This is what we do

Today there was a group of folks that came to take a look at the ZEHRP labs. There was a Texan, friendly fella with a handlebar mustache, a Minnesotan, rotund man with a pretty serious scowl to him, a Zambian man and an American woman. The latter two had very little to do with the lab introduction while the Texan and the Northerner were my key audience. This is one of those times when the site director walks in ahead of the group, looks over at my desk to find me battling though a journal article and says hopefully, 'we were told that you would be expecting us'.

The fact is that I was expecting them but, I did not quite know how to go about preparing for such a visit. I know what to do in the case of an audit but, visitors are quite new to me. Kahler had given me the heads up. It is handy when you work with somebody that you know well enough that just from the 'they are on their way' you know exactly what kind of visit it is going to be. The 'cowboy' was a super sheepish nerd guy who spoke in little bursts. The big boy just gave his view of why this or that organization was making these or those decisions, that is to say that he had all of his own answers.

Gut check time Pry. Time to fake it like a champ and fool them into thinking that you understand this place. The truth however, is that I now much more about this place, or the main lab at least, than I was aware. Initially I was a little worried when the big guy, Kenneth, was not going to be there but,  I think between Dr. Kilembe and myself we were able to answer most of their questions. In reality it would not have been a huge deal if I didn't know anything about what they asked. So I suppose it was more just an affirmation for me that I do know a little about the job that I have to do here.

I left the gate this morning and said so long to Mr. Bebey and then Steven a fella that I just met randomly on along the road a couple weeks ago yelled good morning as he was walking the opposite direction on his way to work and I began to feel for the first time as if I actually have a place here for at least a little while. That is not to say that there is anything on this crazy earth that could keep me from getting back to the states but, just that it felt less foreign.

I did battle last night with my first animal foe here in Zambia. It was a pretty decent sized spider that thought it was hidden under one of the legs that hold up my Godsend that is an oscillating fan. At first I wanted to try and catch it to find out what it might be and then as it began to tear toward my bed I put my foot down and well that is the end of that chapter. I was able to find identify him as a Neoscona spider, they have pretty nifty tiger stripe kind of markings on their eight crazy legs. Spiders really do not bother so much at all, I mean obviously I don't want them in or around my bed but, snakes are the real enemy. God help me if I ever see a snake in my room.

It was great to hear some happy news about my grandmother finally wanting to meet her first born son that she put up for adoption some sixty years past. It is kind of neat the way that all turned out. For those of you that know you will appreciate this and those that don't should just ask mom I am sure she would be thrilled to tell the story.

Ok, now down to business, I need orders! What is it that you would like from Zambia? I will coming back before too long and I want to bring a bunch of neat stuff with me so let me know specifically or you will get a bag a coffee cause that is always the go to, haha.

I hope that you are all getting through your hump day with remarkable speed... that is unless work is especially enjoyable or you don't have to work at all. Today was a good day and all is well!