Once in a blue African moon

AAHHHHH a new post! Sorry. I've been very busy and every time I sit down for the internet I'm in a hurry to check my email, and I'm paying for internet by the minute with my meager allowance. I would love to say that there's been nothing going on here so I don't have much to say, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for me) that is simply not true. I've been having a great time here! I would like to add that I have attempted to blog several times in vain due to running out of internet time. I have written long blog entries only to realize that I am no longer connected to the internet. It's a bit frustrating. So, for anyone who has read this blog, I do apologize but I have some really good excuses.

I've started doing business for Camp SKY - an annual camp held in July or August for students going into their 4th year of secondary school. It's supposed to help them get motivated before their last year, as well as prepare them for their MSCEs (exiting exams taken by the whole country's form 4 students, for which they must pay). This is, in fact, why I am in Lilongwe, and finally able to write on the blog again. Anyway, I'm going to start buckling down and getting things done. We're trying to have the camp in the Central-Southern area of Malawi, so the distance from my site is not beneficial to the logistical planning, but I'll work with it.

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I'm continuing to do well; no new diseases or parasites to speak of since my bout with malaria in November. I do feel that my health is going a bit downhill, though, because I haven't been waking up early to run lately. It's been raining for many of the mornings, and I'd rather not slip in the mud and sprain something (that's totally an excuse). Really I just need to get my butt out of bed in the morning (sometime between 5 and 5:30). I'm sure I'll find motivation soon.

In the 2nd week of December I went to our IST (inservice training), which was nice; I didn't have to cook for a week, I had electricity, I didn't have to start a fire, and I had a toilet! But the best part was that I was with all my friends. It was quite a party - massages, facials, games, beer, chatting, and a lot of love! Soon after, I went to Garrett's site to visit him and check out his school, but also just to love on him as he is one of my besties here. While I was at Garretts we went to a nearby mission to visit some doctor friends of his. Not only do they have a pretty nice hospital (as hospitals go in Malawi), but they also had a grand piano. I spent about an hour playing Christmas songs on the 'ole ivories. It was so amazing to touch the keys again after about 6 months of nothing. It made me want to sit next to Mom and play duets again. I cried.

After visiting Garrett's site we traveled with a larger group of PCVs and other expats to Cape Maclear for Christmas. We arrived on Christmas Eve and set up our tents. Although I was supposed to share a tent with Garrett, I found out that weekend that my tent is not big enough for 2 people. I ended up sleeping on a hammock on the beach for the 3 nights we stayed there. I'm not complaining. It was amazing! On Christmas morning a small group of us went snorkeling. I got to see tropical fish found only in Lake Malawi on Christmas morning. It was a great Christmas present. That night we had a white elephant gift exchange. I got a Malawian license plate. Awesome.

I stayed at home for a few days before traveling to Nkhata Bay for New Years. The group of people were basically the same ones from Christmas. I spent my New Years swimming in the lake daily and relaxing - something I really needed on New Years Day after a night of partying. It was awesome.

I lost a friend in December. While I was in IST, a friend and colleague of mine passed away. Her name was Madam Soko, and she was a teacher of Chichewa at my CDSS. The loss of her was very shocking and really hit close to home. What's worse is that she left behind her daughter. I had been teaching her daughter in school, and knew her from my frequent visits to her house to chat with her mother. Because she is now without a mother I offered for her to live with me, and she accepted. Leah and I have now been living together for about 1.5 months now. It's pronounced "Lay- uh", like the princess from Star Wars. She is a great girl! She's 14 and in my Form 3 class (Junior year). She's very smart. We've been having some interesting cultural exchanges. She has now eaten spaghetti and real chocolate cake, and I now eat nsima every day. She is teaching me Chitumbuka every day and how to build a fire. My attempts to build fires usually end in me yelling, "Leah, novwirani!" ("Leah, help me!"). Then she laughs and makes disappointing sounds. I think I'm getting better. She has learned how to play some card games. Our latest is Phase 10, but she's also a fan of UNO and bacci ball, as well as word finds. She makes me smile every day. She's always singing, and I have taught her some American hymns which we sing together when I'm playing the ukulele. I'm very grateful that I've had this opportunity to help someone in a big way, despite it being a minor financial burden (I pay for the food for both of us as well as her school fees and anything she needs for school). Lets hope it continues to go well.

On Valentine's Day I received a great gift from my valentine: baking materials! I told him stories of how I'd bake cookies or pies and take them to old ladies in the valley, or ride my horse over to Grandmother's house to exchange cookies for a loaf of my favorite bread. Sounds a bit like a fairy tale, doesn't it? Or like I'm from little house on the prairie? Anyway, he got me cake flour, vanilla, powdered sugar, blue band (Malawi equivalent of margarine), and other goods for baking. These items are a bit more costly, so I had not purchased them during my stay in Malawi. It was so sweet - double entiendre? I made banana cream pie, double layer devil's food cake with frosting, and two loaves of bread. They were all delicious. I think I gained a few pounds last week! Leah liked it too.

That's about all that's going on in my world. As for the future, I'm planning on going to Zanzibar during the break between the 2nd and 3rd terms. It just happens to fall during my birthday - best birthday gift ever! We're planning on taking a train from the Malawi-Tanzania border to Dahr before taking the ferry to Zanzibar. I'm so excited! Jealous? You should be! I have no other plans coming up that are unrelated to Camp SKY. I'm hoping to climb Mulanje sometime this year, and I'd really like to get my scuba certification. Ideally, I could get it before Zanzibar, but I don't know if that's feasible with time or money at this point.

This blog was supposed to be fairly chronological, but I have forgotten where the following story fit in, so I'll fit it in here. It's crucial to my Malawian experience. One day on my way back from Rumphi (to access internet and get some groceries) I was caught in a rain storm for over an hour. After holding up in a BP station to avoid the downpour, I finally found transportation back to my village. A car pulled up to the station to let me in. As I got into the front seat I noticed a strange smell and a shrieking sound. In the back of this COMPACT car were 11 goats. A shirtless man was in the back seat trying to control the small herd of goats in the back of this car. I laughed the whole way home as the goats sounded like they were dying. It was an amazing day.

Thanks for reading about my adventures. I'm truly having a great time here. I'm generally very happy anywhere in Malawi (except when I'm in transit), and frequently think about all the people who I love in the States, Malawi, and elsewhere. If anyone has any questions or any suggestions of what I could talk about regarding the culture, people, geography, society, school system, etc. please let me know. It has become a part of life for me now, and I hardly give these things a second thought anymore. It's not going to be 3 months until my next entry. I promise.
Khalani makora! Nkhumutemwani mose chomene!
(Stay well! I love you all very much!)