March 3, 2011
Pay Day! 2100 kwacha, which translates to about $14. Jackpot.
March 5, 2011
The past week has been a whirlwind of paperwork and beginner's Chichewa. It has felt a lot like summer camp, living in a dorm and going to the dining hall for meals and snacks in between sessions. I've met some really cool people...some crazies, as well. I love the crazies, though. They are the spice to my life.
I was chosen to learn to speak Chitonga, which I am very excited about (since this is only spoken in the northern part of Malawi along the lakeshore - I have narrowed down my location) however I will be living in a village with a family that only speaks Chichewa. Minor setback. I'm sure I will manage somehow.
My homestay family is in the village of Mkomeko. I will be living with my amayi Mele, my abambo Lemonyi and their three children: Titsa, Alanyi and Fati. So far we have sat around on a reed mat smiling at each other awkwardly. Sometimes they look up to ask me a question and I respond with "Sindikumvetsa" - I don't understand. I have mastered other Chichewa words as well..."Chonde" - please...."Muli bwanji?" - How are you?..."Ndatopa" - I am tired...Wow, I'm going to thrive here.
The village is extremely friendly, but mostly they laugh at my fumbling with words and handshakes and bobs and nods. I've never felt so alone while surrounded by so many people. My amayi laughs the hardest. She tilts her head back and laughs a hard, gutteral laugh from the bottom of her belly and then heartily shakes my hand up and down as I struggle from her grip. I hope this means she likes me. I hope laughing means they all like me. I just want to be liked. At the same time, it's cool because I'm in my own little world of confusion. We dance a lot. Mostly out of my encouragement, but these people know how to get down...for hours.
I still need to work on my skills. Bathing can be tricky, as I pour water from a bucket over my crouched body. I soak down, lather up and soak down again. It's rather chilly in the morning, but quite refreshing. My amayi warms my bafa water for me twice a day. Extravagent, maybe. But ever so pleasant.
Peeing is also a tricky little demon. My chimbudzi hole is the target the size of an apple, but I have horrible aim and tend to get some on my foot. I can't imagine going numero dos. That is going to be a challenge.
March 6, 2011
It's probably 3 am and I have to pee so bad. We were told in training not to go to the chim at night - even Malawians don't go to the chim at night. I never set up a chamber pot so I guess I have to wait until daybreak.
---Later---and yes, I made it to the chim, just in time.
I just watched a soccer match between two villages and I am amazed at the turn-out. Both village teams showed up with jerseys, some barefoot. The ref drew the lines in the sand using a hoe. The goal posts were made of large tree branches. It was pretty awesome.
The little girls in my village clung to me. I'm pretty sure we are friends forever now. Some babies, however, cry at the sight of my pale face. Mothers think this is hilarious as they shove their traumatized, screaming child in front of me.
My family asked if I wanted to go to church and I said yes so that I could be a part of their family and also not to offend them. Titsa got dressed for church (I was completely under-dressed - my amayi made me put a chitenge over my insanely short skirt - you could see my shins for goodness sakes!) and walked me to the quaint, glass-less window church where she left me. Tiwonana! (See you later) WHAT?! You're gonna leave me? Luckily there were some other trainees there so I sat with them through the two hour service all in Chichewa (except for the part where they asked for donations, of course). Although the singing was beautiful - unmatched by anything I have ever heard before - I might skip church next week.
March 7, 2011
The Three Rules of Peace Corps (as told to me by a current volunteer)
1. Always bring toilet paper everywhere you go (because you never know...)
2. Always bring a book everywhere you go (because you don't know how long you will be waiting...and also useful if you forgot rule number 1)
3. It is okay...because it is.
March 8, 2011
I was with Christi when she pointed out my National Geographic moment. There was a funeral in my village - the person who passed away was Gule Wamkulu (a secretive religious sect where the members dress like animals in masks and scraps of clothing). The dancing began Monday evening and did not stop until early Tuesday morning. Women and children pretend to be afraid - often they are chased by the Gule and it is considered bad luck if they get caught.
After the funeral a few of the girls and I decided to go for a walk to the other village. This is an impossible feat as everyone in our village knows which family we belong to and everyone gossip spreads faster than wildfire. Within minutes my sister was chasing me down, afraid that I had lost my way back home. We gave up on the walk and decided to try another day - maybe when our language skills are better and we can say that sometimes Americans just like to walk for fun.
Walking through the village often takes much longer than it should. Everyone greets you with numerous questions. To an outsider, this just seems nosey. How did you sleep? How was your day? How is your family? Where are you going? Where did you come from? Do you speak Chichewa? Luckily these questions get asked so often that I have mastered them. But that's all I know in Chichewa.
March 9, 2011
I broke my watch a few days ago while I was doing laundry in a bucket of Omo. That stuff is so corrosive, my watch didn't stand a chance. I wonder what it's going to do to my clothes the next two years. At any rate, I never know what time it is. My family is always shooing me out the door based on their concept of time which is essentially looking at the sun and guessing. I don't mind too much, as I get to class extra early and (being the nerd that I am) I like the extra time I spend with my teacher Beatrice.
It's tough learning Chitonga while living with a family who only speaks Chichewa. Alani speaks some English. Well, he knows one phrase that he says to me every night: "Tomorrow is a good day, so good night" - it has become a comfort, hearing English spoken right before I fall asleep.
I bathe in a bucket, I poop in a hole, my food tastes like smoke, I have perpetual jiffy feet and my roof leaks. So far it's a lot like camping.
I'm actually looking forward to the rainy season coming to an end. It has rained for 48 hours straight and my bed is soaked. Even when it's sunny, everything is damp. My envelopes sealed shut. Last night I slept with my raincoat and my rainboots and I rigged my umbrella to keep the rain from keeping me awake all night. Funny and pathetic. I tried to tell my abambo about the leaking roof, but our communication was lost and he ended up putting a plastic tarp over my bafa instead of my house. I don't mind being wet in the bafa...obviously.
March 14, 2011
Today I skipped out on church. Our village went for a hike to see indigenous cave paintings - they were pretty cool.
One of the trainers (perfectly named Lovemore) took us on a hike up a mountain which he said was "not very steep, very gradual" and we believed him until we came to a sheer 15 foot cliff that needed to be climed using tree branches and vines. Only 5 of us continued on the hike and I must say - after the cliff - I am very glad I did. The view from the top was incredible - we could see mountains in Zambia and Mozambique and all of Dedza.
It was breathtaking. And even more than that, I couldn't help feeling really proud of us. We overcame our fears to climb up and see the most spectacular view. Cheesy, I know, but I couldn't help but correlate this to moving to Malawi. Yes, it's difficult, but look at that view. Look at what I can accomplish.
We did it!
One mountain down...how many more to go?
March 15, 2011
Katie's field guide to Malawi says, "Malawi is Africa for beginners"
I love being around a group of people who love Paul Farmer. Did I say love? I meant obsessed.
Things that make me happy:
-solar powered chargers
-Coke made from non-fructose corn syrup
-podcasts
-writing letters home
March 16, 2011
The calmest parts of my day are morning and evening. I sip tea with bread before class with my door swung open. The village seems to speak softly in the mornings. At night, I disappear beneath my mosquito net and listen to podcasts to calm my brain from all this lucid Chichewa/Chitonga.
Stuff You Should Know podcast on urban planning talked about Columbia, Maryland and for a minute I felt so homesick - yes, even for Maryland! Oh, what I wouldn't give to be cruising down those pre-planned, goofy-named streets to get some frozen yogurt or pizza. Ohhh, pizza.
I would say 98% of the time I feel so completely content, so happy to be here...and then that 2% creeps up on me and I get scared and sad and I miss home so uncontrollably that I would jump on the next plane if I could. Even though it only happened once, actually, the emotion was so strong, I cried. Oh to sleep in a dry bed and eat food packed with flavor with my favorite people within reach.
March 17, 2011
Fact: When Malawi was first introduced to condoms, they were given condoms made in China. Malawian men did not like them because they did not fit properly and were extremely uncomfortable. Therefore, condoms got a bad rep and now where are we? How do you try to get Malawians to wear condoms again? The fact that the HIV rate is 14% is not a strong enough reason.
March 20, 2011
I've been playing lots of games with the kids. I taught the little ones how to play Indian poker and they taught me to play a card game similar to Uno. They love to dance and they love to laugh at my attempt to dance. They sit up against me as if we've known each other forever, even as I write this. It's so comforting to be surrounded by so much love this far away from home.
I'm amazed at how resourceful Malawians are. I just watched my bambo spend an entire afternoon fixing a broken umbrella. The umbrella was truly a sad sight, with tears at the seam and some spokes completely missing. I would have been much easier to just go to the store to get a new one. Well...maybe in the States. Man, this guy is like MacGuyver.
I had a long walk through a cornfield with Mary and Shelly and suddenly everything feels good again. I was really struggling - questioning if I really belonged her, if Peace Corps really is for me, etc. but after talking with these two girls, getting lost in maize, everything seems settled. They have inspired me to research more on Malawi and aid in particular. Not only that, but they radiate positive energy and we just seem to feed off it, after a hard day in training, that's all I can ask for.
March 22, 2011
My amayi and sister are superheroes! They re-mudded my floors to make them shiny and smooth and they scrubbed down my straw mat to get rid of the mold that has accumulated in my damp house. I am so spoiled by this wonderful family who feeds me, teaches me and loves me and all I am is a strange white girl who walked into their lives.
We had a field trip to a clinic nearby. Women and children lined up outside two dark buildings. The tour revealed that the clinic had almost nothing - no meds (they usually run out before the end of the month when they get more supplies), a maternity ward that consisted of a table with a mattress on top, and an office full of outdated materials and stats.
It takes a lot of energy to detach from the emotional side of what's in front of you.
But I'm still hopeful. This is why I'm here, right? How the hell do I help that?
The kids in my village sing a song that goes something like this (I had one of them write the lyrics for me, but who knows if this is really correct):
Obama, Obama, chunga mu chophoda wombama
I guess the song says something about Obama (meaning our president) give me bubble gum. I don't know, someone roughly translated it for me. Also, Obama has his own clothing line over here, apparently.
My amayi just saw me walking down the path with Mary and she ran up to me, shook my hand violently, but playfully and jumped up and down in excitement. I have never been greeted with such enthusiasm.
As we walked home, she pretended to run like the kids do when they greet me after training for the day. As we entered the compound, she did another little jig. I danced with her like there was no tomorrow.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I have the best amayi in the village.
March 24, 2011
There is a toad in my chim. Wonder if he minds if I just do my business right here next to him.
March 25, 2011
A chicken just walked into my house. I guess that's cool if you come in, chick.
March 27, 2011
My first Malawi transportation experience was a huge success. Not gonna lie, I was nervous about being dropped on the side of the road along the M1 - expected to find my way to a market. Mary and I were teamed up and we had a blast. We hitched to the market with a family on their way to a wedding in Blantyre. They were happy to pick up a couple of azungus.
We spent two hours at the busy market, window shopping mostly. I did get some veggies, a pair of flip flops and some tasty samosas.
We caught a hitch conveniently on our way out of the market and I got to try my Chitonga skills on the man driving. I must say, it's quite exhilerating traveling in Malawi. There really is no speed limit enforced and you meet the most interesting people along the way.
Lunch was at Dedza Pottery and it was quite the treat from village cuisine. Cheese, say what?! I was disappointed that I did not get to use the internet - it was far too slow. Hoping I can communicate with home someday.
I'm about to go to bed with the dirtiest jiffy feet you have ever seen.
March 28, 2011
In Peace Corps Malawi, you don't "facebook" anything anymore...you "journal" it.
Time is an odd concept here. It's been one month since I stepped off that plane, but I swear it's been a few days. One month down, 25 more to go.
I spent the evening with the fam and it was absolute bliss. Singing and dancing has become a staple in our relationship and laughing is just the icing on the cake.
March 29, 2011
Witchcraft is pretty prevelent in African culture - when something doesn't make sense, blame it on the supernatural. It's like believing in anything, I guess. You need to find comfort in the unexplained - whatever is causing you anguish can be summed up with witchcraft.
So, apparently there is a juju plane that explains why someone would wake up naked on a soccer field (The juju plane picked you up and stripped you down and left you on a field) -or maybe you got drunk and passed out naked on the soccer field?
For kids, there is a juju spoon that picks them up and strips them naked. I don't understand this one - maybe I don't want to understand it - but yes, the juju spoon must be feared.
Today I cooked! Can you believe it? Me neither. Shelly, Mary and I made this bomb-ass stew with potatoes, peanut flour, greens, onions, tomatoes, avacado and papaya. We added curry powder, it was fantastic.
Also, I plucked a chicken. By far the coolest thing I have ever done in my life.
It's the little accomplishments that me so happy. Every day I feel stronger and more independent. I'm really quite proud of myself. I feel like there is nothing to be scared of. Except black mambas.
❤❤❤
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