Pictures of Kitchen Party...

Photo 1: Bride presenting the cake to mother in-law to be...
Photo 2: Rosie handing over VSO volunteers' gift...
Photo 3: Groom's entourage
Photo 4: Bride's entourage

Kitchen Party

Kitchen parties are meant for bride-to-be. It is similar to bridal shower, except that a kitchen party, as the name connotes gives out kitchen utensils as present for the party which the couple can use as they start living on their own. We don’t know the bride or the groom but we found ourselves attending a kitchen party one weekend together with the other volunteers. To make a long story short of how we ended attending the party---VSO has a new partner in Chipata and the executive director happened to know us all through the preparation meeting that is done prior to volunteers’ arrival in country. This is how the connection was established. The bride to be is her niece and she was the one in-charge of the kitchen party. Sincerely, I did not plan to come but out of curiosity I did. When we entered the venue of the kitchen party, all eyes were diverted on us although we wouldn’t know what they were thinking…but I could guess, at least one of them would be thinking…what are these Mzungus doing here?

The photos speak of what a kitchen party is. All presents from invited/uninvited guests have something to do with kitchen. Kitchen parties are done for the bride, and it is an all-ladies affair, including the local band. Both relatives and friends of the groom and bride were present, including families and parents. The ceremony starts with the emcee (usually a family member) announcing the bride’s and groom’s family background. After the preliminaries, the ceremony starts with the entourage of the bride with her at the end of the line, with the matron of honor assisting the bride. I call it assisting because the bride is covered with a chitenge (colorful fabric wrapped around as skirt) so that she won't see anybody when she enters the room. As she goes up the stage, the matron-of-honor slowly unfolds the chitenge cover. The bride moved like a robot in the sense that even when standing or sitting,or every move, the matron-of-honor has to assist or coach her. What puzzled me was the sad face of the bride, and unable to control my curiosity, I asked why the bride appeared to be unhappy only to find out that it is part of the ceremony. The bride was not supposed to smile as a sign of respect because the decision of getting married is a serious matter. Smiling or talking would appear disrespectful.

When the bride is settled on the stage, the groom enters with his entourage to formally present the bride to the public. As this was done, the groom has to say something to the bride. Despite the presence of the groom and the many guests, the bride has to keep her sullen face. After this part of the ceremony, the bride and groom walk together to the exit to send off the groom and his entourage. Then the bride walks back to the stage.

When the bride is back on the stage, she was assisted again to go down with the other assistants handing her cakes, to be given each to her mother and mother-in-law to be. While doing this, the mothers give pieces of advice about married life (so, I heard from people!). Then the bride is ushered back to the stage and the next ceremony starts which is the presentation of gifts. All the gifts are picked randomly and the presenter is called up onstage to hand over the present. But this does not end here, while presenting the gifts; the person has to give pieces of advice to the bride. Imagine if there are so many gifts? This would also mean long hour of presentation of gifts and pieces of advice. In addition, the gift presenter has to dance after handing-over the gift and since we just pitched in for our gifts, all of us Chipata-based volunteers went up stage and danced together as a group.

Because there were many gifts, a break was called for in the middle of it so that guests can eat. There was a long queue for food but as Mzungus, we were given the privilege to get our food without queuing. Not fair, but it felt good to be treated this way in some situations.

I enjoyed the experience. There was even a Zambian who asked if I am married, which I answered with a no and again a follow-up question was asked, if I have a boyfriend which I affirmed. And I was expecting that there will be a follow-up statement which indeed was true…she told me to get married and she will help organize my kitchen party. Nice try…but I may copy it if, not when my turn comes but probably modify it a bit. It was a good experience but I don’t think I would attend another one unless I know very well the bride.

Who’d have thought this is how the pieces fit
You and I shouldn’t even try making sense of it
I forgot how we ever came this far
I believe we had reasons but I don’t know what they are
So blame it on my heart’ oh…LOVE INDEED MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS….

I would say that November started with a romantic note, I felt loved…so much loved and I want to share this to my friends as it radiates to my entire disposition in life. I promise, once again, to start updating my blog. As a start though, I will try to recall some events which I guess are important to share to other people.

My 1st Year

This month marks my 1st year in Zambia. One of my volunteer-friends always tease me when i count my days in Zambia and this week she particularly told me that i am remaining with 12 months to complete my two-year placement or more? which i laughed off. Generally, it was a good one year of life and living in Zambia. The highs and lows, ups and downs, happy and sad times, fun and boring moments, a mixture of emotions. To make me feel much better, let me share the highlights of my stay in Zambia:

Home:
• I have made my house homey, with the wall decors of African wildlife and some trinkets, and most of all i was able to put a plant inside my house!
• Plants can now be found in the plant box by the window of my house and i water them everyday to maintain their growth
• I've got all the basic things in my house from the bedroom to the kitchen to the toilet

Work:
• Facilitated the Diocesan Strategic Plan which runs from 2010 to 2014 that was published in a very nice material. The presentation and training materials i shared already to friends involved in development work
• I finalized the strategic plan of Caritas Chipata which was also packaged nicely
• Trained people on M&E
• The M&E Manual of Caritas Chipata was finished. In fact, I have shared already the document to some Mzungu (Foreigner) friends who are also involved in development work and they were impressed with my work
• Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction Project starts this month and i was instrumental in developing it
• RAISA small grant for HIV/AIDS mainstreaming
• Staffs have improved their report writing skills

Building Relationships:
• Maintains a good and harmonious relationship with fellow VSO vols
• Established friendship with Mzungus in Chipata and at the same time built contacts with regards to work
• New Zambian friends
• Close friends from the diocese both priests and nuns
• Colleagues know the real me
• a group of kids who always wait for me outside the office or just by the road where i pass through when going home. I call them my fans

Life and Living
• I have traveled to Malawi to see the lake and the great landscape of Dedza and been to some of the best places in Zambia like South Lunagwa National Park (2 times! as official safari tour and 2 work-related trips) and Lake Kariba in Siavonga---next stop: Victoria Falls here and crossing the border to Tanzania
• Expert in finding places to buy cheap stuff...gone were the days when i would always go to shoprite to buy everything no matter the price
• Navigated all the places for night life---the quiet and noisy ones, depending on what i want for a weekend night out
• took a bicycle taxi and knows how to get a ride without a hassle...or as always my ever reliable priest-friends who give me a lift when i need it
• Experienced the best and the worst of traveling by public transport

I don't want to rant on the negative things because i want to build on the positive things so that i would have another wonderful year in Zambia. I am full of love in Zambia but i don't know what it means...it's always complicated...

Is this Life I Wanted?

It’s Sunday evening, the 6th of September, like a prisoner, I looked out the window to see the lights in a misty surrounding. My house is located on a hill which has a good view of some parts of Chipata and even enjoys the sunset from the porch. However, I missed all these opportunities primarily for two major reasons; the first is avoiding mosquitoes wherein once it gets dark I have to go indoors. The second is security. The VSO bulletin for the month of August advised volunteers to always lock the doors even when we are inside the house, not to leave windows open, keep valuables discreetly, etc. Chipata, which I have come to love, generally is a peaceful place but taking extra precautions is always better.

In this situation, sometimes, I ask myself, is this life I want? I am independent, living on my own, away from family problems which we are normally included even if we are not supposed to be part of it, just because it’s a Filipino culture. Weekends are normally the most challenging days of the week. This weekend probably is a particular one because normally, I would hang-out with Mzungus over a coffee or dinner but nothing of this sort happened. Saturday, I was quite busy doing domestic chores. I woke up late, soaked and washed personal stuff, watered plants and a bit of weeding, and cooking! I made maja blanca to take advantage of the left over coconut milk and baked chocolate cookies for the sake of trying it but both were well done. I was just indoors the whole day. In the evening, I watched the last 3 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy season 3 because I have to start season 4. I finished watching at midnight and this concluded my day.

Sunday, I went for prayers and I was late again! I have carried over here my record of being late every Sunday during masses. I tried my best to wake up early but 7:30 is really too much early for me, moreover on a Sunday. After mass, I skipped the usual drop-by at the Father’s House because all priests were not around. Visiting priests from the cathedral were celebrating the mass. Reaching home, I washed my bike, watered the plants and planted some chilis. I wanted to cut the chilis infront of the porch because I find it out of place. I am not a chili eater but I just want to continue the pleasure of watching the tiny red fruits. I was so immersed with the planting that I just removed seeds using bare hands only to realize later that my fingers were burning. Mama’s warning slipped off my mind: never cut chilis with bare hands! I struggled to do something about it but when I was transferring baking soda from plastic to a container, I read that it helps burns. So, I put some powder in water and soaked my hands. After a few minutes, the burning sensation was gone. It was really effective! I cooked a good dinner, tried my hand with pork steak which did not taste the way mama does it, and prepared some vegetables, Indian way! But I failed to make it taste the 1st time I tasted it cooked by a Pakistani, UK-grown volunteer. Something was missing in the taste. Nonetheless, I enjoyed eating both. I took a nap, finished the book “The Winner Stands Alone” and dyed my hair.

Now, it’s evening, I am in front of my computer, trying to put into writing my weekend so that interested people would have a glimpse of a weekend in the life of a volunteer. I don’t want to sulk into depression, but sometimes, it reaches a point when you ask yourself, is this life I wanted?

Luncehon Party....Dinner Dance

All these theme-parties were strange to me. Back home we hold such parties in the real sense of the word, just partying. However, in Zambia these theme-parties seemed to be regular events for fund-raising. August 8th, Saturday, I attended a luncheon party which a local nutrition NGO in Chipata sponsored to raise funds for their program on malnourished children. It was the 2nd one I attended; the first one was diocese-organized to raise funds for seminarians.

The diocese sponsored was well-organized however, I was not so keen in attending it but eventually decided to go, even the ticket costs ZK100,000 (US$20) which was quite an amount for a volunteer like me, primarily because it was a noble cause. It would be a shame not to heed to the invite with all the pampering I get from the diocese. However, we went there (with the company of a priest) much later. Going there late was a good strategy because the speeches were finished so I did not experience the agony of listening to them. However, I was not spared from dropping something in the hat during the “passing of the hat”. What surprised me actually was this part wherein “very important people” were called on the stage to pledge any amount and it was therefore embarrassing if your name was called and you don’t pledge anything. Fortunately, I was seated among a group of priests and it was evening so, I was spared from being called (or maybe I won’t be called anyways!). In the end, the diocese was able to raise a good amount of money which I think would go a long way in helping future priests in the diocese.

There was another invitation from fellow volunteers, another dinner dance party which the local Rotarians have organized but knowing how the event moves, I refused. Apart from this, I did not find it a noble cause although the ticket cost fifty percent cheaper than the Diocesan one.

The 3rd invite which was the 2nd event I attended was somehow different because it was lunch. Besides, the ticket was free from VSO because the organizing NGO sold tickets to them. I attended the luncheon party together with 3 other volunteers. According to the ‘master of ceremonies’, when the lunch party opened, there will be no long speeches because in the morning a press conference was held; however, the guest of honor will be making a speech and an officer from one of the ministers in charge of nutrition programme in the province. This was the highlight of this blog because the luncheon party although well-meant has full of embarrassment. The so-called MC who happened to receive us at the entrance, was proudly carrying a mineral water bottle with whiskey or rum, sipping it while waiting for people to arrive. So by the time the program started, he was drunk. There was even an instance wherein he was talking over the phone infront of the microphone so his conversation was broadcasted around the venue. His position was not also steady while doing his job as MC and from time to time he would falter. He called on “VIPs” to pledge and one of the volunteers was not spared. She went onstage and pledged on behalf of VSO volunteers in Chipata--- our time and skills that can be shared to the organizing NGO. Of course, we were all laughing but realistically, this is what we can afford.

True enough, there were only two people who gave speeches. The first speech went well. However, when it was the turn of the “guest of honor”, it was really embarrassing but later on I felt pity to her. As introduced, she is the wife of one of the provincial ministers in the Eastern Province who was representing the first lady of Zambia. The First Lady of Zambia was the guest of honor but she delegated due to another engagement. I have observed that this seem to be a trend in such social events, wherein the first lady was always indicated in the tickets as the guest of honor, probably to encourage attendance or maybe there are other reasons that I still have to discover. Going back to the speech of the guest of honor, I would say it was embarrassing because she was put on spotlight unprepared. She read the speech on behalf of the first lady but she had a hard time reading some words, faltering, shaking lips and some words were not even pronounced properly. During the first few minutes, people did not react; however, successive and consistent mispronunciation and faltering made the audience laugh. However, our group did not find it funny anymore but what we felt was sympathy to the lady because we thought that probably she did not rehearse or did not read the speech before coming to the event. Looking at the reaction of the audience, they looked dismayed and disappointed and until now I still feel sorry for the lady. I have no idea who was to blame for putting her in an embarrassing situation; however, it would have been better if she rehearsed, reviewed so that difficult words can be practiced. Also, delegating is not only about asking people to do it on behalf someone, there should be careful selection in terms of the capacity of the person.

In the end, it was another good cultural experience in Zambia and I found the event worth replicating for fund-raising.

Cory's Death

Saturday morning, I got a call from my Director who was in Lusaka, which was quite early for a weekend. Apart from updating about work, he broke a very important news to me. He said that your former-president passed away today. Upon hearing it, i already guessed that it must be Cory Aquino. My initial reaction was shock of course, and after gathering my composure, i told my director proudly: She is a big loss to the Philippines and the Filipino people. She is the fist lady president of Asia and she symbolizes democracy for she restored our democracy. I paused for some time and uttered a prayer for Corry Aquino. Afterwards, i spent few minutes remembering twenty years back. I was supposed to take entrance examinations for Philippine Science High School in Metro Manila that year, but because of People Power my parents canceled the plan. I did not bother myself so much why, but then i realized later on that our democracy was threatened and a civil strife might break out any time. Being in the peak of my teen-age years, I did not bother so much about what happened in EDSA although in my young mind, i knew it was a very important event to the Filipino people. Filipinos were proud for toppling the current President, then Ferdinand Marcos through a non-violent protest. I knew that Filipinos were one and united in the street urging Marcos to leave the Malacanang.

Years after, i realized that it was the right thing to do after being under dictatorship, Philippines deserve better leaders and the Filipino people deserve freedom. I was one of the so-called Martial Law babies, being born during the years when Philippines was under Martial Law. Counting the years since birth and the EDSA People's Power, it was indeed a long period of dictatorship. If you will add the beginning of Marcos regime, it was a momentous event for the Filipino people to topple the dictator in Malacanang. I did not imagine that such eventful year would become very important in the history of Philippine democracy. President Corazon Aquino restored the Philippine democracy and it was during her time that Philippine NGOs flourished with the democratic space the new government has provided. NGOs played a vital role in development during Aquino's administration, it assisted in providing services to the people. Until now, NGOs play a crucial role in guarding the democracy of the Philippines which her successor-presidents tried and still trying to curtail and suppress. I am proud and still proud of that part of history.

People's support shows how her legacy made an impact to the lives of the Filipino people. Filipinos all over the world are mourning over her death and i am grateful to the technology because despite my distance, i am able to watch live Cory Aquino's wake. I am one and with the Filipinos in mourning over the death of Cory Aquino. You will be forever remembered for restoring back the Philippine democracy and for bringing gender concerns into being.

A Different Sunday

I watched two ball games on Sunday. One was called "netball" which was similar to basketball except that there was no dribbling of the ball but just passing to the members of each team and shooting. It is timed, there is also a referee and they also change courts. However, much as I want to learn about the rules of the game, it was freezing cold so watching outdoors for a long time was not fun.

After the first game, I went to another ball game, which according to one on-line article I read, is like a religion in Zambia, soccer or football. It was a match between altar boys of two parishes in Chipata. In my stay in Zambia, I have learned so much about the rules of the game, although not fully but at least the basics. By the time I left, the parish team where I belong was losing, the running score was 2-nil. However, due to too much cold, I did not finish the match. Hopefully, in some other occasions I would get the chance and opportunity to watch football match up to finish. Maybe by the time I leave Zambia I would also be a great fan.

This capped the last weekend of July.

Saturday in the Life of a Volunteer

The last weekend of July has passed productively. The garden of the seminarians at the Father’s House in Mchini Parish inspired me to start gardening in my own backyard. On Saturday I was busy preparing seedbed for my parsley. My plan actually was just to scatter the seeds on the seedbed and never transfer them into plots because I don’t have the powers to prepare them. Just preparing the seedbed made my lower back ache; however, it would be good to see vegetable herbs in my backyard. After the seedbed preparation, I also started potting soil in polyethylene bags because ornamental plants needed to be potted first before planting them directly to the soil. I tried planting directly but I failed because the soil was not fertile, moreover, termites are everywhere. Apart from this, my desire to plant ornamental plants was inspired by the roses I saw around Chipata, roses of all colors and types. I made a promise to myself that in two year’s time I would be able to fill the garden with roses. Luckily I am able to grow some; in fact some of them are already in full bloom.

On the same day, I made myself a good lunch. Experimenting on dishes has also become a hobby in Zambia. I have been craving for fish since it’s very seldom that I cook fish for meals because of the strong odor it emits when cooking which is not advisable to my enclosed kitchen (actually I can open windows and doors but I fear mosquitoes and burglars respectively). However, since it was a weekend, I grilled tilapia using my braiser a.k.a in the Philippines as "pugon" and makeshift griller from chicken wire. Since I was grilling, I also made “escalivada” as a pair to my grilled fish. Escalavida is another experimental dish courtesy of on-line recipe. It turned out well and I really enjoyed it. Of course, how can a Filipino meal be complete without rice? I fried the rice, eat it with escalivada and grilled tilapia with coke in can! I had a sumptuous Saturday lunch.

Cooking for the day was not yet over; I baked experimental bread---sweet potato bread. It tasted sweet potato but never looked like bread, it turned-out more like a cake. By the time I go back to the Philippines, I would probably be engaged in baking as a fallback career if I become unemployed for a long time which hopefully won’t happen since I want baking as a hobby although if it will bring me money I can make business out of it.

End of Saturday

Chama

I delayed in posting this blog about my trip to Chama because I tried to research for information about the socio-demographic characteristics of the place but I failed to get any from government websites until I resorted to checking the free encyclopedia on line, Wikepedia.

According to Wikepedia, Chama is a small town in the Eastern Province of Zambia. It is one of the most remote headquarters in the country, lying just inside the eastern edge of the upper Luangwa Rift Valley, at the foot of the highlands dividing Zambia and Malawi. Chama District is the most northerly, largest and least-populated district of the Eastern Province and includes a large wilderness in the Upper Luangwa valley just north-east of the North Luangwa National Park. Much of the population of Chama District lives close to the Malawi border and shares tribal and cultural links with the people of the northern highlands of that country. The people of Chama belong mostly to the Senga tribe. Members of the Tumbuka tribe also live in Chama. Chisenga, a language similar to ChiTumbuka and Chichewa or Nyanja, is the predominant language spoken.

Agriculture is the leading industry, and maize is the most common crop. Chama is also known as a rice-growing area. Cotton is a lucrative crop for some. Sorghum and soya beans are also grown. Other common food crops include groundnuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, sunflowers.
Wonderful description of Chama from Wikipedia! Information found in the said article was amazing because they were all accurate. They may sound very general but that’s the normal way I describe a place. I travelled almost 300 kilometers from Chipata through dirt road, wherein my clothes and the white land cruiser turned brown in color because of the cloud of dust.

Chama is where I get my rice, apart from being cheap, the quality is good with a nice aroma and with my rice cooker- the quality of cooking really turns appetizing. In Zambia, one thing I realized was there is no sense of time. In fact, very few people wear wrist watch which is a good rest for me since it’s very relaxing and distressful. However, I hate this culture when it’s time for eating. Filipinos love eating and delay feeding them will result to all sorts of negative reaction from people. But I have witnessed in Zambia or in the districts in Chipata that they don’t mind if they eat late as long as at the end of the activity there is food. On the same occasion, lunch was served at 3PM. I looked forward to eating boiled rice especially prepared for me. I took my first serving but the man beside me shared the rice with me and he took his second serving without using a serving spoon which discouraged me from taking my second-serving. Lesson learned?: the first time you get food, get more than enough serving that you can take, otherwise having such delayed lunch will end up in unsatisfied eating. Moreover, if you are embarking on another long journey, better make yourself full.

Another interesting activity I witnessed was a mobile commercial store as depicted in the photo. It was a closed van which contained so many products from mugs to iron sheets. As I waited for the rest of the staff to finish their lunch, I was looking at people buying tin cups, plates, cooking pots, iron sheets while the storekeepers are slowly getting them inside the truck. According to people, the truck comes once a month which gives ample time for people to save money and buy stuff. While I was busy enjoying the movements of people, a man approached me asking for money. Automatically, I refused saying that I don’t give away money. This is one common misimpression about foreigners; dollar sign is seen on our foreheads. If they only knew, I am also a volunteer who relied on allowance to survive in Zambia although humbling to say that it is like paid job according to local standards.
After saying all the goodbyes, we started back our journey to Lundazi to stay for the night before proceeding to Chipata the next day. It was a rewarding trip because I always get affirmation that I am glad to be a Filipino and I am happy that Philippines is my country.

Politics and politicians are the same everywhere

I should say that politics and politicians are the same everywhere and who suffers most are the people that put them in their positions and the same people who are supposed to benefit from their service. On the other hand, people or the constituents are similar as well. The way people in Chama district reacted during the forum was not new to me because I have seen and observed the same reactions in the Philippines. Like what wise people say in the Philippines, “the movie was already shown” meaning they have witnessed the same event. However, despite this, I believe that the constituencies have all the rights to question the leaders they have put in their position because people have the right and deserve the best service they should get from their leaders.

What brought me to Chama was an activity of one of the programmes of Caritas Chipata under Governance. As M&E advisor, I am trying to move around to monitor the progress of implementation of activities in the different districts and parishes of the Eastern Province. The activity was dubbed “Sharing of Council Plans” wherein the District Council shared its plan to the people and in return they get the opportunity to ask what their council is doing. Too much protocol was observed during the activity. Courtesy calls were done to the Council Secretary and the District Commissioner. If my information serves me right. District Council is the counterpart of our “Sangguniang Bayan Chair” or the Vice-Mayor; however he was selected among the councilors of the district. District Commissioner on the other hand was the counterpart of “mayor” in the Philippines. The reception was good and very welcoming. The DC recognizes and appreciates what Caritas Chipata is doing in their district. However, for Caritas Chipata it has to assess whether it is creating impact to the grassroots community. Like all other local government units in the Philippines, the people were so eager to ask their leaders about what they are doing for their people or constituencies as they are called here. However, like politicians in the Philippines, when their ego is touched, they also react. The Council Secretary almost lost his temper when engaged in a debate for constructing a toilet called “ablution block” at the wrong place.

The opening remark of the DC was very long which affected the other scheduled activities. Like other TraPos, the speech contained his accomplishments but what struck me most was his remark on development, wherein he said, “your complains about heat in Chama district will turn into cash” because according to him, exploratory activities have been done wherein minerals have been found and soon investors will start mining their place and therefore, it would bring employment and revenue. It was sad to note that mining in Zambia is the answer to prosperity. I cannot refute because who am I to do it. If only they are educated about the harmful effects of mining. Simple logic: Copper mining has been in existence for so many years in Zambia but looking at the economic plight of the people and the country itself, did copper mining uplift the economy of Zambia and its people, the answer is obvious, otherwise development organizations won’t be around to help them in development which are mostly basic services.

What struck me was the constituency office in the district which is within the town centre ad within the proximity of the people. The constituency office is the counterpart of the District Representative’s Office in the Philippines. The Member of the Parliament (MP) who is the congressman/congresswoman in the Philippines has satellite office in the districts manned by two staff, administrative officer and assistant. Based on conversations with people, this is to bring the MP closer to the people and the task of the staff is to update regularly the MP about what is happening to the constituency. However, asked how effective it is and responsive to the needs of the constituents, I’ve got mixed reactions from people. Some positive and others were negative; however, as a point of reflection for me: in the Philippines, I have not seen visibly any office of the District Representatives that people elected. Their offices in the Philippines back in their districts are usually found at their residents which often manned by people who know nothing about bringing the leader closer to the people or manned by staff whose interests are the implementation of infrastructure projects.

Similarities between Filipino and Zambian Values

I decided to write about Filipino values because of my interaction with people from diverse cultural background. Working in a different country, and with its people is challenging because of the differences in work habits and practices, attitude, values and beliefs. These in a way affect the process of sharing skills and changing lives. On the other hand, dealing with fellow volunteers is another challenge. The way we handle development issues in developing countries is different from the way developed countries and its people handles them. Sometimes I find it amusing and other times exhausting when people approach certain simple things differently. To cite a few examples, ways of cooking and preparing food, eating habits, maintaining cleanliness, washing the dishes, etc. can cause stress to a volunteer’s life especially if you are sharing a house with another volunteer who is a non-Filipino, although I am not saying that both Filipinos in one house have greater chances of agreeing.

To get to the main reason why I am writing this article is to look back to Filipino values that affect the way I handle and manage situations, be it work or interpersonal relationships. According to Fr. Vitaliano R. Gorospe, S.J., “the Filipino value system arises from our culture or way of life, our distinctive way of becoming human in this particular place and time”. I also liked his philosophy that values are both subjective and objective. They involve a subject or person who values and an object or value to be realized. As a Filipino, I have imbibed some values which I find difficult to ignore despite the cultural exchanges and interaction I had from my travels and living in other countries, and dealing with different nationalities. I guess this greatly affects the way I see things from my perspective in the country where I am and the people I deal with.

Family. The family is the basic unit of society. Family ties are valued highly because Filipinos tend to be very close with family members. The extended family set-up is the standard with Filipinos, which is why divorce is illegal in the Philippines.

From Zambian context, family ties are more valued than Filipinos do. Extended family means cousins and even in-laws of in-laws. Confusing? Yes, sometimes I asked colleagues and friends when they say my sister or my brother, real one or cousin. In Zambia, first cousins are regarded as sister or brother. You are even obliged to help financially. Another situation is extended families on in-laws. In laws can stay in the house of a married couple for any desired period. It is not only staying in the house but also feeding and even attending to other needs of the individual. If your wife’s parents are dead, lucky is the man because you will be responsible in taking care of the siblings of your wife.

Pakikisama. This is the ability to get along in a group, and to enjoy camaraderie and togetherness. One who understands pakikisama will yield to group opinion and sacrifice individual welfare for group welfare.

Zambian way of pakikisama is different from our context; however, camaraderie and togetherness are common. But yielding to group opinion and sacrifice individual welfare for group welfare is not practiced the way we do.

Shame or hiya is the Filipino way of living up to accepted standards of behavior.

One Sunday, a Filipino priest sent me a message telling me that he will be passing by my house to drop my pancit which he bought from Lusaka. Intrinsic to a Filipino, I offered breakfast or snacks which he accepted and specifying how many they were. I told him it’s no problem because everything is available. When they reached home, there were two of them foreigner-priests and three local lay people. I cooked pancit and rice and they have bread and oranges. After the main course, the 3 locals grabbed fruits from our fruit basket without even asking if they can have them. I was just trying to see it from the point of view of Filipinos, we don’t just grab anything on the table unless offered or permission is sought. I have observed the same behavior not only in my house but on several occasions in other places.

Utang na loob or “debt of gratitude”, is owed by one to a person who has helped him through some difficulties he had undergone.

I have no concrete experience on this but I would say that Zambians value so much the favor accorded to them however, I have no idea if returning the gratitude is also done.

Common Values. Being respectful is one of the most common Filipino values that is being especially instilled in the minds of young Filipinos. The use of “Po” and “opo”, for instance, is an expression of respect to elders in the Tagalog culture (especially true among those living in Luzon). Grandparents and the elderly are also shown a special gesture of respect by the placing of the back of the elder’s hand (at the fingers) against one’s forehead, called “mano”.

The Bishop got used to my show of respect to him through placing the back of my hands against his forehead. The first time, he was surprised but I explained that it is the way we greet our Bishop as a show of respect. I struggle so much in Zambia because I am not used to people showing disrespect. Please is rarely heard when somebody asks you something. They would just tell you “come, I want to show you something”. For Filipinos, we would ask in a diplomatic tone with the magic word please. Until now, I still have a hard time understanding it because my ears is irritated when there is no please whenever something is asked from you to do.

Most of the time, you will hear children calling their neighbors and distant relatives “auntie” and “uncle” or “tiyo” and “tiya” in the Visayan area.
This one I guess is universal because I hear them call people as auntie or uncle, “amay” and “abambo”.

Bahala na; which means, literally, leaving things to God. It indicates the Filipino’s fatalistic view of life, and is a way of coping with conflicts that can result from tight kinship within groups. By adopting this attitude, one lets the circumstance take care of itself.

I wouldn’t say that they practice this value but we are common in our strong faith in God. They are more traditional with their beliefs like carrying bible so they can refer to it during the readings, kneeling on the altar while receiving holy communion, many songs during mass, no skirts and shorts during mass, and vernacular mass is called high mass because everything is sung. I could say that their strong faith also indicates the fatalistic view of life letting circumstance take care of itself. Can I say that this commonality have put us in the same situation when it comes to poverty levels or economic condition of both countries?

Death. Death in the Philippines is one of the most important occasions in family life. It is a tradition to hold a wake where families, relatives, neighbors, and friends gather to pay respect to the deceased remains.

This value is shared by both Filipinos and Zambians. All means and ways are exhausted to pay respect to the deceased remains and be with the bereaved family. In Zambia, even distant relatives and relatives of in-laws and friends of in-laws are accorded the same respect whereas Filipinos follow the blood line unless your family is close with in-laws even before the relationship is established by marriage. This situation is very evident because almost every week there is funeral and when you ask why they are attending, sometimes I find it difficult to establish the relationship. On the other hand, it is good because of the show of support to the family but on one hand, it is not a good practice because even if you don’t have the resources to travel or contribute money, you have to exhaust all means. Moreover, work is disrupted because no matter how urgent the need is, at the office, the supervisor or boss has to allow a staff when informed of such event.

Suki the building of personal bonds between businesses and customers and loyal patronage.

I would say that my integration in this aspect is limited because I only go to one grocery shop and vegetable market. Although, I would say that personally, I have established loyalty to one stall in the Saturday market where I buy my vegetables every week. Very Filipino?!

When Filipinos move into a new house, for example, they believe it is not proper to live there unless it is blessed in the presence of friends who will wish them prosperity. There is a religious ritual, sometimes a shower of coins tossed for good luck, and then there is a feast.

I wonder why this is not practiced despite the religiosity of Zambians. I am the first occupant of my house and I learned that it has never been blessed. I have been requesting but since it is not commonly practiced, I was advised to ask the Bishop or the Vicar-General to bless my house. It’s not difficult to request them but imagine the hassle for them when it can be done by a priest.

Despidida which is given in honor of someone who is leaving for a long period of time.

Very much practiced by Zambians. It is a tradition for volunteers leaving or completing their placement to be accorded with despidida party by colleagues. This one I guess is universal.

Pabaon the Filipino custom of giving guests a parcel of food as a send-off gesture.

In communities, like during field visits, the guests end up going home carrying a lot of stuff from the community as send-off gifts. Most common are farm products like vegetables, fruits, chicken and even goats. I remember the days when I was a community organizer in the Philippines; seldom would I leave the community without carrying something from the farmers and it's the same here. However, the practice is unusual during parties. Common observations to some volunteers are Zambian's way of packing the food they were given to eat so they can take it home. In some cases, the first serving is packed and they get the second serving is the one for eating. Filipinos don’t do this. We wait until the hosts give us something during parties.

Pasalubong travelers (even to nearby towns) are expected to return with “greeting gifts” called for family and friends.

During my first travel by bus, I have observed during bus stops that passengers are also busy buying food stuff like bananas, dried fish, native products which I assume are greeting gifts to the family or household they will be visiting. Personally, I have no first-hand experience about such gesture.

Amor propio, which means self respect

I don’t know if the pride of Zambians about their positions, status in life has something to do with amor propio because they respect so much themselves that even conceding I find it impossible for them to do.

Tampo. In order to save face, Filipinos are not allowed to express anger or resentment, so their hostility can take the form of withdrawal of cheerfulness from someone who has displeased them.

Zambians are generally sensitive. They are not straightforward that dealing with them as I share skills and change lives is difficult. I cannot just make any comment or reprimand them or else they will withdraw or they would be hostile to me. Change is difficult for them to embrace because they have some work habits ingrained in them that even changing mind set is difficult. However, this value is very difficult to handle because it affects the way work is progressing. For someone like me who is used to working at fast-paced, I struggle so much in my organization because people take things slowly.

These values helped me re-visit my approaches in work because I know unconsciously; the Filipino blood in me makes me look at things in a different perspective. I have to remind myself that I am in another country working with different people with their own background and culture. This way, I would be able to handle and manage my work properly.

My 1st Bus Ride in Zambia

There is always a first time so goes an old adage. After six months of being in placement or in-country, all the volunteers from our batch were called to Lusaka for a meeting referred to as call-back. A week-long activity including travel; however, it took me more than 7 days away from work to take advantage of the trip and my destination was Lake Kariba.

Volunteers who have been in Chipata advised us to take the first trip to Lusaka which is at 5:30 in the morning because it is the most reliable one. If you catch the 2nd or 3rd bus, chances are, you will end up being in Chipata bus station until noon. Our pre-arranged taxi came to pick myself and my housemate from our house. Colleagues advised us to take “Jordan bus”, so we tried to look for it only to find out that the bus is called “juldan”. Another recommended bus was called “max” only to find out that the name is “mark’s”. I don’t know if they have difficulty in pronouncing the letters or I probably have hearing problem. Juldan bus was impressive, double decker, spacious and nicely painted.

We stashed our bags (which were quite big considering the duration of our stay in Lusaka!) in the compartment while ensuring that bags would be safe underneath. Afterwards, the conductor asked for the fare even before getting inside the bus. The fare was ZK110,000.00 (Zambian Kwacha). We were able to find a nice seat on the top deck of the bus. We were seated observing people come and being bothered by barkers as they try to select the bus they probably like or forcefully convinced to get on a particular bus by the barkers who were so insistent. We even saw the conductor granting one passenger discounted fare with ZK20,000 change for a ZK100,000-bill. One learning in Zambia and even Malawi, people can haggle for fare. I wish bus companies in the Philippines are also the same. Here in Zambia and Malawi, if the bus stopped by a passenger on the road, negotiations for fare happen. If the passenger is not happy with the price of the conductor, then the bus leaves.
The 5:30 trip schedule became 6:30. Bus was delayed although I was surprised with myself because I was patient despite the long-wait. Maybe because of the entertainment I found while observing the people at the bus station. When the bus started off, I was relieved only to discover the worst because all passengers the driver see on the road, the bus would stop. I was counting and, it stopped every 10 minutes until finally the bus was full.

Midway to Lusaka is a famous rest area called Luangwa bridge, private or public vehicle stop at this place to pee, buy snacks or fish, native crafts or just simply to stretch. I also got off the bus to buy coke believing that I can manage without peeing until we reach Lusaka because from Chipata I didn’t take any liquid for this reason. While myself bought a bottle of coke, other passengers were buying fried and grilled fish. I thought they will take them to Lusaka like our famous tradition as “pasalubong”, only to see them eating the fried and grilled fish as snacks!

Culture shock, I don’t really know. For me, it just conveys something about culture. Zambians have their own way of doing things while we, as Filipinos have our own way of doing things. We may think that our practice is alright but we are not sure if they think otherwise about what we do.

Test of Patience

Yesterday I was a bit off...i don't know if the hormones in me is working or i just ran out of patience. After almost two months of waiting for my e-bay purchased backpack, i was so excited to hop-in our office car that was also going to town so i can go to Zambia Post Office to collect my parcel...before i got off the car, i told the driver i won't take long and the other passenger who was also my colleague told me that she was not also going to take long...so we agreed i will wait outside the post office after i finish my business at the post office.

I met a Mzunugu friend working with a Germany (or German?) organization who has been requesting me to help their organization on M&E...flattering, my humble post in Caritas Chipata is gaining recognition even from other international organization...i pray that this will bear fruit when i finish this stint of mine on "sharing skills, changing lives". Anyways, i greeted my friend and afterwards proceeded to the parcel collection window.

It took sometime for the guy at the post office to find my parcel, approximately 15 minutes, which normally would be a maximum of 5 minutes if their store room is in order or if they did not misplace my parcel,to find it. After handing-over it to me, he was asking for ZmK5,000 (approx. PhP50.00) as handling fee. I asked why it was this much when the last time i collected a parcel of 12 x 12 box (courtesy of my sister in the US!), the post office staff only asked for ZmK500. He tried to explain while i was also trying to understand the rationale behind, is it the size of the parcel, the contents, etc....The post office clerk was not happy with my question and told me instead "you cannot understand because you don't work at the post office"! precisely the point why I was asking, because i don't understand his explanation. To avoid argument, i paid and told him to give me receipt. He denied issuance of receipt because he said they have their own way of record-keeping...is this a reasonable explanation?! not really but i left anyway to avoid scandal because i am the only Filipino in this province; hence, everyone in this small town might hear of the story...

I opened my parcel smiling because finally, i have a backpack that i could alternately use with the other one i have. I rang the driver telling him i was done. He replied that they were still busy. I tried to explain my state, and to pick me, drop me at the office and come back for my colleague who was still taking quotation until i finished my talk time (load sa pinas). I bought again talk time to call him and tried to give the same instructions but he was so stubborn that he doesn't want to do it. So, i called the other driver who was at the office asking if there is any other available transport. He said none and why would i be stranded when the driver is in town. I also narrated to him the instructions i have given to the other driver with an end line, "it's ok, i will just get a cab and discuss this with our Director". With this, he said i wait for a minute because he was going to talk to the Logistics Manager at the office who probably rang the stubborn driver because he in turn called to tell me that he was coming to pick me.

The discussion with my director that i planned to do was not a threat but apparently, they were alarmed when i told the other driver that it will complicate matters if this case would reach the attention of the Director. I didn't have prior intention to threaten them but i feel bad that this seemed to be the reaction. All i wanted to do was to give the driver an alternative means since i didn't want to waste my time waiting for them to finish their errand when i already finished mine. Besides, i wanted to go back to the office because i've got lots of things to do. Moreover, the driver was just sitting in the car waiting for my colleague who was collecting quotation.

What i can not understand with Zambians is how they were trained to work. There is no initiative, as if you have to turn the key and that's when they move. It's like a turn-key leadership that they are used to.They work based on instructions not their own initiative. When there is no urgent work, they relax, chat, move from one room to the other, etc. instead of looking for something to keep them busy at the office.

Sometimes, i think and ask myself, is sharing skills practical to these people???? are they really willing to change...sometimes, it's really frustrating...i don't know if this is cultural or behavioral or attitude problem....maybe those of you reading this have got answers to my question...

Information

I promise to post this month. A lot of things have been happening but nothing extraordinary or interesting...but it would still be good to share my insights and what is happening about my life here.

Wait for new posts soon.

Concert

As if not tired from the Nc’wala Ceremony, I managed to still move out in the evening to watch a live concert of Zakala Brothers, Angela Nyirenda and another performer but I can’t remember his name. They are popular performers in Zambia. For ZK20,000 or roughly PhP200.00 I was able to watch a live concert. I realized that in Zambia, concert is not so much commercialized since the songs were unlimited. They performed without counting how many songs or how many sets. The performers enjoyed entertaining the people. The audience was dancing to the music which was mostly upbeat. I would say that I enjoyed the concert so much; nothing fancy but the music and dance were enough to entertain the people. The concert was really a great fun. I was with five priests and two other volunteers. One of my friends back home said to me in one of his emails that I am a BI for priests in my diocese and in Chipata I am also the same. I deny it but I hang out with them because I feel comfortable with priests and easily get along well with them because I am used to their company even in the Philippines. And here in Zambia, I assume that they also enjoy hanging around with me. One of them jokingly told me that they would evaluate my performance based on how well and bad I have influenced the priests. I am glad and happy to be friends with them since I feel safer in their company and I am grateful to their friendship.

Another bonus I would say during the concert was the presence of the Paramount Chief. I would say I was also looking forward to seeing him up close out of curiosity since he is an honored personality in Zambia or specifically for the Eastern Province. With the assistance of a priest who escorted me to where he was seated in the open ground concert venue, I was able to see him. The Paramount Chief joined the audience in dancing. The audience was very happy with the participation of the Paramount Chief on the dance floor. People of all ages were on the dance floor. Generally, Zambians enjoy dancing so much. I once joked with one of the priests that Zambians before they were born are already gifted with dancing skills because even during pregnancy, their mother dances. No wonder you would see as young as one year old, babies already dancing whenever music is heard. I admire most the way Zambians shake their hips without moving other parts of the body. It is a trick that needs inborn skills and constant practice because I tried but I failed. I also admire men who dances gracefully sometimes much better than women. Life indeed of Zambians is full of happiness when dancing just like Filipinos when it comes to singing. Both Zambia and my country share the same sentiments that despite the difficulty in life and living, having fun is always there which I think keep people moving.

Nc'wala Ceremony

Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony is the custodian of the Ngoni culture in Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Nc’wala Ceremony is celebrated during the last week of February every year. It was revived in 1980 to enable the Ngoni people: pay homage to their ancestral spirits, commemorate their victories during the tribal wars and praise the Lord for giving them fresh crops in the fields.

The 28th of February 2009, I was looking forward to the ceremony. I heard it is one of the tourist-drawing events in Chipata. Despite the late night out on the eve of the ceremony, I managed to wake up early and gear up for the event. I even convinced two priests to join me. We arrived at Mtenguleni Village at half past nine in the morning. The place was busy, which enable you to get the feel of the event. There was “tiangge” (in Philippine’s term) and a number of I/NGOs pitched tent for VCT and IEC. It was indeed an event that can be maximized for advocacy since there were many people that came to witness.

We reached the arena and tried to look for other people from the Diocese. On this occasion, I experienced once again the privilege of being attached to a church based organization. The Diocese got an invite to the event; hence, we were allocated with a comfortable viewing space. An usherette even led us to the tent for the Diocese. We sat and witnessed spectators come and go, performers practicing and showing off their traditional costumes. I also bought a headdress made of animal’s skin. After an hour of waiting for the ceremony to begin, heavy rains started pouring and a lot of people flocked to our tent, making it suffocating and warm. I have become restless because an hour was a long wait. But it was not the worst because the ceremony did not begin until 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Some of the people from the Diocese decided to leave even before it started because it was really a disappointing 4-hour waiting period. The main reasons being the most important people of the event came very late. They were the President and the Paramount Chief of the Ngoni tribe. It made me think why anywhere in the world, those occupying the highest position on earth always try to prove their worth and authority in a wrong way. People travelled from different places just to witness the event only to wait in agony because those who were supposed to be leader of the country were giving a negative example to people.

I went home disappointed because the people have been uncontrollable, after the rains, they have covered the ground obstructing our view from the nice position we were in. Part of the event was the unveiling of the statue of the first Paramount Chief. This was the only part we witnessed and we decided to go home disappointed. The waiting was not worth it because despite the long period we failed to see anything.

The Paramount Chief is the chief of all chiefs, honored and praised. Zambia highly regards the traditional form of governance. Moreover, the Paramount Chief is even superior to the President. In my four months in Zambia, I still fail to understand their system of governance. I find it hard to reconcile the roles and delineation of traditional leaders and the formal governance, since chiefs of chiefdoms are very important decision-makers in their villages. I also have difficulty trying to understand the tribal groups. I am not sure if they are the counterpart of our Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines because everyone in Zambia belongs to a particular tribe. I have yet to discover if this system of having a Kingdom has existed even before colonial period or it was an influence from the colonizers. In Zambia, Chiefs are one of the most powerful decision-makers on matters pertaining to land. This system of Kingdom I find very interesting and I hope that I would manage to understand better how it works before I complete my placement.

Ang Pagsusugo

I always forget to upload this document. The programme which my colleagues at the Foundation for the Philippine Environment prepared for me during my send-off party. Touchy...and i really appreciated it. The file was in Power Point format so i converted it to jpeg format. Enjoy reading much as i enjoyed it myself.

To my FPE family, you have a difference in my life...thanks for everything.

Tragic Death of my Cousin

I was preparing for the 7:30 mass at Mchini Parish when my phone rang. I was excited in picking it since there was no name that registered on the screen, only call, which means that it was overseas. I was right, it was my cousin in the US who requested for my phone number a month ago. I was so happy and if somebody could see me, my smile was up to my ears. We exchanged the usual “kumusta ka”, how is life treating me in Zambia and the same way I was asking her about work and life in Florida. I could say that since she left in September 2007, we have become closer, making sure that we communicate regularly through yahoo messenger and through chats, we are able to share things which we could not normally do back home in the Philippines. After a few minutes, she asked me if I was alone and I said yes. Then, my heart skipped when she told me that she has some news from home, that I should be strong since I am alone. This line I knew meant something bad happened. My guess was right, one of my cousins has died in an accident. My dead cousin was in a bicycle to buy something for breakfast and as she was making a turn, a speeding motorbike came and hit her. She died on the spot with broken arms and purplish back probably due to hemorrhage and the impact as she landed on the concrete road. Hazel, her name is a cousin of mine who got no parents anymore. She is the youngest and still young to die. Only 26 years old and I know that she could have been enjoying a good life if not this tragic accident happened. One of her sisters, live with my mum at home. Because of this, I had the strength, courage and trust to come to Zambia to volunteer. Her family I would say is the most deprived among our family in so many ways primarily because of the early loss of parents. Her life has always been challenging so I thought that maybe this is God’s way of making her life easy. Being reunited with Him is better than being on earth and suffer.

When I got the news, the moment my cousin Tin-tin dropped the it, I was already crying. Both of us were asking why things are happening when we were not there. In less than four months, she is the second cousin I lost, when I go home, I wouldn’t find two of my cousins anymore. I remember Tin-tin telling me to be strong because I am alone here in Zambia when she heard me crying. It sunk into my mind, yes I am alone. Being away from home at this side of the earth was really difficult. And receiving such news is the last thing somebody alone and away would want to receive. I contemplated of not going to mass, but then I still went so I could pray for my cousin. But while I was walking, I was asking God why He is allowing these things to happen when I am here. My director (priest) told me when I lost my other cousin; would it have made a difference if you were there? And I said no, but being in this situation makes you say that life is not fair. Another priest told me that things happen for a reason, adding that my experience and what are happening have reasons. I thank God for having friends around me that include priests, and fellow volunteers who came to see me and gave me big hugs. It helped so much because I needed them most in this trying time in a volunteer’s life. I have made big sacrifices when I decided to come to Africa, I am not expecting prize for what I did but I am hoping for reward that will come my way when I complete my service here.

Field Visit

My work as Monitoring and Evaluation Officer has not officially kicked off but I have been doing other things which are not directly in my placement objectives. I am not complaining because it keeps me busy however, I am almost reaching to the point of frustration. When I was informed that I will be joining the Food Security Team to field visits back to back with the monitoring visits of one of Caritas Chipata’s funding agency, I eagerly agreed.

Off we traveled South of Chipata, approximately 65 kilometers of bumpy and muddy roads. The place was called Vubwi, one of the VODP which is part of Chadiza District. It was good that along the way, the vehicles didn’t get stock in the mud. There were two vehicles in convoy, and I traveled with the funding agency’s car. There was a bend on the road which was really muddy where we lost sight of the other vehicle only to find out that they have given a lift to a dead body. Yes, a dead body! I learned afterwards that they picked these people by the road close to the Adventist hospital. Another shocking culture for me because in the Philippines, you would not normally travel a corpse in any vehicle but from a funeral home. I assumed that they probably failed to refuse because there was a nun seated at the front seat of the vehicle. I was relieved that I was not in that vehicle.

After the long trip, we arrived at our destination and the first thing I looked for after the introductions was a toilet. I was shown the toilet which was open pit type and large flies flying out of it. Unable to control how I was feeling, I braved to enter the toilet only to pee on the floor because I failed to bear the flies coming out of the pit latrine.

There was a prepared programme for the monitoring visit of the funding agency representative. I would say a very formal one since it was complete with opening and closing remarks and long messages. After the programme, we proceeded to see the fields of some of the Food Security Programme beneficiaries. I was impressed by the large fields of maize and sunflower. I learned that sunflower is the major source of oil of the people in Zambia. We also visited the hog-raising project which was a communal one. I was surprised that this scheme seem to be successful compared to the Philippines where such project type fails. After the field visits, there was another processing session with the same long speeches.

Courtesy call to the parish priest was done after lunch. Vubwi is a good hideaway place if you want a quiet weekend. It was so cool and probably since it is rainy season, there were greens all over. I also learned that there are saints called Uganda Martyrs. They were the first Christians burned in Uganda when they tried to do their missionary work. The brief courtesy call was the last activity after which we proceeded to Chipata through the border.

I have learned and realized so many things during the field visits in line with culture and probably social aspects. During one of the visits, we have found a family eating with bare hands with flies all over their food. I also realized that learning the language is really important. With my line of work, I must learn how to speak their local language so I would be able to communicate with the people. Through the field visits, I was able to gain insights on how I would approach the M&E when I start the real work on systems installation.

Noche Buena

Litsong manok (grilled chicken, the Filipino way), banana cake, spaghetti, rice and a bottle of Amarula (a drink made of cream with fruits of the marula tree, otherwise known as elephant tree) were on the table as noche Buena meals. I invited over the 3 priests from the Mchini Parish (where I take meals at least once a week) but only the two, Fr. Richard and Fr. Aaron made it because Fr. Odron was assigned in another district. However, Brother Charles, a seminarian joined as well. It was a simple evening which started with drinks to keep everyone awake, well not alcoholic drinks but coffee and tea. While reheating food, Christmas songs from the computer were playing to feel the spirit of Christmas at home since there was no single decoration because I decided to keep my attention away from the holidays. But it was inevitable so the meals compensated for the lack of feel of Christmas at home. Of course prior to eating was the serious and wacky shots…photo ops…so called.

The meals started with a prayer, I think it was impossible not to say grace before meals with priests around. I was happy that everyone appreciated the food I cooked. They were not extraordinary but they were well done, the cake, pasta and chicken. While sharing the meals we also shared the traditional Filipino Christmas. And I was able to do my global education using the national symbols and map posted on one side of my seating room walls, as visual aids. Unfortunately, I failed to show the miniature jeepney that was also on display.

The evening ended after almost three hours of chatting, sharing laughter and cultures. It was a good celebration, surviving Christmas away from home and making the most of the situation. I was glad and happy that the priests shared the evening with me. I remember back home, our Parish Priest was also at our home for the Noche Buena, so more or less, it was similar. Life is what you make it, I guess, you can sulk if you want but you can also be happy if you want to be. It’s up to you to choose which one you want.

Christmas Midnight Mass

Failure to travel to Malawi right at the start of our office break was a positive thing eventually because I was able to experience Christmas in Zambia. I was wondering when I learned that mass starts at 7.30 in the evening which was quite early compared with the one I usually have at 10.30 or so in the Philippines. Fortunately, I was able to cook the food for Noche Buena late in the afternoon since there was nothing to keep me busy anyways. Besides, I anticipated power cut and if it happened during evening Christmas meal would be spoiled. I was with two other Filipino volunteers to celebrate it with. We started off to church at 7.30 anticipating that mass would start late as usual. However, we did not foresee that walking would be difficult since the road from my place was not flat but rather bumpy and clayish. Apart from this, it was dark and we were really groping on our way to the church. Because of these unanticipated situations, we arrived late for the mass and we have to squeeze ourselves in the available seats which were at the men’s side. Culturally, men and women have separate sides inside the church. They cannot sit together. On this occasion we were excused probably because we were “mzungus”. Initially, I was comfortably seated which lasted for less than 30 minutes. People became busy when the stage play started reenacting Christmas Day from annunciation to the birth of Jesus Christ. The skit took sometime to finish. People keep on moving alternately sitting and standing in order to watch the performance. At this point, I failed to bear the heat and lack of air. I stood up by the door to inhale cool air outside the church. It relieved me but I was not able to find a seat so I have to stand up during the entire performance that lasted for a long time. I have observed that people were excitedly watching the play and whenever there is opportunity for dancing, it was lovely to see them swaying their body and moving their arms as a form of praise. This is another practice I find different the way it is done in the Philippines because Filipinos don’t dance during masses. One striking observation I had during the mass was people’s enthusiasm when a thanksgiving song was sung by the choir. Almost everyone stood up to praise through singing and dancing. It was a very lively celebration although it lasted for almost 5 hours.

After the mass, I went closer to the altar to see the “belen”. I felt sorry that baby Jesus in the manger was a makeshift cloth shaped like a baby. I wished I would have the opportunity to go home during my two-month stay in Zambia so I could bring an image of the baby Jesus that Mchini Parish can put in their “belen” in December. It was humbling on the other hand, that efforts were exerted in order to show to people the importance of the celebration. I was also amazed at the decorations inside the church using rolls of tissue papers. Christmas greetings were exchanged then afterwards; we proceeded to the Fathers’ House for a drink as well as to get a ride since all of us moved together to my house for the noche Buena.

Welcome to 2008

Today is the feast of Epiphany...1st Sunday of the year, yes! it's 2009 already. I couldn't believe it. The year has changed while i am in Zambia...one of my new year's resolution is to keep this blogspot updated as much as possible. I am remaining with more posts from 2008....and to those who regularly (is there anyone anyway?) follow this humble page of mine, watch out for it because i have interesting posts that will be uploaded soon.

I just want to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR...a peaceful, bountiful and joyful 2009 to all....cheers!