Shhhh....I'm not at home!

Well hello everyone. You may be thinking “I thought I wouldn’t hear great things from Mary for about 2 months?!” Indeed you are right, as this was the supposed plan. However I came down with some illness/virus that wasn’t improving so the doctor had me transported up to Lilongwe so that he could monitor me and put me on some different medication. The Peace Corps staff here in Malawi excellent and they take out health and safety very seriously. I’m doing much better now and will hopefully be able to head back to Chikanda tonight or tomorrow morning. Obviously there is internet at the lodge here and I thought I would give you all an update while I have the opportunity. So much to tell!


I’ll start from the beginning. The 21 of us all arrived in Philly by midnight the Saturday we were to leave. Due to the snow storm, it wasn’t clear if everyone would make it. But we did, and we were off! A sad good-bye to mama and papa, who woke up super early to see us off. A guy in our group come to me a few days later and said that my parents being there were a little bit like his were there too…so quite a few people appreciated their presence, I’m sure! Plus they still talk about mom and dad…ha, they thought you two were totally awesome. So off we went on a charter bus to JFK airport, where we were to catch our plane to Africa! Phil and I were “group leaders” and were in charge of getting bags checked, getting boarding passes, dishing out passports, and ensuring everyone made it to the flight (at least those who wanted to go ;)). Some had a last meal of McDonald’s (I did, and remembered about 20 minutes later why I don’t like to eat fast food) and worked our way through the Duty Free shops and finally through security.

Everything went smoothly and we all got our seats on the 10.20am flight bound for Johannesburg, South Africa. Some of us were lucky enough to be put in a row with 4 seats with only two of us sitting there (I was a lucky one!). I zonked out pretty quick (having not slept the night before, being bummed about leaving mama and papa, and the excitement of my destination) and slept for at least 12 hours of the 15 hour flight. Sure helps being raised on an airplane! We were told at staging that we would stay the night in Jo-burg, but found out right before leaving Philly hat it was just a layover. A quick walk through the airport and a change into our “arrival clothes” (skirts for gals, dress pants for dudes) we piled onto the airplane bound for Lilongwe, Malawi.

I think it started to hit me once we started our decent into Lilongwe that I had actually arrived. Months of wondering where I would go with the Peace Corps, and it was actually happening. Having been on planes all my life, they aren’t necessarily an indication of where I’m going but rather are simply an indication that I’m going somewhere. The landscape of Malawi was simply breathtaking, and I don’t think any of us could wipe the grins off our faces…I think I could feel my teeth drying out ;) After we landed and were taxing we noticed a Peace Corps flag hanging from the balcony of the airport…and then a lot of arms waving…and then A LOT of people waving and cheering. I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t believe the welcome committee we had! I would guess to say 75+ volunteers were at the airport to welcome us…so loud we could hear their cheers when they opened the doors. You would have thought we were celebrities! I remember meeting Vick, the country director, along with other staff but it was so overwhelming that I couldn’t tell you who. I could hardly believe so many people were that excited for our arrival.

We gathered all of our bags, minus two that didn’t arrive. Justine and Colin had to wait until the middle of the week for half of their stuff to arrive. Both of mine arrived in mostly one piece, but my smaller black bag had a busted zipper. Fortunately someone along the way put one of those colorful belts around it so I didn’t lose anything (at least that I know of). Later I saw the note that TSA had gone through it and had done a pretty crappy job of packing it back up. But I was happy to find everything in place, and managed to mend the zipper that night so my bag is functional again. Plus, I scored an awesome suitcase belt and didn’t have to pay for it…how cool!

After a quick meet and greet with all the current PCV’s that showed up in Lilongwe…after gifts of pineapple and a mango…after dishing out all the candy I’d brought for current volunteers…and after meeting some of the PCV that I’d corresponded with through facebook before departing the states, we were packed into a van and driven an hour south to the Dedza district. Tired, hungry, and stinky, some of us slept while others enjoyed the first glimpses of the Malawi countryside. It is absolutely stunning here.

For the first week in country we were housed dorm style at the College of Wildlife and Forestry. Since we have an odd number of volunteers, one person got their own room…and that was me. Ha, at first I was like “no no no!” being that I had just arrived in a country I didn’t know and around people I hardly knew I had a momentary freak out. Then realized I could spread my stuff out as much as I wanted and watch Lord of the Rings on my iPod as late or as early as I wanted to. It turned out to be great :) Running showers and electricity were a delight (and was not appreciated until it was no longer available).

Classes for the first week consisted of medical training, language training, a lot of cultural skits of what to expect in the coming weeks, and much more. Malaria medication, vaccine shots and first aid kits were dished out whether or not we wanted them ;) A big thing I realized quick in the first week was this: EVERYONE in Peace Corps wants all of us newbie’s to succeed. Be it medical safety, emotional support, appropriate site placement…in everything they are there to support us and to help us along the way. It is such a fantastic feeling to have such support when you are so far from what you know as familiar. And also, I couldn’t believe how happy Malawians are when they first wake up. Sam, Tommy (in a room together), and I were staying in the staff dorm and I’d be woken up by singing and laughter. Truly, the Warm Heart of Africa ;)

First week was great to get to know everyone as well. I feel like we all click pretty well, and I could sit down and chat with anybody at any point. We’re all here for relatively the same reasons, and having that commonality is fantastic. Toward the end of the week we took a hike up the hill that the college sits at the base of to get a better view of Malawi. It was absolutely amazing! Once we got to the very top you could turn around 360° and see everything. Off in the distance was Mozambique, which I hope to travel to at some point. When I can get pictures uploaded I’m looking forward to sharing them. It was great to have that time to spend with “buddies” as I call the 21 of us. When mom and I were shopping at REI before I left, I tried on some hiking boots but didn’t want to get them because of the price. But mom goes “you’ll be happy you have them!” Yes, it is true everyone…mama does know best! Those have been my most prized purchase to date. Thank you :) Oh, and the rain jacket I thought I brought turned out to be a windbreaker…or a really awful rain jacket. Note to self: always test rain coats in the shower before taking them for practical use.

Toward the end of our stay at the college we were informed of what language we were going to be learning and what village we would be at for our ~5 week homestay. 15 of us, including myself, were assigned to learn Chichewa. It is most widely spoken throughout Malawi, and mostly in the central and southern regions. 6 others were chosen to learn Chitimbuka, spoken in the northern region. Language decisions don’t give us any indication of where our future sites will be except for general region, but we’ll find out soon enough. For homestay we were split into two villages: 11 of us are at Chikanda, and the other 10 buddies are at Mzengareza. It’s a bummer to be split up since we all get along well, but soon we’ll be on our own so we might as well just get used to it ;) There is a nice sized hill that splits our villages and we would like to meet up there at some point, so we’re not too far away.

We departure from the college on March 6th to our villages and to meet our homestay families. Yeah, try having two days of a language under your belt and then being thrown into a household who hardly speaks English and you hardly understand Chichewa. First night there involved a lot of staring, laughing, and feeling absolutely awkward. Not sure I’ve felt that uncomfortable for that long of time in my entire life. At any rate, it’s gotten much better since I’ve been there for 2 weeks…the Chichewa is picking up and I’m catching on. I live with the Mandala family of 7, which can be crazy but a lot of fun: Matthews (abambo, or father/sir), Mercy (amayi, or mother/madam), Thandi (12 year old achemwene, sister), Brighton (achemwali, brother), Chisangalalo (achemwali), Polina (achemwene), and Eysoo (6 month old achemwali). I get stared at quite a bit and so to make them laugh I will do stupid dances (you can call it my Swing dancing skills, but I just say its my white kid dance), surprise them with my hopscotch skills, and make funny faces. I’m (refreshingly) better with kids than I thought I would be. Babies I still have to work on…

I have a room to myself in the house, where most other volunteers have their own house separate from the family (even though the “house” isn’t the size of half my room at home). The upside is that I get a bed frame in my room, which to my knowledge no one else has. The house is a mud brick construction and a tin roof, which gets super warm during the day but doesn’t leak. There are pluses and minuses to everything here :) My morning consists of a bucket bath, using water warmed over an open fire. I’ve realized how little water I need to bathe, although I probably never get completely clean :p Breakfast is simple: a slice of bread and some tea (Malawians LOVE sugar in their tea, and think I’m crazy for not putting any in mine). My amayi packs me a snack for mid morning break, which can be any combination of a banana, bread, peanuts, egg, mandazi (fried bread, kind of like a doughnut), chipies (fried potato slices). It’s fun to compare what we get when we have snack break! Lunch and dinner are relatively the same. Starches include potatoes, rice, and nsima. Now, when I first got to Malawi I thought nsima was not very appetizing, but it’s funny how things grow on you! It’s a corn meal based product and is served in a patty. All these you eat with your hands with the veggie or protein. Proteins can be chicken, cow, goat, beans, or eggs (and you wouldn’t believe it, but the chickens at my house sit in trees all day! I’ve never seen anything like it). I’m not a huge fan of goat, but they have a ton of them here. The baby goats are especially adorable (don’t worry mom, I’ll have some pet goats for you once I get to my site). Greens/veggies are a huge range from pumpkin leaves, kasava, and cabbage usually cooked with onions or tomatoes of available. The food grows on you here, and I’ve found myself thrilled for nsima and beans for lunch. Peanut butter is widely available here, which is keeping me sane on the days that I want something else. And I’m doing my best to make my private stash of Ritter Sport chocolates last a while ;) A little taste of home every once in a while!

5½ days a week we all have class, which consists of at least 3 hours of language and the remaining filled with technical training. So far we’ve learned composting, mud stove construction, and permagardening. This week the schedule shows bee keeping, and in the coming weeks I look forward to learning soap making. It’s awesome to be learning such things that I wouldn’t anywhere else in the world. I have some basic ideas of what I might like to do once I’m at site, which would include starting a sewing club for women and children and also doing some farming/gardening. But most importantly I have to see what my village is wanting/needing since they are the reason I’m here.

This entry turned out to be waaaaay longer than I had even anticipated (gosh, I cant imagine how much my letters would cost if I wrote this much in all of them!) but I hope it gives you all a better idea of what’s up my way. I have no idea how long letters take to get to your destinations, but I have sent some and have another round ready to send out this week. So you may be getting old news once you read my letter…too bad ;) This illness has been an unexpected bump in the road, but I’d better get used to dealing and sorting through them as this is sure to not be the only kind of bump. Overall I am overjoyed to be in Malawi. The people here are fantastic and PC has done an amazing job in welcoming us and helping us to feel settled.

How do you sum up 3+ weeks of your life, with new experiences every day? As I wrap up my letters I always find there is more I wanted to say so I apologize in advance for all that I know I’ve left out. Like the other hike we did where I found a caterpillar and took some photos, only later to realize that it was a poisonous one (woohoo, go Mary! “But it looked so cool!!”)…and the market visits we’ve done where people laugh and open up once they realize you speak some Chichewa. There’s never enough time nor space to tell you everything, but I hope I’ve done a decent job. In short, I wear skirts every day (yes, many of you haven’t ever seen me in anything other than pants…get ready for pictures at some point). Make-up is no longer applied daily, and my tan has come on faster than I ever anticipated. I had a flip flop tan in the first week, in the rainiest and cloudiest district of Malawi. Limited variety of food has aided in my clothes fitting a bit looser, and my hair is a frizzy fro in the African humidity after my morning bucket bath or heavy rains.

I have received 2 letters (thank you Leo!) and a package from mama (those waterproof bags are super handy) thus far. I’m sure more are on their way, and thank you all in advance ;) You have no idea how exciting it is and how much it brightens one’s day to receive a letter and news from home. Keep ‘em coming, everyone! And consider contributing to the “project” in my last post, of sending charms/pendants that say something about you :) Will write you all again whenever I’m at a computer next!

Tiwonana! (See you!)