Saturday in Choma

5/24/14 @ 8:33pm

As I am sure you all are wondering, I feel a lot better! The fever is gone, so yay!! My throat is still really sore and my lymph nodes around my throat are still a little sore but other than that feeling much better! More blisters/rash have appeared on my feet and face and my tonsils are still huge and have little white dots. So it looks like HFMD was probably what it was. But everything is going to be ok and we are still in the recovery process but getting there! I am taking Cipro, an antibiotic, which should clear it up. Don't worry, I will keep you all posted! :)

Now on to the fun stuff! Today we got up and had oatmeal for breakfast and got to sleep in until 8:50! Woohoo! Then we all boarded onto our handy bus and headed to a town about an hour down the road called Choma. Choma is a bigger city then the city we went to last week, Kalomo. We arrived in Choma and some of our group, mostly the ACU people stopped at an ATM to get their first installment of kwatcha! After that it was all fun and games. We went through the market and bought A TON of chitangies (Spelling: Let's have a side note about this at the end). Then we got lost. Indescribably lost. So of course we did what any good lost white person does in a foreign country we ask for directions... and then when that fails retrace our steps... Then we went to the Choma Museum and had an amazing lunch of grilled chicken and french fries and of course a can of coke. The museum had an awesome store that we shopped in and had some really cool weaving things there. I got a lot of presents/decorations for me and did a little bit of shopping for others as well.  It was a super productive trip. That part of the trip took quite a good amount of time, because there was one man taking money and making change and writing everything down in his receipt book. After we all finished with our purchasing at the museum some of us took another trip to another ATM and got some money because we spent so much today. *cough cough* Then we went to a supermarket called "Spar" which was similar to a Kroger. Let me explain what it was like in there because it was severely anxiety inducing: it was like Walmart... in searcy... on freshman move in day... No joke. I of course got some coca-cola and some five roses tea (that'll be a present for some of you all when I return). 

Then when we returned I got to Skype Mark and Joyce. Alas that call was short lived when we discovered we were late for the reception that was being held in our honor. Oops!! We ran, and by ran I mean walked briskly, and by walked briskly, I probably mean walked normally. Anyways, when we got to the reception the food was there but not many people were (we were all just really confused about the whole situation) so we sat down and waited a good half an hour before everyone came. There was a little mix up in the timing, obviously. There were some prayers and some talks and such and then we sang our song for the people who held the meeting and then we mingled while we ate. I met three really nice gentlemen who are first years at George Benson College named: William, Sebastian and Bruce. I might have been proposed to. It was an interesting experience, so to anyone who asks I have a boyfriend. Surprise! Haha! They did tell me all about how their college experience works. Basically they do a 3 year degree where they get a diploma (which is what they are doing now) then they go to Lusaka to get your bachelors and then you can also go and get your masters in Lusaka as well. So that is about all that happened today! I am now going to go sleep and try to feel even better than I feel now! 

Also I was informed that the second picture that I shared is of a Puff Adder. It is the number 1 cause of snake bite in Zambia. It is also extremely poisonous. Why it is the main cause of snake bites is because instead of fleeing like most snakes do it will puff up and then strike. Yikes! It did look a little puffy when we saw it! Glad I avoided a snake bite! We wear sandals for the most part so that would be a definite possibility. 

**NOTE ABOUT SPELLING**

As you all know I am not the worlds greatest speller, so then when you add a different language in it is a mess!! So from now on just know that I am spelling the words how they sound to me. Right or Wrong. If I do know the correct spelling in Tongan I will of course use it, but most of these words I have just picked up orally and have never seen written. In summary, excuse my spelling. Thanks. :)