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| City of Lusaka, Zambia |
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| Detroit, USA |
Church service on the bus
This month I was invited by pastor Jeffrey Hough to his Church, Angel in Muskegon. I was picked up by a Marcopolo bus at 7am on a sunday morning and we proceded to Muskegon where I met Pastor Jeffry and his lovely congregation. At 8am we all bored the bus and headed off for Detroit to watch the Lions play San Fransico. On the bus on our way to Detroit we had our Church service. it was a unique service I must say, I have never had a service on the bus, it was a lovely time of worship: we sung choruses and hymns, prayed and a sermon on "Forgiveness" was preached by Pastor Jeffrey.
Watch the Lions in Detroit
I had an electrifying experience in Detroit. The stadium was fully packed with 60,000 plus people in attendance. It was a rush to hear the support behind the Lions. I have never been in one place with such a huge crowd. When it came to which team I was to support, I remembered saint Paul's words, "when you are in Rome do as the Romans do.", so I joined the fans in shouting and clapping defense in support of the Lions. What a rush I am grateful to Donald who I sat with me and walked me through the whole game. I am grateful to Jeffrey for inviting me to his church and to watch the football match. It was good to see how Americans have fun with sport.
American food
I miss nsima, our default or custom food in Zambia. It is corn meal cooked into a thick porridge and is eaten with beans, vegetables, meat, fish or any other relish. I am still trying to adjust to the American food. I have come to learn that Americans like sweet foods and fast foods, this is a quantum leap to what am used to eat, but am adjusting.
Another cultural shock I observed is that in America if someone invites you out for dinner or lunch, you must be ready to pay for yourself. Back home if someone invites you the person doing the inviting should be prepared to pay for the bill... ooh this is America!
Chips or Fries
One day I had an experience, I went to Frogs and at the counter I told the young lady that I would like to have some chips, a few minutes later she brought me some potato chips, I said to her not potato chips, I want chips! She looked at me amazement and said sir these are chips. After some thought I realized that in America what we call chips back home, in America they are called french fries. So I said to the young lady, am sorry, please give me some french fries and she brought some...ooh my God, this is America!
One day we went out to eat with my classmates and during the meal I asked Workney (a classmate from Ethiopia) to pass me a . He said to me what is a serviette? I said to him it is a piece of cloth you use to wipe the food off your mouth as you eat...this was hilarious to him, he said to me, "it is not called a serviette in america", "it is called a napkin". I said, "what?" I napkin back home is like a diaper, a piece of clothe you wrap around the baby's bottom. we all bust into laughter...ooh this is America.
Adjusting to the American Ways
I have had to adjust my mind on a number of things since I have been here. Zambia used to be a British colony, so a number of British practices rubbed onto the Zambian ways of doing things. It is interesting to see difference between the Zambia ways and the American ways. In Zambia cars on the road keep the lift side of the road as a right of way; here it is right side. simple thing like a bulb switch, at home you drop the switch to switch on the light, here to switch on the light you have to push the switch up. It is also interesting that Americans like big things, all the flights upto Amsterdam we were served coffee in small caps, when we got on the plane to Detroit we were served in much larger coffee caps. And the vehicles here are huge. I have had to also adjust my formats when writting English; from British to American formats. When it comes to metrication, we use Celsius back home, here it Fahrenheit, we use Kilometers back home, here it is Miles, we use Centimeter back home, here it is Inches.
Weather
I am generally accustomed to hot weather this is because the weather in Zambia is generally hot. I have been told since I arrived here in august to that it does get really cold here in Holland,Michigan. To be honest I am looking forward to see the snow, it will be my first time to see snow, but I am not looking forward to the cold. I am "allergic" to cold weather. My prayer as the cold is drawing near is' "God keep me warm under your wings."
The Fall is so beautiful. I took some photos (blow) to send home and to remind me of this time in the US.
