Party Animal!

Monday, January 7, 2008

For Christmas, Peter gave me the gift of having a chitenge outfit made for me. The secretary in the Peace Center is a seamstress and she has agreed to make the outfit. This gives her a bit of extra work, it gives me something I have been wanting and will wear often, and it gives Florence and I the chance to spend a bit more time together. So today, Florence and I went to Chisokone Market to buy material for the outfit. I have spent time in the vegetable part of the market and went to the poultry section for my turkey but haven’t made my way through other parts. The chitenge material is near the fish part of the market and we knew we were in the right place by the smell. My goodness! The market was crazy with so many people, pushing and winding their way through the stalls, trying to avoid mud puddles and piles of trash. I have never seen so many dried caterpillars and other insects for sale. A delicacy, I am told, but not brave enough to try. I found material that I liked and purchased six meters that will be enough for a skirt, top, and extra material that can be wrapped around my head or tied around my waist when I dance at Kitchen Parties. I talked over the kind of design that I would like with Florence and I think she understood but who knows what the end product will look like. Florence is very fashionable and impeccably dressed so I am not too worried. I will take a picture and send it when it is finished.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Today is the first day of school for the second term. Both boys were not so excited about returning to school, mostly because of relational issues. So last night we prayed for the children that are mean to Jason, and those that annoy Brendan. Jason came back from school, astonished that God listened last night, because Alistair was kind to him that day! Brendan chose to encourage one of the boys that bother him, which was a huge step for him. Gemma is new to Upper Nursery this term, and Jason knows her from playdates with Brendan’s friend Patric, who is her brother. Georgi told me after school that Gemma was a bit anxious about her first day of school but immediately felt better when Jason took her under his wing and made sure she sat next to him and played with her during break. It’s so nice to get good reports back on your children!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

I spent a lovely morning at Carmen’s work. On the Mindolo campus, there is also the United Church of Zambia Theological College and attached to this college, there is a branch called “Theological Education by Extension Zambia” or TEEZ and that is where Carmen spends her time when she is not playing Settlers with us. I met all her co-workers and they are absolutely delightful. Esther and Phyllis are wonderful women and I am so thankful Carmen is sharing them with me. They seem to be the “bridgebuilders” that I have been looking for, women who can teach me and interpret the culture for me. I learned more in this one morning than I have in several months, it seems. I will be attending a Kitchen Party (Bridal shower) on Saturday with Esther, Phyllis and Carmen, which should be fun. I also talked with Reverend Chimfwembe who also works in that office. He is very interested in pastoral counseling and we had a lovely conversation. I told him about the African Indigenous Christian Counseling training series that my dad produced with a Kenyan psychologist. He was very intrigued and so we will see about starting up these trainings at the Theological College.

I told Brendan about the Kids Club idea. He is very enthusiastic about the idea. It would be easy for me to put it off but, now that Brendan is on board, he will hold me to it. He determined that today would be a good day to start and he had ideas of what we should do so we went with it. First we played a game where everyone dances to music and when I turn the music off, the last one to squat down is out. A bit like musical chairs but without the chairs. There were maybe seven or so kids who joined in the fun. Whoever was named the champion was lifted up and bounced around to the cheers of the other kids. They definitely know how to celebrate! Then I read several books to them, which they seemed to enjoy. They were asking for more but it was time to get dinner started.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

I had the opportunity to attend a kitchen party with Carmen and her co-workers, Esther and Phyllis. These women are so lovely and we had a wonderful afternoon together. The kitchen party was held at the Women’s Center in the Wusakile neighborhood, a compound built for those working in the mines. When we arrived, an hour and a half late, the hall was still quite empty, save for a few ladies who contend that there are a few Zambians who know how to keep time. The hall was decorated with toilet paper wrapped around ceiling beams and a few lifeless balloons. The true decoration was the women who soon came pouring into the room in their brightly colored chitenge outfits. Soon we were clapping and dancing and singing worship songs, because as the matron said, we all go to church and therefore we must start with worship. After a sermon that wasn’t too long, the bride-to-be entered the room. She crawled to the front of the room, behind her chimbusa, the woman who has been training and preparing her for marriage. Every few steps, they would roll on their side and clap three times, repeating the same on the other side. This is the way they show respect for all the women who attended, those that will teach her about marriage. After they settled themselves in the front, the bride had to remain with her head down and a somber expression for the duration of the kitchen party. Before the opening of presents, we were served a meal complete with rice, chicken, coleslaw, and a delicacy that Carmen and I found rather hard to get down. It is a special dish made with groundnuts, that has the texture of tofu, but has a really odd taste. Esther loves this dish so we gave her our second pieces but we had to get down the first on our own to be polite. We distracted each other by talking about the merits and pitfalls of Hugh Grant’s acting career while washing down the undesirable item with Fanta.

When the food was consumed and the extra chicken passed around for women to put in small bags and take home, it was time to open the presents. I had been informed of the ritual beforehand, and Peggy had attempted to teach me how to dance Bemba-style, so I was prepared. At least as much as I could be. When our names were called, we knelt in front of the bride and explained to her what the gift was and how it could be used. Then we knelt in front of the three women who were drumming and put a bit of money in their bowl. The ladies wrapped chitenges around our waists and then it was time to dance! You should have seen the ladies rush up from their seats to dance and laugh and marvel at these two muzungus dancing. The entire room was a buzz! Our dancing reflected our personalities, I must say. I stayed toward the back and attempted the understated 1-2 step with the hip wiggle that I was taught. Carmen was out front flinging her hips around salsa-style with a huge grin on her face. All around us were cell phones held up to take pictures of us. When we were finally released to sit back down, we were called up again for an encore dance so that the photographer could take pictures of us. Women were laughing and grabbing our hands and congratulating us. We finally were left to sit and watch the other gifts being present, hot and sweaty but satisfied. This little Mennonite girl wiggled her hips in public more this day than in all my days combined.

I must say, Carmen and I were somewhat of celebrities, being probably the first American some of these women had ever met. They were delighted with the few words of Bemba we uttered and overjoyed that we attempted to dance with them. We were dragged outside because several women wanted to have their picture taken with us. It was starting to get out of control and so we said just one more picture and then we had to leave. But then one of the drummer ladies grabbed my neck and Carmen’s shoulder and started yelling at everyone to move away, not so that we could leave, but so that she could have a picture with us. As soon as we posed together, she started telling us in a sweet voice how much she loved us. It was crazy!

Esther and Phyllis were so good to us. Esther knew I didn’t have a chitenge outfit yet so she chose to wear regular clothes so I wouldn’t feel odd. They took the time to explain everything that was going on and why. They introduced us to the important people, interpreted when people spoke Bemba, yelled at people to move so they wouldn’t obstruct our view, got a beautiful black baby for Carmen and I to hold, and laughed and encouraged us. They are definitely what made this kitchen party a great experience!

I have pictures but I am having trouble uploading them. I will try to include them another time.