Week 1 acting as independent Project Manager came sooner than expected! Erin was sick this past week, and so there was no choice but to try to pick up the loose threads of her work and schedule all the volunteers and staff on projects for the whole week.

The good, and bad, thing about Erin not being here to supervise me is that I am being exposed to everything at once. I have a running list of things I don't understand, want to change, or think are useless. I feel like I'm on my way to grasping the inter-workings of this organization. The most difficult thing is probably directing staff that are far older than me. Basically, I gave up acting like I knew what was going on pretty quickly. I have assumed the role of new, humble project manager, who will, one fine day in the distant future, have it all together. Luckily, the staff are all very helpful and lovely...almost too helpful and lovely. I've learned to distinguish between the "yes's" that actually mean yes, and the "yes's" that mean no. "Yes's" that mean yes: (nod, smile) "yes!" "Yes's" that mean no: (eyes downcast) "yes," (long pause, quietly) "yes," or, the most embarrassing, "you're the boss!"

Another Zambian workplace finding: here, the polite thing is to accept what's offered, not to refuse until it's pushed upon you like it seems to work in Western culture. I discovered this when I offered my coworker some of my crackers. It went something like this, Me: "Would you like some?" Coworker: "Yes I do" "Take as many as you want!" "...(eating)..." "...(eating)..." "I may not eat any more?" It took most of my crackers before she finally admitted she didn't want any! So funny.
 

Went on a few more projects, like Holiday Club at a community school called Zambezi Sawmills. There were probably over 150 kids, divided among 6 of us volunteers, charged with the task of entertaining them for 3 hours. So much fun, but so thoroughly exhausting. We painted noodles (an Italian volunteer's idea, haha) and separated the kids into different age groups to monitor them. The youngest ones just sort of stared in unblinking awe as we held their little hands and painted for them, while the older ones preferred painting each others' faces. There were two little girls that took turns jumping on my back in the chaos when I wasn't paying attention, and when I finally sat down for 2 minutes maybe 10 came over to play with my hair. At least I have some built in entertainment for when I'm too tired to go on. We read a book about little girls having a sleepover, until I realized that none of them had ever slept over at each others houses. Somehow the fact that these exuberant, funny, curious 13 and 14 year old girls had never gossiped in sleeping bags over bowls of popcorn and a cheesy teen movie depressed me more than their obvious lack of adequate nutrition, medical care or adult attention. Maybe it's easier for me to imagine more superficial deprivations, the others are just too daunting to comprehend.

Update from last weekend: went to Bovu island with a group of volunteers that I really enjoy spending time with. Bovu island is a private island in the Zambezi river, with little beaches, hammocks, winding paths through the jungle and nice mosquito-netted beds overlooking the river. It was so relaxing, ridiculously cheap, and the stars at night are incredible! May or may not have re-enacted the Lion King starry night scene where Simba talks to his dad, who's chilling in the sky in a funky cloud formation.

Those volunteers that I went with are leaving tomorrow, which is quite sad. Thankfully I have some interesting things planned, like white water rafting (haha, everyone who knows that I secretly don't like this...how else am I supposed to bond with my coworkers?!), and a Zambian coworker invited me and some other staff for dinner next week. Stephen, the sports coordinator, is leaving as well so we're planning a big goodbye Bry (think barbecue) next week. A lot of things are changing! I just hope Erin comes back so I can learn more from her before she leaves!

Highlights: Things I never thought I'd do but have done in the past week:
 - eaten a caterpillar. It was crunchy, and just as disgusting as you're imagining.
 - walked through a waterfall at the exact point between 2 countries (Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls!)
 - Got robbed by a monkey. By robbed, I mean it ran up to me and stole a sugar packet before I could make my tea.
 - Helped coach some Zambian kids through a track meet on a soccer field. Minor alterations: no track, soccer ball as a shotput, metal poles for batons, and a very loose interpretation of the words "get set" and "go." My favorite day here so far.
 - made a cheesecake (okay so I guess that's not so extraordinary, but it is when it's in Africa) with Hannah.

Lowlights: things I'd rather not have done
 - Went to police station again to "recover" a lost ipod. Some tough volunteer leader love: a little kid in some remote village has it now, and it doesn't matter how much monkey you pay the corrupt policeman to search for it, you're never seeing it again. I'll venture to say that it's not such a huge loss when one really sits down and ponders the situation.
 - Terrible dreams and other unmentionable symptoms from my current malaria meds. They're going over the falls one of these days, so they can never ruin anyone else's body again.

Other news
 - Tonight we're eating Nshima! Ugali, to those in the east. Not exactly the most flavorful or satisfying thing in the world, sort of like tasteless mashed potatoes, but I like experiencing local foods. And it's always entertaining to introduce the new volunteers to the wonders of Nshima.
 - 10 volunteers left today, and 10 more came! The new ones are from Italy, Sweden, Ireland and England. Should make for interesting dinner conversation (over bowls of Nshima).
 - Went for nice long run yesterday, interrupted by children running out from secret hiding places on the golf course and shouting "mzungu!" "hello how are you?" "marry me, please!" Startling but cute.

You would think it's Friday from the club music blaring outside my door, but it's just another throw-down on a Wednesday night for the volunteers. I'm torn between joining them and sticking in the trusty earplugs for another night. I'm old and exhausted and where are my socks it's freezing.  

Today I took one of the massive diesel stick-shift (or manual, to the British) trucks out for a spin, aka to the police station. One of the volunteers had her ipod stolen and somehow I became the translator between the policewoman on duty and the victim, a Dutch girl. I think I'm slowly becoming an expert at distinguishing and translating among multiple foreign accents. Half the time I speak to people who don't speak English, and the other half to people with any other conceivable accent besides an American one. I referred to the trashcan as the "bin" the other day. If I avoid an identity crisis, I may become one of those worldly people who confidently fuse multiple accents into one unidentifiable globalspeak. Can I put that on my resume?

Anyway, she said in Zambenglish, "Where have the man gone, have you got him now?" and she said in Dutchenglish, "No I don't have my ipod now, it is gone because someone stole it," and so on. After that was sorted out - ? - figured out - I went to reading club with some volunteers. I taught the girl I was working with some words, like "jacuzzi" and "rollercoaster," and then realized they were irrelevant in the context of her life. Did books for children used to be this hard?? I scrapped it and scribbled my own (highly entertaining) story on a piece of paper with better words and we read that. Then I looked around and noticed the other volunteers were just hanging out with each other, as the remaining kids ran around the classroom. Kind of annoying. The burgeoning project manager within prompted me to reprimand the volunteers, but I'd rather put off being their official boss until I'm officially qualified. 

There's a pretty sweet remix of living on a prayer on right now, unless "Chop My Money" comes on (look it up now if you don't know it, if you're in Africa you're well aware of its greatness) you can find me here, passed out in my bed with no regrets.