeballs. Yikes!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Zambia
When one thinks of Africa, he or she may imagine a wild landscape with barren lands and giraffe, elephants, or lions in the distance. Or someone may picture a group of men and women dressed in elaborate traditional clothing and head pieces with colored paint on their faces. Or one my think of a lady carrying water on her head with a baby strapped to her back.
Wonderfully enough, these all are pieces of Africa. Here in Zambia I have not thoroughly experienced all of the culture, but I've begun to learn more and more everyday.
Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and it is almost like any other major city in the world with highways, shopping malls, cars, hotels, and people everywhere. Running water and electricity are luxuries most residents in Lusaka enjoy.
Now, after seeing Lusaka, the rural areas of Zambia are much different. The tarmac only goes so far and then its bumpy dirt roads leading to small one or two room mud clay homes scattered across the land. Tall grasses are used to thatch roofs, make fences, or surround the outdoor shower areas.
Villagers carry water in buckets or jugs filled from a borehole near their homes. Women and children alike will balance the water containers on their heads and walk effortlessly back home five to twenty minutes! When its meal time, braziers are started and everything is cooked over the hot coals or burning wood. At the setting of the sun, its about time for bed.
Zambia is a wonderful nation filled with traditional and contemporary cultures and ideas. There are six major languages spoken including Bemba, Nyange, Mambwe, Lunda, Kaonde, andTonga
As a newly free, democratic nation,Zambia
Zambians are a collective society with famly based ideals. Their warmth and friendliness is not only shared among their fellow Zambian cousins and neighbors, but to those of us here from other places a far.
Zambia
Wonderfully enough, these all are pieces of Africa. Here in Zambia I have not thoroughly experienced all of the culture, but I've begun to learn more and more everyday.
Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and it is almost like any other major city in the world with highways, shopping malls, cars, hotels, and people everywhere. Running water and electricity are luxuries most residents in Lusaka enjoy.
Now, after seeing Lusaka, the rural areas of Zambia are much different. The tarmac only goes so far and then its bumpy dirt roads leading to small one or two room mud clay homes scattered across the land. Tall grasses are used to thatch roofs, make fences, or surround the outdoor shower areas.
Villagers carry water in buckets or jugs filled from a borehole near their homes. Women and children alike will balance the water containers on their heads and walk effortlessly back home five to twenty minutes! When its meal time, braziers are started and everything is cooked over the hot coals or burning wood. At the setting of the sun, its about time for bed.
Zambia is a wonderful nation filled with traditional and contemporary cultures and ideas. There are six major languages spoken including Bemba, Nyange, Mambwe, Lunda, Kaonde, and
As a newly free, democratic nation,
Zambians are a collective society with famly based ideals. Their warmth and friendliness is not only shared among their fellow Zambian cousins and neighbors, but to those of us here from other places a far.
I'm Healthy and Eat Fritters All Day Long
Its 5:00 am and I am wide awake waiting for my alarm to sound on my phone beside me. My green mosquito net hangs around me as I lay on my comfy mattress under warm blankets in my homey tin-roofed hut.
The air is cold around me, but as I crawl out of my netted haven, the crispness reminds me of the new day ahead. I grab a sweater, put on my shoes and head to the cimbuzi with my head lamp. Using an outdoor pit latrine is now part of my routine and I realize upon reentering my hut that I barely registered what I was doing.
Its now 6:10 and the sun is beginning to flood the morning with light. I ready myself for the day ahead and dress in leggings, skirt, t-shirt, sweater, and scarf.
Finally, I got to greet my host family with a warm "Mwabuka buti." My Bataata and Bamaama respond with a smiling, "Kabotu." The four bana are also around and silently smile a hello.
I have my breakfast of three fried balls of dough called Fritters with some peanut butter and Rooibos tea. I say, "Ndalumba," to Bamaama, brush my teeth, grab my bag, put on my helmet, and bike down the bumpy dirt road to the PC training center.
At the center, I greet the other trainees and sit down in the outside meeting area, sometimes called an nsaka. The trainers facilitate the sessions on language, cross-culture, and technical training. Midway through the morning, we break for tea and more fritters. I have at least two or three!
Lunch comes at 12:30 and again I have a plate full of coleslaw, pasta, chicken, and rice. If desired, I grab a coke or fanta.
By 14:00, I back in my chair between Mary and Kenny learning about diarrhea and preventing or treating it. If all else fails, we can grab our poop cup and take a stool sample by ourselves to send in!
It is at this time I am so grateful to be as healthy as can be and again go grab three more fritters from the kitchen during our afternoon break.
After training, I bike back home and enjoy a bucket bath in my cisambilo with warm water my Bamaama heated. Around 18:30 I sit down for a meal of nshima, cabbage, and chicken with my Bataata.
Later, back in my hut under my mosquito net, I reflect in darkness about how blessed I feel for the most beautiful host family, an abundance of food and fritters, and a healthy body, soul and mind!
The air is cold around me, but as I crawl out of my netted haven, the crispness reminds me of the new day ahead. I grab a sweater, put on my shoes and head to the cimbuzi with my head lamp. Using an outdoor pit latrine is now part of my routine and I realize upon reentering my hut that I barely registered what I was doing.
Its now 6:10 and the sun is beginning to flood the morning with light. I ready myself for the day ahead and dress in leggings, skirt, t-shirt, sweater, and scarf.
Finally, I got to greet my host family with a warm "Mwabuka buti." My Bataata and Bamaama respond with a smiling, "Kabotu." The four bana are also around and silently smile a hello.
I have my breakfast of three fried balls of dough called Fritters with some peanut butter and Rooibos tea. I say, "Ndalumba," to Bamaama, brush my teeth, grab my bag, put on my helmet, and bike down the bumpy dirt road to the PC training center.
At the center, I greet the other trainees and sit down in the outside meeting area, sometimes called an nsaka. The trainers facilitate the sessions on language, cross-culture, and technical training. Midway through the morning, we break for tea and more fritters. I have at least two or three!
Lunch comes at 12:30 and again I have a plate full of coleslaw, pasta, chicken, and rice. If desired, I grab a coke or fanta.
By 14:00, I back in my chair between Mary and Kenny learning about diarrhea and preventing or treating it. If all else fails, we can grab our poop cup and take a stool sample by ourselves to send in!
It is at this time I am so grateful to be as healthy as can be and again go grab three more fritters from the kitchen during our afternoon break.
After training, I bike back home and enjoy a bucket bath in my cisambilo with warm water my Bamaama heated. Around 18:30 I sit down for a meal of nshima, cabbage, and chicken with my Bataata.
Later, back in my hut under my mosquito net, I reflect in darkness about how blessed I feel for the most beautiful host family, an abundance of food and fritters, and a healthy body, soul and mind!
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