I'm in Africa!

I finally have access to the internet! The sensation of typing on a keyboard has become somewhat alien to me. My typing skills are bound to worsen over the next few years of sparse computer (and other technology) access.

Hey everyone- I'm alive! I'm in Africa! Malawi, to be exact. I've been here for about 1 1/2 months now. There is so much to share. Let me start near the beginning, a very good place to start. I arrived here with 34 other trainees in both the health and education sectors. We are an unusually large group of trainees, as the Peace Corps usually trains only one sector at a time. The large group results in much fun, but also some logistical problems with the schedule and transportation. We flew into Lilongwe on the 4th of July and were quickly moved to our training site in Dedza for about 2 weeks. During these two weeks, we learned what local dialect we would be speaking for the next 2 years. I found that I would be learning to speak Chitumbuka, a dialect spoken in the north. I was a little frustrated initially, because I had been studying Chichewa up to that point, but everything's alright now. Then we were sent to home stay.

So there I was, sleeping in a mud hut with a thatched roof, bathing out of a bucket, squatting over a hole in the ground, and all the while I'm learning to speak a dialect that my homestay family doesn't speak (they spoke Chichewa). It was very frustrating to be learning a language that had no practical application at the time, while the Chichewa speakers were practicing their language at home with their mothers and fathers. My family understood, though, and I had a fun time exchanging languages and other cultural differences. My amayi (mother) was a fantastic cook! But, it's easy to be a good cook when you deep fry everything I suppose. Malawi is a country of fried foods! Fried foods, sugar, and corn. Sounds a little like America, doesn't it? Unfortunately, cocoa doesn't grow here, otherwise I would be trying to teach them how to make some nice, sweet chocolate with that sugar! Hint hint - if anyone wants to send me chocolate I just might be willing to accept.

During our homestay we also learned how to teach in a Malawian setting. Basically, we were cramming a two year long masters program into 4 weeks. It was a little intimidating, but we have completed some teaching practice at a native school, and I think I'm ready to start teaching soon. I will be teaching Biology, and probably a little Math. It will be great to teach math in Africa while Mom is teaching on the other side of the world. Between the two of us, we've got two continents covered, Mom! However, I will not be called "Packebush" here, due to the complexity of my last name. I am now known as either "Madam Sara", or "Madam Packy". Some of the adults in my village simply call me "Packy", and it makes me laugh.

I found that my site will be just south of Rumphi (ROOM-pee) in the Mzimba district. It is a little school of about 150 students in a village just off the M1. I am replacing a married couple who really fixed the place up during their tour, so I am inheriting some wonderful amenities like a couch, a guest bed, a bookshelf, and a kitchen, all of which are luxuries in Malawi. Did I mention the bookshelf is filled with books and games? I will probably be playing a lot of solitaire.

There are so many things I want to update everyone on, but I don't have the time to do so right now. For example: I had a luncheon with the President of Malawi, I have ridden several public transport buses with chickens, I have already gotten sick once, the Malawians frequently pronounce their "r"s as "l"s and vice versa, so I am known as "Sala". There is much more I wish I could let everyone in on, but my time with the computer is short. The sun is out, there are frisbees to be thrown and friends with which to chat.

I would love to receive letters from anyone interested in sending me news or pictures, but please remember it takes around 6 weeks to get to me, and another 6 weeks to return one to you. Also, if you're particularly ambitious you could send me a package or call me! Obviously I'm not going to give my number out on the internet, but if you contact my mother or Ian, they could give it to you. My current address is as follows (however, I don't know if I'm going to keep this address or change it to a closer location relative to my site, I'll let you all know): Peace Corps/Malawi, P.O. Box 208, Lilongwe, Malawi, Southern Africa.

Thank you all for your letters, your support, and your love. I will do what I can to keep the blog updated, but please remember that I'm in Africa, and everything takes longer than you think it should.