Ready to Rumble

There's a little saying that some of you may remeber hearing from me that is also getting some air time hear. It goes a little something like this, "everyone looks better in lowlight." In Zambia it take on a whole new world and applies to such a wider variety of things and activities.
At home it explains the dimness in bars, weddings, romantic dinners and Victoria's Secret. In Zambia, however, it allows you to ingnore the eight legged wall decorations, spills on clothing, food in the bowl in front of you, and a number of bits on visible skin-- of course not having a mirror helps with that one too. In low light there is some peace of mind when you can only see an area immediately in front of you--if I can't see it, its not there. And theres just something more special about catipilar dinners in the candle light that the afternoon sun just doesn't capture. In Zambia they don't beleive in full length mirrors either--I mean not that I was thinking about getting one-- so when I see myself in full its my dark silhouette against the white washed mud brick walls of my house, and that is low light at its finest.
What low light isn't good for is trying to find a spider in the dark wool blanket on my bed. And why can spiders jump? It seems a little unecessary personally. I'm not especially fond of spiders, although I would like to think that we have a good working relationship-- atleast at home in Mich. Spiders serve a purpose; to trap and kill other more active pests like mosquitoes, flies and moths. Maybe there is a strike going on that I was not privy to in Africa because they live in harmony with their natural prey all within the confines of my my last line of defense against the whole lot of them, my "treated" net. So instead of affording them (the spiders) the professional courtesy of life and livelihood I have been --somewhat systematically-- evicting, scratch that, exterminating them. All I want is to sleep in peace under my exoctic white mesh safari fort (I can't call it a mosquito net as that would infer it has a utility or ability to protect me from bugs.)

To stay on the tone of insect maladies I will give you a glimps into my new and only real fear in Zambia, Bot Flies. In general flies are merely an irritant in life and participant in the fecal oral cycle. However, the Bot Fly is no ordinary fly; it is the sci-fi horrow movie of flies. A fly, perhaps, even feared by other flies. The following passages may be to much for the delicate stomach so consider yourself warned.
First I will set the scene, in Zambia when doing laundry BaMayos (a term previously discussed in other posts decribing women/ mothers) can't just through things into a washer or dryer. Clothes are hand washed in a bucket, rinsed in a bucket, and ideally hung up on a line--this is where the plots thickens. However, drying lines are not always possible or available, in which case clothes are hung on tree branches, bushes, grassy areas, and fences. In comes the Bot Fly.
What they do is lay eggs on all the previously mentioned places, especially bushes.When clothes ae being dried on these things they pick up eggs and also are open to have fresh new eggs layed on them. Thats gross as is, but it gets worse, much worse.
When you put on these clothes the eggs get onto and into your skin where they begin to grow in the comfort of you flesh. While enjoying the warm cushy land of milk and honey they swell and make a bump under the skin that could be easily confused as a zit. They are going through the life cycle of a larva under your skin and continue to grow and cause the area to enlarge. The pain begins and increases in intensity over the one to two weeks that they mature. If you wise up to the parasite you can apply a vaseline type goo to the area and they will begin to suffocate and break through the skin and goo to breathe. If you see this up close and personal it is reminicent of the scene in the movie "Alien." This of course is horrifying for anyone watching and the host of the Bot Fly. The size can vary from .5 to .75 cm, but seriously guys, do you think it matters?
I watched a good friend of mine have 13 plucked from her derriere--three had already made a break for it of their own volition.

So there you have it. In other news, I swear in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer in less than a week. I am thrilled and so ready to be at my site. I thought that since getting pictures to people is hard that maybe it would be fun if people wanted to send me disposable cameras and I will do a photo diary of a week or a couple days of my life, maybe write a nice letter, and I will send it back to you. Again, no pressure,but it could be fun-- I would make it fun.

I don't know how often I'll have internet access for a while since in Central Province its scarce, although improving. So the best way to communicate with me will be by putting your pen to the paper and writing me. Sorry. I might be getting a cell phone too which you can call or text. More on that as it unfolds. Thank you to everyone who has sent me a letter or package so far, I uber appreciate it. Might be able to sneak on again before I leave but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Keep on keeping on team!