Category: Peace Corps
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Living life without a reflection
I was riding in a bus today, seated just there in the corner seat. The smell of field, sweat, fertilizer, growth and rural life thick on me. I fit in, yet stood apart, an unusual mixture of smells, musk and scent. I took a deep breath…there was lime, mango, chickens and goats, dark rich earth,…
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Experiencing loss
Death. That cold patient friend who waits with us for our entire lives, and when our time has come welcomes us without so much as a grumble about the weather. That’s a funny way to think of it isn’t it? I guess it’s part of growing up, processing and learning. I’ve been overseas for two…
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Steri-Pen: A Review
My followers know my background, but since I’m giving my thoughts on a product I figured I’d include this! My name is David N. Berger. Age 24, an ASU graduate in Global Studies. I’m a community development and health volunteer in Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically I’m located in remote Northern Zambia in the sub-tropic zone…
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Pottage
Gooooooood morning folks! This blog’s a little down and dirty, a bit personal, the topics awkward but funny, and well… You’ll see. You’ll forgive me infusing a bit of humor to save you from the butt of it. So it’s that time in the week when I lay in bed and write y’all another update.…
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Empowerment – learning to love yourself
Mwapoleni mukwai bonse! Mwacibuka shani? Ishina lyandi nine David Kapya, ndi kaipeela mu peace corps. Ndi kafundisha Pafya ubumi uusuma, imilile iisuma, na ukucingilila abalwele. Ndafwilisha abantu mu Mishi pa ubuyantanshi. Whew that’s a mouth full isn’t it? That’s my basic one breath introduction speech. It’s how I start every meeting. We’re always in an…
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God – the big bad questions
You know there are several questions Zambians ask when they meet you in the bush. This is going to sound bad, but I’m serious. The first is, “Who are you?” (meaning what’s your name, where do you stay, and what do you do); “Muzungu!” You’re a foreigner! Muzungu literally translates as wanderer/foreigner. It’s also become…
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Communication
What is communication? What does it mean? Is communication talking? Acting? Exploring? Is communication a way to categorize, standardize and understand our world? Or is it a process of expression, one that can be measured, understood and predicted. Is communication so uniform that it provides commonality between all peoples, races and places? Perhaps communication is…
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Reflections on Service – Choice and Volunteering
Choose to be yourself, choose to savor every moment, and to share your blessings with those who did not have access to the same resources, choose to stand forward, and give. Even a man with nothing can step forward and choose to give everything. When I worked for the American Red Cross in the Arizona…
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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…
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Our last week in Training.
Well, I guess its about time I got my blog on huh? A ton of updates coming this week. Especially regarding the fact that I am now, officially and Peace Corps Volunteer! Let me Bold that, I am now, Officially, a Peace Corps Volunteer!!!! haha. Training is completed. Our eleven weeks of intensive language, technical…