Once again we woke up early! Like 5:30 early. We had to be ready by 8 so we got breakfast and everything before we headed to the university. Today was our first day of class. For the first hour we talked about media and journalism in Zambia, which was hard for me to relate with. But then we had a guess speaker who was a christian pastor who was talking about how they want to change the nation religion of Zambia to be christian, when there are many other religions in Zambia. That discussion was easier to follow and was actually really interesting!
After that a few of the students gave us a tour of the campus. It was crazy how similar things were compared to Athens. There were about 10 (or less) dorm complexes that the student could live in. One of the complexes was for all boys. I don’t know if anyone has seen the ruins but that’s how they described it before we walked in. All of the Zambian boys were very excited to see the American women. When you walked in it leads you to this court yard part, Word spread that there were American girls and the balconies (everyone had one) that were facing the court yards slowly stared to fill up with the Zambian men. It was like we were celebrities. They were yelling, blowing horns, taking pictures, and were very rambunctious! That was something that I will never forget. We went into one of the rooms and it was very small rooms. But they were just like normal college students, hanging out, playing basketball, you know doing the normal college things. I now think about how much I complain living in my apartment or living situation. I will now be able to remember this experience and know how grateful I am.
Our tour was very long but after we finished to the tour we went to a mall and we had lunch. We were going to KFC to try their local dish. I was not feeling it so me and some other girls got pizza. It was different pizza than I have had before, so I was still trying something new. When we met with the other group at KFC I tried the specialty dish and it was like corn meal/ cream of wheat/ grits that that you clump together like playdough and then dip in gravy. The local Zambian students that came with us said that KFC does not offer the best but it’s a fastfood verson.
After we all got lunch were going to a market. We were told that we’re going to the slumps and to be prepared. So we had no idea what we were getting our self into. I pictured it to be a flea market type thing like we saw the other day but it was like that but 50 times lower quality. There was so much traffic and people everywhere. On the side of the road people were selling food like fish, rice, vegetables, salt, worm looking things, and fruit. Anything that you would want you could get from this market at a very cheap price. When we finally got into the market we were told to not bring our purses and to take off all of our jewelry. It was serious. This is a place for pick pocketing. Of course one again all the Zambians were so happy to see Americans and were always welcoming us to the country. We were told not to buy anything at the market to just look because it was too dangerous to pull out our money.We were literally on a dirt road, just tons of tons of people selling their goods with cars and big carts also trying to go down the aisles, and they were not stopping for anything. The smell of the market was horrible. On every food product that people were trying to sell flies were covering them. Some people had tents but most just sat on the ground. at one point we went through what I considered the music section and they were listening to current day American hip hop, that was fun but of course we needed to move along fast so not much conversation with the locals could go on.
We were finally allowed to stop to buy something, we need to wear for one of our dinners and this boy comes up to me. He is telling me how he likes my glasses. I was humoring him, but very aware that he might try to steal them. He tried so hard to get my glasses. I told him no many times but he hung out with us the whole time we were walking the rest of the market. He was 13, but he was very tall for his age so I don’t know if that was true. I was asking him a million questions to get him of the topic of my glasses. He answered them… I learned he did not go to school because it was too much money, but he someday wants to, he talked about the weather, he told me he was very popular around town. At our end of the conversation he actually told me I talked too much. We walked and talked for about 20 minutes and throughout me asking questions he did not give up about the glasses. So finally when we were at our bus I told him if he gives me his bracelet, I will trade him my sun glasses. I was nervous and made sure the timing was right so he could not ask for more or tell his friends how easy I was to get what he wanted. So we mad the exchange and he went running off… then then I see the local Zambian student who has been with us the whole trip come back with the kid and my sun glasses forcing him to give me back the glasses. I told him that it was ok and we made a deal. The boy was then asking the local Zambian student (his name is Toganna) for money to get bottled water (I could not understand him he was talking another language). He gave him 1000 kwachas which is like not even 50 cents and he went off running. I hope I made his day. I know that he was just targeting me because I was clearly an American but I could not say no.. And I think he knew that also. O well the glasses were cheap and I brought 2 other pairs. I don’t even care if he turns around and sells it, if it makes his day a little better I am ok with it.
The rest of the night was nothing big we went to dinner at a nice restaurant and now I am going to bed. Tomorrow is my first day of interning! I know I am going to fall in love with every little kid!
Today was a lot of fun and it was the first day it was not raining. My cheeks are actually sort of sun kissed. Today was the first day I actually felt I was in Africa. We are spoiled to be in such a nice hotel and I think actually getting out of and seeing the real life of the college students and the market was a lot to take in.
