Merry Christmas

This month, instead of telling you all how much I miss you, how different the weather is, or how it is impossible to find a turkey in Zambia, I’ll instead share with you some Christmas cheer – things that have/are making us happy, and why this year has been so important and amazing for us.

Discovery. Entering a different culture is exciting. Sharing knowledge and experiences is so rewarding, and eventually, after a LOT of learning, you reach a point where you can finally relax and (almost) fit in with the people around you. Things aren’t as hard as they were, and little things like not hesitating to greet everyone you pass on your way to work, and drawing water every day for your bath are just another great part of your day. Yesternight (a Zambian saying), a co-worker told me how impressed he was with my language, and said, “you even speak like a Zambian now”. That made my day. You also discover things about a different prace and people (like constantly mixing up ‘l’s and ‘r’s), that are hirarious, and you eventually do the same things without lealizing it, only until someone from home catches you.

Patience. Is a common name here. But also, it really IS a virtue, and no one knows it better than Africans. Take it easy, relax, things will be okay. Though I do think this can be a bit detrimental in some situations, Ben and I have learned a lot about this word. I waited months and months to finally be registered with the nursing council. As I write this, we’re waiting for our neighbours to come by so we can go help them buy school uniforms. They’re already an hour late. Nothing comes on time, and you just deal with it. If things don’t fall into place like you have planned, it will still be okay. Maybe even “better than okay” (another Zambian saying).

Laughter. Say something remotely funny, and you’ll get roaring laughter and hand slaps, especially from old women. Show any sort of interest in a group of kids, and you’ll have an entourage of under-10’s wherever you go, ready to turn and run screaming if you give in and play with them.

Community. Walk anywhere at any time of the day, and you’ll see people sitting in the shade on their reed mats, chatting as their hands busily shell groundnuts or maize. Walk past a church group practicing their music, with drums and shakers and dancers – and they gladly welcome you to join or just listen. Visit anyone, anytime, and always receive the warmest welcome. Have 40 neighbour kids know your name as Uncle/Aunty Stephan, every elderly person is grandma/grandpa, and your closest neighbours treat you like a brother and sister. It’s more than community, it’s family.

Hope. Another common name here, along with Mercy, Gift, Joy, Peace, …Fatness (not kidding). There is poverty and malnourished babies, young people die from AIDS, and things really are stacked against people who want to have a better life than this. Despite all the obstacles and adversity, there is a lot of hope. A lot of determination and tenacity as people try to overcome corruption, disease, financial hardship, gender inequalities, and traditional expectations. People have innovative ideas, ambition, and a lot of optimism about the future of their country, despite the struggles of their past/present. It’s so encouraging and wonderful.

We’re both so lucky and happy to be here, words and pictures aren’t enough to tell you what it’s like for us. Thank you for all your support and thoughts and prayers while we’ve been in Zambia, we both really appreciate it and always look forward to even the smallest email or facebook message.

This Christmas, we’re celebrating in Lusaka. A friend has graciously let us stay in their house and look after their dog and cat and pool while they are traveling. So we’ve been “out on the town” here, going to the movie theatre to see Harry Potter, eating ice cream and muzungu food, and enjoying the sun by the pool. On Christmas Eve, Ben and I and a friend had a nice lamb dinner here, then joined two friends and went midnight mass (at 9pm) at a huge Catholic church with 500+ other people. It was so great, we sang carols, there were 2 choirs, and we danced our way out of the church 2.5 hours later. Ben and I came home and watched a bit of The Polar Express and opened one gift. On Christmas day, we were happy to see that Santa had come, then we relaxed by the pool. We had 9 people over for Christmas dinner, and we ate and ate and ate and played games and drank wine. It was nice to celebrate with friends and have a traditional Christmas. Zambians do celebrate Christmas, but there aren’t any big traditions, and to most people, especially in rural areas, it’s not a big celebration at all. Only when you get to Lusaka and enter the big new fancy mall will you see decorations and hear Christmas music. It’s nice if you don’t like the commercial part of Christmas, even though you lose some of that Christmas-y feeling. The tropical surroundings don’t help that either, but I’m not complaining!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!