The south really does know how to do it…

...everything CAN be fried.  This is one thing I've learned during my first 2 weeks at my new site.  Within the last few days I have fried potatoes, potato skins, pumpkin seeds (be careful, those pop like popcorn!), and bananas.  I'm sure there is a lot more I will learn that can be fried here, but I've got to start somewhere.  Mom always hated frying things in the house when I was younger, but this is my house, and it's my turn to shine!  Okay, maybe that's just the popped hot oil on my skin, but here, when the coals are hot you sit and think "what else can I make?" and crazy ideas like fried bananas with dusted sugar and cinnamon crosses your mind.  That tries to satisfy a burning desire for something sweet back home like ice cream, candy bars, grocery store cupcakes, a bowl of cereal, and more...  Whoever figures out how to FedEx ice cream and it arrive in a solid form will win something, my choice!

These last two weeks have been a ride, let me tell you.  On April 28, 2010 the original 21 of us who departed Philadelphia on February 28th officially swore in at the U.S. Ambassadors house as Peace Corps Volunteers.  For me, it felt like graduation!  Another milestone in my life, not customarily on many people’s short list of things.  Heck, as I think of it, two years ago yesterday (May 10th) was the day I graduated college.  Who would have guessed I would be sitting at my house in Bwanje, Malawi two years later?!  That’s right...the doves outside my back door.  They knew.  I can see it in their eye..s, depending on which way they are facing ;)  But really, it was such an awesome experience and I seriously could not quit smiling through it all.  I had completed my first two months of Pre-Service Training and was getting ready to have my leash cut….off I go!

After the ceremony we ate tons of food that made our bellies hurt...and then proceeded to the Country Director’s house for a feast that quite closely made our bellies explode.  I never thought I’d be so excited for macaroni and cheese as I did this day...and then I spent two months in the middle of Malawi.  Not quite sure how it’s going to feel after 2 years though!  Doesn’t hurt that mac and cheese is my all time favorite meal!  Yep, your tummy starts craving foods you never thought you would miss before...like quiche, it was there too.  Thank you, everyone, for the amazing feast!

That night, the (now second year) Environment Volunteers put together a fun gathering for the 21 of us *new* PCVs (that’s right, when you send letters and packages ;), you can now use PCV instead of PCT) when we returned from Lilongwe.  It was such an awesome feeling having the support of the second year volunteers while having an opportunity to share in the excitement and anticipation of the next two years to come.  Wrapped up in the fun, for an evening we forgot that the next morning we would pack up our belongings and be dropped off at our sites.  That entire day, night, celebration, everything will forever be marked as one of the best of my life to date.  

Morning of April 29th, we all somberly rolled out of bed, showered for the last time until who-knows-when, and threw the last remaining odds and ends into whatever space we had left.  PC transport arrived with enough vehicles to take all of us, 2-3 to a car.  Our original bags from the US were thrown into the back or inside of trucks, stacked with our new mattresses and *shiny* new mountain bikes as well as other odds and ends (including the brick bag of PC books we accumulated over the past 2 months as well as 14,000 kwacha worth of goodies to start us off at our new homes).  The man that packed Justine and my stuff was so rushed and high strung that at one point I had to tell him to chill out.  Stressful enough for both of us (all of us new PCVs, really), that the last thing either Justine or I needed was someone telling us how the day was going to roll.  Some tears rolled as people said good-bye and cars drove away.  Near the middle of the pack, Justine and I bounced into the back of our truck and off we went.  

Down windey roads we took the Eastern route to our sites, down towards Salima, which was a new one for both of us.  It still blows my mind how quick the landscape changes here in Malawi.  You can have your view blocked by trees and mountains to one side, and the next moment be able to see miles and miles off into the distance.  It’s unbelievable, and at times it still hits me “holy cow, I live in Africa!”  However I’m partially sad to say that those moments become less and less as this once foreign country is now becoming my home, but more excited that this is my home.  

Justine was dropped off first in Sharpvale, just north of my village.  The three of us (driver included) helped to quickly unload all of her possessions.  I had a brief chance to see her house, meet the dog that she didn’t know she had (that’s what happens when COS (Completion of Service) Volunteers don’t leave detailed notes for the replacing PCV...surprise!,and try to front a rooster that wouldn’t stop roosting.  She has some 10+ roosters in her backyard, and still to this day I’m unsure of how she lives with them.  I’d, for one, go absolutely nuts.  The one at my house is enough in the morning!  I specifically keep rocks on my window sill to throw in his direction when he decides 5.30am is time for me to get up.  Sometimes I want to hit him...buuuut then I’d have to buy my neighbors a new one and that’s just too much hassle

A 5-10 minute drive to Bwanje was much shorter than I had anticipated, but was nice realizing that Justine and I are a shorter distance than I first thought.  About a 30 minute bike ride would get me there and due time!  Now the two of us threw everything quick in my house and on the front porch and the driver was off.  “Yoouuuuuu’ve just won a two year stay in Malawi!!!  What are you going to do now?!”  The reality sets in very quick once you can’t hear the sound of a car anymore, and you look around at faces you hardly know but who have just become your new Malawian family.

Giving a day-to-day play of my life here would, honestly, bore many of you back in the big city.  Things here are not exciting in the same ways they are back in the states.  But with that disclaimer I will give you an idea of how my days play out.  Peace Corps has us all at our sites for the first 3 months simply settling in and not starting any projects.  I hadn’t fully appreciated this (and quite honestly was mentally fighting the first 3 months) until I had an opportunity to really live it here.  It’s challenging trying to get settled in my daily routines, as it takes a while to see what works and what doesn't; what needs to be done with what frequency and also what doesn’t; what I can put off until tomorrow (ha, which wont ever change, I’m sure).  In all seriousness, I’ve simply had to learn how to live again.  Without running water and electricity, things take much much longer.  Yes, dad, I’m beginning to understand “systems” for things!

So here we go….  Typically I wake up around 5.30am, but if I’m lucky I manage to sleep in until 6ish (thank you, rooster!).  I’m too stubborn to get out of bed this early so I usually turn on my iPod and watch an episode and a half of Battlestar Galactica (yes, I’m still geeking out…Season 4 now!).  Around 7am I crawl out from my mosquito net, and begin my first decided chore: to sweep the house out of the dirt from the day before as well as the bugs (and ants devouring them) from the night before.  I’ve actually come to be fascinated watching ants eat bugs...yes, one of the many things I would not have had patience for back in the States but is my new hobby here.  Next I hand wash all my dishes from the day before if I didn’t have time to do them before sleeping.  It’s meditating, really, and so I enjoy the morning dishes while I smile and greet my neighbors.  Around 7.45-8 I go retrieve some water from the well in my back yard (literally I throw a bucket down a brick well and crank it back out full of water), lift the 20 liter full bucket to my head and walk back to my bafa to kusamba (bathe).  With a pail in hand I simply rinse off which is a great start to my day.  The really good days are the ones where I get to wash my hair ;) 

Once I feel presentable for the day, I lift my bike out of my back storage room, wrap a chitenje (“1001 uses for a 1 meter cut of fabric” is what it should be called) around my waist, and ride into town to buy food items for the day (typically: 2 scones (aka. bread rolls), 2 eggs, a pile of tomatoes (about 4-5 in each), some onions, and 6+ bananas (they’re much smaller here!)).  I’ve found that dividing up a scone and spreading peanut butter and slicing bananas to put on top are a delightful way to begin my day, as it’s the closest thing to an “American Breakfast” as I can muster without having to start a fire.  

Up until lunch time I fill my day with anything from laundry (which is an entire day activity), reading, hand sewing new curtains to adorn my window frames, taking a nap, listening to music, finding new places for my belongings (yes, George, every‘thing’ has its place, I know), chatting with my neighbors, and more.  Within the last few days I have found that cooking a meal for lunch (and possibly having leftovers for dinner time) suits me just fine.  So when I feel ready to tackle building a fire, I head out back, pile some charcoal (yes, I know I should know be using this, I am in need of getting some new parafin and a stove that wont blow up in my face; see last blog!) on my mboula, and spend the next 15 minutes lighting paper, blowing, and fanning a plate to try and get the charcoal to catch fire.  I refuse to use plastic bags, and somehow this makes me feel a little bit more proud when I successfully start my fire with just paper.

I cook anything from rice, soya, eggs, nsima (working on the perfection of this...long way to go!), tomatoes, onions, lentils, and add any sort of spices to make it all taste like some great culinary creation.  Gosh, cooking school would have done wonders for me out here!  Alas, I’m here to fend for myself ;)  Back in the states I’m a baker, not a cook, but I suppose there is time for everyone to learn!  The entire process of making a fire and cooking takes me at least 1-2 hours depending on what I’m cooking.  Ha, if I feel like having fun making mashed potatoes, later frying the skins, and making a curry with soya pieces it can easily be a 2 hour task.  But it’s satisfying, especially when I have a delicious meal to enjoy.  As said in my last whitty post, I’m eating it regardless of what it’s like but it sure is a delight when it turns out well :)  If I am in the mood for tea I throw on some water and enjoy it out of a handmade cup that was given as a housewarming gift...elephants and Baobob trees on the sides with an African colored sunset.  I’ve seen Baobobs and sunsets, just need to mark those elephants off my list...

The afternoons are filled with much of the same as the mornings: continuing work on my curtains (it takes a day and a half to hand sew one, I have found), reading my book (currently a switch between The Time Travelers Wife and The Lost: The Search for Six of Six Million, depending on my mood) on my front porch as the sunsets.  My favorite time of day is around 4.30-5, as the sun and the shadows are absolutely stunning.  About this time I take the remaining water in my bucket and do a quick rinse off in my bafa and hang out in my chitenje (aka. towel, purse, skirt, everything you can imagine...but this one is just for the bafa) until I’m dry.  As 6pm comes closer, I break out my headlamp and light a candle for my last minute chores around the house before crawling under my mosquito net, journaling about fun things that I accomplished in my day or new realizations about myself that I have discovered.  

I close my day with an episode of Battlestar Galactica, or if I need a break I watch one of the 6 movies I have on my iPod (said favorite is Lord of the Rings, of course).  Nothing compared to the big screen of movie theaters back home, but it has become comfortable and I enjoy it.  I listen to the dogs outside, the kids playing, and my neighbors eating dinner, and cockroaches bouncing around.  My American eyes have not yet adjusted to the dark like Malawians can, and thus I don’t wander around outside unless its close to a full moon, which then is simply like the Universe’s personal flashlight for the land.  Some PCVs have said that being under a mosquito net makes you feel like you are invincible.  Yes, yes, this is true.  Once I’m under it I am quite confident no cockroaches, mosquitos, scorpions, snakes, or spiders (of considerable size, at least) will be able to penetrate through the net.  It’s nice :) I like it.  And when I’m too tired to keep my eyes open, which comes around 8pm, I power down my iPod and put it on the upper right corner of my bed, waiting there to greet me in the morning when the rooster outside decides its time for me to wake up.

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I’ve come to realize quickly that it can be quite exhausting to simply live.  This is not something I appreciated back in the USA, as I’ll be honest to say I had it quite easy.  Doing laundry was a side task while reading or doing homework: here, it needs my full dedication or it simply does not get done.  Making food in the states could be as simple as pulling out a bowl and a box of cereal, milk from the fridge, sugar from the cabinet: here, I have to begin a fire to make anything, as everything as to be cooked, and I have to plan my meal because leftovers hardly keep a day without a fridge.  There are some days I go to bed and my body simply sighs with relief of not having to use muscles anymore.  And I quite enjoy this way of living, to be honest.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, it can be exhausting and I would love the option of pulling a tub of ice cream out of the freezer, but it’s given me such a great appreciation for how hard people work here, and how hard our ancestors used to work before all the modern technology.  It can be a lot to take in and process at times, but I don’t have another option.  It can be overwhelming, and quite honestly some mornings I groan at the work I know is ahead of me.  Some nights I have been too tired to cook dinner, and those nights I went hungry...no other option.  But I wouldn’t trade it.  I know what it’s like back in the states, but here I have to and get to create mine each day.

I have more I want to write, as usual, but I think this entry is enough at the moment.  It is the time of day where I am getting ready to turn on a head lamp and escape the buzzing mosquitos around my computer.  Next time I’ll tell you more about my village, neighbors, and some people I’ve met thus far.

Also, one last thing.  When the 21 of us were still together during PST, some people said family and friends had found my blog and were reading it.  It thrilled me!  It’s so nice to know I’m not writing for empty space out there.  Some said their parents didn’t want to make me feel weird by having unknown people “following” my blog.  But I would be more than delighted to know all of you out there who are reading.  So please, it would make me happy to have you not follow anonymously :) but rather have joy to know that I have people out there reading.  Thank you!  Comments are welcome from anyone, about anything :)  I’ll be honest to say I journal about just about everything here and my blog is for all of you at home, so that I am able to share my experience from afar.  I would love to know who all is enjoying this cross cultural experience :)  

Until next time, try to fry some things back where you’re from and give me any tips you might find helpful ;)  Especially all of you in the south ;)

Done with homestay...hooray!

Yes yes!  It is time for another unexpected update!  I hope this entry still finds you all well, and you are doing your best to enjoy ice cream and homemade macaroni and cheese for yours truly ;)  Life in Malawi is still awesome, and every day I wake up I can hardly believe I live here!

So I survived Lilongwe and was so thrilled to get back to my homestay village.  I gave my amayi a huge hug upon my return, which I'm sure freaked her out.  I didn't realize I would be so happy to get back out into the country and out of the city...all things considered being a city girl.  In the week I arrived back we learned about bee keeping and tree nurseries.  The tree nurseries got me exceptionally excited and is something I would like to do at my site.  Deforestation is a HUGE huge problem here in Malawi and most of Africa and I would love to do work with building back up the forests.  So that was an exciting lesson!

The rest of homestay was pretty low key.  The last week or two you could hear all of us chatting/complaining/ujeni (Chichewa for whatchamacallit!) about how we were so ready to depart homestay and for learning our new sites, which were announced on April 7th.  Now, I will tell you, this was so nerve wrecking for me!  If you think about it, it's a bit like waiting for a college acceptance letter.  However, in this case we were waiting for someone else to determine our future!  I had a hard time sleeping and eating a few days before (yeah, silly, but couldn't help it!  I had good reason, I assure you!) when all I could do was wait.  So back at the college we all gathered outside the classroom to hear where we were all going, and more importantly the locations that the staff had taken such consideration to place us.  We had a big map of Malawi with sticky notes covering our faces pointing to where were going to go.  One by one, Brian and Lu' (PC staff) read off details about the location and what the site had to offer (which typically matched up with little requests we'd made during out placement interview).  Slowly the sticky notes were pulled off and more of our faces dotted the poster. Okay, okay, I'll get to it...my site placement for the next two years is Bwanje in the Ntcheu district!  I was so thrilled when Brian read off some of the opportunities: mushroom farming, women's groups, tree nurseries!, and more.  Ha, so those butterflies ended, and new ones were born in the anticipation of seeing my site.

A little about my site:  Justine and I are considered site mates, being that we are a short 30 minute minibus ride away from each other (she's in Sharpvale)...which cracks us both up since we clicked well right off the bat.  I'm not sure that anyone else in our crew is as close together as we are.  Bwanje is located about half way between Lilongwe and Blantyre and is considered to be in the south central region.  Look it up on a map ;)  It was such a relief to be able to put a name to the place that I will be calling home, and the name that all of you will be putting on those glorious packages once I get a mailbox!

Our village farewell in Mzengereza was amazing and a bit surreal.  I've never really felt like I'm leaving somewhere until I'm already gone...does that make sense?  Now I sit thinking of all the meals my amayi cooked, playing with my siblings, and watching the sunset on my beloved rock, wishing a little bit I was still there.  But, I'm not....rest assured my current status is much more exciting ;).  The ceremony was a mix of English, Chichewa, and Chitimbuka and felt much like a college graduation!  We welcomed the Gule Wamkulu dancers which was absolutely amazing.  I couldn't believe how creative their costumes were out of some of the most basic materials (left over chitenje fabric, spoons, and more).  Here is an example of the dance, it was awesome!

My last night in homestay was bittersweet, to say the least, and was concluded with sitting up on the rock that I enjoyed so much during my 5 week stay.  You would not believe the sunsets here!  I will try to upload pictures at some point, however they don't do it justice.  The pinks and blues are unbelievable.  I also sat and had a 45+ minute conversation with my abambo in a mix of Chichewa and English and felt so comfortable and welcomed.  I felt a bit sad that I didn't hit that comfort point with my family until about week 3, but all things in due time, I suppose ;)  We sat outside the house under the amazing stars that I am so privileged to see nightly.  Dinner by candle light with my oldest sister, Tandi, as we laughed at each other missing our mouths with spoonfuls of rice.  I do miss homestay, it was a wonderful experience.

We had the 9th to chill out, trade music and movies, do laundry, and relax at the college.  Probably most exciting for me was wearing pants!  Attire here is skirts all the time and it was refreshing to be back in my customary outfit.  What a pleasure to have them not fit like saran wrap!  Early morning April 10th we all departed from the college for our site visits.  Bye buddies :(  We're always giving hugs and saying "see you soon!" to our friends...  Justine and I headed off to our sites together being that we're close in distance.  We flagged down a minibus, bargained our price, and piled in.

Heading to site visit was the first time that it had hit me "holy cow, I'm in Malawi!"  Not sure exactly why that point, but it finally felt like I was on my own and having to find my way somewhere instead of being taken around by PC transport.  The minibus would fill up, let people off, let more people on...for about 2+ hours down south to Ntcheu.  You should have seen the look on both of our faces when a man walked in with a HUGE bag of fish.  Yeah...delicious...the smell is nauseating.  We counted 23 people in the minibus, and I'm sure we'll push that record here in the near future.  Packin 'em in like sardines!

I met my shadow PCV in Bilila, about 20 minute ride from Bwanje.  Dannelle is awesome!  She was a fantastic hostess and we had a great time together.  I got my first taste of having to come up with food ideas with limited resources and ingredients.  It's amazing how creative one can become!  We bounced around the area for this past week, going to the Ntcheu boma (main market of my district) and doing sporadic clothes shopping (HEY!  All you gals with cute clothes! Donate them so they can be shipped to Africa!); visiting Balaka boma (since we have two to choose from this is the other one); and most importantly seeing my site and new house!

So my first impression of the house was "holy cow...this will take some work."  But now I'm really really excited for it and for some new changes.  I live a 15 minute walk off of the main road in a compound setting with a family of 4 (and maybe more?  Not sure who lives there permanently yet...).  They are tobacco farmers and it is harvest season so they are busy busy!  My house is a mud brick with tin roof and has a bedroom, living room, guest room, and kitchen area.  I have a porch out front surrounded by potted plants (i have no identified them all quite yet), which is ideal for hanging the hammock I brought to Malawi! Out back I have my bafa ("shower" = a square of bricks where I bring my bucket of water to dump on me) and chimbudzi (toilet = hole in the ground).  I'm extremely fortunate to have a water well in my backyard where I can get my H2O, opposed to having to go to a water tap that is a long walk from my place.  Spiders, cockroaches, and lizards currently inhabit my house, but I hope in due time I will be able to move in as the primary resident.  The family in my compound, Flag (the father) and Blessings (the mother) both speak English but approach me with Chichewa first.  They have two little girls who are absolutely freaked out of me.  But I'll capture them soon with my "Tiwonana-na-na-na" song (to the tune of "Getting Jiggy with It" haha).  I can foresee picking up Chichewa even faster here in a few weeks!  Last night I slept at my house for the first time (the other nights I was with Dannelle, having fun chats and making delicious food) and was able to begin grasping all the noises.  The bugs do, indeed, come out at night.  I will tell you, sandals make a great bug squasher!  (Along with sports bras being the new purse, great to carry things in, and dirt being natures *free* Brillo pad to scrub pots and pans).  It felt like I was camping, hanging out under my mosquito net watching Battle Star Galactica episodes on my iPod...geeking out and loving every minute of it!  The nights here are relaxed and the mornings are as well.  Malawian time is amazing :)

So this all brings me to Blantyre, where I am currently staying the night at a lodge with Justine.  Blantyre is the city where we will most likely stock up on our food goods and we thought it would be a good fun time to head down here to check it out.  Also, we have to be in Thyolo by tomorrow sometime to begin out Language Intensive week...basically we get slammed with LOADS of languages lessons in hopes to hammer more Chichewa into our brains.  It will take time to absorb it all, but this time will be nice.  In a week we have our final language test (I'm always nervous for tests!) and this week will help us to prepare for it.  Overall Chichewa is coming a long for me, and I know I will pick it up more once I get back to Bwanje after swearing-in.

The next exciting date is April 28th, our Swearing-In ceremony in Lilongwe at the U.S. Ambassadors house.  I'm excited to then become a PCV (volunteer) instead of a PCT (trainee)!  It will be an exciting time for us all!  Then on April 29th we will all be driven to our sites with all the baggage we thought we might want during our 2 year stay in Malawi.  We will stand on our porch (ok, I have a porch, but not sure about anyone else) only to watch as the Peace Corps transport tires roll away.  The dust will  settle and it will inevitably hit me "holy cow, I'm in Africa."

Until then, be well everyone!  And just so you know...I'm having more fun than you ;)  Feel free to visit anytime to see what Malawi is all about!

P.S.
This one is for mama.  So the gal I replaced left a paraffin stove so I tested it out yesterday.   I was making some rice concoction for lunch and BOOM! FIREBALL!  I still have my eyebrows and my house is still intact.  Don't worry, I'll be buying a new one :)

I've been spoiled!

A view from my house (no I don't have a photo

of my house, but will at some point)

At the top of one of our hikes.  Mozambique is off

in the distance to the right

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!)