July 26, 2012
Two+ years in rural Africa. I'm sure I way overpacked. Joe Vandal and I are finally ready to go! Good bye San Jose, thanks for an awesome send off this weekend, friends!!!
July 24, 2012
i call this: dinner. Tonight i will behead my first chicken (and rooster)! ...And pluck and gut and cook and eat em! Mmm livin off the land!
insaka (living room) on the L and mud hut (sleeping room) on R. Your typical living quarters here in Zambia!
Batha on the L, area where you bathe yourself out of a bucket of water that youve collected and heated over a fire. Chimbuzi on R, where you squat over a hole in the ground to do your business. The rest of your living quarters here in Zambia.
teaching my brother, Rawlings (pronounced Rlawernce) how to play the uke!
my palace... And my mattress and mosquito net on the ground are my throne. And i share that throne and palace with spiders and termites and lovely little creatures of which i cannot distinguish. No complaints here- im really happy to even have a bed and pillow!
for those of you wondering what africa looks like... Yea.. Its pretty much what you thought. Lion king served us well. But my camera phone does not do the beauty justice!
just a couple of muzungu's lost in sub saharan africa
the dreadlocks have started.. And for those who missed my beautiful face, there you go. Yup, youre welcome.
this will never get old.
my crazy little sisters, Mopalo and Jesska. And some dreads.
fact: "white people cannot pull off dreads, and look trashy if they try to do so." Exhibit A.
Sept 7, 2012
masks, loin clothes, dancing, drums, and singing. Traditional Nao Dancer Ceremony. I'm definitely in Africa!
Sept 8, 2012
im eating field nice for dinner. Head, fingernails, insides, hair and all. Im officially a Zambian?
Sept 28, 2012
love my Mapalo sister!
Sept 29, 2012
courtney and i and our african daughters, jesska and lina
Sept 30, 2012
thats a beatle. And thats my zamanicure.
Oct 5, 2012
I, Caitlin Ambrosia, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge my duties in the U.S. Peace Corps.
I am now an official United States Peace Corps Zambia Volunteer! Tomorrow I will begin my 23rd year of life and my two years of service to my home country and the people of Zambia.
Cheers!
I am now an official United States Peace Corps Zambia Volunteer! Tomorrow I will begin my 23rd year of life and my two years of service to my home country and the people of Zambia.
Cheers!
Oct 17, 2012
hut sweet hut
Oct 29, 2012
Gizmo (the Gremlin), Marvin (the Martian), or Bandit (the Bandit)? Chose or suggest a name for my little African lion!
Oct 30, 2012
outside my window.
Oct 30, 2012
outside my window.
Oct 30, 2012
Oct 30, 2012
outside my window.
Oct 30, 2012
outside my window (my laundry day!)
Oct 30, 2012
outside my door. Facing NorthWest, facing home.
Oct 30, 2012
just chillin with some of my homies.
November 4, 2012
appologies to my 3y/o host brother, but I couldnt help it. Nakie with shoes and carrying around my cat. None of the kids in my village wear clothes, just as none of the women wear shirts or bras. Also, this is what malnutrition looks like in a young child.
November 7, 2012
fixin' up my toupee. Got a big date with rainy season, gotta look my best!
November 7, 2012
im definitely not an artist, and its not yet done, but... Sometimes i do weird things in my hut
November 10, 2012
i live in the little hut with the little blue door that farts out little kids handprints.
November 14, 2012
this is what happens when I bring out a (real) soccer ball and ask who wants to be on my team. I think I need a few more balls!
November 23, 2012
Eastern Prov luxuries
November 25, 2012
i like big bugs and i cannot lie.
November 25, 2012
Byebye hair
November 27, 2012
my poster that all my friends back home signed for me
November 29, 2012
the rainy day popcorn gang
November 29, 2012
i dressed Jonesi this morning.
December 6, 2012
one of my favorite stretches on my ride into town.
December 6, 2012
my neighbors are a bunch of cows.
December 6, 2012
lake, hippos, cold beers, good company. Oohh yeaa.
December 7, 2012
3 hippos in the lake tonight and the boys swam all the way across.
December 22, 2012
and you thought your commute traffic was bad.
December 25, 2012
I got you two chickens for Christmas. Then I killed them and fed them to my village.
December 26, 2012
I went for a walk and ended up coming home with a 5wk old puppy. Meet Chewbacca.
December 31, 2012
story time puts Chewy to sleep.
January 1, 2013
Just follow this road to get to my hut. If you reach the mountains, youre in Malawi, and you've gone a few kilometers too far. Also, if you reach the mountains, run, because there are cannibals there.
January 6, 2013
this is my zambest friend. She is special. I like.
January 6, 2013
my view > your view
January 11, 2013
check out my wood. #ilovemyjob
January 11, 2013
this is what happens when you give a bunch of pc health volunteers wooden penis' for condom demonstrations... They have a costume party
January 11, 2013
mines getting married. And we're the bridesmaids.
January 11, 2013
they just keep coming.
January 15, 2013
covered in bed bug bites :(
January 18, 2013
January 28, 2013
February 21, 2013
July 12, 2013
outside my door. Facing NorthWest, facing home.
Oct 30, 2012
just chillin with some of my homies.
appologies to my 3y/o host brother, but I couldnt help it. Nakie with shoes and carrying around my cat. None of the kids in my village wear clothes, just as none of the women wear shirts or bras. Also, this is what malnutrition looks like in a young child.
fixin' up my toupee. Got a big date with rainy season, gotta look my best!
im definitely not an artist, and its not yet done, but... Sometimes i do weird things in my hut
i live in the little hut with the little blue door that farts out little kids handprints.
this is what happens when I bring out a (real) soccer ball and ask who wants to be on my team. I think I need a few more balls!
Eastern Prov luxuries
i like big bugs and i cannot lie.
Byebye hair
November 27, 2012
my poster that all my friends back home signed for me
the rainy day popcorn gang
November 29, 2012
i dressed Jonesi this morning.
one of my favorite stretches on my ride into town.
December 6, 2012
my neighbors are a bunch of cows.
lake, hippos, cold beers, good company. Oohh yeaa.
3 hippos in the lake tonight and the boys swam all the way across.
December 22, 2012
and you thought your commute traffic was bad.
December 25, 2012
I got you two chickens for Christmas. Then I killed them and fed them to my village.
I went for a walk and ended up coming home with a 5wk old puppy. Meet Chewbacca.
story time puts Chewy to sleep.
Just follow this road to get to my hut. If you reach the mountains, youre in Malawi, and you've gone a few kilometers too far. Also, if you reach the mountains, run, because there are cannibals there.
this is my zambest friend. She is special. I like.
January 6, 2013
my view > your view
check out my wood. #ilovemyjob
January 11, 2013
this is what happens when you give a bunch of pc health volunteers wooden penis' for condom demonstrations... They have a costume party
mines getting married. And we're the bridesmaids.
January 11, 2013
they just keep coming.
covered in bed bug bites :(
January 16, 2013
torrential downpour + thunder that shakes the whole hut + its raining inside the hut = a day of tomato soup, grilled cheese, starbucks coffee, and laying in bed reading and sleeping.
January 17, 2013
Girls who hitch with goats.
January 18, 2013
we let a young zambian man shave our heads....
January 18, 2013
sir, your guts are hanging out.
January 18, 2013
You're my boy, Blue!
January 18, 2013
i really like twix.. And snickers.. And crispy m&ms. I also really like just regular chocolate with almonds.
January 28, 2013
how many Peace Corps volunteers does it take to get bananas out of a tree?
February 21, 2013
my foots a little swollen..
February 22, 2013
my new duku!
March 8, 2013
i call thiss 'flesh eating bacterial infection #3' ... And I decided to post it AFTER it has already healed so people dont freak out. See, I'm turning Zambian my lower leg turned black and I had a cankle for a few weeks.
March 8, 2013
Dr. Greenthumb, Special Agent Fox Moulder, and Thug Barbie with The Very Fine Radio Hour discussing the weather, deforestation, hunger season, road safety, and malaria. Awwyeaa.
March 13, 2013
Hes obviously helpful.
April 11, 2013
my two tired boys, Jonesi and Chewbacca
April 24, 2013
just got 2 brand new bike ambulances for my clinic. Now, instead of pregnant mothers having to walk up to 10 miles to deliver at our clinic when they go into labor or have complications with their pregnancy, we can provide transport and pick them up! No mother should die during childbirth.
April 29, 2013
Chewbacca loves my new couch cushions so much, whenever he sees me try to sit on them he runs there first and curls up. I think ive lost my new couch before the carpenter has even finished crafting it..
April 29, 2013
my day has consisted of: waking up at 4 and reading till 7. Pealing cowpeas with my amama. Weighing babies and tracking the growth of children under 5, then lecturing mothers of underweight babies about proper nutrition and feeding practices. Then gettin down with some planks, a saw, a hammer, some nails and some paint, and making myself some shelves. Picking up my new table and chair from the local carpenter and now.. Sitting down and writing my lesson plans and programs for the month of May. Solid.
April 29, 2013
fresh from my garden lettuce, onions, green beans, and carrots. Salad night! (i think my green beans are on crack.. Some of the pods are 2ft long!)
May 5, 2013
what kind of cucumber is this?
May 5, 2013
white boards are the best! My two little scribblers. Also, my host sister wrote our names, I'm "Cattrin Kamanga or Ambuza" ...theyre getting closer.
May 9, 2013
Prez workin hard fixing my bike for me.
May 11, 2013
Beautiful day chillin at the lake at the castle. One out of 2 castles in all of Africa, and it happens to be in my town. This is why Dazi is the bessssst.
May 15, 2013
Stopped for a morning tea break after 2.5 hours of biking, and Kiley decided to go for a swim. Hellllo shisto.
May 15, 2013
Provincial meetings are good for two things: beer, and beer. ...er, beer, and friends :0)
May 26, 2013
Hygiene lesson, Tippy-Tap building demonstration. All made from local village materials, fo free yo! Wash your hands, get your hygiene on.
May 29, 2013
i has my biffle
May 31, 2013
Sunset booze cruise on the Zambezi river. Hippos, crocs, monitor lizards, ephelants, giraffes, zebras, and more.. Oh my! (plus open bar and bar-BQ!)
June 24, 2013
Perfect hitch back home. Free beer, free quail, free ride. Beautiful day.
July 12, 2013
so glad i live in this beautiful country where this is a standard
July 19, 2013
close, but not quite my name. Good effort though.
I celebrated my 1-year-in-Zambia anniversary by being put under anaesthesia in a hospital in South Africa and having orthroscopic surgery on my wrist. Not exactly how I would have chosen to commemorate the day that I left America and moved to Africa, but at least I was well taken care of by the nurses.
I obviously have posted way more photos than this on my Facebook in different albums throughout the last year, but these were the ones that I uploaded straight from my phone to my FB status', usually from the village or wherever I might have been. So it's more of a play-by-play of the last year. And I also realize how many nasty pictures there are of my feet. I've got some pretty gnarly scars from those infections. Makes me shudder to think about rainy season this year, and the possibility (high likelihood) that those will occur again. It was no fun. Africa sure has put me through a ton of pain!! But I've also had some amazing high's here. I know my phone camera is pretty poor in picture quality- it comes nowhere near giving the beauty of this country justice. But I tried. What an amazing year it has been.
