Speeches, dances, and celebrations

Friday morning dawned bright and warm, the sun sparkling across the zambian grass, the breeze brushing through the leaves. A promise of the excitement and contentment to be offered by the day’s activities.

We dressed up, everyone in their finery and boarded up by province to head over to the Ambassador’s residence. We arrived outside the gates, disembarked and entered through the main gate. Snapping pictures and excited whispers as we explored the compound and were led back to the Ambassadors patio, he’d prepared cookies, biscuits, tea, coffee and ice. We even got to use the official china, beautiful. We ate and relaxed, going over our speeches and chattering before the storm.

We finished our tea, and moved over to the pavilion to run through the program for the day. Everyone settled in, the guests of honor arrived and introduced themselves. Their speeches commenced and we were sworn in and given our certificates, officially made volunteers before an audience of zambians, RPCVs, PCVs, and ministry officials.

Afterwards we began our speeches, well, one long speech, broken into six parts, one for each language, I wrote mine on culture, and worked together with my language instructor to translate it, practice it, and mold it into a hit.

Here’s a run through:
Pantambi:

Ishina Lyandi Nine David,

Ukwimininako abanandi mucibemba, nedti mwapoleni bonse kabili mwaiseni mukwai.

Ilyo tuleya kuntanshi mumibombele yesu, ifwe pamo nga bakaipeela tuli nensansa isha cipesha mano pantu natusambilila sana pa busuma no bukankala bwa ntambi sha mu zambia.

Abena zambia balitemwa sana ukubombela capamo nokwakana fyonse ifyo bakwete nangu fi’nono. Cimbi icawama bapwishishamo amaafya bakwete pamo nga ukukuula amayanda ukubomfya ifilu, icani, imango, no lushishi. Natusambilila pa mifwalile ya fitenge, imishanine, amenga nokumana akapi mufililo.

Twalishomboka nganshi pakubelesha ukukonka inshita yamu zambia, lelo naifwe twaliesha ukubalanga ifyo tukonka inshita ku america. umuntu umo atile, “abena Zambia tabakwata inkoloko, lelo balikwata inshita : Abena america balikwata inkoloko, lelo tabakwata inshita”.

Ala icibemba citila, “twamuli samfwe, tatupwa kusala”. Kabili, “ukufushanya amalumbo kuti wapokole mfumu”.

Pano pene epo napelela. Napakasha mukwai.

I know that will be pretty fun for you guys to sound out. In short, It translates with some paraphrasing to

A speech about culture, about what we’ve learned in training from our home stay. Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, I spoke about our work, and about Zambian people. I talk about Zambian resourcefulness, and their ability to fix anything. I talk about wearing chitenge material, dancing, and about respecting life (funerals). Then I speak about how we, as Americans have struggled to accept Poly-chronic time, Zamtime vs. American time. I finished with a couple of Zambian proverbs, thanked the audience and handed it off, to the next speaker.

It went over quite well, the crowd really enjoyed our grasp of the languages and loved the effort we’ve put into integration.

Our ceremony closed with remarks, and then some light snacks and a ride over to the office. Some last minute pre-posting shopping for necessities we coulden’t get in the provincial capitals and then back to ISTT.

I didn’t get to go out for Swear in to celebrate because I’d fallen ill again due to food borne illness.

Saturday morning 6am we started loading up and got ready for our long trip up to LP.

Gotta run! I’ll post more later!