Gonzaga University Psychology Program in Africa

Hi all! Hope everything back home is going well.

I have had quite the week at Chimfunshi. I did dawn patrol with Dr. Mark and discovered the vibrancy of the birdlife here. I never realized how many different kinds lived in this area and also never appreciated their songs. It was nice to stand on top of enclosure two and look through binoculars at all the different species for at least an hour. Dr. Mark and I made it in time to watch the sunrise, which was a magical experience. My time with the chimps is definitely growing increasingly more interesting. Zsabu, an alpha male chimp in one of the enclosures, has been the focus of all of my filming these past few days. He struts around in angst, knocking the other chimps aside wherever he goes. Today I watched him sit in a tree for an hour keeping a lookout for the keeper to prepare their food. The dominion he maintains is fascinating – he’s like a chimp tyrant. You probably wonder why I find such interest in his obnoxious behavior and it’s mainly because my term paper is going to be on male dominance but also because he’s simply intriguing. Anyway, I’m sure a lot of students would agree that the more time we spend with the chimps, the more we seem to learn about and appreciate them. I realized today that we only have about 3-4 more days with them and that’s definitely saddening.

Having the local school group here was a nice break in routine. I haven’t stopped falling in love with Zambian culture since I arrived and having a dancing and singing group of children with us for the past few days made me the happiest I have felt here. When they arrived there was an initial awkwardness because of the language barrier, but in no time we were screaming together over a huge snake we saw in the ravine and playing an all-out game of soccer on the dambo. We ended our first day together with a two hour dancing and singing party. We Americans showed an embarrassing lack of talent as we mumbled the words of the “The General” and “Free Falling.” Our visitors didn’t hesitate in applauding our efforts, though, which is so indicative of their warm spirits. The following day we took them to see the chimps and they observed with bright eyes. We spent the rest of the day playing together and having yet another Zambian-style dance party. If you think Americans have some raunchy dance moves, you have yet to experience the Zambian hip gyrations. Goodbye this morning was inevitable but everyone enjoyed the excitement while it lasted. As we approach our final days at Chimfunshi, I’m beginning to realize how the people and chimps that have become a part of my daily life will soon be a memory in my past. It’s a difficult reality to accept, especially when Chimfunshi has become such a home to us. I will miss sharing stories with the keepers and dodging rocks from grumpy chimps. However, I must admit how excited I am to reach home. Africa has been nothing less than a fulfilling experience, but I definitely miss warm water and my bed.

To all of my family and friends at home – Momma, Daddy, Sissy, Brub, C-Love, T-REV, Teeny, Axl, and Chloe…I miss you all so much and cannot wait to see your faces when I get back! Nothing but love! Udde, Mixie, Baby, Ally, Man, Bean, Brit, and any other loved ones reading this…see you in less than 2 weeks! Nothing but love to you all!!!!

This entry was posted on June 5, 2009 at 10:27 am and is filed under Dispatch from Zambia, Reflections . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed Both comments and pings are currently closed.