Last weekend Mark, Tyler, and I (the SALTers) visited the Smith family in Kitwe on an “official business trip” to witness what our fellow MCCers are actually doing. When the three of us, all 22, first walked into the house, Cheryl said, “Umm . . . so I don’t have anything really planned for this weekend…” And we really didn’t mind. Cheryl and I played some piano/guitar duets, we all watched The Best of the Colbert Report (THANK YOU Mark’s brother who sent it from Canada!), we ate succulent non-Zambian food, and we laughed at the two little Smith boys (4-year-old Jason: “Wanna watch me spin around until I fall down?”). We also got a campus tour of the peace institute Peter works at, which was awfully quiet—recent strikes there led to the firing of 50 of their 80 staff members . . . ouch.

It’s funny to me how I used to need so much stimuli in the States: every weekend I’d have to amuse myself with some party or some outing to some exciting place. But I think the African pace of life has infected me and sitting around hanging out with friends is just about the best weekend I can think of.

But the great weekend ended and back to my job, which this last month has been composed of every color and shape of meeting possible. You should know that all these meetings are not really like meetings in the States. For one, I usually ride my bike to them, so I’m sweaty upon arrival. Then, those attending the meeting show up anywhere from one to three hours late (which, funnily enough, no longer bothers me). When they do arrive, we sit on stools outside under the shade of mango trees near grass huts with cows’ bells tingling behind us. We always commence with a prayer and there’s usually an argument and an ululation or two in the course of the one to three hours that the meeting takes.

Here are the types of meetings I’ve been attending or arranging:

Home Based Care meetings with 30 or so people who care for sick patients in the community. Possible topics of discussion include: Why discharging that old blind man and taking on a sick HIV patient is not actually a heartless activity; Here are some cabbage seeds for your planting pleasure!; Why Chinese herbal medicine sold by a sketchy company is not recommended for you or your patients—ever.

School committee meetings with 10 committee members at any of the three community schools. Possible topics include: YAY your community school’s roof is fixed!; When we’re distributing lots of textbooks to your school; Why the teacher who’s a drunkard cannot be the head teacher even though he’s from your tribe and the other teacher isn’t (Unfortunately, Kenya’s not the only place where tribalism is an issue).

Teacher meetings with the six teachers employed by CHD. Possible topics include: How to write lesson plans; How to tell the office you’re sick; Why to write lesson plans; Why to tell the office when you’re sick; The definition of the word “sick.”

CHD Mumbwa office meetings when the five of us employees get together to chat. Possible topics include: Here’s what happened at all the meetings I’ve been attending—what happened at yours?; How can our office make Mumbwa a great place for everyone to live in?

Meetings with outside organizations (World Wildlife Fund, Ministry of Education, Mumbwa Home Based Care, etc.): Possible topic is: How do we work together to make Mumbwa a great place for everyone to live in?

Lusaka meetings between Amy and the director of CHD: Possible topics include: Ah! Director, all the problems of Mumbwa are overwhelming!; It’s okay Amy, you don’t have to fix everything wrong with Mumbwa; Whew, thanks.

There you go. At least you get a better feel for some of the issues CHD deals with, even if it’s hard to keep track of all the groups involved (but there will be a test, so maybe you should go back and read all that again).

And then in other news, MY FAMILY IS COMING in T minus 18 DAYS!!! That’s Mom, Dad, Brother Eric and super good friend Stacey Pistritto all coming to let me subject them to Zambian food! And to let me love them in person!!! And to see Vic Falls. I’M SO EXCITED!!! Don’t know if you picked up on that.

TEST: Name all the groups Amy has meetings with and give a description of each.
Ha. I wasn’t kidding about the test.

E-mail your answer to Amy and you get a prize (and by “prize” I mean “smile.” But I guess you won’t see the smile from way over there. Maybe you should come with my family when they visit and then you can see it.)