Season's Greetings

Happy holidays to everyone!! I’m just getting back to reality after the trip of a lifetime, my most epic Christmas gift yet. My parents came to visit me, see my home away from home and take me away to the beautiful world of clean feet, exquisite meal options and endless entertainment.

After a rocky start for my Dad, who had to spend an extra day in Addis Ababa due to some technical difficulties, we made it straight down to Chadiza and spent our first night together at the Government Guesthouse. I was formerly under the impression that this was a nice place to stay but after seeing things fresh from my parents’ point of view, I now have a new perspective. I think from now on I’ll ask for a clean set of sheets and a mosquito net. It’s nice to be spoiled every once in a while.

The following morning I had a local friend of mine drive us up to the farm where Mom and Dad met Amai and Atate. What an interesting introduction to make… Amai doesn’t speak a word of English so the intro went something like this, “Mom and Dad, this is Lazarus and Ida Banda, my Zambian parents… Amai, Atate, ndi a Maureen, ndi a Bill, makolo anga waku America.” All of my iwes, my brothers, sisters and extended family, crowded around to meet the folks. When Zambian families visit one another the stay is typically at least 2 weeks or more, so it was hard to explain that we would only be there for 2 days.

Day 1 in the vil, Mom and I walked down to the Boma to find my misplaced phone and meet and greet friends in the market while Dad slept off the Ethiopia debacle. I had arranged for the closest of my PCV friends to join us for a party in the village, so we met them in the shops and doubled back to start preparing for the feast. Originally I had intended for us to walk out to the main village to feast with everybody and watch the traditional Nyau dancers. Atate told me we’d have to wait until the following afternoon for the villagers to be prepared, so the first night only half of the chickens were killed for a more intimate meal with my Zambian family, volunteer family and of course, the two guests of honor. The meal consisted of nsima, chicken, rape, beans, rice, cheese, mango salsa and tortillas (sort of like American nsima). There were 7 from my PCV family, 6 from my Zambian family, my parents and me, spread over 2 reed mats on the freshly swept dirt in front of my house. We ate under the stars by candlelight assisted by my solar lamp. The mango salsa was a hit and my iwes got to try cheese, a rarity in any village. After dinner, dessert was served. I’ve been promising to make brownies for a few weeks now so it was nice to finally deliver. Iwes get impatient when it comes to sweets.

We all stayed up talking into the night, sharing stories and having a good time. The stars out in the village are breathtaking so we laid out on the mats to look up and enjoy the African sky. When it was time to sleep, my parents of course got my bed and the rest of us got the floor. 4 of us snuggled up in my main room, 2 in a tent on my porch and 2 in a tent outside. So cozy. The following morning involved french toast with peanut butter and honey, fresh brewed coffee and continued proof that there are no limits in a mud hut in Africa. Especially with a group of hungry volunteers.

After breakfast, we walked down to my school in the Boma, toured the grounds and met my Headteacher. He let us into the new Room to Read (where my world map mural will be in a few months!) and we hung out in the Resource Center with my best friends from school. The photo on the left is us with my co- English teacher, Ephraim Phiri and my homie Oscar Zulu, fellow teacher and assistant director of the RC. It was incredible to be able to share my everyday life with my family. It really reminded me how strange and wonderful this experience actually is and how lucky I am to have this opportunity.

After seeing my school we walked all through the Boma. It’s about a ten-minute tour that took close to 30 because everybody wanted to meet my parents. I’ve been talking them up for the better part of a month, so everyone came to pass greetings. We bought veg and got a ride with one of my co-teachers up to the main village where the Nyau Festival was to take place. We got there about 3 hours after the appointed time, which I figured would mean we’d be right on time, but the chickens were still alive and the villagers were scattered and unprepared. We waited around for a couple of hours but by late afternoon when still nothing was close to ready, we decided to make the 3km trek back to my hut so we could eat and get out of the African sun. It was disheartening to give up on the event I had been planning with my villagers for the last month or so but it served as a good example of how difficult it is to accomplish anything here. It’s a cultural difference that I’m still learning to accept. At least the village got to enjoy a good feast that day, while we finished up the eggs and bread and packed up my house to leave the following morning.

We left at first light to catch a flight from Chipata to Livingstone. Transport has never been easier, I should throw money at that situation more often. We made it straight to our hotel just before the rains and had a great buffet-style dinner; complete with all the vegetables I’ve been missing for the past 10 months and more. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten the chance to split a bottle of wine with Mom and Dad.

We were on the move the whole 3 and a half days spent at Victoria Falls. We walked to the gorge, explored the sites and then signed up for some adventure. One afternoon we spent riding elephants and the next walking with lions… Mom and Dad were up for anything. Truly the vacation of a lifetime. Victoria Falls (locally named Mosi oa Tunya – The Smoke That Thunders) is absolutely incredible, you can walk along almost the entire width of the falls all the way up to the gorge that separates Zambia from Zimbabwe. Words and photos could never do it justice, it’s a sight to be seen before you die.

As predicted, the trip went too fast but we really packed a lot in for a great week. It was an emotional event for me to have gone almost a year without seeing my parents and then have to say goodbye again. I had never gone more than 

maybe half a semester without seeing them and now it’ll be at least another 17 months until the next time. This holiday season I’m especially thankful for my wonderful family, both American and Zambian, and of course the pack of strays that make up the Peace Corps. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be blessed with all of the incredible people that make up my life. I’m missing everybody Stateside and trying to soak up everything in the short time I get to spend here.

Peace and love everybody, enjoy your families and have a very happy holiday season!